“It often happens, that a man who has committed a crime takes his place secretly in a railway train, and is swiftly whirled away to the sea coast. But fast as he travels, there is something travelling faster, namely, the message along the telegraph wires; and when he hurries out at the distant terminus he is instantly grasped by officers of justice, who have been long in waiting. So God often meets startled sinners, who have been vainly trying to escape His notice and retribution.

There was a man who committed a foul murder in a Scottish castle on a young bridegroom, at whose marriage festivities he had hypocritically assisted. The assassin took horse in the dead of night, and fled for his life through wood and winding path. When the day dawned, he slackened his pace, and behold! he was emerging from a thicket in front of the very castle whence he had fled, and to which by tortuous paths, he had unconsciously returned, Horror seized him; he was discovered, and condemned to death. So however far and fast we may fly, we shall find ourselves, when light returns, ever in presence of our sin, and of our Judge.”

A study of its usage reveals that it denotes crying for help (frequently directed to Yahweh) out of deep distress or because of some unbearable circumstance; occasionally it simply signifies a cry of anguish directed to no one in particular.

A study of its usage reveals that it denotes crying for help (frequently directed to Yahweh) out of deep distress or because of some unbearable circumstance; occasionally it simply signifies a cry of anguish directed to no one in particular.

Dr. Robert Watson, a famous British preacher of a generation past, described God’s deliverance:

It was from the far south that help came in response to the piteous cry of the oppressed in the north; the deliverer was Othniel.… After his marriage to Achsah, daughter of Caleb, we must suppose him living as quietly as possible in his south-lying farm, there increasing in importance year by year till now he is a respected chief of the tribe of Judah. In frequent skirmishes with Arab marauders from the wilderness he has distinguished himself, maintaining the fame of his early exploit. Better still, he is one of those who have kept the great traditions of the nation, a man mindful of the law of God, deriving strength of character from fellowship with the Almighty.

The Spirit is also mentioned in connection with Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson. By the gift of the Spirit, the judge is empowered to deliver the people (6:34; 11:29; 13:25; 14:6, 19; 15:14). This idiom does not necessarily reflect spiritual regeneration, but it signifies a special dispensation of the Lord’s power and authority granted to the judge. The Spirit of God temporarily empowers the judge to perform extraordinary feats of deliverance.

There are nothing but bare essentials here—and those are about what Yahweh had done. The problem with Othniel is that he is so colorless. There is no flash and dash about Othniel—nothing about being left-handed and making a dagger (so Ehud), no snazzy motto like Jael’s (Step softly but carry a big hammer.’ Probably with good reason. It is likely that we have this first episode in such stripped-down style precisely so that we will see clearly what is most essential—the activity of Yahweh. Sometimes interesting people can obscure that, and we end up watching these fascinating folks but never see what our God is doing.