The “Here Comes The
Judges!” Series #3
“EHUD – When Being Left Was Right!”
TEXT: Judges
3:12-30
INTRO:
God would use two unlikely sources to
speak to them ... the Moabites would be empowered by God to come against His own
people in order to get their attention; and then God would choose a man who was
considered "defective" by their own standards to bring deliverance for
them!
God doesn't look at the outward
appearance of a man/woman ... He looks for inward qualities! Ehud was such a
person!
ILLUS: The
ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and
convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and
controversy. -- Martin Luther King, Jr. Leadership, Vol. 16, no.
3.
Even the courage of one person can
bring victory to many ... and inspire the faith of a multitude! Are you such a
one?
PROP.
SENT: When God is looking for a man or
woman to do a job He doesn't always pick the one that seems to have the perfect
outward attributes ... He looks on the heart! God often brings victory from defects
and defeats, from what the world considers as failures God brings
success!
I. PAIN OF DEFEAT! Judges
3:12-14
A. Disaster!
Judges
3:12
1. The saddest words in this verse are
“once
again” ... a sad commentary on the human heart’s tendency toward
sin!
2. This "doing
evil" was a willful decision on their part ... they chose to ignore
the teaching of their forefathers and the faith of the previous
generations.
3. This deliberate rejection of God
brought with it God's plan to discipline and restore!
a. But the plan included
allowing an ungodly king and an ungodly nation to temporarily have power over
b. From this we must understand
that all powers in this world exist because God allows them ... He will
accomplish His purposes no matter how much the nations think they are in
control!
4. They had lost sight of God – they
needed to get their eyes back on God again to see their way. As long as their eyes were off of God
they would wander aimlessly off track.
ILLUS: The snow
covered the ground, and three young boys were playing in it. A man said to them, "Would you like to try to race, with the
promise of a prize for the winner?"
The boys
agreed, and the man told them that his race was to be different. "I
will go to the other side of the field," he said, "and when I give you the
signal, you will start to run. The
one whose footsteps are the straightest in the snow will be the
winner."
As the
race commenced, the first boy began looking at his feet to see if his steps were
straight. The second lad kept
looking at his companions to see what they were doing; but the third boy just
ran on with his eyes fixed on the man on the other side of the field.
The third
boy was the winner, for his footsteps were straight in the snow. He had kept his eyes on the goal ahead of
him.
A long
time ago, another man using similar words taught the same principle. It was Paul who said, "Forgetting
what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to
win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ
Jesus"
(Phil
3:13-14). – Source Unknown
B. Despair!
Judges
3:13-14
1. Pain struck a nerve ... and
2. In their moment of pain their
desire for God was revitalized!
a. Sometimes God uses pain to
recall our attention!
b. Pain and discipline are not
pleasant at the moment ... but yield fruit later!
3. A contingent of enemies banded
together to come against
a. They were not willing to
fight back, only complain.
b. There would be a price to pay
to win back their freedoms, this is always true.
ILLUS: A chaplain
was speaking to a soldier on a cot in a hospital. "You have lost an arm in the great
cause," said the chaplain. "No,"
said the soldier with a smile. "I
didn't lose it-I gave it." In that
same way, Jesus did not lose His life. He gave it purposefully. "He died that we might be forgiven and go
at last to heaven." – Source Unknown
II. PERFECT DEFECT Judges
3:15
A. Deliverer?
Judges
3:15a
1. They finally cry out to God for
help!
a. God's ears are always open
for the heart cry of the fallen!
b. God was waiting to hear from
them!
2. Ironically God sends them a strange
deliverer ... a Benjamite named Ehud!
a. Why was this strange ... because
he was left-handed!
b. It was the
belief of that day to label left-handed people as defective or
handicap!
c. Strangely enough, the name "BENJAMIN" means "son of my right
hand!"
d. Yet it seems
that many of the Benjamites were left-handed! (Judges. 20:16-17)
e. By the standards of that
day Ehud was defective ... but not in his heart ... he was a Judge in Israel
for the Lord God, those qualities of the heart are what brought him to God's
attention as a potential deliverer!
f. THUS, A
LEFT-HANDED MAN BECOMES GOD'S RIGHT HAND MAN! (Remember, “Benjamin” means -- “Son
of my right hand”)
g. Strategically being left
handed would be an advantage, when he went to the palace of the enemy the king
would likely have him checked for a weapon on his entrance – however, they would
check on the wrong side of his body for a weapon ... they would assume he was
right handed like “ALL” normal people and would only check his left side for a
weapon, thus he would be able to hide a weapon on his right side and bring it in
without notice! God always knows
what He's doing! They never dreamed
that God might use a “defective” person.
3. The territory where old
a. The tribe was probably still
somewhat small from earlier heavy losses, thus making it easier for the enemy to
start with controlling their territory!
b. God's plan however doesn't see the odds
the way we do!
c. We must be willing to see
beyond the scope of what is convenient to do God’s
work.
ILLUS: A
missionary society was deeply impressed by the courageous devotion of David
Livingstone who worked single-handedly for God in
B. Debt! Judges
3:15b
1. This part of the story is kind of
unusual ... the word "TRIBUTE" here was the normal word used for the
expected offering due the Lord during their worship of God ... it was the
customary tithe given to God to secure His favor ... that is when they
worshipped God! “Tribute” here
meant “God’s Tithe.”
a. They had for some time now
withheld the tithes from God.
b. They thought this would help them get
ahead ... but now their tithes had to be given under compulsion to an
ungodly king!
2. God
would not allow them to keep their tithes ... even if it meant teaching them
this in another way! (This is still
true today!)
a. They didn't end up ahead
after all!
b. What was once voluntary
became compulsory!
c. They ended up giving their
tithes anyways, but now they had no choice as to where it
went!
d. Sometimes God brings us to a
place of no choice!
ILLUS: When the
Moors set out to invade
III. PERSONAL DECISION Judges
3:16-25
A. Deception Judges
3:16-19
1. Ehud comes up with a plan ... his
left-handedness would open a window of opportunity for him to sneak in a
weapon! He decides to put his own
life on the line to save his people!
a. In this sense he was a type
of Christ, the great deliverer who put his life on the line for you and
me!
b. He could not think of
personal risk ... God's people needed deliverance!
c. With God however he would be
a majority!
ILLUS: At the
board meeting: "So the vote is as follows: Larry, Ruth, Dan, Sid, and Marcia are
for the proposal. God and I are
against." -- Cartoonist Joseph Farris in Leadership, Vol. 9, no.
3.
2. The deception he plans would have
to be done just right to succeed!
a. So as not to risk his
brethren ... he does not include them in his plan.
b. He goes with them to give the
tribute, and while leaving states he must go back alone to give a special
message to the king!
c. This would be a "SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM GOD ... A
DAGGER!" He wanted this ungodly
king to get the “point.”
B. Dedication! Judges
3:20-25
1. Ehud is dedicated to the task and
well equipped to do it!
a. It is important that we are
willing to be equipped to do the work of God!
b. It was not enough to have
faith ... he would have to express it
courageously!
ILLUS: There are
too many needful things to be done to wait around for someone to feel
gifted. -- Kent Hughes, Leadership, Vol. 14, no.
3.
2. As the king arose to hear the "message from
God," Ehud unfolds his simple plan to destroy the king ... and by
doing so send the Moabites into a state of confusion ... giving the smaller army
of
3. With a repentant
4. Eglon is executed in his palace of
luxury!
a. The upper room was considered
a place of private luxury!
b. Often made as the coolest
room in the house during the hottest temperatures!
5. In his soft and flabby condition
the knife sinks in all the way and is completely enveloped by his
fat!
a. Ehud's strength showed well
above the cripple that others thought he was!
b. So forceful was the thrust
that the knife came out the back side of the king!
6. Ehud quickly makes his escape,
locking the doors as he leaves!
a. The guards assume the meeting
is over and because the doors are locked that king Eglon was using the
bathroom!
b. They waited until fully
embarrassed; they finally unlock the door to find him dead, thus ample time was
given for Ehud to escape!
IV. PROVIDENTIAL DELIVERANCE
Judges 3:26-30
A. Delivered!
Judges 3:26-29
1. This period of time gave
opportunity for Ehud to not only escape but organize a small
army!
2. Once the truth was out on king
Eglon’s death the Moabites were thrown into a state of confusion, they were
leaderless!
a. This became the advantage
God's people needed to route the enemy!
b. God always knows what He's
doing!
3. It clearly states that they
overcame the strong Moabites by striking down 10,000 men, not a single enemy
escaped!
a. Obedience and faith go
together, and the outcome is overwhelming victory!
b.
c. God sometimes uses unusual
means to accomplish His purposes!
ILLUS: In
Enterprise, Alabama, you will see one of the most unusual monuments ever
built. It is a monument to honor
the boll weevil, the little insect that nearly destroyed the cotton on which the
town's economy depended. Why a
monument to so destructive an insect?
Because before the boll weevil, every family depended on cotton for its
livelihood. When the boll weevil
struck, they diversified and began to plant peanuts with great success. The inscription reads: "In profound
appreciation of the boll weevil and of what it has done as the herald of
prosperity, this monument is erected by the citizens of
B. Delighted!
Judges
3:30
1. The fruit of
this adventure of faith by a seemingly unlikely hero was 80 years of peace in
a. Two generations enjoyed real
peace because of one man's faith that acted!
b. The victory came through a
man who was considered defective ... but whose faith was
dynamic!
2. The power of this one man's
testimony brought two full generations’ glory and joy!
a. Don't underestimate the power
of being faithful ... and the impact it can have on you and your future
generations!
ILLUS: Years ago
a young black child was growing up in
One day a famous athlete, Charlie
Paddock, came to his school to speak to the students. At the time Paddock was considered "the
fastest human being alive." He told
the children, "Listen! What do you
want to be? You name it and then believe that God will help you be it." That little boy decided that he too
wanted to be the fastest human being on earth.
The boy went to his track coach
and told him of his new dream. His
coach told him, "It's great to have a dream, but to attain your dream you must
build a ladder to it. Here is the
ladder to your dreams. The first
rung is determination! And the second rung is dedication! The third rung is discipline! And the
fourth rung is attitude!"
The result of all that motivation
is that he went on to win four gold medals in the 1936
b. God give us more
Ehuds!