Using What You Have to Defeat An Enemy - Ehud & Shamgar the 2nd and 3rd Judges

There's a cycle in the book of Judges of the children of Israel: rest, disobedience, deliverance, rest.

After Othniel died, the Israelites disobeyed God, again. Scripture says "they did evil again." This time they needed deliverance from Moab and it's King - King Eglon.

Evil and oppression are constant themes relating to Israel's experience. Evil is anything that is not good; something that is profoundly immoral and malevolent. Oppression is prolonged cruel or unjust treatment or control. Oppression is usually tied to some evil behavior or characteristics - the oppressed won't say otherwise.

The Israelites were evil in their actions toward God because of their disobedience. Their enemies were evil in their actions toward them and because of their evil ways, oppressed the Israelites. Evil abounded and evil begot more evil. There were degrees of evilness but the greatest infraction was toward God.

So King Eglon of Moab was evil and oppressive toward the Israelites; in addition, it is highlighted that he was very fat - morbidly obese. He oppressed the Israelites for 18 years and after this time, the Israelites cried out to God for a deliverer and he sends Ehud - who was left handed.

Ehud was left-handed and King Eglon was very fat - these two seemingly random characteristics would play a part in the defeat of Moab.

Ehud made a two-edged sword which ranged in length from 17.5" to 20", hid it under his garment strapped it to his right thigh, and was able to secure a private meeting with the King by offering a gift. In that private meeting, he pulls out his sword with his left hand (which must have caught the King off guard due to his angle) and stabbed him in his belly. His belly was so big and the sword so long that it was, in essence, lodged there - it couldn't be moved. Ehud leaves and closes the door of the King's parlor so that when his men are looking for him they think he's having private time and don't disturb him. By the time they discover that something is amiss - it's too late. King Eglon died and Ehud escaped. Since the Moabite King is dead, they are able to defeat their enemy - the Moabites.

After that, the Israelites had rest for 80 years. (Judges 3:12-30)

Then there was Shamgar - who only gets one verse- who used an ox goad to slay 600 Philistines. (Judges 3:31)  The Philistines were fighters who were very strong. (Recall that Goliath was a Philistine.) An ox goad is a wooden tool, approximately eight feet long, fitted with an iron spike or point at one end, which was used to spur oxen as they pulled a plow or cart. It often had an iron scraper at the non-pointed end to clear clods of earth from the plowshare when it became weighed down. (gotquestions.org)

Then there was peace again, for an unspecified period of time.

Like Ehud and Shamgar, we must use what we have to defeat the enemies of God. The enemies of God are anything that is contrary to God's word. In the Old testament - it was false gods, idol worship and people who supported these ideas. Today it is this and more. Ehud used a two-edged sword that he made and Shamgar used an ox goad -a tool used to prod oxen back in line. Ehud also used his left-handedness, recognizing that it was considered out of the ordinary. These two judges show the sovereignty of God - He uses whatever He wants - a sword, fatness, lefthandedness in addition to whatever else we bring to the table to accomplish His purposes.

We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. 1 Corinthians 10:3-5

I am encouraged by the awesomeness of God as played out in the lives of these two judges. How will you be obedient to God?

--Nylse

Thanks for reading. Please take a moment to share using the buttons below and also please like my Facebook Page. Stay Encouraged!

Why Do We Fluctuate in our Devotion To God?

Reading about the Israelites in the book of Judges, you may wonder how they could be so stubborn. You may even think that you're not like them - once you've committed to something or someone you never waver in your commitment, you're never tempted, and you never doubt.

In my last post, I mentioned how God sent judges to deliver the people of Israel; but why did they need deliverance?

Their leader died (Judges 2:6-9). Joshua died at 110 years old but he was influential in ensuring that the people followed the Lord's commandments. When Joshua and those of that generation died, the upcoming generation did not know the Lord and all of his works. Because of this lack of knowledge they chose to worship other gods. This worshipping of other gods instead of the one true God makes God seem petty, but He's not. When you make other things an idol - they become very important to you. Idols will now have a high priority in your life; the idol determines how you live and who you associate with. In Israel's time, false gods like Baal and Ashtoreth - couldn't save lives, couldn't deliver you from oppression, couldn't help you cross a Red sea, couldn't rain plagues from heaven. Instead, these idols created a false hope and filled lives with rituals that had no meaning. But God was and is different - everything He instituted had meaning and purpose and was not an empty ritual. God knew what He was talking about. Today we make idols out of different things - fame, athletic prowess, smarts, money. If we give these things more precedence than God who made us, they are an idol and they will have the same detrimental effect as worshipping false gods in Israel's time.

There was a gap in knowledge (Judges 2:10). As much as it is up to you, your legacy matters. Perhaps because they had not experienced God's goodness directly, the younger generation made a choice to test God. Perhaps they did not really understand what it meant to serve God. Sometimes in spite of passing down what God has done, the next generation chooses to go astray. Each individual has to make the choice to serve God.

God made all of us with free will (Judges 2:11-22). We get to choose. God said if you're always going to choose wrongly, you will suffer but I will still make a way out for you.

So why is it so hard to stay the course?

• Sin is enticing. The worship of false gods was enticing to the Israelites; it was all around them. Proximity to sin also made it tempting.
• Sin is influential - Bad company corrupts good character.
• Sin makes us weak - We don't really have willpower unless we choose to subject our minds. Our wills are entirely powerless.

Perhaps you now see a little bit of yourself in the Israelites; I know I do. Don't look with disdain at the Israelites instead, see yourself in them. Yield to the promises of God's word and be willful about serving Him. Like the Israelites, you'll begin to recognize that He is there in spite of your messes. Out of the mess will come a message.

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:8

Even though you fluctuate, He remains faithful.