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

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Are You Feeling Hot Hot Hot?

WebMD Magazine

As you know, I turned 50 recently! Yeah me! I still feel like my 23-year-old self but certain things are different. At the beginning of my 50th year of life, I noticed that I was hot, like boiling hot all the time and sweating profusely. I also noticed (without getting too detailed) that Aunt Flo was no longer paying regular visits. I was happy that Aunt Flo was no longer a guest but disturbed, disappointed and angry by the incessant heatwave I was in. I was miserable.

I tried different things - some things worked but most things did not or they only worked for a short timeframe. Eventually, I went to my gynecologist and had a thorough exam and a full blood workup. She confirmed that I was not nutty and that indeed I was going through some changes by showing me the data. All of my numbers were in the highlighted range below. I think she may have been in a bit of disbelief herself, because she said, "How do you look like 12 and this is happening?" You can't argue with the data. So here's the data that you should be aware of. If you're past the age of 45, ensure that your blood work is measuring these hormones.

	Luteinizing Hormone (LH)	FSH	Estradiol	Progesterone
Follicular Phase	2.4 -12.6	3.5 - 12.5	12.5 - 166	0.1 - 0.9
Ovulation Phase	14.0 - 95.6	4.7 -21.5	85.8 - 498	0.1 - 12.0
Luteal Phase	1.0 - 11.4	1.7 -7.7	43.8 - 211	1.8 - 23.9
PostMenopausal	7.7 - 58.5	25.8 - 134.8	<6.0 - 54.7	0.0 - 0.1

Seeing the data brought acceptance. This stage of life is not all bad. Some of the positives that I have noticed are:

• I have more energy - the constant fatigue that I had during the child-rearing years is gone
• No more PMS and its symptoms (this is a HUGE blessing!!!)
• Greater focus on self-care
• A willingness to take risks and try new things
• No worry of pregnancy

In talking to other girlfriends - as they go through this stage, whether naturally or because of a hysterectomy, the sudden changes due to surgery seem to be worse for the individual. Eventually, over time everything evens out and, as women, we adjust to our new normal.

Trying to stay cool!

Here's a short list of things that you can do to take care of yourself:
1. Reduce your caffeine and sugar intake
2. Minimize your ingestion of processed foods
3. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables
4. Drink lots of water
5. Minimize drinking hot beverages as it can increase the      heated sensation in your body
6. Try to get some exercise in a way that you like

Also, I've discovered that clothing with vents (i.e. keyhole backs, cold shoulder tops, or some creative way to bare flesh while being modest) or things made with breathable fabric, like these pajamas, or anything made with linen make all the difference in the world.

Every woman will experience this stage of life differently - some have no physical symptoms and some have all of the symptoms. I recommend that you find a doctor you trust and work with them to figure out what's best for you. My doctor has suggested that if you need to go on hormones, it may only be on a short-term basis, but again speak with your doctor as some of these symptoms can really affect your quality of life.

As a young traveler on any airline, I wondered why those vents were blowing cold air over each passenger. I always stopped the airflow and wrapped myself in blankets. The other day, I couldn't believe it, but I was so grateful for those vents. I kept the air flowing on me for most of my flight, with abandon. For me, I'm embracing this new stage of life while looking forward to what the future holds. What about you?

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. Psalm 139:14

If you're here and this is you, how are you handling this stage of your life?

--Nylse
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Notes From My Daughter - Exceptionalism and Excellence Are Very Different

Occasional notes from my second daughter. I never know what to expect when she writes but I am always blown away. Did this child come from me? Read on!

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A few years ago I went to a rap concert and the artist on stage took the opportunity between songs to get very vulnerable with the audience about his life journey. I was astonished by the conviction which guided his lifestyle to the point where I even shed a few tears. He challenged the audience to pursue EVERYTHING with the mindset of excellence. And my honest response was, "Everything? How?"

As we all know by now, I was labeled smart because I accelerated through school at an unusual pace. By 6 years old I was in 3rd grade, 9 years old I was in 6th grade, by age 12 I started high school and by 16 I graduated and went on to take a gap year filled with more studying. I've always been younger than peers and therefore never really fit in with anyone in particular. My personal feelings about being "different" were neutral because I knew it was something I couldn't control. It was by nature a part of my identity. Trying to change my age or my perceived intelligence would not have made me or anyone else happy, so to some degree, I was secure with who I was and there wasn't much that could threaten that security.

Fortunately for me, I went through puberty relatively early (around the 9 years old 6th-grade point in this timeline) but no one noticed because by that time everyone else's bodies were changing as well since 11/12 is the average age of puberty for most girls. Physically, I had an ability to blend in even though I should've stood out. I balanced being visible and invisible in a way that was acceptable socially too. I would never say I was popular at any stage of my schooling, but I was known by enough popular kids and enough outcast (and I was loved by most^* of my teachers) to the point where I just blended in. I didn't straddle the fence on purpose but naturally fell into place wherever I landed and had no intention of forcing anyone to accept me.

The problem when I was singled out. It felt something like this

Anxiety x Imposter Syndrome^{^2} = wanting to hide and be normal again

It's one thing to be in an honor's class; your still included in a base group, you have friends, and everyone tends to think you're great. It's a different thing to be the one amongst your honors class to lead the charge in filing formal complaints about your honors class teacher(s) because she/he has proved to be unfit for the job time after time.  To be fair, I was self-motivated for the mission at hand, but I was also wanted people to voluntarily choose to do better without me having to make my voice heard. It's burdensome when you feel like "I have to make something happen out of thin air due to this expectation." It's the difference between everything falling into place and everything falling apart.

 It's one thing to not be teased for not having an ideal body type (a ridiculous reason for judgment) by the time your 12 (a ridiculous age for such judgment) and it is another thing to be sexualized and constantly harassed for having the ideal body type. Again I wanted to hide. I wanted to just be exceptional. Slightly above average, but definitely not a trailblazer.

Some would call this feeling a "fear of success." From studying myself I can honestly say this assumption is inaccurate in my case.  For the most part, anything I've tried my hand at I've been good at it if not by talent then by persistence.

My problem was always with the crowd excellence attracted, their constant surveillance, and constant labeling of who I was and what I did. I was afraid of peaking within certain environments and getting stuck there like a hometown hero who never leaves their hometown because ever since they’ve been discovered everyone keeps calling on them.  I was afraid that nothing was ever enough, that my security could always be threatened.  My feelings were complex but God hit me with a simple truth later on:

"Your definition of excellence is not mine." Tweet this.

Excellence didn’t seem like something that could be constantly pursued on this earth. Jesus' ministry was only 3 years long before he was killed by his people. Excellence didn’t come with peace and it just seemed miserable unless you, like God, were already living in paradise. To me, exceptionalism seemed more obtainable.

  

But the more I unlearned my own definition of excellence the more I realized It's better to be set apart by God than set it your own ways. If you always live within your own limits you will never fully know God's abundance.  God honors not because of our efforts but because of his heart for us. Knowing that we are finite and imperfect he allows us to get empty so that he can always pour more of himself into who we are. He is not threatened by our desire to hide but calls us to be courageous. He knows the crowd will come but no threat can overtake the power of his love. Therefore the truth is excellence is obtainable as long as God has constantly made himself available (which he has). 

My unlearning process started at that rap concert and continues almost every day (yup, I get afraid every single day). I encourage you that when God brings awareness between what you thought was right and His truth even though the initial sever may hurt, let Him continue to grow the gap until you do not see the fear in the horizon any longer. Trust that He is truthful.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.  John 10:10

p.s: I would like to do research on early achievers; if anyone knows someone who could help me in that endeavor please let me know

Ordinary Othniel - the First Judge

Othniel was Caleb’s nephew from the tribe of Judah – the same tribe that Jesus actually came from. God left the oppressors in the Promised Land so that the Israelites wouldn't forget who God was. We forget the need for God when things are going smoothly. Or like children, if we removed all things that we perceived could cause a problem, how would they ever learn? How would they know what “hot” meant of they never touched anything hot and pulled away? This is the same principle that God employed. 

After 8 years, the children of Israel (notice how they are always referred to as children) cried out to God and God sent Othniel as their first Judge. This is the same guy that married Caleb’s daughter as a prize after defeating Debir. Remember, Othniel married his cousin – Achsah, so through marriage, he also received the benefit of Caleb's lineage.

Othniel’s leadership is covered in 3 short verses (Judges 3:9-11), but there’s a lifetime of lessons here.

Good family – In the cooking world, a stock is considered liquid gold because once it’s made anything you cook with it will have an intense flavor and be more enjoyable. But stock making is not a quick process – it involves roasting bones, adding water and aromatics and simmering on a low heat for hours. The longer you simmer, the greater the flavor that’s released. Othniel came from good stock. He was Caleb’s nephew from the tribe of Judah. He had a warrior’s heart and knew what God could do, just by listening to Caleb.  By the time he was selected as a Judge, he was much older, around 60 yrs. As with Caleb, we see in his nephew the lesson reinforced that we are never too old to be used by God.

Good God – The Spirit of the Lord came upon Him. He judged Israel and went out to war and the Lord delivered the King of Mesopotamia into his hand. From personal experience, it is amazing what you can do when the Spirit of the Lord comes upon you. It is a feeling of doing what you thought was initially impossible. It might be as simple as speaking up during a business meeting to as profound as being led to start a church. All those who put their faith in Jesus Christ are immediately and permanently indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11) and as such you have access to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit’s powerful indwelling is an amazing gift we should never take lightly. (gotquestions.org) With the Spirit of the Lord’s prompting, Othniel was able to defeat Mesopotamia. It doesn’t matter how it was done. What matters is that the enemy King was delivered into Othniel’s hand.

Good Benefits – The Israelites had 40 years of rest because of Othniel’s leadership. After this victory, the people rested. When you act in accordance with God’s will, not only do you benefit but others around you benefit also. Many times, after I’d spoken up in a business meeting – any of the following happened: an executive thanked me; others were grateful that I spoke up because they had the same concern; a situation was addressed and changed. On my own, I never thought any of these actions were possible; but with God they were.

Everyone does not come from a good family, however, you can be the start of a good family by choosing to trust God for everything. Where you come from is only the beginning; it can set you on the right track. In addition, a willingness to be used by God starts by believing in God; then a greater willingness to be used by God in conjunction with knowing and trusting that He will work it all out for good as He did with Othniel – an ordinary man used to judge, lead and rescue Israel.

Now to him who by the power that is working within us is able to do far beyond all that we ask or think, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen Ephesians 3:20-21

We can all be used by God. Are you willing?