bear with me as I turn in the actual bible because today's passage is so outlandish
I want you to make sure that it is coming from the bible not from my own imagination
well many of you may know who I am some of you may not if you're visiting I am not a pastor here
at Cheyenne Mountain Presbyterian Church I am a minister in the Associate Reformed Presbyterian
Church my name is Drew Arrington and my family has the privilege of attending here while I am
stationed at Fort Carson so I am glad to be able to be here this morning and honored as usual that
your session would give me the privilege of reading and expounding upon God's word for us this morning
if you know we are in the book of Judges here at Cheyenne Mountain Presbyterian Church and two
weeks ago Matthew opened up chapter three talking about Othniel and he called Othniel the last good
judge he was the last good judge we could hold up to our children as a role model
the last judge of whom we modern Christians are not embarrassed the last judge we're comfortable
talking about but unfortunately we often treat challenging passages of scripture like embarrassing
moments in our lives I'm not going to recount any of my embarrassing moments so I'm not going to ask you
to raise any of yours but you know what I'm talking about those moments that we wish we could forget
and instead of embracing those passages of scripture we do our best just like our embarrassing moments
to avoid thinking about them instead of embracing those passages of scripture we do our best to avoid
remembering thinking or even talking about them in fact if we had our way we would banish them from our
memory as if they never occurred and the way we treat these scriptural embarrassments remind me of a
conversation I had with my wife's grandmother some years ago and we asked her this question
Nani what do you think about president X not taking a second to think about it she says well
I don't think about them at all that's what many Christians do with embarrassing portions of
of scripture passages that we would rather not think about at all and those portions of holy text
are glossed over from the pulpit ignored in our Sunday schools and skipped over in our bible reading plans
but when we do that we do that to our own detriment
when we ignore these embarrassing accounts in the bible the church deprives herself of life and vitality
because we for we forfeit the blessings of those passages so what are we missing when we don't think about
specifically what are we missing when we don't think about Ehud or Shamgar well we'll say if we look at these men
and try to look at this passage as a character study we will be embarrassed
if we look to these men for qualities and actions to emulate
we emulate those today we will bring embarrassment upon ourselves and upon the Christian faith
embarrassment will fade in the light of God's comfort
encouragement and hope
so by embracing the embarrassment of judges three
what we will find today
is a God who delights
in rescuing his people
let me say that again
in this embarrassing passage
if we look past the human examples
we see a God
who delights
in rescuing
his people
and in doing so
we see a God
who will get his hands dirty
to do that
we see a God
who in rescuing his people
is not boring
and we see a God
who has a sense of humor
but before we read the passage
let us pray
that the Holy Spirit might enable us
to encounter
this encouragement
as we embrace this passage
let us pray
God I'm not worthy
to stand before you
except that your son
through the power of the Holy Spirit
has made a difference in my life
and called me
God we are not worthy
Father even to receive your word
but God through the power of the Holy Spirit
you can apply that word
to our hearts
allow us to see the truths of Scripture
and your great love
for your people
oh God would you do that for us
this morning
and might that be for our good
the good of your church
and the glory of our Savior
and Lord Jesus Christ
in whose name we pray
Amen
so let us take a look then
at Judges chapter 3
and we are going to start
with verse 12
and read through the end of the chapter
as you listen along
listen and see
if you can hear
those instances
that could be considered embarrassing
but then also
for the encouragement
that is found therein
and the people of Israel
again did what was evil
in the sight of the Lord
and the Lord strengthened Eglon
the king of Moab
against Israel
because they had done
what was evil
in the sight of the Lord
he gathered to himself
the Ammonites
and the Amalekites
and went and defeated Israel
and they took possession
of the city of Palms
and the people of Israel
served Eglon
the king of Moab
eighteen years
then the people of the Lord
cried out to the Lord
the people of Israel
cried out to the Lord
and the Lord raised up
for them a deliverer
Ehud
the son of Gera
the Benjaminite
a left-handed man
the people of Israel
sent tribute by him
to Eglon
the king of Moab
and Ehud
made for himself
a sword with two edges
a cubit in length
and he bound it
on his right thigh
under his clothes
and he presented
the tribute
to Eglon
king of Moab
now Eglon
was a very fat man
when Ehud
had finished
presenting the tribute
he sent away
the people
who carried the tribute
but he himself
turned back
at the idols
near Gilgal
and said
I have a secret message
for you
O king
and he commanded
silence
and all of his
attendants
went out
from his presence
and Ehud
came
to him
as he was sitting
alone
in the cool
roof chamber
and Ehud
said
I have a message
from God
for you
and he arose
from his seat
and Ehud
reached
with his left
hand
took the sword
from his right thigh
and thrust it
into his belly
and the hilt
also
went in
after the blade
and the fat
closed
over the blade
for he did not
pull the sword
out of his belly
and the dung
came out
then Ehud
went out
into the porch
and closed
the doors
of the roof chamber
behind him
and locked them
when he had gone
the servants came
and when they saw
the doors
of the roof chamber
were locked
they thought
surely
he is relieving himself
in the closet
of the cool chamber
and they waited
till they were
embarrassed
but when he still
did not open
the doors
of the roof chamber
they took the key
and opened them
and there lay
their lord
dead
on the floor
Ehud
escaped
while they delayed
and he passed
beyond the idols
and escaped
to Saraiah
when he arrived
he surrounded
the trumpet
in the hill country
of Ephraim
then the people
of Israel
went down
with him
from the hill country
and he was
their leader
and he said
to them
follow after me
for the lord
has given
your enemies
the Moabites
into your hand
so they went
down after him
and seized
the fords
of the Jordan
against the Moabites
and did not allow
anyone to pass over
and they killed
at that time
about 10,000
of the Moabites
all strong
able-bodied men
not a man escaped
so Moab
was subdued
that day
under the hand
of Israel
and the land
had rest
for 80 years
after him
was Shamgar
the son
of Anath
who killed
600 of the Philistines
with an ox goad
and he also
saved Israel
well I don't know
about you
but that account
is pretty rich
with what many
would consider
offensive
and what I would say
is definitely
violent material
I think about
Ehud right
he uses deceit
and deception
to get himself
into a position
to murder
slash assassinate
the ruling
lord there
in Israel
at the time
we have what
perhaps could be
an incident
of body shaming
as Eglon
was a very
fat man
and then
we can't forget
and who could miss
the blood
the guts
and the poop
and then in Shamgar
a short little verse
we have
vigilantism
we have what
perhaps might be
a fit of rage
and mass murder
all of which
many people
would find
extremely
offensive
and some
Christians
find
outright
embarrassing
that these
accounts
would be
in the
holy
inspired
word of God
but really
what we see
here
is not
embarrassment
but we see
a God
who in
rescuing
his people
isn't afraid
to get
his hands
dirty
he's not
afraid
to step
into the
muck
of life
to rescue
his people
when they
cry out
to him
I would
be
remiss
if I
didn't go
on a
little bit
of a
rabbit trail
this morning
in light
of these
embarrassing
acts
there's
cunning
deceit
and violence
here
the question
is
is this
something
that God
embraced
and I would
say the answer
is yes
God did
embrace
that
it says
he raised
up
Ehud
for this
moment
and the
question
is
is this
distasteful
or is
this
something
that we
should
embrace
well
yeah
it is
distasteful
to read
some of
this
but yet
we must
embrace
this as
God's
ordained
means
of
his decrees
of ensuring
that what
he purposed
from
eternity
occurred
in this
instant
now does
that mean
that that is
something that
we can
employ today
does that
mean
that we
as Christians
can employ
cunning
deceit
and violence
Paul
in Romans
13
kind of
gives us
a little
bit of
insight
into that
where he
says that
governments
that the
Lord raises
up leaders
of nations
to preserve
righteousness
and punish
the evil
doer
to protect
those who
do good
and punish
those who
do evil
and that
is very
helpful
as we
consider
are we
to embrace
or to
shun
these acts
of cunning
deceit
and violence
we
understand
this
that
God
is
working
through
nations
today
and he
has
charged
governments
with
doing
what
Ehud
and Shamgar
have done
here
and so
if you
are a
member
of
the
United
States
military
and you
are called
upon
to practice
cunning
deceit
and to
execute
violence
for our
nation
as we
are preserving
peace
and punishing
the evil
doer
then yes
we would
say that
that would
be an
appropriate
use of
cunning
deceit
and violence
however
if you
are
using
cunning
ways
to
manipulate
your little
sister
into doing
what you
want her
to do
for your
own
purposes
that is
not
appropriate
use
of
cunning
if you
are a
husband
and you
are using
deceit
to cover
up sin
in your
life
to hide
it from
your family
that is
not an
appropriate
use
of
deceit
and heaven
forbid
we use
violence
in any
way
in the
home
to
intimidate
and
threaten
whether
that is
a spouse
or a
child
or an
elderly
parent
that
is not
an
appropriate
use
we
could say
also
to you
that
cunning
deceit
and
violence
are
necessary
within
other
forms
of
government
specifically
police
in order
to protect
our
streets
but it's
not
something
that we
would
embrace
to advance
the means
of the
church
yes
we want
to be
wise
but we
won't
want to
be
cunning
in a
way
that is
deceitful
and
dishonest
and as
Jesus
said
to the
apostle
in the
garden
of
Gethsemane
his
kingdom
is not
built
by the
sword
but by
the word
of God
so thank
you for
engaging
me on
that little
side
tangent
and
it's
important
because
a lot
of us
serve
in the
military
a lot
of us
are in
the police
but it's
also
important
to understand
the right
and left
limits
of that
so here
we have
Ehud
and we
have a
God
who is
embracing
this
cunning
this
deceit
this
violence
in order
to accomplish
his
decreed
will
but we
know that
this isn't
the ultimate
expression
of God
not being
afraid
to get
his hands
dirty
we've
seen this
happen
before
we've
seen it
throughout
judges
we've
seen it
in the
plagues
in Egypt
where God
brings
destruction
and death
and disease
upon Egypt
in order
to free
his people
we see
it when
God
gives the
command
of the
Israelites
to go
into the
nation
of
or into
the land
of Canaan
and
obliterate
wipe out
the people
that are
there
but we
see the
ultimate
expression
of this
of God
getting his
hands dirty
to rescue
his people
in the
life
death
and resurrection
of Jesus
Christ
what
an awesome
picture
of God
who is
beyond
what we
can think
or imagine
without
sin
without
the sting
of sin
taking
on
human
flesh
with all
of its
frailties
getting
his hands
dirty
with the
daily
things
of life
and then
taking
on the
filth of
our sin
on the
cross
so that
we
could have
a restored
relationship
with our
heavenly
father
well this
reminds me
of a
quote by
Dale Ralph
Davis
it's on the
back of the
bulletin if you
want to read
along
this is what
he says
Yahweh is not a
white gloved
standoffish God
out somewhere in the
remote left field of the
universe who hesitates to get
his strong right arm dirty in the
yuck of our lives the God of the Bible does not hold back in the wild blue yonder
somewhere waiting for you to put Clorox and spray Lysol over the affairs of your life
before he will touch it whether you can comfortably put it all together or not
what great news that is for us
that we don't have to get our lives all straightened out we don't have to be perfect to come to Jesus Christ because he has first come to us
so not only is God not afraid to get his hands dirty and rescuing his people God is not boring
and today's passage is a very good example of that
you know God delivers his people from the mess that they find themselves in in a variety of ways
in ways that we could never imagine or develop ourselves
we got Ehud here
who's a son
he's of Israel
albeit
he's from kind of a loser tribe of Benjamin
you'll learn more about that as we progress through the book of Judges
but he's also left handed
and actually the word there
in the original manuscript isn't
oh yeah he uses his left hand
he was left hand dominant
it was he
wasn't able or capable of using his right hand
so a lot of questions to that as to what that means
either it means that he was looked down upon
because he was left handed
or
there was something wrong with his right hand
which might make sense as to why they sent him
to be the one to bear the tribute
because Eglon would think nothing of somebody who had some sort of deformity
and then we have Shamgar
quite the opposite
here's an outsider
somebody who's not part of Israel
in fact he's a worshiper of a false god
based on the text
and his last name
what an unlikely ally
for the nation of Israel
and so it just goes to show us
that God's decrees aren't formulaic
God doesn't have a set pattern
by which he rescues his people
he delivers his people
from their difficulties
and from
their situations in which they find themselves
no
no God
in the words of
a past Christian artist
Rich Mullen says
you never know who God is going to use
a princess or a baby
or maybe even
you and me
no and that's true
think about biblical history
God used
not too long ago
leading up to the entrance into the promised land
God used
a prophet
who wasn't a prophet of Israel
named Balaam
to
basically tell
a king who wanted to destroy Israel
before they even entered the promised land
that God
was going to give the Israelites
victory
if he attacked
not only did he use Balaam
God used Balaam's donkey
to actually preserve Balaam's life
as he was on his way
to deliver
this message
to the king
we think of Miriam
as a young girl
God used her
to ensure that Moses
had someone to care for him
in his infancy
and then we got Moses himself
think about that
a baby
floating in a basket
in a river
who grows up
disconnected from his family
with a huge stutter
and God uses him
to deliver his people
from Egypt
and we could go on
and talk about
many in the New Testament
and specifically
all of the uneducated fishermen
from the backwoods of Galilee
who became
the central piece
of Christ's ministry
and many others
not to beat a dead horse
but Dale Ralph Davis
in Judges
Such a Great Salvation
says this
there is no reason
why God's way
must be dull and boring
the people who know Yahweh
as their God
will never
lack for excitement
so what do we do with this?
what do we do with this fact
that God
is not boring
and that God
delights
in rescuing
his people
I think we become
people of prayer
praying that God
might deliver us
and being open
to the ways
that he might
it might be
from an unlikely
individual
within our own
community
that God
provides
rescue
or it might be
somebody from
outside of our
community
also gives us
great freedom
to know that God
doesn't operate
in a set way
opens us up
to the possibility
that we could
partner with
others
outside of the
Christian faith
as we address
some of the great
challenges within
our culture
at this moment
I think about
the tragedy
of transgenderism
and what it would
look like
to ally ourselves
in this area
to seek
deliverance
for God's people
from these
practices
and to save
our culture
from this
tragedy
if we
embraced
and worked
with such
people
as the
famed author
of Harry Potter
so much
against
what we stand
for in so
many ways
but in this
one area
we could
find ourselves
perhaps
partners
or we
consider the
abomination
of abortion
in our country
and as we
continue to
address that
you might
find some
unlikely
partners
outside of
the Christian
faith
could think
of several
that have
the same
understanding
of the
right to
life
that we
have
and what
about partnering
with our
Muslim
neighbors
as we
continue to
fight against
vanishing
religious
liberties
and rights
in our
country
but let
me bring
it a little
bit more
personal
what does
it mean
when God
is not
boring
and delivering
his people
from their
difficulties
and challenges
know that
you
you are
uniquely
crafted
for God's
glory
and if
God
can
use
somebody
who
was
challenged
of body
like
Ehud
if he
says in
the New
Testament
passage we
read that
the man
born blind
wasn't born
blind because
of sin
but because
God
purposed
to display
his glory
through him
oh what
great news
that is
for us
who wish
that our
bodies were
just a little
bit different
than what
they are
to know
that God
has sovereignly
crafted
us
for his
purpose
and his
glory
perhaps
you know
I was in
high school
once
middle school
also
and from
time to
time I
felt like
an outsider
and perhaps
you feel
like that
today
here in
the audience
like an
outsider
that you
don't quite
fit in
you don't
have that
group
Shamgar
was an
outsider
he was
somebody
that wasn't
part of
the people
of God
yet God
used him
in a mighty
way
and God
can use
you as
well
or maybe
you're here
and you think
you know
what I'm
just too
young
too young
for God
to use
me
you know
what Esther
was a teen
when she
became queen
and God
used her
to rescue
her people
from near
annihilation
Timothy
Paul wrote
to him
and said
hey
don't let
people
despise
you
because
of your
young
age
but rather
remain
faithful
in preaching
and teaching
the word
of God
what a great
encouragement
that God
is not
constrained
by the
ways in
which man
judge
you are
good enough
to rescue
people
or you are
good enough
to save
people
or we can
use you
because you
have this
and that
talent
no God
has
specifically
and uniquely
crafted
each and
every one
of us
to display
his glory
and to
accomplish
his purposes
Matthew Henry
puts it like
this in his
commentary on
this passage
it is no
matter how
weak the
weapon is
if God
direct
and strengthen
the arm
what a great
encouragement
that is
from this
passage
that
in
rescuing
his people
God
is not
boring
and he
can use
each and
every one
of us
finally we
see here
in this
passage
that God
has a
sense of
humor
I know
this is
the point
that a lot
of the
younger
men
and boys
in this
congregation
have kind
of been
waiting for
God
has a
sense of
humor
you know
we were
traveling
from the
great sand
dunes
last
Saturday
and erupted
in the car
what I call
the great
Christmas song
controversy
we were
listening to
a playlist
and up
popped
joy to
the world
and one
of my
daughters
says
quick
change
it
we can't
sing
Christmas
songs
now
it's
too
early
the other
one
says
what
no
we can
sing
Christmas
songs
anytime
we want
it's
Christmas
every day
of the
year
and on
this went
for probably
5 10
I don't
know
maybe 15
minutes
and you
may say
wow
that doesn't
sound
like
that's
very
humorous
like
it kind
of was
but was
more humorous
the next
morning
when we're
sitting here
right over
here
on this
side
and guess
what
we read
in a
bulletin
joy to
the world
oh my
how
exciting
that was
to read
it was
an
unexpected
moment
of joy
and happiness
in the
service
something
that we
could not
have
anticipated
again
God
isn't
boring
and God
has a
sense
of humor
and you
may say
well where's
the humor
in Judges
3 there
well it's
a dark
humor
it's a
dark
humor
for people
in the
throes
of persecution
let me
just
really
quickly
go through
this dark
humor
Ehud
was a
Benjaminite
and if
you're
reading
this
post
Judges
you look
back
and say
this was
the people
who
were
extremely
inhospitable
in a
culture
that valued
hospitality
and actually
committed
a horrible
desecration
of a
woman
and
because of
that
faced
near
desolation
how funny
is that
that this
is going
to be
the way
in which
God
brings
about
salvation
for his
people
also
Ehud
as we've
mentioned
he's a
lefty
actually
he's
incapable
of using
his right
hand
not
necessarily
a ringing
endorsement
for somebody
who's going
to deliver
God's
people
from the
hand
of their
oppressors
Eglon
a very
fat
man
may not
mean much
to us
right now
right
kind of
funny
haha
fat
man
no
Eglon
means
calf
you get
where I'm
going
with this
he's the
fattened
calf
about to
be
slaughtered
right
that's
hilarious
Ehud
says
Ehud
sends
messenger
sends a
message back
to Eglon
right
he's already
gone off
and he's
like hey
guys
look
you know
what
you guys
keep on
going
hey
I got
a special
message
for the
king
oh wait
a minute
he strapped
a sword
to his
right thigh
ooh
a special
message
huh
and then
Eglon
he hears
it
and he's
like oh
he's got
a special
message
for me
just for
me
oh
hey
everybody
this message
is just
for me
all of
you
get
out
and you're
just sitting
there thinking
oh no
no he
didn't
Eglon
or Ehud
soared
Eglon
sent everybody
else away
we already
know he's
probably not
that fit
of a man
because of
his stature
oh this
is not
going to
be good
so then
we see
Ehud
shows up
everybody's
gone
and Ehud
is alone
with Eglon
you've got
to be
getting
me
second
proclamation
Ehud
arrives
he sees
Eglon
sitting
down
he says
oh
I have
a message
from
God
for you
at which
point
big
old
hefty
Eglon
struggles
to his
feet
out of
his chair
because
this is
a special
message
from God
just for
him
and then
we hear
see the
motion
left hand
goes to
the right
thigh
and then
as he's
staggering
to receive
the message
the blade
goes in
and the
fat
closes
over the
blade
and I
bet he
really got
the point
yeah
God
was saying
here's the
message
for you
and it
wasn't a
message
of
confirmation
it was a
message
of
judgment
oh
and then
it gets
worse
right
it gets
worse
the sovereign
Lord
Eglon
soiled
himself
the
dung
came
out
how
the
mighty
persecutor
of Israel
fell
and it
gets
better
right
the servants
come running
the servants
come to
the door
after
Ehud had
left
and locked
it
and they
see the
doors
closed
they
see the
doors
locked
they
smell
the
smell
of
dung
oh
you know
what
I bet
you
the
king
he's
in the
toilet
that
okay
we'll
give them
some time
and space
back
away
says
they
wait
for the
Lord
the king
to come
out
to the
point
of
embarrassment
wow
he is
really
doing
a
number
servants
return
embarrassed
oh
we really
need to
check on
them
oh
hey
the keys
are right
here
are you
kidding
me
the keys
to the
king
have been
there
the whole
time
the servants
are like
oh
okay
well
I guess
just waiting
for him
so they
take the
keys
they unlock
it
and
the
passage
it says
more of
like
surprise
the king
is laid
out on
the floor
dead
you know
what's
even more
hilarious
Ehud
just makes
a casual
escape
while they're
waiting
gets out
of town
no big
deal
I mean
just an
amazing
passage
filled
with a
humor
that lets
people know
that we
serve a
God
who is
greater
than our
greatest
persecutor
we serve
a God
whose power
turns the
greatest of
men in the
most desperate
situations
into a
canvas
for his
glory
and a
canvas
that will
bring us
joy
that's what
this passage
did for the
people of
Israel
in future
times
when they
were oppressed
they could
look back
to this
passage
and say
look at
the great
God that
we serve
who has
a sense
of humor
who knows
how to
rescue his
people
and not
only rescue
his people
but to
bring them
joy
again
Dale Ralph
Davis
the quote
finishes like
this
the God
of the
Bible
does not
hold back
in the
wild blue
yonder
somewhere
waiting for
you to
put
Clorox
spray
Lysol
over the
affairs of
your life
before you
will touch
it
whether you
can comfortably
put it
together or
not
he is the
God
who delights
to deliver
his people
even in
their messes
and likes
to make
them laugh
again
he is the
God
who allows
weeping
to endure
for a
night
but sees
that joy
comes in
the morning
so whatever
difficulty
you find
yourself in
whatever
challenge
you're
facing
though it
may seem
dark
know that
God has
a sense
of humor
and he
is waiting
to bring
joy back
into your
life
when he
delivers
you from
that
when we
close our
consideration
of Ehud
and Shamgar
by remembering
that God
delights
in rescuing
his people
it's not
a drudgery
he enjoys
doing it
he wants
to rescue
his people
the situation
doesn't matter
he delights
in rescuing
you his people
from long-term
oppression
or from an
immediate threat
he enjoys
rescuing you
from moral
evil
or from
natural evil
he enjoys
rescuing
his people
in the midst
of their own
rebellion
against him
or from
the sins
of others
perpetrated
against them
many
consider this
passage
as a great
embarrassment
you know
it's the
apostle Paul
in 1st
Corinthians
said that
the critics
of Christianity
in the first
century
said the same
thing about
the cross
of Christ
that it was
an embarrassment
yet Paul
tells us
that the cross
and we know
for ourselves
that the cross
is the very
crux
and foundation
of our faith
a foundation
by which God
graciously rescues
his people
from the power
of sin
gives us
a place
and a purpose
in his eternal
kingdom
and welcomes
us into the
great joy
of his
salvation
so far
from being
an embarrassment
the accounts
of Ehud
and Shamgar
for those
who embrace
them
deepened
faith
and reliance
upon a God
who's not
afraid to get
his hands
dirty
a God
who is
far from
boring
and a God
who through
a sense
of humor
restores joy
to his
downtrodden
people
well by
embracing
these accounts
may we
proclaim the
following along
with the
prophet
Habakkuk
though the
fig tree
should not
blossom
nor fruit
beyond the
vines
the produce
of the
olive fail
and the
fields yield
no food
the flock
be cut off
from the fold
and there be
no herd
in the stalls
yet I
will rejoice
in the Lord
I will take
joy
in the God
of my
salvation
let us pray
oh gracious
heavenly father
as we close
this service
Lord may we
indeed
through the
power and
presence of
your Holy
Spirit
and your
rescuing
of us
find great
joy
in your
salvation
amen