Thank you, worship team.
Good reminder this morning of the songs that we sang,
which are kind of an echo of the theme of the passage
! or even the book that we're working through.
That second song,
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it.
Prone to leave the God I love.
Take my heart.
Take and seal it.
Seal it for my courts above.
What a gracious God we have.
A God that even when we stray,
even when we wander,
and by the way,
even when we actively rebel against Him,
there is an invitation.
An invitation that God gives to us
to understand who Jesus is,
recognize our sin,
and come to a place of asking for forgiveness,
confessing our sin before Him,
believing that Jesus is the only way
for us to enjoy the life with God
and forgiveness and cleansing from sin
and bringing that to Him.
And He delights in forgiveness.
He delights in making us one with Him.
He delights in drawing us close.
And that is the consistent theme
throughout the book of Judges.
We're going to come to it time and time and time again.
We have a God who delights in forgiveness.
And one of our stories this morning
in the middle section of Judges chapter 3
is a story of a king who's coming from Moab.
Well, Moab, you may or may not be familiar with.
Moab was kind of in the region
just in front of Jericho.
And so when the people of Israel
were making their way up through the wilderness
and coming into the promised land,
they would have stopped right there at Moab.
Kind of trace a straight line
from Jerusalem and Jericho
straight over to the top part of the Dead Sea
and then kind of occupying the region of the Dead Sea
just on the eastern side
was where Moab was.
So they were one of the closest neighbors
but also a proximate enemy.
Well, Moab existed because of a descendant of Abraham
or kind of part of the family.
Lot was a nephew of Abraham
and the descendant of Lot is where we get Moab.
And so when Deuteronomy comes into place
and the people are ready to make their way
into the promised land
and Moses is giving his final instructions,
we find that those final instructions
from Deuteronomy chapter 1 verse 5
are actually given right here in the land of Moab.
So this is an important place.
This is a place of reminder.
It's a place of God's covenant promises
being captured among the people,
reminded among the people
so when they enter the promised land,
they can remember who they belong to.
It's a reminder to us all
as we make our way through this book,
the book of Judges,
and especially this morning in Judges chapter 3,
salvation is from the Lord.
Do you need deliverance today?
Do you need rescue?
Do you need salvation?
Are there things in your life
that seem to be falling apart?
You need someone to rescue,
someone to help?
Well, salvation comes from the Lord.
And not just the little things,
but also the big things.
And the biggest thing
is God himself gives his son, Jesus Christ,
to provide for our deepest need,
our need for a savior,
rescue from our sin,
the greatest problem that we have,
that we bring to the table.
So as we make our way through this chapter,
Judges chapter 3,
the theme of this chapter is
salvation is from the Lord.
It's from him.
And I would encourage you,
if you have your Bibles,
to open them with me,
Judges chapter 3.
And if you're using the Pew Bible,
you can find it on page 200.
Judges is there on page 200.
We're going to be in Judges chapter 3.
Salvation comes from the Lord.
Let me read this opening,
these opening couple of verses,
and we can see how this is set
in place for us.
Judges chapter 3,
beginning in verse 7,
says this,
The people of the Lord,
excuse me,
the people of Israel
did what was evil
in the sight of the Lord.
They forgot the Lord,
their God,
and they served the Baals
and the Ashtoreth.
Therefore,
the anger of the Lord
was kindled against Israel.
He sold them into the hand
of Cushon Rishathayim,
king of Mesopotamia,
and the people of Israel
served Cushon Rishathayim
eight years.
Salvation comes from the Lord,
and we're going to see,
first of all,
it comes when God's people
cry out to Him for mercy.
They cry out to Him for help.
If you want to enjoy
and experience salvation
and deliverance,
it happens only
when you cry out to God.
It happens only
when you recognize
in your own life
a need for rescue,
and the rescuer
is God Himself.
You cry out to Him
for mercy,
and we're going to find
through our passage today
that God delights
in answering
and helping His people.
But there are things
that we need not forget,
and the first is this.
Do not forget
that we live in His sight.
If you're going to cry out
for mercy,
cry out for help,
you need to remember
that you live in His sight.
Now,
that had been something
that the people of Israel
had forgotten.
We find that
in the earlier parts
of Judges chapter 3,
beginning in verse 5.
It says,
So the people of Israel
lived among the Canaanites,
the Hittites,
the Amorites,
the Perizzites,
the Hivites,
and the Jebusites,
and their daughters
they took for themselves
as wives,
and their own daughters
they gave to their sons,
and they served their gods.
We saw last time
that they lived
among the people.
They were characterized
by compromise.
They were characterized
not by faithful,
consistent obedience,
seeing it through
to the finish line,
but when things got hard,
when resistance came
and opposition
was difficult for them,
they eased up.
They didn't follow through.
They were happy
to live among the people,
and because they lived
among the people,
then what we find
now in Judges chapter 3
is something
that will characterize
this people,
this nation of Israel.
They forgot the Lord.
And we find again
in verse 7,
The people of Israel
did what was evil
in the sight of the Lord.
Now, what does that mean?
They did what was evil
in the sight of the Lord.
Well, we could look
throughout the book
of Deuteronomy
and see this phrase
being traced consistently
throughout the book,
that they were a people
that performed wickedness.
They were people
who did what in God's sight
was wicked.
This is a perpetual indictment
that God brings against them,
and especially against the kings.
We find through the book of Kings
10 times that God says
that they did evil
in the sight of the Lord.
In 2 Kings,
we find 28 times
where they either did evil
or good in the sight of the Lord.
See, God is the evaluator.
He is the judge.
He is the one
to whom we are accountable.
And so when we live,
when we act,
whether it's good or right,
we live and act
in the sight of the Lord.
It's easy to think
and be misled by this phrase,
in the sight of the Lord,
to suggest maybe there's a time
where we could live
outside of the sight of the Lord.
Maybe there's some things
we can do
that God can't pay attention to.
Maybe there are things
that we can do
in secret and in private.
Well, God makes that quite clear
throughout the course
of the scriptures.
Ecclesiastes 12, verse 14,
says this,
For God will bring
every deed into judgment
with every secret thing,
whether good or evil.
Hebrews chapter 4, verse 13,
says,
And no creature
is hidden from his sight.
We are all naked
and exposed
to the eyes of him
to whom we must give
an account.
Proverbs 15, verse 3,
says,
The eyes of the Lord
are in every place,
keeping watch
on the evil
and the good.
In Luke chapter 12,
verses 2 and 3,
we see this,
Nothing is covered up
that will not be revealed
or hidden,
that will not be known.
Therefore,
whatever you have said
in the dark
shall be heard in the light.
Whatever you have whispered
in private rooms
shall be proclaimed
on the housetops.
Everything that is done
is done
in the sight
of the Lord.
But it's easy for us
to forget, isn't it?
When we forget
that we are in
the sight of the Lord,
we begin to see
in the lives of Israel
in this nation,
we begin to see
the results.
When we feel like
we can do things
that God is unaware of,
when we think
we can do things
in private,
when we can do things
in secret,
then it leads
to a certain kind of life.
We find that
this in the sight
of the Lord
is a reference
to the special
relationship
that God wanted
to have with His people.
The kind of relationship
that warranted favor.
The kind of relationship
that they enjoyed
engendered blessing.
You're familiar
with Numbers
chapter 6
verses 24 and 25.
It says this,
The Lord bless you
and keep you.
The Lord make His face
to shine upon you
and be gracious to you.
The Lord lift up
His countenance upon you
and give you peace.
When we are aware
of the presence
of the Lord,
when we are delighted
in the favor of God
and we participate
in the countenance of God,
we're looking
to please Him,
then it leads
to a certain kind of life.
You see,
Israel had forgotten
in this moment
that they lived
in the sight of the Lord
and even though
it was a reality,
even though it was true,
their forgetting
led to a posture
of rebelling.
They need not forget
that they lived
in the presence
of the Lord.
Second,
don't forget
that this is an issue
of worship.
Forgetting God
is an issue
of worship.
We find that again
in verse 7
of chapter 3.
It says,
And the people
of Israel
did what was evil
in the sight
of the Lord.
They forgot
the Lord,
their God,
and served
the Baals
and the Ashtra.
Israel forgot Yahweh.
they forgot the Lord
and what happened?
It's a reminder
to us
that forgetting
is never neutral.
Forgetting
is never neutral.
When we choose
to forget,
we don't awaken
our hearts
and stimulate
ourselves
to remembrance.
It always leads
to some moral decline.
It always leads
to coasting.
It leads
to compromise
in our life.
And when we choose
to forget God,
it's never neutral.
It begins
the slippage
of our life.
And here it's
described in terms
of service.
This word,
this Hebrew word,
eved,
is to work,
to labor,
to serve,
to be a slave.
And so many,
a couple of the teens
who taught
during the week
of soccer camp
talked about
the significance
of worship.
That you are
always worshiping.
You want to just
worship here in church?
You don't worship
when you're singing
songs and playing
music or reading
the Bible or
deciding to pray
in private.
That is worship,
but worship happens
through the course
of life.
1 Corinthians 10
and 31,
whether you eat
or drink
or whatever you do,
you do all
to the glory of God.
That's our worship.
That's our posture.
That's our service
to God.
That's the way
we show affection
for Him,
devotion to Him,
love for Him.
It is our worship.
This was a people
who worshiped,
but their worshiping
was corrupted.
It was polluted.
Instead of worshiping God,
they chose to worship
the Baals and the Asherah.
They went after them.
They abandoned God.
They bowed down to them.
They provoked God
to anger.
We find the posture
of their heart
was one of worship.
Jesus Himself
addresses this.
He wants us
to understand
the significance
of worship.
Worship that happens
all the time
and you have to choose.
Matthew 6,
verse 24,
Jesus says this,
No one can serve
two masters,
for either he will
hate the one
and love the other,
or he will be devoted
to the one
and despise the other.
You cannot serve
God in money.
That's just one example.
You can't serve
God in Baal.
You can't serve
God in comfort.
You fill in the blank.
You serve or devote
attention and energy
to anything that is not
oriented in a way
that is an affection
for the Lord Jesus.
It's worship.
How do we worship?
How is God helping us
to worship rightly?
So we need to make sure
we don't forget
that we're in His sight.
Don't forget
that you are living
in such a way
that worship
is the pattern
of your life.
Whether you choose,
like Joshua says,
choose you this day
whom you will serve,
but as for me
and my house,
we will serve
the Lord.
That's the decision
we have in front of us.
There's no neutral ground.
There's no middle ground.
God also wants
His people to understand
and not to forget
that His discipline
is mercy.
God's discipline
is mercy.
And we come to
a very hard section here.
We come to a part
of Judges chapter 3
and we begin to wonder,
okay,
I guess this is the kind
of God we serve.
He's the God
who brings the hammer down.
But we recognize
through the course
of the New Testament
that God disciplines
those He loves.
God's discipline
is an instrument
of invitation.
God's discipline
is an instrument
of drawing us in.
It's an instrument
of correction
so that God
can help us
to enjoy
the benefits
of His relationship,
relationship with Him.
And so we find
in Judges chapter 3
verse 8
the beginnings,
the beginnings of discipline.
It says,
therefore the anger
of the Lord
was kindled
against Israel.
He sold them
into the hand
of Cushon
Rishathayim,
king of Mesopotamia.
And the people
of Israel
served Cushon
Rishathayim
eight years.
This is a king
of Mesopotamia.
And those of you
who are not familiar
with ancient geography
like me
have no idea
like where in the world
is Mesopotamia.
Well, Mesopotamia
is 750 miles
north of Jerusalem.
It's in the area
that is kind of
the now Turkey.
Okay?
So imagine
this ruler
who's coming
from 750 miles away
and he's actually
making his way
down to Israel
to try to
take over.
Now,
to give you a concept
of 750 miles,
if you go
from Columbus
east
750 miles,
you're going to end up
in the Atlantic Ocean.
If you go
750 miles
to the west,
you're going to
end up in Kansas.
Okay?
So we're not talking
about a little bit
of distance.
We're talking about
many, many, many hours
of driving
and many days
of traveling.
This king
of Mesopotamia
was not
a regional leader.
Not like a leader
of a Moab
or Midian
or Canaan
or the Hittites.
No.
He was the kind
of leader
that demonstrated
strength.
And as a matter
of fact,
this means
that the very
first oppressor
of Israel
was the
strongest
leader
that judges
will speak of.
He is a leader
of an alliance
of a Canaanite city.
And this
exploit
that he has
helps us
to understand
the significance
of what he's doing.
He's not a regional leader.
He is a leader
from a ways away.
the most powerful
of all the enemies
of Israel
named in the book
of Judges.
Here he is.
The Israelites
had a nickname
for him.
Rishathayim.
Rishathayim
is a nickname
that was bestowed
upon him
and it means
doubly wicked.
You might say
he was double trouble.
This name
Kushan
appears to be
Hittite.
He was a foreigner.
And he came
to exert
authority
and power.
His kingdom
extended southward
and he
is given
the authority
by God
to subject
Israel
to service
for eight years.
Israel was supposed
to see this
as a hand,
an instrument
of the Lord
for mercy.
This was God's mercy
to help them
understand
that what they
were doing
was wicked,
was evil.
It was an invitation
that God had not
cut them off.
God had not
passed them over.
He was not
trying to crush them.
He was trying
to invite them
to enjoy the benefits
of salvation.
And that's what
we see next
in verses 9 to 11.
Don't forget
that salvation
is from the Lord.
Salvation
is from him.
We see this
in verse 9.
It says,
but when the people
of Israel
cried out
to the Lord.
Now see what
judgment did.
See what discipline
did.
It turned the people's
hearts to God.
They remembered
him again.
And the Lord
raised up a deliverer
for the people
of Israel
who saved them.
Otniel,
the son of Kenaz,
Caleb's younger brother,
the spirit of the Lord
was upon him
and he judged Israel.
He went out to war
and the Lord
gave Cushon,
Rishathayim,
king of Mesopotamia,
into his hand.
And his hand
prevailed over
Cushon,
Rishathayim.
So the land
had rest
for 40 years.
Then Otniel,
the son of Kenaz,
died.
The people
cried out.
The people
cried out
and the Lord
had mercy.
What a mercy
that is to us.
That when we
find ourselves
in rebellion,
when we find
ourselves
distanced from
the Lord,
when we find
ourselves
as enemies
of him,
God graciously
disciplines those
he loves
not to shut
us out,
not to cut
us off,
but to draw
us in.
And when we
cry out,
the Lord
answers.
The Lord
delivers.
The Lord
saves.
He delights
in saving.
We have
a saving
God.
So the people
cry out.
They cry out.
Clearly they
knew who God
was.
But they
had laid
aside all
of that
and they
failed to
act on that
knowledge.
They forgot.
You see,
they forgot
God,
but God
had not
forgotten
them.
So God
raises up
a deliverer.
This word
delivered is
the Hebrew.
It's the Hebrew
word Moshe.
And if you
hear the word
Moshe,
you might think
the word
Moses.
And the two
are related,
but it's not
coming from
the same root.
It sounds
like Moses,
but the actual
word Moshe
comes from
Yassah.
And it's the
word for
salvation.
It's the same
word for
Joshua.
So we
find kind
of stitched
together,
kind of
Moses and
Joshua right
here in the
deliverance that
God wants to
give to his
people, but it
comes by the
hand of God.
It comes by
his hand.
Moses always
wanted to make
that clear.
Deliverance
comes from
God.
Joshua always
wanted to make
that clear.
Deliverance
comes from
God.
And judges
will also make
that clear.
Deliverance
comes from
God.
You want
deliverance?
You want
rescue?
You want
salvation?
Look to
God.
He delights
in saving.
So he
saved them.
He rescued
them.
He delivered
them.
The Lord has
done this
consistently for
his people.
They cry out
and the Lord
saves them.
We saw that
back in
Judges 2
verse 16.
Then the
Lord raised
up judges
who saved
them out of
the hand of
those who
plundered
them.
We see that
in verse 18.
Whenever the
Lord raised
up judges
for them,
the Lord
was with
the judge.
He saved
them from
the hand
of their
enemies all
the days
of the
judge.
For the
Lord was
moved to
pity.
He was
moved to
pity by
their groaning
because of
those who
afflicted and
oppressed
them.
God delights
in saving
but he
saves.
He saves
because of
his compassion.
He saves
because of
his mercy.
He saves
because he's a
God of
pity.
And so who
does he
raise up?
He raises
up Otniel,
Caleb's
younger brother.
We've seen
his story a
bit back in
Judges chapter
1.
Remember Joshua
has died and
the people are
asking who's
going to lead
us?
And God
says well
Judah will
lead you.
Judah shall
go up and
certainly that's
what happens.
Judah goes
up.
We find in
verse 8 of
chapter 1 Judah
fights against
the inhabitants
of Jerusalem and
then he goes
down and he
fights against
those in the
southern part of
Israel.
And now
Caleb who
is from the
tribe of
Judah wants
to take this
town called
Kiriath
Sefer.
We find in
chapter 1
verses 12
and 13.
It says
Caleb said
he who
attacks
Kiriath
Sefer and
captures it
I will give
Aksa my
daughter as a
wife.
And Otniel
the son of
Kenaz Caleb's
younger brother
captured it and
he gave him
Aksa his
daughter as a
wife.
Now the name
Caleb should
sound familiar
to you.
Remember who
Caleb was?
Caleb and
Joshua one of
two of the
twelve spies
that spied out
the land of
Canaan.
They came back
to give a
report and
only two
Joshua and
Caleb said
God can give
this to us.
There are
people they are
strong.
There are
cities they
are large and
they are fortified
but God can do
this.
We can trust
him.
Caleb trusted
the Lord.
Joshua trusted
the Lord.
And now you
find in Caleb's
younger brother
the same
example of
courage and
bravery and
faith and
perseverance.
He does the
seeming impossible
because he does
it through the
hand and the
work and the
promise of
God.
And now
Caleb's younger
brother Otniel
is presented.
Verse nine
again when
the people of
Israel cried
out to the
Lord the
Lord raised
up for them
a deliverer
for the
people of
Israel who
saved them
Otniel the
son of
Kenaz Caleb's
younger brother
the spirit of
the Lord was
upon him and
he judged
Israel.
When we think
about leaders
we think about
the kinds of
people we
would put in
charge.
We think about
the kinds of
individuals we
might raise up
to provide
rescue and
deliverance.
We might
think ha ha
Otniel what a
great candidate.
He's full of
faith.
He's full of
courage.
He's demonstrated
great leadership
abilities.
But notice there
are only two
qualifications that
God gives for
Otniel.
Why he raised
him up.
These two
qualifications for
this leader.
One the Lord
raised him up and
two the spirit of
the Lord was
upon him.
Those were the
qualifications.
This was not
something to lay
hold of.
This was
something that
was granted.
Something that
was given.
And it
establishes this
pattern that
we're going to
see throughout
the rest of
the book of
Judges.
That whenever
the Lord raises
up judges for
them the Lord
was with the
judge.
This is Judges
chapter 2
verse 18.
He saved
them from the
hand of their
enemies.
All the days of
the judge for
the Lord was
moved to pity
by their
groaning because
of those who
afflicted and
oppressed them.
We're going to
see consistently
it starts pretty
good with
Oteniel but
there's a
downward decline
from this point
on.
Why does God
rescue?
Not because of
the judge's
ability to honor
the Lord.
We're going to
see that the
more we go.
But it's because
God's character,
God's pity,
God's compassion,
and God's power
are put on
display.
When the judge
is in place,
the people are
to look not
to the judge
but to the
judge's God,
to God
himself,
to the Lord.
That's why
deliverance
comes.
Briefly, I
just want to
give you a
preview of what
are these judges
or who are
these judges?
Often when we
think about
judges, we
think about
courtrooms,
right?
We think about
those who make
verdicts, who
settle disputes.
We think about
those who know
the law and
can execute the
law between
parties.
And some of
that is true.
But as you
look through the
Old Testament,
I want you to
not just think
about officials.
I don't want you
to think about
those who settle
legal disputes.
I want you to
think about heads
of households.
I want you to
think about those
whom God has
raised up to
help provide
leadership,
especially among
households, among
families.
And instead of
the law, as we
might think about
the law, what
law did they
have?
They had the
law of the
Lord.
They had the
law that came
from God
himself.
That was to
be their
standard.
That was to
be in front
of them.
That was to
help govern
and guide their
decisions that
they made.
We find
throughout the
rest of
judges that
God raises
up family
heads, family
leaders.
And it
shouldn't be a
surprise to us,
we see this
pattern that
throughout the
book of Judges,
almost every
single tribe
among the
nation of
Israel is
identified.
Reuben and
Gad are two
tribes on the
eastern side of
the Jordan
River.
So they won't
have representation.
But Otnihel,
he's from Judah.
Ehud, which
we're going to
look at next,
he's from
Benjamin.
Deborah is
from Ephraim.
Barak is
from Naphtali.
Gideon is
from Manasseh.
Tola is
from Issachar.
Elon is
from Zebulun.
And Samson is
from the tribe
of Dan.
At least
eight different
tribes are
represented,
which helps to
reinforce the
pattern that
God delights
in raising up
leaders who
are committed
to his word
and who
stand as
those who
represent
well their
families,
who lead
their families
well.
And so it
shouldn't be a
surprise to us
as we make
our way into
the New Testament
and we continue
to see the
pattern that
God has set
in raising
up leaders.
What is one
of the main
qualifications for
leaders?
Elders?
Shepherds?
Pastors?
Well,
1 Timothy 3
says they need
to manage
their house
well.
Household
leaders.
And I could
spend a lot
of time on
this.
We find this
going all the
way from
numbers to
exodus and
continuing on
through.
Family heads
that God
raises up to
exercise leadership
among his
people.
It should be a
comfort to
us.
It should be
also a
challenge to
us about the
importance of
leading our
houses well
under the
word of
God.
So salvation
comes from
the Lord.
And salvation
comes when a
people cry out
to him.
But now we
turn to this
story of
Ehud.
And we're
going to see
that salvation
will also come
in spite of
imperfect
deliverers.
It will come
in spite of
imperfect
deliverers.
We see that
beginning in
verse 12.
It says,
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 Amlekites
and went and
defeated Israel.
And they took
possession of
the city of
the palms.
And the
people of
Israel served
Eglon,
the king of
Moab,
18 years.
We're going
to see a
number of
things throughout
these next
several verses
and I trust
to be able to
cover them
briefly.
But we're
going to see
how God
works in
spite of
what we might
expect.
He does
that for a
reason.
He wants
to draw
attention that
salvation comes
from him
in him
alone.
It will
come in
spite of
his
deliverers,
not because
of his
deliverers.
First we're
going to see
an unlikely
king who
conquers
Israel.
This
unlikely
king,
his name
is Eglon,
king of
Moab.
And as I
pointed to
at the
beginning of
our time
together,
the Moabites
were actually
supposed to
be living
in harmony
among God's
people because
they kind
of shared
a family
relationship.
Abraham's
nephew,
Lot,
and Lot's
son,
Moab,
there was
a family
relationship.
And so
when God
had the
people of
Israel go
through this
place,
he said,
don't touch
the people of
Moab.
Leave them
alone.
They're part
of the
family.
And so
here Eglon
comes to
the forefront.
And we've
seen this
cycle over
and over
again,
this cycle
of wickedness.
And the
Lord strengthens
their enemy.
And here
we are.
God is
the one,
notice,
God is
the one
who strengthens
Eglon.
God is
the one
who raises
up this
heathen
king.
God's
the one
who empowers
this king
to execute
punishment
on his
people.
It's
unexpected.
And Eglon
will come
with his
allies,
the
Ammonites,
and they'll
take the
city of
Palms.
And the
city of
Palms is
just the
city of
Jericho.
It was
a city
that was
800 miles
below sea
level.
It was
in this
fertile,
lush,
fertile valley.
It was
known for
its produce.
And so
that's where
Eglon
would reside
for 18
years.
As I
said,
Moab sits
to the
east of
the Jordan
River,
right next
to the
Dead Sea.
And
although
their
narrator
attributes
Eglon
as the
one who
had been
raised up
from God,
we don't
see how
Eglon
in any
part of
this passage
has any
interest
in serving
God at
all.
And
although
the narrator
attributes
Eglon's
rise to
Yahweh,
we recognize
that he's
operating
independently
of God
himself.
And for
all of
Eglon's
achievements,
the character,
excuse me,
the narrator
will characterize
Eglon
not only
for his
physical
appearance,
but also
for his
stupidity.
We find
repeated
references.
Eglon
is the
name.
Eglon
means bull
or it
means calf.
It also
means to
be round
or rotund.
So when
we come
to verse
17,
it shouldn't
be a
surprise to
us.
We see,
now Eglon
was a
very fat
man.
he's a
man who
is maybe
fattened for
the slaughter
as we're
going to
see in
our story.
It's clear
that Eglon
loves luxury.
Instead of
centering his
kingdom in
Moab,
he has
centered his
kingdom in
the fertile
valley there
in the
plains.
He's also
one,
we're going
to see,
who succumbs
to deception,
succumbs to
trickery.
He lets
his guard
down and
because he
lets his
guard down,
he is
executed by
Ehud.
So this
unlikely king.
Next we're
going to see
in verse
15,
this unlikely
hero is
raised up
by the
Lord.
Judges
chapter 3
verse 15
says,
Then the
people of
Israel cried
out to
the Lord,
and the
Lord raised
up for
them a
deliverer.
Ehud,
the son
of Gerah,
the Benjamite,
a left-handed
man,
the people
of Israel
sent tribute
by him
to Eglon,
king of
Moab.
The
deliverer is
identified by
his name,
Ehud.
We find
that Ehud
is left-handed.
This is the
divine response
of the Lord's
cry to
raise up
a judge.
Ehud
is the
guy.
Ehud
is God's
gracious gift
to his
people.
But we
find in
this
narrative,
we find
Benjamin,
who is
son of
the right
hand,
and here
Ehud
is a
Benjamite,
and he's
left-handed.
The Lord
is using
some
contrast to
help us
recognize
that he
is the
one who
is bringing
victory.
He is
the one
who will
save,
this unlikely
hero.
Then we
turn to an
unlikely victory
that's given
in verses
16 to
23.
Ehud
made for
himself a
sword with
two edges,
a cubit in
length,
which is about
a foot and
a half.
He bound
it on his
right thigh
under his
clothes.
He presented
tribute to
Eglon,
king of
Moab.
Now,
Eglon was
a very
fat man,
and 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 his
attendants went
out from his
presence.
Now,
briefly,
Ehud
comes,
he comes
with a
group of
individuals,
he comes
with an
entourage,
he comes
to bring
tribute,
he brings
these
individuals,
because likely
it wasn't
cash that
was on hand,
but bringing
produce perhaps,
bringing other
goods to pay
this tribute.
he's coming
to do what's
necessary in
order to
appease this
king.
He is
good enough
at what he
has done
that he
ushers his
attendants,
and he goes
back with
them after the
tribute has
been given,
and we find
that he
returns.
He returns,
in verse 19,
back to the
king,
king Eglon,
and he
says,
I have a
word for
you,
I have a
message for
you.
Now this
word,
deber,
this Hebrew
word,
deber,
can either
be,
I have a
message for
you,
or I have
a word
for you,
it can
also be
translated,
a thing
for you,
I have an
object for
you,
I have an
experience
for you.
In other
words,
I've got a
surprise for
you.
Perhaps
when king
Eglon
hears this,
he thinks,
ah,
an additional
gift,
or a
special word
from this
man.
And
Eglon
presents this
tribute to
Eglon at
the bottom
of the
stairs,
and he
cleverly gets
the king in
a vulnerable
position.
He says,
I have this
secret word
for you,
and so the
king removes
his attendance,
he puts
himself in a
place of
vulnerability
that Eglon
will capitalize
on,
and he
then reiterates,
not only do I
have a message
for you,
but I have a
message from
God,
and then he
rushes up the
stairs,
he uses this
two-edged
sword,
and he
pierces
Eglon right
through the
stomach,
and we find
that it goes
all the way
up to
his gut,
it buries
right in
to the
stomach
of Eglon.
the dagger
has done
his work,
Ehud will
escape,
he leaves
the couriers
and attendants
to the side,
and he's able
to make his
getaway,
we find in
verse 24,
when he had
gone,
the servants
came,
and when they
saw the doors
of the roof
chamber were
locked,
they thought,
surely he's
relieving himself
in the closet
of the cool
chamber,
and when they
waited until
they were
embarrassed,
but when he
still had not
opened the
doors of the
roof chamber,
they took the
key and opened
them,
and there
lay their
Lord dead
on the
floor.
It seems
that having
accomplished
his mission,
that Ehud
then made
his way,
somehow,
privately,
he locks
the doors
from the
inside,
he makes
his way,
and God
allows him
to have
his getaway.
Verse 26,
Ehud escaped
while they
delayed,
he passed
beyond the
idols and
escaped to
Sarai,
when he
arrived,
he sounded
the trumpet
in the hill
country of
Ephraim,
then the
people of
Israel went
down from
him to
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 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
was able to
escape.
So Moab
was subdued
that day
under the
hand of
Israel,
and the
land had
rest for
80 years.
We don't
find much
about
Ehud in
his posture
towards the
Lord,
except for
this one
statement that
we find in
verse 28,
follow me,
for the
Lord has
given your
enemies into
your hands.
The rest of
the story is
conniving,
scheming,
the rest of
the story
shows kind
of the
darker side
of what
we're going
to begin
to see
consistently
through the
judges,
assorted
kind of
people,
a polluted
kind of
people,
people who
were corrupted
by the
individuals that
they lived
alongside.
And so even
when a
deliverance
will come
and God
gives that
deliverance,
you begin
to wonder,
is this
really a
deliverance
that God
gave because
of a
righteous
judge,
because of
a life
that was
devoted to
him?
And of
course the
answer will
be no,
God gives
deliverance
in spite,
in spite
of his
agents.
You see,
when Yahweh
delivers,
God
delivers.
It's the
mercy of
the Lord.
Judges are
meant to
point not
to the
judge
themselves,
but they're
to point to
the great
judge.
God
himself,
the one
who graciously
gives
deliverance.
And finally,
and briefly,
we look at
an unlikely
foreigner who
is used by
the Lord in
verse 31.
An unlikely
foreigner.
Judges
chapter 3
verse 31
says,
After him
was Shemgar,
the son of
Anath,
who killed
600 of the
Philistines
with an ox
goad,
and he also
saved Israel.
Now,
there are
several things
that are
missing in
this narrative.
It's a
pretty short
description of
what's taken
place.
But we
can begin
to see
the mercy
of God
that's written
across the
pages,
even in
this very
short verse.
You see,
Shemgar is
not a
Hebrew name.
Shemgar is
a Canaanite
name.
And while it
says he's
the son
of Anath,
it's probably
better to
see him
as one who
was dedicated
to the
service of
Anath.
He was
not a
follower of
Yahweh.
He was
not a
follower of
God.
He wasn't
even a
part of
Israel.
But God
used him
anyway.
History will
record this
man,
Shemgar,
as an
officer of
the command
of the
Egyptian
Pharaoh.
He's
not intentionally
serving Israel's
purpose, but
God uses him
in spite of
his intentions.
In this
event, in
spite of his
personal heroics,
God uses
him to
deliver Israel
in spite of
his background.
He's a
Philistine.
He's killing
the Philistines
on behalf of
the Lord
himself.
This
instrument that
he uses, he
uses this ox
goat, which
is just a
stick with
an iron tip
at the
front.
And even
in his
exploits of
killing 600
men, this
foreigner is
used in a
way that
points only
to the Lord
himself, only
to God in
his saving
work over
his people.
You see,
God delights
in rescue.
He delights
in saving
his people.
He saves in
spite of our
rebellion.
He saves in
spite of
our
forgetting.
He saves in
spite of
our wickedness.
But he saves
because of
his son,
Jesus.
I wonder
this morning,
do you know?
Do you know
the Lord Jesus?
Do you recognize
that you are in
need of saving?
Do you recognize
that you're in
need of deliverance?
Have you come
to a place of
recognizing your
sin, asking
the Lord to
forgive you,
and experiencing
the benefits
of rescue
that happens
because of
Jesus Christ
himself?
Believe on
the Lord Jesus
Christ and you
will be saved.
Let me pray.
Lord, thank you
this morning
for the testimony
and the reminder
that you delight
in saving in spite
of the frailties
of your people.
that even when
we reject you,
even when we
forget you,
even when we
willingly serve
the bales
and the astras,
as it were,
you delight
in extending
the offer
of forgiveness
through your
son, Jesus Christ.
And I pray,
Lord, this morning
if there's anyone
that does not know
you as their
savior,
that you would
address
that sin
in their life
and remind them
of the wonder
of the mercy
that comes
through faith
in Jesus Christ
and that you
would lead them
to salvation.
We pray in Jesus'
name.
Amen.