Our Ehud

Judges 3:14–21, "The Israelites served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years. And again they cried out to the LORD, and He raised up Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed Benjamite, as their deliverer. So they sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Ehud had made for himself a double-edged sword a cubit long. He strapped it to his right thigh under his cloak and brought the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was an obese man. After Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he ushered out those who had carried it. But upon reaching the idols near Gilgal, he himself turned back and said, "I have a secret message for you, O king."

"Silence," said the king, and all his attendants left him. Then Ehud approached him while he was sitting alone in the coolness of his upper room. "I have a word from God for you," Ehud said, and the king rose from his seat. And Ehud reached with his left hand, pulled the sword from his right thigh, and plunged it into Eglon's belly."
 

The history recorded in Judges is not merely ancient history. It is also a mirror in which we see the spiritual condition of our own hearts. Israel repeatedly sinned against the Lord, and God in righteous judgment gave them over to their enemies. After years of bitter oppression, they cried out to the Lord for mercy, and He graciously raised up a deliverer.

In Judges 3 we read of Israel under the domination of Eglon, king of Moab. For eighteen long years the people were subject to this cruel tyrant. But when they cried to the Lord, He raised up Ehud to deliver them.

The entire narrative is filled with spiritual lessons and remarkable pictures that point us to Jesus, our greater Deliverer.

The Oppressor

The passage begins with Israel once again doing evil in the sight of the Lord. Sin always brings misery. Because of their rebellion, God strengthened Eglon king of Moab against Israel. The Lord who had once given Israel victory over their enemies, now gave their enemies power over them.

Eglon was no small man. The Scripture describes him as "an obese man." The emphasis is deliberate. He represents a massive, oppressive tyrant. Israel groaned under his rule for eighteen years.

Spiritually speaking, every believer knows something of this experience. Though we have been saved by grace, we still struggle with indwelling sin. Certain sins loom over the soul like a tyrant. These are our Eglons -- large, stubborn, humiliating sins that seem to dominate us.

Pride. Anger. Lust. Worldliness. Covetousness. Unbelief. Self-love.

These sins can grow fat and powerful in the heart if they are allowed to reign. And when they rule, they bring misery to the soul.

But the passage does not end with oppression.

The Deliverer Raised Up

"When the Israelites cried out to the Lord, He gave them a deliverer--Ehud, a left-handed man." (Judges 3:15)

Here we see the mercy of God. Israel did not deserve deliverance. Their misery was the direct result of their own sin. Yet when they cried to the Lord, He raised up a savior for them.

So it is with every sinner who is saved. Salvation never begins with man's worthiness. It begins with God's mercy.

Ehud himself was an unlikely deliverer. He was left-handed. The language suggests a weakness or limitation in his right hand. In a culture where warriors depended heavily on their right hand, this would have appeared to be a disadvantage.

Yet God delights to use what men consider weak.

This points us to Jesus. The world expected a mighty conqueror. Instead, the Savior came in humility. He was born in poverty. He grew up in obscurity. To the eyes of the world there was nothing outwardly impressive about Him.

Yet He was the One appointed by God to save His people.

The Secret Weapon

Ehud prepared a double-edged sword about a foot long and strapped it to his right thigh under his clothing.

Because he was left-handed, the weapon was concealed in an unexpected place. When he approached the king with the tribute, the guards searched him in the customary way and suspected nothing.

There is a beautiful spiritual picture here. God's ways often appear hidden and unexpected. The salvation He brings does not come in the form the world anticipates.

The cross of Jesus seemed to be weakness, defeat, and shame. Yet that very cross was the weapon by which the Savior destroyed the power of sin and Satan.

The apostle Paul declares that through the cross Jesus triumphed over the powers of darkness.

What appeared to be defeat, was actually the decisive victory of God.

The Death of the Tyrant

After presenting the tribute, Ehud requested a private audience with the king.

"I have a message from God for you." (Judges 3:20)

Then Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh, and plunged it into Eglon's belly. The blade sank in so deeply that even the handle disappeared.

The tyrant fell. The oppressor was slain. Israel's bondage was broken.

Here again we see a vivid picture of Jesus and His saving work.

Sin is not a small inconvenience. It is a tyrant. It enslaves. It degrades. It rules the natural heart.

But Jesus came to destroy this tyrant.

At the cross He bore the full penalty of the sins of His people. He satisfied the justice of God. And by His death He broke the dominion of sin.

"Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (First Corinthians 15:57)
 

A Lesson for the Believer

There is also an important practical lesson here for the Christian life.

Every believer has remaining sin within. Though its dominion is broken, it still wages war against the soul. Certain sins may grow particularly strong. These are our personal Eglons.

Perhaps it is pride that refuses to die.

Perhaps it is anger or lust that erupts again and again.

Perhaps it is some secret sin of the heart that seems massive and immovable.

What must be done with such sins?

The lesson of this passage is clear. Eglon was not negotiated with. He was not tolerated. He was not gradually worn down.

He was slain.

Sin must be dealt with in the same way. The believer must make no peace with it. Scripture says, "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature." (Colossians 3:5)

Sin is not to be entertained or managed. It must be mortified. It must be put to death.

And this can only be done through the power of Jesus, our greater Ehud.

 

The Escape and the Victory

After striking the fatal blow, Ehud escaped while the king's servants delayed outside the chamber. By the time they discovered what had happened, the deliverer was gone.

Ehud then sounded the trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites rallied behind him. Together they struck down the Moabite army and secured a great victory.

The result was peace. "And the land had peace for eighty years." (Judges 3:30)

This peace points us again to the greater work of Jesus.

Ehud brought temporary rest to Israel. But the salvation accomplished by Jesus brings eternal peace with God.

Through His death and resurrection, He has forever delivered His people from the guilt and condemnation of sin. Those who trust in Him are no longer slaves but free.

 

Our Greater Deliverer

When we read the story of Ehud, our hearts should ultimately be drawn to Jesus.

Ehud was raised up by God to save Israel.
Jesus was sent by the Father to save His people from their sins.

Ehud came in apparent weakness.
Jesus came in humility and lowliness.

Ehud struck down a tyrant who oppressed the people.
Jesus destroyed the far greater enemies of sin, death, and Satan.

Ehud brought peace to the land for a season.
Jesus brings everlasting salvation to all who believe.

Therefore, when we feel the oppression of sin, we must look to our greater Deliverer.

When our personal Eglons seem massive and immovable, we must not despair. The Savior who conquered sin at the cross, is mighty to save and mighty to sanctify.

The Christian life is not lived by our strength, but by the power of the One who has already won the victory.

Jesus is our Ehud -- the Deliverer raised up by God, the conqueror of our enemies, and the Savior who sets His people free forever.
(The above article was AI generated.)