Trinity Baptist Church

Obvious Truths from Obscure Scriptures

How Lefty Killed Hefty

Judges 3:12-30

 

All during the 400 years covered in the book of Judges, the nation of Israel followed a predictable pattern. They would serve God faithfully while they followed the strong leadership of their judges. When a judge died, they had no leader, and they would desert God, and began to live in disobedience to His Law, giving themselves to the worship of the pagan gods of the Canaanites. When they rebelled against the Lord, He would send His judgment upon them, by allowing Israel to be oppressed by their enemies. After a time, Israel would repent of their sins and God would raise up a deliverer. God would use this person to defeat Israel’s enemies and set them free.

 

That is exactly the pattern we see a work in the verses before us today. Israel sinned against God and the Lord caused Eglon, the king of Moab, to become strong. Eglon invaded Israel, with the help of the Ammonites and the Amalekites, and together they oppressed Israel for 18 years. When they repented, God raised up a man named Ehud to be their deliverer. Ehud assassinated Eglon and led Israel to victory and freedom.

 

This story contains some of those obvious lessons we’ve been discovering in obscure Scriptures and it has a lot to teach us if we will allow it to.  Like Israel, we often follow the same pattern of disobedience, chastisement and restoration. Our problem is not the Moabites, the Ammonites or the Amalekites. Our problem is the flesh.

 

And as this text unfolds, we get to see that Israel’s enemies are a clear representation of our own enemy. Eglon is the perfect picture of the flesh. He is out of control. He is self-indulgent. He is fat, lazy and evil. He is full of pride. And he is assassinated by Ehud, which leads to a major victory for Israel.

 

And when you think about it in spiritual terms it’s easy to see the analogy of the battle we are to be fighting every day.  Every one of us has problems with our flesh. We are literally in a fight for our very spiritual lives every day.  Sometimes we win our battles with the flesh; sometimes we lose our battles with the flesh; sometimes we don’t fight against the desires of the flesh at all. But there is a way to win against the flesh.

 

Ehud and Israel won their battle with those who oppressed them and you can too. You do not have to be a slave to your fleshly passions. You can be free from the grip of sin. You can walk in victory if you will fight the battle and fight it God’s way.

 

So today, I want us to take a look at “Lefty Killed Hefty”.  First notice

 

 

Verses 12-14

 

The first thing we find out in the story is that Israel is suffering because of her rebellion against the Lord.  And once again, God has allowed her enemies to be His instruments of judgment and correction.

 

And I might just insert, her problems stand as a warning to all those who would walk away from the God Who redeemed them.

 

Israel faced three nations because of their rebellion against God, the Moabites, the Ammonites and the Amalekites. All three of these nations were continual problems for Israel, and all three were connected to Israel by blood.

 

The Amalekites were descended from Esau, Jacob’s twin brother. The Moabites and the Ammonite were descendants of Lot, Abraham’s nephew. After Lot and his daughters were delivered from Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot’s daughter got him drunk, had sexual intercourse with their father and conceived Moab and Ammon, from whom descended these two nations.

 

All three of these nations worshipped false gods. The Moabites served a god called Chemosh. The Ammonites worshiped a god called Moloch. Both of these gods were worshipped through vile, sexual practices as well as child sacrifice. The Amalekites were a nomadic, warlike people that worshipped a variety of pagan gods.

 

And all three of these nations were a continual thorn in the side of Israel. They were constantly attacking, hindering and seeking to enslave the people of Israel.

 

Now these three nations are a picture of our old, fleshly natures. They represent the power, passion and persistence of the flesh.  And just like Israel was repeatedly attacked by these nations, the believer is continually attacked by the flesh. Our flesh has its own desires.

It does not like the way of holiness and the way of righteousness.  We resist doing things God’s way.  We don’t like being under authority.  Nobody’s going to tell us what to do.  Therefore, the flesh likes the way of evil and the way of Satan.

 

In fact, the flesh that you and I carry around will do everything in its power to enslave us and prevent us from reaching our fullest potential in Jesus Christ. Don’t be deceived, your flesh hates God and everything God stands for. Your flesh will never submit to the Word of God. It must be forced into submission by a strong show of force.

 

Listen to how Paul described this enemy.

 

Romans 7:14-25

 

Now you will notice in verse 13 of Judges 3 that these three nations joined forces and came against Israel. We are told that they actually defeated and took possession of the City of Palms.

 

And by the way, this wasn’t a little friendly skirmish.  These pagan armies did not come by for a friendly picnic.  They came to destroy Israel. Israel was in a fight for its very existence.  And I need to remind you the battle we wake up to every day is just as serious! We are in a fight for our very spiritual lives every day we live.

 

We are in a war! The Christian life is not a play ground, it is a battle ground! We are instructed to suit up for war every day by putting on the whole armor of God.

 

 And according to Hebrews 10, we desperately need to be praying and reading the Word,  surrounding ourselves with the teaching and preaching of the Word, the fellowship of other believers and especially as the days grow dark and dangerous.   We are not to forsake that gathering together.

 

Now as I said, King Eglon established his headquarters in “the city of palm trees”. This is another name for the city of Jericho according to Deuteronomy 34:3.

 

Now Jericho was the first city conquered by Israel when they entered the Promised Land.  So Jericho represented the victories that God had promised.  They took Jericho by the Word of God.  So to see their enemies set up their headquarters in the very place where they once had enjoyed great military and spiritual victory must have been hard for Israel to swallow.

 

But that’s the way the flesh operates.  Just when you think you have achieved victory in an area of your life, and just when you think that problem with that sin is settled forever, here comes the flesh. It will do everything in its power to undermine your victories and take back any ground you have won.  It is what one preacher called “Old Enemies Pursuing.”

 

Think about the children of Israel coming out of Egyptian bondage.  They finally get out of Egypt, and then as they are standing there staring at the Red Sea they hear the thunder of distant hoof beats as Pharaoh’s armies are approaching.  Once again, old enemies were pursuing.  Just when you think you’ve finally go ten victory, there they are again.

 

The flesh is relentless and unfortunately, far too often the spiritual desire within us in not. Most of the time we are not nearly as desperate for spiritual victories as the devil is for fleshly victories.

 

We let our guard down, and when we do, we lose the battle. We fail to pray. We fail to read the Word. We fail to avoid exposure to the things that tempt us. We fail to take a stand against the flesh. We neglect the spiritual resources God has arranged for us through the church.

 

Contrast that with Paul who said, “But I discipline my body, and bring it into subjection: lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”  (1 Cor. 9:27”.

 

The word “discipline” means “to beat black and blue”. When the flesh rises up, we must put it back in its place. Beat it, punch it, assault it, deny it, and make it toe the line for the glory of God! It isn’t easy, but if we fail to do it, we will lose the battle every time!

 

But Israel didn’t do that.  And according to verse 14, because they failed to honor the will of God in their walk day by day, they became the servants of Eglon. And the word “served” means “to work; to labor; to become a slave to”. Israel had been redeemed to be the servants of Jehovah God but because of their sins, they have become the servants of pagan kings. This condition lasted for 18 years!

 

Again, this showcases the far-reaching power of the flesh. It has the power to enslave us and lead us away from the Lord. It has the power to enslave us and to cause us to work for the world and the devil. It has the power to make us labor for self every day, while we ignore the will of God for our lives. And the effects of that are far-reaching!  It is not what God saved us for. He did not save us so that we might remain the slaves of sin. He saved us to be free. He saved to serve Him and Him alone!

 

But, if you allow the flesh to have its way in your life, and you will become it’s slave. It will draw you into its trap and hold you there, squeezing the very spiritual life right out of you. I have no doubt that I am speaking to some people right now who are a mere spiritual shell of what you used to be.

 

Your prayer life, your devotional life, your church life, your life of service and devotion to God have all fallen into a state of disrepair. Your spirit is sour and your attitude is bad and your life is miserable.  You’ve lost the joy of serving the Lord.  You can look back and see the places where you used to enjoy victory, but now life is miserable and your life is not spirit-filled or spirit-led, it is nothing but rotting, stinking flesh.

 

Well, I want you to know that you do not have to stay in that condition. The Lord can and will set you free but it will take a Deliverer

 

 

Verses 15-26

 

When Israel finally got tired of serving Eglon, she cried out to the Lord and He began the process of bringing her back to Himself.

 

There is a great spiritual principal revealed there:  The first step to restoration is always repentance! And when lsrael repented, God prepared a deliverer.  His name was Ehud.

 

We are introduced to him in verse 15.  Ehud was from the tribe of Benjamin. Benjamin’s allotment of land included the area around Jericho. That means Ehud is directly affected by this invasion.  Judgment has come home for him and his people.  He was one of those that had suffered the most by this enslavement.  So Ehud and the men of Benjamin had plenty of reasons for wanting Eglon and his armies gone.

 

We are also told that Eglon was “left-handed”. That doesn’t just mean that he used his left hand.  It most likely means he was crippled on his right side. He was forced to use his left hand because his right hand did not function.

 

This would seem like a handicap for a would-be deliverer. In fact, if the people had been voting for a deliverer, Ehud probably would not have made the first ballot. But as we will see, Ehud took what many would see as a liability and turned it into an asset.

 

By the way, this is a good place to insert what everyone already knows.  We all have our problems! Moses was tongued-tied. David was young. Paul was hated by the early church. We all have some issue or another that we think hinders us from being all the Lord would have us to be.

 

But the question we have to deal with is “Did God not know about your issues when He saved you?” Of course He did, but He saved you anyway.

He did not save you so you could fret over what you couldn’t do; He saved you so He could enable you to do what only He can do.

 

The greatest thing some of us could ever do is stop making excuses about why we can’t do this or that and get busy doing something for Him! Listen:  none of your excuses change the fact that when He saved you, He placed His Spirit within you and He gifted you to serve Him.  In fact, as Paul learned it is through those weaknesses and disabilities that He wants to put His strength on display.  Throw away your excuses and do something for Jesus!

 

Now, every so often, the people of Israel were required to pay tribute to Eglon. So, they sent their gift to Eglon with a delegation led by Ehud.

 

Verses 15-17

 

Ehud took the liberty of making himself a double-edged dagger some 14 inches long. He strapped this dagger to his right thigh, under his cloak, and went to take the tribute money to the king. His plan is to get Eglon alone, and when he does, he is going to assassinate the king. It was a daring plan!

 

If Ehud had been caught with that dagger, he would have been killed on the spot, but, he’s just a little cripple! What’s he going to do? Besides that, the guards would have expected to see a sword strapped to his left side so that right-handed soldiers could easily draw it.  No one suspected a weapon would be hidden on his right thigh under his garments. They probably didn’t even search him, thinking they had nothing to fear from a crippled man.

 

By the way, the devil knows you are crippled. He knows you lack the power to overcome him on your own. He knows you are weak. He thinks he can control you and rule your life and he’s right!

 

But he has overlooked one very critical detail and that is the resident Spirit of God within you!

He’s forgotten that we have this promise from our Lord, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”  The devil forgets that, “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me,” Phil. 4:13. The devil forgets that, “...greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world,” 1 John 4:4. The devil forgets that I have been and delivered from the power of the flesh and I can walk in victory for the glory of God!

 

Verses 18-20 tell us after delivering the money to Eglon, the delegation departed. After they had gone a short distance, Ehud came back and told Eglon that he had a secret message for him. The king, supposing that he was about to hear some great secret, tells Ehud to keep silent until they are alone. Eglon dismisses all of his servants.

 

When Ehud gets Eglon alone, Ehud tells the king that he has a message for the king from God. Eglon stands up to hear this message, for even a king must honor a word from God! Ehud reaches under his cloak, draws the dagger and thrusts it through Eglon’s body. The blade sinks so deep into the king’s body that the fat closes around the handle and Ehud cannot retrieve the dagger. Not that it matters, because Eglon is dead.

 

 

Ehud locks the doors to the rooftop room where they are and he makes his escape. Eglon’s servants find the doors locked and think the king is in the restroom, which is what the phrase “attending to his needs” in v. 24  means.

 

And it’s not to pretty, but verse 22 tells us his entrails came out.  The old KJV says, “the dirt came out”.  I think it means his bowels emptied themselves  when he died and the locked door and the odor from the chamber convince the servants that the king is on the throne, so to speak.

 

They wait until they are literally embarrassed, then enter the chamber and find the king dead upon the floor. By this time. Ehud is long gone.

 

Now I realize that some of that was probably more information than you wanted in a Sunday sermon, but those details, while they are disgusting, are a very vivid illustration of the nature of the fight we find ourselves in every day.

 

If we are going to enjoy victory over this flesh, we are going to have to go to battle with it. We are going to have to get close to it and deal it a death blow. It is going to be gritty, dirty work. It isn’t for the squeamish, but it is the only way to enjoy victory.

 

No step is too great. No price it too high. We must take whatever steps are necessary to see the flesh defeated. If we don’t we will remain its servant as long as we live!

 

Finally, I want you to see

 

 

First of all, it involved Following.

 

Verses 27-28a

 

When Ehud returned from killing Eglon, He sounded a ram’s horn. Trumpets were sounded for several reasons in Israel.

 

 

 

 

 

That is the purpose here.  God had heard Israel’s prayers and had raised up a deliverer. Ehud had taken the first step toward giving them victory over their enemies. He had severed the head of the serpent.  Now they needed to destroy the body. The test now was to see whether they would follow God’s man or not. They did and they achieved a great victory.

 

It also involved Fighting.

 

Verses 28b-30

 

Israel cut off the avenues of escape and the means whereby reinforcements could get in.

Then, they killed about 10,000 men. The men they killed were “stout men who were full of valor.

 

These were men of great physical “strength”. Regardless of their power and military ability, they were defeated by Israel because God gave them the victory!

 

Then it involves Finishing.

 

According to verse 29, not a man escaped.  Israel did not back off until every last one of the Moabites, the Ammonites and the Amalekites in their country had been put to the sword. It was a total victory over the enemy.

 

Israel’s victory has a lesson or two to teach us about our own battles with sin and the flesh.

 

First, God has given us everything we need to enable us to walk in spiritual victory.

 

He has given us His Word, His Spirit, prayer and His presence in our lives. If we fail to yield to Him and walk in His will, we can never have victory. But, if we will follow Him, humbly and faithfully, He can and will keep us from the bondage of the flesh!

 

Second, we need not fear the size or the power of our enemies.

 

We are to fight them with everything God has given us. We are to cut off every avenue of escape and every place where the enemy might send reinforcements. We are to fight until every last ounce of the enemy’s strength is gone. We are to fight until the day He calls us home to glory!

Third, we are not to tolerate even the tiniest bit of the flesh life within us.

 

Every vestige of the flesh must be put to death. We are to live every day, “hating even the garment spotted by the flesh,” Jude 1:23.)

 

We all have problems with the flesh. It is overindulged, self-assured, and out of control. This message is a call for us to take the battle to the flesh. It does not have to carry the day. It does not have to win the victory over us. It does not have to claim the victory in our lives. You can be free!

 

We are lot like Ehud. We are all unlikely conquerors. We are all crippled in one way or another. We are all weak. We are all prone to spiritual failure. But, like Ehud, we can walk in victory. We need to take the Word of God, our dagger, hide it away in our hearts, Psa. 119:11, and assassinate the flesh in a sneak attack.  You don’t have to be a victim. You can be a victor over the flesh!

 

Let’s pray.