Ehud
Pastor David
In Judges 3 we find the story of one of the first judges of Israel named Ehud. The Bible gives an interesting description of him in verse 15 – “His name was Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed man of the tribe of Benjamin.” At this time Israel was being harassed by a king named Eglon who led the Moabites. At this point of history, Israel had already begun a cycle of worshipping idols, then God sent foreign people to punish Israel for worshipping those idols. This would cause Israel to call out to God for help, and God would then raise a judge to rescue Israel. Usually, after that same judge died, Israel would go right back to idol worship.
But getting back to that description of Ehud being left-handed: many men from the tribe of Benjamin were known for being left-handed (Judges 20:16), so this description of Ehud would just make him another run-of-the-mill Benjamite.
A common thing that we find throughout the Old Testament is God wanting to make sure that Israel knew who was rescuing them and giving them victory. In this story, God chooses a man who doesn’t really stand out other than the left handed detail (which, by the way, helps explain how he might have been able to sneak a dagger into the presence of the king of Moab to assassinate him (Judges 3:12-30)). We see in Isaiah a warning to those who trust in earthly things over God.
Isaiah 31:1 (NLT)-What sorrow awaits those who look to Egypt for help, trusting their horses, chariots, and charioteers and depending on the strength of human armies instead of looking to the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.
King David sums up what I am trying to say with this devotional today in
Psalm 20:7-Some nations boast of their chariots and horses, but we boast in the name of the LORD our God. Those nations will fall down and collapse, but we will rise up and stand firm.
It is not people like Ehud who rescue us, it is not technology or earthly things. It is through the power of God that we find victory and rescue. There will be times that he used people to display his power (David vs. Goliath, Moses and parting the Red Sea, Joshua vs. Jericho) but ultimately it is God’s power that does the rescuing.
So examine your life, are you trusting in anything other than God to rescue you from your circumstances or problems? As King David says, that will lead to you falling down and collapsing. But trusting in God will rise you up to stand firm!
So, look to God and not your own power or that of others!