Tony Thavasilan
Story and Roadmap
As someone who grew up in a traditional Indian family, I can assure you that I watched too many Tamil and Hindi movies as a kid. Now, I won’t be surprised in our multicultural Malaysia that some of you here were hooked to these movies as well. And why wouldn’t we? They are entertaining and there’s lots of action…hence why we can sit close to 3 hours for one movie.
Now, for those of you who have not seen a classic Indian movie- which is usually a love story- this is how it goes. Ready? Guy meets girl, Guy falls in love with girl, Girl doesn’t like guy at first, and then girl falls for guy. Now at this particular point, there is usually a song here. But the story doesn’t end there…that’s just the first twenty minutes. Because, out of nowhere, there is a villain (usually it’s the father or the brother, or some second cousin in the next village). And then there is another song or two here. Now, the main character is usually weaker compared to the villain, and it won’t look good for him at first…but against all odds, by the end of the story, the hero will beat up the villain and all the 100 bad guys with him, and triumph over evil…and, finally guy and girl live a happy life. The end. And then there is another song.
Friends, even though there are thousands of movies like these, it is always interesting to watch and observe how the weak hero is going to overcome the powerful villain. And that is what makes a story captivating. Against all odds, the weak becomes the unexpected deliverer…In today’s story, we too have a hero who against all odds defeats the villain. An unexpected deliverer using unexpected means to give God’s people victory. Friends, this morning I will preach from Judges 3:12-30 on God’s unexpected deliverance. I will break the story into three scenes, and we will look at three lessons for God’s people today. We will look at the bible quite a bit, so please open them to Judges.
Context
But just before that, some of you might have forgotten where we are right now in our sermon series. So, a quick 1-minute recap. We are currently in the book of Judges where we see God’s people finally settle down in the promised land. However, there is no Moses, and no Joshua, and certainly no kings to rule all the 12 tribes of Israel. So, God raises up local heroes called judges to lead the God’s people…A few weeks ago, we looked at the first judge, Othniel, and today, we will look at Ehud, the second judge. Alright, let’s begin.
Scene 1: A new cycle (vv.12-15a)
Today’s passage begins at v.12 saying, “once again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD.” So, we are told that God’s people are back to their habitual pattern of sin. This phrase, “the Israelites did evil in God’s eyes” repeats 7 times in the whole book of Judges. This is a reminder, that we as human beings have a condition. A spiritual forgetfulness. We forget who God is, and we forget who we are…so, the Israelites gave themselves over to idolatry; worshipping foreign gods and taking in their pagan customs…and because of this, God raises up an enemy called Eglon, the king of Moab to discipline His people.
Now, in our English translation, it says here God gave Eglon power, but in the original language, it says God hardened Eglon. Now, think about this…When was the last time we heard of God hardening someone? Pharaoh, right? In Exodus. So, similarly, God is hardening Eglon by raising Him to discipline the Israelites, but at the same time to lead the enemy to his own destruction…So, friends, the good news we see here is that, even in the midst of wicked people coming to power, God is fully in control. He is sovereign.
Next, we are told how Eglon attacks Israel and he invited two other nations to join him. Have a look at v.13, what does it say? “Getting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join him, Eglon came and attacked Israel, and they captured the City of Palms.” Now, Moab, Ammon, and Amalek; these three nations are ancient cousins of the Israelites…So, we are actually witnessing a large scaled family-feud…but a more important point here is the city they captured. They captured the city of Palms…Now, why is that significant? That is because, the “City of Palms” is also known as Jericho. And what is Jericho famous for? Well, Jericho is the first city that God gave to His people in the promised land (remember the walls of Jericho?). So, this first city is a picture of God’s faithfulness, but this also becomes the first city they lose, because of their unfaithfulness…Brothers and sisters in Christ, when we persist in our sinfulness, there will be consequences…So, in our story, Jericho is taken, and they all ended up serving Eglon for 18 years…God delivered them out of Egypt to be free people, but they ended up in their own land to be slaves.
So, what did the Israelites do? Well, v.15 tells us, “Again the Israelites cried out to the LORD.” Just like us, isn’t it? When things go well, we let our spiritual life slide…but when trouble comes, we suddenly remember Him. But of course, God is merciful and He sends help.
Now, a side note here. You will notice that as you read Judges, there is a cycle in their life season. The cycle always begins with a time of peace…which leads to laxity in their spiritual life and sin…and that brings God’s judgment…the people suffer and cry out…God will raise a judge…the judge will defeat the enemy and give them peace again…and the process repeats.
Back to the passage…Now, because the people repented, God sends them a new judge, Mr. Ehud, a left-handed man, a son of Gera the Benjamite. Now, if you’ve listened to the previous sermons, you will notice that the first judge Othniel is from the tribe of Judah, but the second judge here is from Benjamin. So, take note that Judges don’t pass down their role to their sons like a king…That’s important for us to know, because that tells us that the judges did not rule one after another consecutively. They were local heroes. Like tribal warriors. So, they were ruling concurrently and overlapped one another.
Now, another interesting fact…Ehud is said to be left-handed from the tribe of Benjamin. Did you know that in the bible, every left-hander is from the tribe of Benjamin? Interesting, isn’t it? …and there’s more…what does Benjamin mean? Son of my right hand…so, all the left-handers in the Bible are from the right-hand tribe…the Bible is full of fun trivia like these…anyway, that’s scene 1.
Scene 2: The Tribute (vv.15b-25)
V.15b says, “the Israelites sent Ehud with tribute to Eglon king of Moab.” So, Ehud is chosen as the envoy to give a gift, a tribute…Now, this ancient practice is very humiliating because it forces you to go to your conquerors, acknowledge their power, and give them gifts…but in our passage today, the specific word ‘tribute’ here is the same word used in Leviticus for grain offerings…Brothers and sisters in Christ, what was intended for God is now brought to Eglon…Eglon took God’s offering for himself.
So, Ehud was sent for that purpose. Now, it sounds like a straight forward mission, isn’t it? But God’s hero here wants to make this a complicated mission. Instead of doing what he was sent to do and maintaining things, Ehud decides to stir up the hornet’s nest. Because he knows that he is not called to maintain false peace, but to destroy evil and give them true peace.
So, v.16 tells us that “Ehud made a double-edged sword about a cubit.” So, it’s like a foot and a half long, or half a meter. And he strapped it to his right thigh under his clothes in this tribute mission. How cunning. As one commentator said, this is a well-planned “assassination.”
Let’s continue, have a look at v.17, what does it say? “He presented the tribute to Eglon King of Moab, who was a very fat man.” Friends, this is the classic, quintessential fat man, who has grown fat off the tribute paid by the Israelites. His prosperity is from people’s suffering…but wait…there’s more… The word Eglon in the original language means a calf. Ironic, isn’t it? So, if you are reading in the original language, you cannot help but to feel like, “Ehud is preparing to slaughter the fattened calf.” Quite comical.
Anyway, we are told in v.19 that after presenting the gifts, Ehud and friends departed for their homeland, but upon reaching Gilgal, Ehud sent the rest of his companions back to Israel, and he himself went back to Eglon...This is a brave judge…And upon arriving, he said to Eglon, “I have a message for you, O King.” And guess what, the king fell for it, and he says to his attendants “quite,” and they all left to give them privacy…the King perhaps thought to himself, “maybe God has a message of blessings, maybe an oracle about victory,” but little did he know that it’s going to be a message of judgment! So, they went to the upper room of his summer palace…Now, in their part of the world, the coolest place of the house was the roof chamber because there were many windows for the wind to flow in…so, they went there.
Now, some you might be thinking, “Wait a minute, isn’t this deception? Isn’t Ehud lying just so he can accomplish God’s work?” Well, actually not…because the word “message” in Hebrew can also mean “something.” So, a secret message or a secret something, sounds exactly the same. The king thought it’s a message, but Ehud knows it’s a sword…So, look at the last part of v.20, what does it say? “as the king rose from his seat.” Why did he rise? Because, when pagan kings received divine word, they would stand in reverence…So, he is clearly unaware that Ehud is not here to deliver a message…
Now, at this point some of you might be thinking, “come on Tony, why would Eglon want to stand up to listen to the God of Israel? He’s not a believer.” Well, that’s because Ehud was crafty in his words. Did you notice what he said to Eglon in v.20, “I have a message from God.” G-O-D rather than the LORD, capital L-O-R-D that was used in v.12. DO you notice the difference? So, Ehud played with his words by saying “I have a word from Elohim,” the general term for God, rather than “I have a word from Yahweh,” the God of Israel…What an intelligent man! So, Eglon fell for it, and as he stood up to listen, Ehud used his left hand to reach the sword on his right thigh and plunged it deep inside the king’s belly…The punishment fits the action…the one who lived out of his belly, was killed through his belly.
And v.22 tells us that even the handle went in because he did not pull back the sword. And because he was a very fat man, the fat covered even the handle…
And what else does v.22 tells us, “the handle sank in, which came out of his back.” Now, this phrase here, for me, was the most challenging one in this whole passage. Because some of your bible versions say, the handle sank in and “dung came out”…some say, “the blade came out”…another one says the offal came out…so, which one is the correct translation? Well, I think they are all correct, because as one commentator said, it is possible that the sword was plunged downward, so everything came out of the back…which means the bowels discharged as well.
Church, the book of judges is graphic, isn’t it? Some of you here might be thinking what a violent story…I personally find it so as an adult…but strange enough the boy inside me finds it intriguing, I mean come on, this whole chapter is so colorful isn’t it? left-hand, right thigh, sword, fat man, and finally some poo…I think boys would love reading the book of judges la…but, church, the mixed emotions that are evoked as we read this story is the whole point of it…it’s horrific and comical at the same time to show how God accomplishes His plan through unexpected means…
But do you know what else is unexpected? The person God is using in this story, Ehud…Ehud is the bolt and the blue of this story…what am I saying here? Well, friends, did you notice the description used for Ehud in v.15? What was it? “a left-handed man from the tribe of Benjamin.” Why is that unexpected? That is because all the other left-handers in the bible are called left-handers positively, but in Hebrew the exact phrase that is used to describe Ehud is “the man who is bound in his right hand” and it is in a negative sense. It is “not the common Hebrew term for “left”.” In other words, brothers and sisters in Christ, our judge Ehud is a handicapped man. His right hand is of no use. That’s the correct translation. And that explains why, he has no issue going through security, not seen as a threat to the king, and even allowed private audience. In fact many Old Testament scholars say that Ehud’s deformity is what qualifies him at that time as the best candidate, as the “ambassador for diplomacy.” How sad is it, that people thought he is only good to be a tribute boy, but praise God, because God will use Ehud as the unexpected deliverer.
Friends, Ehud is an unlikely hero. A Benjamite, the smallest tribe. A left-hander in the world of right-handers. A man with disability. In all odds, this is the last person that the Israelites will choose as their leader. He is nothing compared to the first judge, Othniel. Remember him? Othniel was a well-known general, from the strong tribe of Judah…son-in-law of Caleb…a wealthy man who owned many wells…and v.10 tells us he even went to war…so, Ehud is nowhere near that kind of popularity or aesthetics. And yet, this is God’s champion.
Friends, you and I would have expected a right-handed man whom God will deliver by the strength of His right hand, instead we get a left-hander, who makes a sword, brings a gift, and assassinates a king... It is a wonderful reminder that God looks at a person differently than us, and He does not measure a person’s faithfulness based on how impressive they look...In v.11 Othniel’s great victory brought 40 years of peace…but the disabled Ehud in our story, in his quiet and faithful way, brought 80 years of peace, double the time, that’s what v.30 tells us…we’ll come back to this point later. Let’s continue.
So, after killing Eglon, v.23 tells us that Ehud escapes by locking the door from inside. Maybe he jumped out of the window or something, we are not too sure. But what we know is that King Eglon’s servants came to attend to him, but they found the door locked from inside. And the first thing they said was, “he must be reliving himself.” Now, in ancient palaces, there were special toilets in the inner room…But what made them immediately suspect that the king is doing his no.2? the smell…remember sword went in, stuff came out…
So, we are told in v.25 that they waited and waited, to the point of confusion or embarrassment…Probably they were wondering, “What’s taking him so long? Lou sai is it?” And when their patience ran out, they decided to take a key and unlock the door…and what did they find? A dead king. Can you imagine the shock to their systems? The great lord of Moab, lying on the floor with blood and feces…The conqueror is conquered, and the subject has gone free.
Scene 3: The Victory (vv.26-30)
So, we are told that during all the hoo-haa, Ehud managed to escape all the way to Seirah, which is at Ephraim. And upon arriving, he blew the trumpet. He called all Israelites to go with him to battle. And guess what? The people accepted that this disabled man is God’s hero, and they followed him as their leader…And not just any kind of leader, but a godly one, because in v.28, Ehud tells them, “the LORD has given your enemies.” Ehud attributes the victory to God even though he executed the whole thing…Friends, when we have victories and successes in our lives, do we attribute them wholly to the LORD? Or do we say, “Yes God helped, but I also helped Him la.”
Next, we are told that the Israelites went together and seized the fords of Jordan…which means they stood at the river bank and all the Moabites who were trying to cross were killed…Moabites fleeing from Jericho were killed, and military reinforcements from Moab were also cut off. And pay attention to v.29. It says that, “they struck down about 10000 Moabites, all vigorous, and able-bodied.” Able-bodied. Do you see that? That is to remind us that the disabled man has defeated 10000 abled men.
And the passage ends with a reversal of fortune. Moab is finally subdued… Israel was under them for 18 years…but now comes 80 years of peace…the weak and small wins, but the fat and strong loses…and that’s scene 3.
Biblical Theology
Friends, the story of Ehud is a glimpse of an even greater story…A story of a hero who just like Ehud wasn’t the typical hero, and yet brought a great unexpected deliverance. Jesus, our judge and hero is even greater than Ehud despite his unimpressive nature. Have a look at this verse from Isaiah 53:2b-4a that talks about Jesus, “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men…Surely, he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows.”
Our judge, Jesus Christ was unimpressive on the outside, and yet, he defeated Satan in the most unlikely way, through his death and resurrection. And, Jesus brings us peace, not just for a time but for eternity. And this is your reality if you have put your faith in Jesus… Let me read another verse to you, 1 Cor 1: 27 “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong…” Brothers and sisters in Christ, the message of the cross may seem weak and foolish, but there is true deliverance, and hope through the cross of Christ.
Lessons
So, let’s quickly look at three lessons from our passage…Lesson number one, Sin is Fatal …Friends, today’s story reminds us that sin can bring us far away from God, and by the time we know it, there won’t be any difference between the world and us…In the case of the Israelites, they have totally abandoned their God…For example, have a look at v.19 just now. Did you notice that there was a landmark there, “at the idols near Gilgal.” That’s a significant landmark. Gilgal was the place where the Israelites set up a monument with Joshua before they entered the promise land. It’s a place to remember their covenant with God, it’s like a wedding ring…but what do we see there now? Idols… Church, how did they come to this point? The answer…Compromises…small compromises which leads to big compromises… which ends up in a total departure from God.
Church, the Bible tells us that obedience to God is greater than our achievements or sacrifices. Let us not fool ourselves thinking if I did this and that, or if I achieved this, or if I serve like this, I should be okay with God…No, God won’t be fooled by the outward appearance. He demands holiness from His people, He demands a wholehearted obedience. He is not a compromising God…and we are called to be Holy not so that God will love us, rather because God has loved us and shown His grace, now we are holy.
So, my question to you today is, do you exercise the grace you have received? Maybe you are asking, “how do I exercise God’s grace for holiness?” Well, this is how you can do it…Firstly by resting in that grace…knowing that nothing you do will make him love you more or let go of you. You have been saved by grace, so rest in that truth…But secondly, and this is where I think we (the reformed people) miss the point, secondly, is to live a life of response…in other words, intentionally and strategically killing our sins...Brothers and sisters in Christ, do you make it your business everyday to kill sin? Do we do everything we can in our effort to mortify it, to shrivel it so that it will die? Because when sin comes into the frame, something will surely die…so, either you kill sin, or sin kills you.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, I am not preaching holiness today because I am holier than you. No, I am a fellow sinner like you. But that does not mean we hide behind the doctrine of ‘Once saved forever saved,’ rather we take ownership of God’s grace and apply it into our lives.
You know, the Puritan John Owen wrote this 500 years ago. He said, “today, true mortification (killing of sin) is all but lost between the rigid, stubborn frame of spirit...on the one hand, and pretenses of liberty, [and] grace…on the other." He is saying that when it comes to holiness, Christians either fall in the category of being legalistic to keep the law or, they fall on the other group, “God accepts me as who I am.” But the answer to holiness is not a balance of both, no, but a third way…The Gospel way…Resting in God’s salvation, and using that as a motivation for holiness…So, preaching on holiness is biblical, it is not legalism…and by a life of holiness, we are not talking about perfection, rather a life geared towards Jesus. Which means, even if you give in to the same sin 77 times on the same day, if you confess, and turn to Jesus every time, that is repentance. That leads to holiness.
Lesson number two, God can use anyone for His purposes…Church, as today’s story taught us, we should not think that we have to fit into a mold to be used by God…Ehud, the outlier was used by God…Maybe sometimes you feel like Ehud…you don’t feel very gifted or talented…or perhaps your situation is closer to Ehud’s; Physical limitations… Perhaps a health issue? Perhaps a disability? If you are seated here and you feel inadequate to be used by God then know that today God is telling us that He breaks the mold…God uses all sorts of people…He doesn’t just use the Othniels, but he uses the Ehuds as well…in our weakness, He is strong…
Once, Hudson Taylor said “God is sufficient for God’s work”…Church, what really matters is not the talent or the impression you can make, but the willingness to submit to God…so that God can use you as His instrument, as His tool…(pause) Is God calling you to serve in a particular ministry? Is God giving you the burden to take up a role at workplace or church or in missions? Submit to Him, and see for yourself what He can do…In fact, as we read through Judges, we’ll realize that God’s judges are all distinct…For example, one verse we didn’t cover today is v.31 because it’s not part of my passage, but have a quick look at it…What does it say? “after Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He too saved Israel.” Now, why am I referring to this guy? Well, that is because this is judge number three and his whole life is summed up in just one verse. And what more, his name is Shamgar son of Anath. That is not even an Israelite name…Friends, judge number 3 is a foreigner. And what’s his weapon? Oxgoad, a farming tool to poke animals to work…The point here is that, God can use anyone as long as they are willing. As someone once said, “He remains the judge. He is himself [is] the Great deliverer. But how He judges and delivers is up to Him.”
So, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, God can even use your left-handedness. Your brokenness, your sickness, your sufferings, your traumas, your severed relationships, your grief, even your failures, for His glory. And maybe you might not feel like that right now, but He will use it for His glory one day.
Lesson number three. The lack of godly leadership leads to chaos (Slide 8) ... Friends, whether we like it or not, all of us here are called to leadership in one way or another...Pastors, church leaders, husbands, parents, older brothers and older sisters…we are called to lead...for example, husbands, you are called to shepherd your wives…do you do that? Are you a figure of Christ in your home...(pause) parents, do you shepherd your child’s heart by teaching them the word of God and praying with them, or do you leave that job to the Sunday School teacher? Older women, you are called to shepherd younger women, is that happening in our church, do we make time for our younger sisters? And the examples can go on and on, but what I’m trying to say here is that, when we as God’s people neglect our call to be godly leaders, it will eventually lead to chaos...not just in our homes and our churches, but eventually in our nation.
And similarly, we need to be careful as to the kinds of leaders we choose in our churches and in our relationships. For example, in our church, do we elect our deacons and elders based on popularity or based on godly character and a servant-heart? And similarly, a message to my single sisters (and I’m not picking on anyone here okay), single sisters, what kind of leader are you choosing for yourself? Is it a man of God who can shepherd you to become more like Jesus? Or will you compromise your spirituality at the hands of someone who cannot disciple you? (pause) The lack of godly leadership leads to chaos…
Now, some of you might be thinking now, “Tony what are we to do in the absence of a godly leader, or what should we do when the leaders that God has given us do not fear God? Then what?” Well, that is when we look deep to the message of Judges. Because Judges shows us that even in the lack or absence of godly leadership, God’s people are still responsible for their lifestyle… because ultimately there is one great judge over us...in fact, as we read Judges in the coming weeks, there is this phrase that will start appearing, “in those days there was no king in Israel”...the author is trying to say they desire a godly king so that there is spiritual direction… But when God actually starts giving them kings, did the Israelites change…No, they went back into the same pattern of sin again n again…no difference...(pause) Dearly beloved, even when our leaders fail, God will call us into account. “What God’s people truly need is an immortal Savior who can secure the obedience of his people forever.” So, will you walk in godliness in regards to leadership?
Conclusion with RFN/FCF and Prayer
As a conclusion, friends, know that the God we worship is able to deliver us through unexpected means and ways. Yes, we saw how God used Ehud, but more importantly we know how God used Jesus to bring us forgiveness and life. Will you cry out to Him whether be it in your struggles with sin or struggles with life? Deliverance is available, salvation is here…because Jesus, our greater Ehud, the judge of the whole world is our leader. So, follow him.
Let’s pray.
