Reading
Judges 3:12-30

12The children of Israel again did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and Yahweh strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight. 13He gathered the children of Ammon and Amalek to himself; and he went and struck Israel, and they possessed the city of palm trees. 14The children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years. 15But when the children of Israel cried to Yahweh, Yahweh raised up a savior for them: Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. The children of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab. 16Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length; and he wore it under his clothing on his right thigh. 17He offered the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man. 18When Ehud had finished offering the tribute, he sent away the people who carried the tribute. 19But he himself turned back from the stone idols that were by Gilgal, and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.”

The king said, “Keep silence!” All who stood by him left him.

20Ehud came to him; and he was sitting by himself alone in the cool upper room. Ehud said, “I have a message from God to you.” He arose out of his seat. 21Ehud put out his left hand, and took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his body. 22The handle also went in after the blade; and the fat closed on the blade, for he didn’t draw the sword out of his body; and it came out behind. 23Then Ehud went out onto the porch, and shut the doors of the upper room on him, and locked them.

24After he had gone, his servants came and saw that the doors of the upper room were locked. They said, “Surely he is covering his feet in the upper room.” 25They waited until they were ashamed; and behold, he didn’t open the doors of the upper room. Therefore they took the key and opened them, and behold, their lord had fallen down dead on the floor.

26Ehud escaped while they waited, passed beyond the stone idols, and escaped to Seirah. 27When he had come, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim; and the children of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he led them.

28He said to them, “Follow me; for Yahweh has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” They followed him, and took the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites, and didn’t allow any man to pass over. 29They struck at that time about ten thousand men of Moab, every strong man and every man of valor. No man escaped. 30So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. Then the land had rest eighty years.


Devotional

After the death of Othniel the Israelites return to their old ways again and begin to worship the gods of those around them. The pattern of events repeats itself as they abandon God so they become enslaved to an enemy on this occasion the enemy was King Eglon of Moab. Eglon forces terrible taxes on the children of Israel they are crippled with the payments and the cruelty of the King. Once more in their distress they cry out to God.

God raises up a new judge his name is Ehud. The author takes time to explain that he is left-handed, which means he carries his dagger on his right thigh.  Ehud is part of the contingent that take the taxes to King Eglon. The taxpayers are searched at the door before entering the royal palace.  Daggers and swords were normally attached to the left side for ease of use, the guards omitted to check the right side of the Israelite men.  Ehud was able to sneak his weapon in undetected. Ehud gets the king on his own by telling him he has a secret message for him, he quickly retrieves the hidden dagger and stabs the king. Ehud then escapes out the palace through the bathroom and then he rallies an army who in turn defeat the Moabites. 

Isn’t it amazing how God can take something as simple as being left handed and use it to rescue his people?  It reminds me of the story of Amy Carmichael who as a child prayed that God would change her eyes from brown to blue so she could be like her mother.  Her eyes remained brown, years later it was her brown eyes and tea dyed skin that allowed her to infiltrate dangerous places in India and rescue many women and children from slavery.  Sometimes it is the simple things like being left handed or having brown eyes that God can turn into to something truly amazing. Remember, God made you just the way you are for a purpose and reason, you are his perfect design.