Tonight, I invite you to turn with me to Judges, Judges chapter 3, as we read together verse 7 through the end of the chapter, verse 31, the portion for our consideration tonight being verses 12 through 30 of Judges chapter 3. Judges 3, beginning at verse 7, as we give our attention to the Word of God. The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs. The anger of the Lord burned against Israel, so that He sold them into the hands of Cushen Rishathayim, king of Aram Nahariyam, to whom the Israelites were subject for eight years. But when they cried out to the Lord, He raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel, son of Kenes, Caleb's younger brother, who saved them. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him so that he became Israel's judge and went to war. The Lord gave Cushan, Rishathayim, king of Aram, into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him. So the land had peace for 40 years until Othniel, son of Kenes, died. Once again, the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord. And because they did this evil, the Lord gave Eglon, king of Moab, power over Israel. Getting the Ammonites and the Amalekites to join him, Eglon came and attacked Israel, and they took possession of the city of Palms. The Israelites were subject to Eglon, king of Moab, for 18 years. Again the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and He gave them a deliverer, Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gerah, the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with tribute to Eglon, king of Moab. Now, Ehud had made a double-edged sword about a foot and a half long, which he strapped to his right thigh under his clothing. He presented the tribute to Eglon, king of Moab, who was a very fat man. After Ehud had presented the tribute, he sent on their way the men who had carried it. At the idols near Gilgal, he himself turned back and said, I have a secret message for you, O king. The king said, quiet, and all his attendants left him. Ehud then approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his summer palace and said, I have a message from God for you. As the king rose from his seat, Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh and plunged it into the king's belly. Even the handle sank in after the blade which came out his back. Ehud did not pull the sword out, and the fat closed in over it. Then Ehud went out to the porch. He shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them. After he had gone, the servants came and found the doors of the upper room locked. They said he must be relieving himself in the inner room of the house. They waited to the point of embarrassment. But when he did not open the doors of the room, they took a key and unlocked them. There they saw their Lord fallen to the floor, dead. While they waited, Ehud got away. He passed by the idols and escaped to Sierra. When he arrived there, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went down with him from the hills, with him leading them. Follow me, he ordered, for the Lord has given Moab your enemy into your hands. So they followed him down, and taking possession of the fords of the Jordan that led to Moab, they allowed no one to cross over. At that time they struck down about 10,000 Moabites, all vigorous and strong. Not a man escaped. That day Moab was made subject to Israel and the land had peace for 80 years. After Ehud came Shamgar, son of Anath, who struck down 600 Philistines with an ox goad. He too saved Israel. We should not overlook the first verse of chapter 4. After Ehud died, the Israelites once again did evil in the eyes of the Lord. Dear people of God, here in this episode of Holy Scripture, along with all of the major judges, the stories of the major judges, we have the makings of a record-breaking box office movie. You see, this is the kind of story that Hollywood loves in order to keep the moviegoers on the edge of their seats and coming back for more. There's thrill, there's suspense, there's motive, there's opportunity, there's drama, daring, and death in the fullest measure possible. There's a happy ending. at least for God's people. And of course, it includes an unlikely sinister character who because of his cunning and daring, he becomes a hero. Beloved, this true story of God's deliverance through His instrument named Ehud is not for our movie-going entertainment, not at all. But it's for our instruction and our encouragement to trust only in the promises of God. This is a story about judgment and salvation as God's piercing judgment delivers His people. We want to notice tonight, first of all, the need for deliverance. Secondly, the method of deliverance. And then finally, the rest from deliverance. Israel found themselves in need of being delivered. Well, why? Well, again, verse 12 begins, Now the children of Israel again did evil in the eyes of the Lord. Now, really, we're still in the very beginning of this history lesson of Judges, but we read this, I think, and we really just shake our heads. How can this be? This isn't the first time. We didn't study the episode of deliverance under the judge Othniel, but we read it together tonight. Because of their evil and their idol-worshipping, God strengthened the king of Aram Nahariah, or Mesopotamia, a king from a long distance away. he strengthened him to oppress the Israelites for eight years. And that cycle that we talked about last week then continued as after oppression they cried out to the Lord and the Lord sent Othniel. And through Othniel the Lord delivers His people from this king. Now the divine record doesn't give us a great deal of information about it, but that was the first of many cycles in that downward spiral we talked about. And for 40 years then, the land had rest. That is, while Othniel was alive, no one hassled them. But obviously they suffered from a short attention span as well as a memory loss because they again did evil in the eyes of the Lord. Isn't it true that we often shake our heads at our young children, for example, when they try to reach up and touch a hot burner on the stove and we push their hand away. We say, no, don't do that. You're going to get burned. Don't touch that. But they look up and smile and they think we're playing a game. They try to touch it again. We push their hand away again. This happens again and again until finally we slap their hand or physically remove them from the kitchen. We understand that with small children. But the Israelites were grown people. And those eight years under the king of Mesopotamia were just a dim memory and really they couldn't remember what all the fuss was about. So once again, they did as they saw fit. They did that which was right in their own eyes. And most likely their evil was the same as it was before, idol worship. They didn't fight against the enemy, but instead they mingled with the enemy. They got friendly with their neighbors, and they got together for backyard barbecues and swimming parties. And instead of being a showcase for God to their neighbors, they decided to purchase their living standards from the world's department store. And since they were so in love with the enemy, God brought them into closer contact with the enemy. Only, instead of being the invited guest at the party, they would become the servants and the slaves waiting on the host. But believe it or not, beloved, this was for Israel's good. Because in this way, they would then learn the true character of God's enemies and eventually fight against them. And once again, they would be reminded of the one and only true sovereign God. God chastises His people, you see, for their instruction and their correction. The Lord strengthens the hand of the enemy. Eglon, king of Moab, along with the Ammonites and the Amalekites, are strengthened by God to oppress God's people. Now, first of all, notice only God is omnipotent. Only He is all-powerful. All earthly power comes from Him. No one has any power that does not come from God. Here this may seem disheartening that God strengthened the hand of the enemy. But this must also be a comfort for you and me today. Because when evils and temptations and the difficulties of this world seem to be closing in on you, if you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, you can rest in the comfort that God is stronger than they And that he delivers and he sustains those who cast their burden upon him, as the psalmist says. It's interesting that this second round of oppression hits a little closer to home than the oppression before the previous judge. What I mean is that this time, Israel's own flesh and blood family are allowed to rule them for a time. You remember Lot? Moab and Ammon were sons of Lot and Lot's daughters through sinful incest. And Amalek was descended from Esau, Jacob's brother. And of course, Bible history makes it clear that the Moabites and the Ammonites and the Amalekites hated the Israelites. Yet here these nations were God's tools of judgment against his own people. We can be sure that Eglon had no idea that he was a tool in the hand of God. And if someone told him that he was a tool in the hand of God, he would no doubt give a hearty, belly-shaking laugh. You've got to be kidding. Because Eglon hated Israel. He wanted what God had given to them, the land flowing with milk and honey. And his full intention, no doubt, was to hurt God's people, to oppress them, because the foundation of his motive was wickedness. Yet he must, he cannot help but serve God's purposes. Even as Proverbs 21, verse 1 says, The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord like the rivers of water. He turns it wherever he wishes. God held in His hand the heart of Eglon. And at another point in history, the heart of Cyrus, that great leader of the Persian Empire, and also the king of Babylon as Ezekiel prophesied. And although these kings at these different times in history no doubt had other ideas, they were serving the purposes of Jehovah. Even as Joseph said to his brothers, what you did, you meant for evil, but God meant it for good. But now we might wonder, well, what good can possibly come out of being oppressed by Eglon and company for 18 years? Notice that God doesn't chastise the enemy. Why? Because they're not His people. Just like we as parents, we don't normally discipline someone else's child unless we're given permission by those parents. We discipline our own children, but not the children of others. The enemies are not His people. And even today, God's enemies may live in sin and iniquity and have plenty. But then just like with Eglon, when God does visit them, it won't be for chastisement, which is meant for good. It will be for judgment and destruction. But again, as we said before, God chastises His people, and it is for their good. Hebrews chapter 12 makes this clear. Notice the second part of verse 5 through 11. The writer says, My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you. Because the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone He accepts as a son. Endure hardship as discipline. God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined and everyone undergoes discipline, then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live? Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best, but God disciplines us for our good that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. See, Israel hadn't completely learned from their first experience of oppression, and therefore this time the oppression was more severe. And the basic principle of all punishment that is meant for correction is that if we do not get the message from lighter affliction, then there will be heavier afflictions. And again, we do that with our children, don't they? If they keep committing the same offense and they're not getting it from whatever discipline we're administering, we increase the discipline. It becomes more harsh. And that's what God is doing here. God's people are in need of deliverance indeed, but He allows them to be oppressed until they come to their senses. We ought to be amazed too then in the second place at God's method of deliverance. Verse 15 begins by telling us that indeed God's people had learned their lesson. They cried out to the Lord. Now remember, as we said last week, this does not mean, as we might hope, that there was nationwide repentance. The word used for cried means a crying out in pain or a crying out in agony or from distress, but not necessarily from repentance. We can be sure that all along there were some who, no matter how few, who remained faithful to God because Scripture is clear that God always preserves a remnant for Himself. While there were also those who did turn away from God, but by His grace, they did sincerely repent. But the majority, no doubt, cried out, but without true repentance, just because of misery. However, they had learned one lesson. And now, along with good old fat Eglon, they were about to learn another lesson about God. Ehud. Now there's only one thing that's special about this man named Ehud. And that is that God raised him up as a deliverer. God gave him to Israel. So often we read the war stories of the Old Testament, of our favorite Old Testament characters, and we tend to think, well, what is David doing here with Goliath? Or what is Samson doing here with the donkey jawbone? Or what was Elijah doing on Mount Carmel with the fire coming down? Or what about Noah building the ark? What is Ehud doing here? But the question we must ask is what is God doing here? What is God doing in the story of David and Goliath? What is God doing in the story of Samson and Delilah? What is God doing here with Ehud? because Ehud was nothing more than God's instrument of deliverance. We are given some interesting details. We're told that he is from the tribe of Benjamin and that he is left-handed. Now, first of all, for those of you who are left-handed, let me say at the outset, this is no compliment. It was no compliment to be considered to be left-handed and to be known as one who's left-handed. Benjamin means son of my right hand. And the right hand was considered to be the hand of power. We read about God's right hand of power. The right hand was considered to be the hand of ability and agility. The hand that could easily use a weapon and wield a sword. Not the left hand. But here is this Benjamite, son of my right hand, who is a lefty. And the Hebrew has the idea of Ehud being crippled in his right hand. but not necessarily crippled in the sense that it was deformed and of no good and all shriveled up, as some believe is what it meant. But I believe in the sense that he never practiced doing things with his right hand. So if he did try to use it, it was awkward, like most of us, if we try to use opposite hands to right or eat or throw with. I guarantee you, if you saw me try to throw with my left hand, I would look crippled. And also, this points to the fact that Israel was indeed crippled at this time. Yet God had a purpose here. God's method included the fact that with His right hand of power, He would use the left hand of His instrument to deliver His people. The text says, Now, Ehud had made a double-edged sword about a foot and a half long. Now, with two sharp edges, the wound would certainly be severe. It would be administered quickly, swiftly. And at a foot and a half long, it was short enough to hide under his clothing, but long enough to perform its deadly purpose. Ehud heads up a group bringing tribute to Eglon, the king of Moab. Now, first of all, by the very fact that they were bringing tribute shows that they had accepted their place. In other words, they had accepted the fact that they were under the rule of Moab. Again, nothing to brag about. They were slaves. They were servants. Remember, as we mentioned last week, that earlier in Judges chapter 1, we read that the Canaanites had to pay tribute to Israel. Israel was in charge. But that was no longer the case. And we read about the city of Palms, which was considered to be a non-fortified city, on or about the site of Jericho. Again, something that should be humbling to the Israelites. Jericho was a big point in Israel's history, wasn't it? The first city taken in the conquest of Canaan. But it didn't belong to them any longer. The Moabites took the site back. Eglon was living in the land. They bring that tribute, the sign of oppression and slavery, which was most likely made up of money and the first fruits of the crops, which incidentally was supposed to go only to God, wasn't it? And after the tribute is given and received, Ehud makes sure that those who are with him are far enough away to be out of harm's way. The idols near Gilgal were probably like some sort of a boundary line set up by the Moabites. In other words, Israel was really restricted. And Ehud goes back and says, I have a secret message for you, O king. Now that may be a bit hard to understand. It's possible that Ehud had gained Eglon's trust in some way, or because he was a lefty, That he wasn't considered to be dangerous or that Eglon and his people after 18 years figured that they had nothing to worry about anymore. But Eglon himself gives the sign that he wants to hear this juicy secret alone. No one else may have that privilege. But as we look at this, we can see God's providential right hand orchestrating these events and situations. Ehud was telling the truth. He had a secret message. But even more truthful, when he was alone with the king, he says, I have a message from God for you. Now, Ehud doesn't use the word Yahweh, which was God's covenant name given exclusively to the Israelites, but he uses the name Elohim, which was more of a general word for God known throughout the region. And whether Eglon understood that Ehud was talking about Israel's God or not, we do not know. but the suspense must have been, shall we say, killing him to think that he was privileged to get a word from a deity. He stands as was customary when a message like this was being brought, and little did he know that he was playing his part perfectly, following the script to a T, literally opening himself up for the kill. And then, and here's where the movie would go into slow motion, But quick as a flash, Ehud with his left hand pulls out the sword and shoves it clean through Eglon and the sword disappears in a coffin of blubber. A most despicable and degrading death. You see, beloved, Ehud's left-handedness, that which was considered to be cripple, was a part of God's orchestrated plan. Again, the right hand was the normal hand for holding a sword or saluting as we do or as we do, shaking hands with someone. And the left thigh was the normal place to strap a sword. And Ehud was able to keep Eglon and everyone else's attention away from his left hand and carry out his deed. He escapes. He locks the door behind him. He flees to safety. And here again, God makes sure that he has plenty of time and we almost have to laugh a little bit as we read that Eglon's bodyguards thought that he was relieving himself Or as another version says, that he was attending to his needs as he actually lay dead on the floor. Boys and girls, I suspect, along with many, that this means that Eglon's servants thought that he was simply going to the bathroom. And they waited to get a key and to check things out past the point of embarrassment all the time, giving Ehud time to get the troops ready. This was God's piercing judgment in order to deliver His people. And there are some who say that Ehud is wrongly made a hero of because of this cruel assassination. They say that God did not need Ehud to commit such a hideous crime. No, He didn't. We know that. But as we will see throughout the study of Judges, God chooses the most unlikely as His means for deliverance. And don't forget, we need to understand that God dealt with His enemies in this way. All along, Israel was supposed to completely destroy their enemies. Yes, Eglon was God's instrument to chastise the Israelites for their unbelief. Yet, Eglon's motives, don't forget, his motive was hatred for God and His people. And even though Eglon's oppression was used by God toward Israel's ultimate benefit, Eglon was still striking out against God Himself. And God's message to Eglon was that when you mess with My people, you mess with Me. And my justice will prevail. See, God's enemies will be destroyed. One day there will be no mercy for His enemies. But we can say, and we must say, that Ehud's actions are not set forth to be copied. Boys and girls and young people in this day of action figures and war heroes and fighting and that kind of thing that we see on the big screen all the time, We must understand this, lest we should get lost in some sort of confusion. This here is no precedent for assassinating anyone in the name of the Lord, no matter how bad he might be. We have no right to go out and bomb abortion clinics or to put to death doctors who murder unborn children. We would like to sometimes. We cannot do that. After Peter cut off the man's ear in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus said, all who take the sword will perish by the sword. We know there is such thing as just war. We know that the church in history has had to protect herself at times, but the church is not to bear the physical sword, to go out and attack and bear the physical sword, but to attack with the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. Because Jesus Christ carried the sword in the shape of the cross, and He conquered all His enemies. And notice, finally, then the rest God's people enjoyed from deliverance. After Ehud blew the trumpet of victory, he called together the sons of Israel. He proclaimed deliverance by the hand of Jehovah, their God. And the land had rest, once again, for 80 years. See, Ehud proclaimed loud and clear where salvation and deliverance came from. He says, for the Lord has given. The Lord has delivered. What's interesting to me is that when the king was killed like Eglon, his people were defeated. Eglon was just one man. We see this more often in the history of the Old Testament that when the king was gone, the nation's confidence was also gone and that created an atmosphere of uncertainty and bewilderment that was to the favor of the attacker. If only Israel would have continued to put confidence in her heavenly king who could never be destroyed. If only she would continue to put confidence in her heavenly king because He had proven over and over again that He alone gives peace because He is peace. But again, in those days, there was no king. Oh, there was a king, beloved. Israel had a king. They didn't see Him. They didn't recognize Him. They didn't confess Him. If only they would continually confess with David. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. But the real tragedy here is that the people again did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as chapter 4 verse 1 says. Ehud was not totally adequate. He was not a totally complete Savior. Eighty years was wonderful to be sure, but not enough. Even though God had brought a certain kind of salvation through him, Ehud could not change the hearts of the people. He could not release them from the bondage of sin. He could not rip the idols out of their hearts. The tragedy for God's people was slavery to sin. Beloved, real bondage does not consist of Moabites or fat kings or liberal governments or terrorism or mad cow disease or physical and economic oppression. No left-handed Savior can break us free from our tyrant. But there is one with nail-scarred hands who can and who does, who did, Jesus Christ. And through His Holy Spirit, beloved, He changes our hearts and He changes our directions to desire Him and Him alone. God's deliverance through Ehud was something that no one expected, especially Eglon. You can be sure about that. But when Jesus Christ came, no one expected His deliverance. Isaiah said He had no beauty. that we should desire Him. Those who wanted to kill Him said that He was just the son of a carpenter and from Nazareth of all places. And when Christ was crucified, died and was buried, I'm sure Satan was dancing for joy. But what a surprise on that third day, huh? Beloved, by God's grace, Ehud delivered the Israelites by piercing Eglon. But by God's grace, Jesus Christ delivers all of God's people because He was pierced. Isaiah says He was pierced through for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. He too suffered God's piercing judgment. And the rest that He secures is not just for 40 or 80 years, but for eternity. Eternal rest. If you notice something wonderful, God didn't wait for His people to clean up their act before He began to work out their salvation. He initiated it. He began to work it out by strengthening Eglon in order that Israel might be brought to their senses. He is the one who caused Israel to see that they needed Him. Indeed, beloved, we struggle with messed up families and emotional or physical trauma or grief and sorrow and temptation. We struggle with sin. But the glory is that God doesn't wait for us to pour Clorox on to make our lives white or to spray on the Lysol to get rid of the rotten odor. He doesn't wait for us to do that before He will touch us. No, His salvation was planned long ago from the foundation of the world. And by His grace, as David confesses in Psalm 40, God hears the cry of His people. He reaches down and brings them up out of the horrible pit out of the miry clay and sets their feet upon a rock. And in His grace, Jesus Christ clothes His people. As John was privileged to see in Revelation 7, He clothes His people with white robes. And to those who by the leading of the Spirit confess their sins and repent, Jesus says, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Our God has raised up for us a Savior, Jesus Christ, who saves His people from their sins. Do you believe in Him? Do you believe in Him? Again, that's what self-examination is all about, isn't it? Again, to test, to examine our belief, our faith. Because if you don't, the real tragedy is that for you, one day, you will receive God's piercing judgment. You will not expect it. It will come fast and furious like a thief in the night. God's message to His enemies is that they will be destroyed. Therefore, repent and believe and embrace the Word of Christ. Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. What a promise! If you believe in Jesus Christ by true faith, take comfort. and be encouraged. God's message for His people is that He delivers them and gives them eternal rest through Jesus Christ. What a great Savior. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Amen. Amen. Shall we pray? Father, in humility we bow before You, recognizing that we deserve Your piercing judgment. We deserve to be cast away from You forever and ever. We deserve to suffer the torment of eternal hell, to never enjoy any rest. But we come before You also with joy in our hearts, with the assurance that we enjoy the rest that only Jesus Christ could provide. Him who was pierced for our transgressions, who suffered because of our sins, who has earned a place for us in your heavenly courts. May it be, Father, that we would rejoice all the days of our lives, that when we are downcast, when things don't seem to be going our way, when we want to cry out, why is this happening to me? That indeed You might cause us to remember the joy of that salvation so rich and so free. And may we always remember and never forget what a great Savior and a great salvation You have provided for us. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray these things. Amen.