JUDGES CHAPTER 3, “The First Three Judges: Othniel, Ehud, and Shamgar”

By

Jim Bomkamp

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1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. In our last study, we looked at the introduction to the book of Judges and the first two chapters of the book.

1.1.1. We saw that the period of the Judges lasted 300-350 years, approx. 1/3^rd of the history of God’s people, the Jews, as given in the Old Testament.

1.1.2. We saw that after Joshua had passed away that the Lord had not led him to appoint a successor, and that it was the Lord’s intention that the nation be a theocracy, or monarchy with the Lord as king.

1.1.3. However, we also saw that after the death of Joshua that instead of the people looking to the Lord as their king and seeking and following Him in their lives, that they fell away from the Lord and they became a generation of people who did not know the Lord .

1.1.4. We saw in the book of Judges that there was a continual cycle of God’s people falling away from the Lord and serving and worshipping the gods of the surrounding nations, then the Lord would raise up a nation to come and oppress them, then the people would call out to the Lord for mercy and help as they were repenting and turning back to following the Lord, then the Lord would raise up a man or a woman to be a “judge” to deliver them from their enemies, then the people would follow the Lord for the rest of the life of that “judge.” However, after the “judge” died the people would again fall away from the Lord and the cycle would start over again.

1.1.5. We saw that the term “judge” was a bit of a misnomer for the people whom God raised up to guide His people, for they were really deliverers of God’s people who would rally them together to go and to conquer their oppressors. However, they did oversee civil matters and disputes and questions of law and were in that sense functioning as a “judge.”

1.1.6. We saw that the “judges” that are written about in the book of Judges were not necessarily recognized by all of the tribes of Israel, that some may have ruled concurrently, and that the events in the book of Judges are not necessarily sequential in their occurrence.

1.1.7. Finally, we looked at the “2^nd Generation” phenomena that has often occurred with God’s faithful saints. The first generation knows the Lord and serves Him, but the second generation comes along and though they may know intellectually about the Lord, they don’t know Him experientially, and they serve the Lord half-heartedly. Then, we saw that what follows this type of a “2^nd generation” is a “3^rd generation” that hasn’t even heard about the things of the Lord. We saw that it is very important that we study the book of Judges so that we are careful not to repeat the same mistakes because it is true that if we forget history that we are destined to repeat it.

1.2. In our study today, we are going to look at chapter 3 of the book of Judges, and we are going to examine the lives of the first three of the judges of Israel: Othniel, Ehud, and Shamgar.

1.2.1. Again, in the book of Judges there is found seven times total the cycle of God’s people falling away from the Lord and serving and worshipping the gods of the surrounding nations, the Lord raising up a nation to come and oppress them, the people calling out to the Lord for mercy and help as they were repenting and turning back to following the Lord, then the Lord raising up a man or a woman to be a “judge” to deliver them from their enemies. The people would follow the Lord for the rest of the life of that “judge,” however, after the “judge” died the people would again fall away from the Lord and the cycle would start over again.

1.2.2. Again, as we have stated, the nation of Israel after the death of Joshua was to be a monarchy under the Lord as king. The people were to worship, seek, and follow the Lord as their king and God. The Lord had given them His law, and He had established the priests as the intermediary for determining His will via the use of the Urim and Thummim, and there was a group of ruling elders who were established to settle all civil matters.

1.2.3. It was the case that rather than stay the course that the nation had been given by the Lord, that the next generation that followed the death of Joshua, and that generation of the elders and leaders of the people, was a people that though they had heard of the Lord, they didn’t know the Lord experientially, and they served the Lord half-heartedly and did not learn and stay in the word of God, and thus they were really ignorant of much concerning the Lord and His ways. This is that 2^nd Generation phenomena we discussed in our first study.

1.2.3.1. I was reading just yesterday from A.W. Tozer’s book “The Root Of The Righteous,” and in one of the chapters I was reading Tozer talked about how there is a big difference between learning Bible knowledge and being taught of the Spirit. He said that many people in churches may have been raised under the teaching of the Lord, or learned it from attending church as an adult, however their knowledge has not come from illumination of the Holy Spirit in their lives. He went on to say that people can become experts in Bible knowledge and even well known theologians and yet their knowledge has come from their own intellect and not from the illumination and enabling of the Holy Spirit. After reading that chapter I began to think about the churches I had been in and pastured in the past 30 years, and it was kind of like a light bulb turned on. I have seen many people remain in churches where the Bible was clearly taught and even lived out in people’s lives, and yet I have known some in those churches who just seemed to be impervious to the true understanding of the Lord and the scriptures. One couple came to mind who were in our church plant in Montana several years ago. They came to our church for about 1 ½ years and attended every Bible study. But, they seemed to not understand the real issues brought out in the Bible studies, as evidenced by their questions and the way they lived their lives. Finally, they left our church one day to attend a church some other friends of their attended. Then, one day they got into a dispute with those friends and left that church. The next thing I heard about them was that they had converted to Mormonism. We were all dumbfounded. How could this couple have been with us that long and heard all of the things that they heard and yet then go immediately and swallow such a huge bunch of heretical ramblings and lies. Well, the reason is because, though we didn’t really recognize it at the time, they weren’t having the scriptures illumined to their minds by the Holy Spirit. They were trying to decipher them through their intellect but real spiritual understanding and enlightenment was alluding them. There are many other people from the past that I could mention who were in a similar situation as this couple.

I think that it would be good then to pose the question as to how a person could be among God’s people, in studies where the word of God is clearly taught and even lived out, and yet not be illumined by the Holy Spirit in their lives?

What must our heart attitude be in order for us to be in the place where the Holy Spirit will illumine God’s word to our hearts?

1.2.3.1.1. We have to be willing to do God’s will should He reveal it to us, before we will know the truth.

1.2.3.1.1.1. In John 7:17, Jesus said this very thing concerning those who came to Him and understanding His teaching, “¹⁷ “ If anyone is willing to do His will , he will know of the teaching , whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself.””

1.2.3.1.2. We can’t be full of ourselves and not have room for God in our thoughts, heart, and life, but rather we must hunger and thirst for righteousness.

1.2.3.1.2.1. In His “Sermon On The Mount” in Matt. 5:6, Jesus taught this principle, “⁶ “ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness , for they shall be satisfied.””

1.2.3.1.2.2. Do you have time for the Lord in your life? How are you spending your time? That is, what takes up the bulk of your time. I heard the other day on the NPR station when I turned a corner in my car and the CSN station faded, that the average American watches four hours of TV a day. The person on the station said that this means that the average American will have over the course of their life watched 12 years worth of TV. Is this how you want your life to be spent here on this earth?

1.2.3.1.3. We have to be willing to seek the Lord with all of our hearts to find Him, and even persevere in that seeking of Him.

1.2.3.1.3.1. In Jer. 29:13-14, the Lord told His people captive in Babylon that they would find Him when they had finally come to that place where they were seeking Him with their whole hearts, “¹³ ‘You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. ¹⁴ ‘I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’”

1.2.3.1.3.2. In Luke 11:9-10, Jesus taught the people that if they continued to seek that they would find, and continue to knock that the door would be opened to them, this is what the Greek present tense in the verbs He used brings out, “⁹ “ So I say to you, ask , and it will be given to you; seek , and you will find ; knock , and it will be opened to you. ¹⁰ “For everyone who asks , receives ; and he who seeks , finds ; and to him who knocks , it will be opened.””

1.2.3.1.4. There must be genuine repentance of sin in our lives, a 180° turning away from sin and self and our own will, and turning to God to do His will.

1.2.3.1.4.1. Jesus clearly taught the necessity of repentance in the gospels:

1.2.3.1.4.1.1. Matthew 4:17”¹⁷ From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “ Repent , for the kingdom of heaven is at hand .””

1.2.3.1.4.1.2. Luke 5:32, “³² “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance .”^”

1.2.3.1.4.1.3. Luke 13:3, “³ “I tell you, no , but unless you repent , you will all likewise perish.””

1.2.3.1.4.1.4. Luke 15:7, “⁷ “I tell you that in the same way , there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.””

1.2.3.1.4.1.5. Matthew 11:21, “²¹ “ Woe to you, Chorazin ! Woe to you, Bethsaida ! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.””

1.2.3.1.4.2. So many in the church today however are teaching and leading people to believe that they can have a relationship with Christ apart from repentance. There are many churches that are even evangelistic and zealous for God and yet they are preaching a gospel that cannot save anyone because it does not include a necessity of turning away from our life of sin and going our own way from God. Many people in churches today are even involved in significant ministries in the church whose lives are compromised with those things that the Bible spells out clearly as being sinful before the Lord.

1.2.3.1.4.3. During the Revolutionary War, someone asked General George Washington, who later became the first president of our country, if we should ask the Lord to be on our side. Washington replied that he thought that we should rather seek to be on the Lord’s side. Being on the Lord’s side is much different, you see, than trying to persuade Him to be on our side. We shall always have His blessing when we seek to be pleasing to Him and be on His side.

1.2.4. It has been said that “the Lord has no grandchildren.” None of us can get into heaven or have a relationship with the Lord apart from coming into a personal relationship with the Lord, apart from turning our hearts towards the Lord in the ways just mentioned which are pre-requisites to being illumined by the Holy Spirit. All of us as people must face the fact that unless we yield our lives in repentance to the Lord and experience the power of the cross of Christ in our lives, that we will at best end up being the 2^nd Generation of God’s people, those who serve the Lord half-heartedly at best and who do not in reality know Him at all.

1.2.4.1. In Matt. 7:21-23, Jesus warned the people of the fate of those who did not have a personal relationship with Him yet who were involved with His people and even active in ministries, “²¹ “ Not everyone who says to Me, ‘ Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven , but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter . ²² “ Many will say to Me on that day , ‘ Lord , Lord , did we not prophesy in Your name , and in Your name cast out demons , and in Your name perform many miracles ?’ ²³ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me , you who practice lawlessness.’”

1.2.5. We noted in our last study that the world that we live in today is very similar to that of the time of the Judges. People are doing what is right in their own eyes, obedience to God is usually half-hearted at best, and chaos reigns. Yet, we can be encouraged and learn from the various judges and do just as they did. We can be people who listen to the Lord, are obedient to God, and step out in boldness and be used greatly by God. We don’t have to go with the flow of the rest of the world that is living in apathy, rebellion, and spiritual poverty. God can do a mighty work through us if we will just let Him.

1.2.6. In this study of chapter 3 and the first three judges raised up by the Lord, we notice that each of these men were very different from each other. None of them though, perhaps with the exception of Othniel, were exceptional people in leadership qualities, natural talent, or station of life. This should encourage all of us that we do not have to have special abilities in the valuation of this world in order to be used greatly by the Lord. He can use regular people who simply give to Him what abilities, talents, and resources they do have.

1.2.7. We do notice a few things that set apart these men from others and allowed them to be used greatly by the Lord:

1.2.7.1. They stepped out in faith to be used by the Lord.

1.2.7.2. They were courageous, stepped out, went against the flow and were different from everyone else, took a stand for the Lord, and did so regardless of the consequences, which could easily have caused the loss of their very lives.

1.2.7.3. They let the Lord use both their abilities as well as their limitations for His purposes.

1.2.8. However, remember that it was not because of any qualities of their own that these men were used greatly by the Lord, it was because the Lord chose them for His purposes as a deliverer, and because His Spirit worked mightily through their lives.

2. VS 3:1-4 - “¹ Now these are the nations which the Lord left, to test Israel by them (that is, all who had not experienced any of the wars of Canaan; ² only in order that the generations of the sons of Israel might be taught war, those who had not experienced it formerly). ³ These nations are: the five lords of the Philistines and all the Canaanites and the Sidonians and the Hivites who lived in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as Lebo-hamath. ⁴ They were for testing Israel, to find out if they would obey the commandments of the Lord, which He had commanded their fathers through Moses.” - The Lord tells us that He left the nations in the land of Canaan as His tool in order to test the Israelites through war to find out if they would obey His commandments given through Moses

2.1. We saw in our last chapter that the angel of the Lord, which we identified as Jesus Christ in His pre-incarnate state, appeared to the children of Israel and rebuked them for not obeying His word. Then, we saw that the children of Israel wept because the Lord told them that because of their rebellion that He was not going to deliver their enemies from the land of Canaan and that those enemies would remain to be whips and thorns in their side.

2.2. In these verses, the Lord tells us that He left those nations within the land to be the means of testing the children of Israel as to whether or not they would be obedient to His commandments or not.

2.3. I remember one time that Don McClure when preaching mentioned that his wife would not be impressed if he told her that he loved her, but she was the only other person on a deserted island. But rather, if he told her that he loved her in spite of the fact that he had lots of other choices in women and lots of other things that he could love instead of her, then this would in fact impress her with the fact that he loves her. This is the same way that it is with the Lord. He allows testings in our life so that we must choose whether or not we will show our love for Him by avoiding going after all of the other gods and idols of this world that we might be tempted to pursue, and giving our entire devotion and worship to Him.

3. VS 3:5-8 - “⁵ The sons of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; ⁶ and they took their daughters for themselves as wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods. ⁷ The sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth. ⁸ Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, so that He sold them into the hands of Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia; and the sons of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years.” - The children of Israel fall into the hands of Cusha-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia: After the death of Joshua, we see that the children of Israel did not remain worshipping and serving the Lord as their king and god, and instead disobeyed Him, intermarried with the pagan nations around them, and they fell away from the Lord and began worshipping the gods of the other nations

3.1. Here we now see the first time that the children of Israel begin into that continuous cycle seen in the book of Judges. They forgot and disregarded the Lord and His word, and fell completely away from the Lord.

3.2. When Joshua was alive, He had told them that the Lord had commanded that they must be careful to be diligent to obey every one of God’s commandments, every word of God. However, the people had set aside the Lord’s word, and thus the second generation of God’s people served the Lord only half-heartedly and not with zeal. Now, the third generation has come along, and they haven’t even heard of the Lord or the things that He did for Israel.

3.3. The result of disobedience to the Lord is oppression from our enemies. The Lord always raises up a foreign nation to oppress and enslave His people when they backslide and fall away from Him.

3.3.1. It is true in our lives as God’s people of all eras in time that we end up eventually facing the consequences of our sins when we turn away from the Lord. It is the consequences of our sins that causes us to look and cry out to the Lord, and eventually to repent and turn back to God.

4. VS 3:9-11 - ^“9 When the sons of Israel cried to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for the sons of Israel to deliver them, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. ¹⁰ The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel. When he went out to war, the Lord gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand, so that he prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim. ¹¹ Then the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.” - The Lord raises up Othniel, the first “judge” over the children of Israel

4.1. Othniel, as we remember from Joshua chapter 15, was the man who won Caleb’s daughter Achsah in marriage by conquering the city of Kiriath-sepher, when Caleb gave the challenge to any of the young men who would desire to be her suiters. Othniel was also Caleb’s nephew, the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s brother.

4.2. Othniel was a courageous man of faith, a man whose faith had initially been inspired by the faith and courage of Caleb. It was because of Othniel’s faith and zeal for the Lord that the Lord chose him to be the first judge, or “deliver,” of the children of Israel.

4.3. We see in verse 10 the reason for Othniel’s success in battle and rallying the children of Israel to battle, “the Spirit of the Lord came upon him.” God mightily empowered Othniel. God’s using Othniel really then didn’t have anything to do with any innate character or qualities in him, the Lord could have come mightily upon anyone and used anyone for His purpose.

4.4. The land had rest for forty years after this battle in which Othniel led the children of Israel in battle victorious over Cushan-rishathaim, because the people returned to following the Lord during the rest of the lifetime of Othniel, the first “judge.”

5. VS 3:12-14 - ^“12 Now the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord. ¹³ And he gathered to himself the sons of Ammon and Amalek; and he went and defeated Israel, and they possessed the city of the palm trees. ¹⁴ The sons of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.” - The children of Israel enter for the second time into the cycle, they fall away from the Lord after the death of Othniel the first “judge”

5.1. The Lord is faithful to use the enemies of Israel to test the children of Israel. The children of Israel again fall away from the Lord, forget the commandments of the Lord, and forget the great things that the Lord has done for Israel. Soon, like in Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son, the children of Israel are defeated by their enemies and are metaphorically eating the sheaves of the pigs that they have fed.

5.2. The children of Israel are seen now serving Eglon the king of Moab, serving him for 18 long years.

5.3. Whereas the children of Israel were initially promised victory over every enemy in the land of Canaan, literally victory in every place that their feet trod, they are now defeated and enslaved by the enemy that they hadn’t conquered and eradicated but instead let have a foothold in their territory.

6. V :15-26 - ^“15 But when the sons of Israel cried to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for them, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. And the sons of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab. ¹⁶ Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length, and he bound it on his right thigh under his cloak. ¹⁷ He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man. ¹⁸ It came about when he had finished presenting the tribute, that he sent away the people who had carried the tribute. ¹⁹ But he himself turned back from the idols which were at Gilgal, and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” And he said, “Keep silence.” And all who attended him left him. ²⁰ Ehud came to him while he was sitting alone in his cool roof chamber. And Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you.” And he arose from his seat. ²¹ Ehud stretched out his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh and thrust it into his belly. ²² The handle also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not draw the sword out of his belly; and the refuse came out. ²³ Then Ehud went out into the vestibule and shut the doors of the roof chamber behind him, and locked them. ²⁴ When he had gone out, his servants came and looked, and behold, the doors of the roof chamber were locked; and they said, “He is only relieving himself in the cool room.” ²⁵ They waited until they became anxious; but behold, he did not open the doors of the roof chamber. Therefore they took the key and opened them, and behold, their master had fallen to the floor dead. ²⁶ Now Ehud escaped while they were delaying, and he passed by the idols and escaped to Seirah.” - The Lord raised up the second “judge” for Israel, Ehud the “south paw” from the tribe of Benjamen

6.1. In these verses, we read of this man named Ehud, a man who had a limitation, if you want to call it that. He was left-handed.

6.1.1. Gary Inrig has pointed out how that various cultures have looked at being left-handed as being a weakness or liability. For instance, the French word “gauche” which means “awkward” and also “left-handed.” The word “sinister” which we use to denote something that is evil comes from the Latin word for “left hand.” Also, the word “dexterous” which means to do something with skill and ability comes from the Latin word for “right-handed.”

6.2. In Ehud’s time being left-handed was looked at as being a defect and a weakness, however Ehud is an encouragement to all of us as God’s people because instead of using his weakness as an excuse for not being used by God, he submitted himself to the Lord and allowed his weakness to be used by God.

6.3. People who would come into the king’s presence were evidently frisked for any weapons before coming before the king, however because most people were right-handed, the frisking was done to people upon their left thigh, for that is where a right-handed man would bind his sword, upon his left thigh. Ehud was left-handed and believed that he could with God’s help get by security if he bound his sword upon his right thigh, its rightful place for a left-handed person.

6.4. As I consider this man Ehud, I am in awe at his bravery and willingness to submit himself to the Lord and be used as an instrument by Him.

6.4.1. Here this man Ehud takes it upon himself to go directly to the king of Moab and assassinate him in order for the children of Israel to be delivered from their oppressors.

6.4.2. So many in Israel could have come before the Lord in prayer and humble submission and asked God to show them how they could be used by Him to deliver God’s people from their oppressors. The opportunity is often there for those of God’s people who are willing to come before the Lord and say, “Lord, how do you want to use me?” Yet, it was this man Ehud who was the one who allowed the Lord to use Him.

6.4.2.1. In Col. 4:5, Paul wrote about how we as Christians need to make the most of the opportunities that the Lord places in our lives to reach the lost for Christ, “⁵ Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity.”

6.4.2.1.1. Are you making the most of the opportunities given you to win people and influence them for Christ?

6.4.2.2. In our lives as Christians, we first need to continually pray about the spiritual needs that we see around us. Alas however, many Christians however do not see the great spiritual needs around them because of their prayerlessness. But then, whenever we begin to pray for the Lord to work in others’s lives, pray for the lost to come to salvation, the amazing thing that happens is that the Lord shows us how and when He wants us to put feet to our prayers and become part of the solution. Just as happened with Ehud, the Lord conceives in our heart a plan for how that He wants to use our lives and reach those we have been praying for, and provide deliverance for them.

6.4.2.3. O Christian, If I were to ask you when the last time you led someone to Christ was, what might be your answer? Has it been a long time? Have you never led anyone to Christ? You may think that it is not fair for me to ask that question since our responsibility as Christians is just to share the truth and it’s the Lord’s responsibility to win people to Christ. Maybe also you’re thinking that your spiritual gift is not evangelism. However, you must realize that we are all called to be witnesses for Christ. We may not reap the seeds that are sown but we are all to at least to be used to plant some seeds for the Lord. OK, fair enough… Well then, how long has it been since your shared the gospel with someone? Has it been a long time? If it has, I can tell you that the reason is because you have not been praying as you should for people in your life who don’t know Christ. In saying this I’m not claiming personal knowledge of you, nor prophetic insight about you. The reason I know this is because when we are committed to prayer for people, the Lord leads us eventually to put feet to our prayer, and soon we are sharing the gospel with them. That is how it works for us as Christians.

6.4.2.4. If you as a Christian do not have a set amount of time every day that you pray for the people in your life, the needs of your church, people to get saved, etc. Then, this is just wrong. In 1 Sam. 12:23, the prophet Sammuel was exhorting the children of Israel, and then he told them, “²³ “Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right way.” The Lord has told us to pray at all times in the Spirit for all of the saints (Eph. 6), but if our prayer life is hit or miss, or barely present at all, then we are disobeying the clear commandments of the Lord, and we are just not going to be used by the Lord in any kind of a significant way. When you look at all of the men of God in history past who were used greatly by the Lord, they were all people who were very disciplined and committed to prayer. As a matter of fact, they all prayed at least an hour a day. Many prayed much more than that though.

6.4.3. Ehud is an example to us as Christians, for his plan took guts to carry out, and he knew that if his plan failed then he would be a dead man.

6.4.4. Ehud had to know that there were so many ways that his plan might fail:

6.4.4.1. He could be caught with the weapon before he ever got to the king.

6.4.4.2. He could be searched and his lie found out when he told the king that he had a secret message from the Lord for the king.

6.4.4.3. He could have failed to get the sword out and kill the king when he went to grab for it, or the king could have grabbed him and his sword and then the king could have called for his guards to come to his rescue.

6.4.4.4. He could have gotten caught trying to flee, after all he was probably covered with blood, body fluids, and perhaps even excrement after killing the king.

6.4.4.5. He could have killed the king only to return to the children of Israel and have them turn on him and possibly kill him themselves or turn him over to Moab who would have had him put to death.

6.4.5. Ehud was willing to step out by faith though and put his entire life on the line for the Lord. He reminds me of queen Esther who also put her life on the line by appearing unannounced before king Ahaseurus in order to intercede for her people the Jews who were going to be killed in mass. At that time Ester also counted the cost and took her uncle’s words to heart that for just such an hour she might have been placed where she was. Ester decided to appear before the king resigned that, “If I perish, I perish.”

6.5. I am convicted as I read this story of Ehud, that here in this day in which we live where all believers in Christ seem to sense that the Lord’s return is imminent, that I too have been born for this very hour and that I too must be brave and courageous and step out and be used by the Lord. All around me are people that are in bondage to the enemy and they are soon to die yet most who die are headed to an eternity in the torments of hell. However, as a deliverer of God’s people myself, I have a responsibility to reach out through the empowering Spirit of God with the gospel to those of this world who are perishing, and see if I can save as many as possible through the cross of Calvary and the Savior died and raised from the dead.

6.5.1. Is this not also the work and the day which you as a child of God have been called by the Lord for?

6.5.2. Shall we go together unto those fields of souls around us which the harsh elements of life had made to be white for the harvest?

7. VS 3:27-30 - ^“27 It came about when he had arrived, that he blew the trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim; and the sons of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he was in front of them. ²⁸ He said to them, “Pursue them, for the Lord has given your enemies the Moabites into your hands.” So they went down after him and seized the fords of the Jordan opposite Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross. ²⁹ They struck down at that time about ten thousand Moabites, all robust and valiant men; and no one escaped. ³⁰ So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land was undisturbed for eighty years.” - Ehud returns from killing the king of Moab and rallies Israel together to go and attack the Moabites and overthrow those who had been oppressing and enslaving them

7.1. Supernaturally filled with confidence and boldness after being obedient to the Lord’s urgings and killing the king of Moab, Ehud next comes to the hill country of Ephraim and blew the trumpet and gathered Israel to together and inspired them to go and attack Moab and obtain their freedom.

7.2. Oh, what inspiration each of us as children of God can be to the body of Christ if as Ehud we will step out and boldly and courageously take a stand for the Lord, and let the Lord use our lives as He is wanting to do.

7.3. God’s people always follow one who in zeal and faith courageously steps out to be used by the Lord. This is the natural result and what true leadership consists of.

7.4. Here we see an incredible victory in battle which the children of Israel have over the Moabites. We read here that the children of Israel now went and struck 10,000 Moabites, all of whom were robust and valiant men.

7.5. Because of one man, Ehud, who in obedience was willing to step out by faith and be used by the Lord, Moab was conquered by the children of Israel in a day.

7.6. For the next 80 years, most likely during the time while Ehud was still living, the land ‘was undistracted’ because the enemies of the children of Israel were not brave enough to come and to attack the children of Israel, especially because of the great victory that the children of Israel had over the enemies of the children of Israel.

8. VS 3:31 - ^“31 After him came Shamgar the son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad; and he also saved Israel.” - The Lord raises up Shamgar, the third “judge” and the Lord uses him to conquer 600 Philstines with an oxgard.

8.1. Shamgar had a couple of weaknesses that he had to overcome in order the the Lord to use him.

8.1.1. He came from a “dysfunctional family.”

8.1.1.1. His father’s name is “Anath” which was the name of a Canaanite god of sex and war. Thus, Shamgar either wasn’t an Israelite by birth, or more likely he was the product of a family who over the years had so compromised with the world that they would choose a name such as “Anath” for a son.

8.1.1.2. Haven’t we all to some extent also come from a “dysfunctional family” by the way?

8.1.2. He was evidently a peasant, for it was peasants who used oxgards to clean their plows and to prod the oxen. An oxgard was a long wood stick with a metal tip on one end and a blade on the other for cleaning a plow.

8.2. Just like Ehud, Shamgar submitted himself to the Lord, gave what he had to the Lord, and the Lord used him in a mighty way as a deliverer of God’s people. A mere exgard was the only weapon he could afford, yet God used him mightily.

8.3. Like Othniel and Ehud, Shamgar had tremendous faith and courage that led him to step out in faith against the flow of the world and make a difference in the world.

8.4. We Christians ought to be encouraged by the life of Shamgar and not hold back from serving the Lord because of a lack of resources, money, station in life, or gifts. God can use us if we will just submit what we have to the Lord in faith and be willing to step out and be used by the Lord.

9. CONCLUSION:

9.1. Let’s be disciplined and committed to praying for the lost and all of those whom the Lord has brought into our lives. If you don’t have a daily prayer list, I pray you will start one.

9.2. Let’s be committed to lifting up to the Lord what little we have that He might use us, and never make the excuse that we really don’t have anything or any great gifts that the Lord might use our lives greatly.

9.3. Lets step out and allow the Lord to use us to deliver people from the enemy of their souls. Let’s put feet to our prayers as the Lord leads us and see how greatly God shall back us up as we do.

9.3.1. After all, it says in the scriptures, “He who wins souls is wise.”

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