And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He gathered to himself the Ammonites and the Amalekites, and went and defeated Israel. And they took possession of the city of palms. And the people of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.
Then the people of Israel cried out to the LORD, and the LORD raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud, the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. The people of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab.
If you are unfamiliar with the book of Judges it is a recording of the events that happened after Joshua’s death. The nation of Israel, upon his death, were instructed to go into the promise land and conquer it. However, they failed to do that. Instead of completing destroying their enemies, they instead let them live and started to worship their gods. God then would bring judgment on them. Israel would then cry out to God for deliverance. God would then send them a judge (a leader to rescue them). Once rescued they would enjoy God’s blessing. But they would once again fall into worshiping the idols of those they were supposed to conquer. Then the cycle would start all over again. It happened time and time again. In the above passage we read about their sinning and God sending a wicked king (Eglon, the Moabite) to oppress them. God would then raise up the judge, Ehud. Ehud was a left handed man. This is important only to the fact that he went to deliver a monetary gift to Eglon, the king, and hid a small sword on his right thigh. Since being left-handed was rare, Eglon was not looking for a sword coming from the left hand of Ehud. Ehud killed Eglon. That set Israel free from the oppression of the Moabites (for now). The lesson from the story has many truths:
1. When we don’t punish sin in our midst it will eventually take us captive to it.
2. When we cry out to God, God will provide deliverance.
3. Deliverance may not look like what we think (it can be left-handed ... a metaphor for simply being different).
4. Once God delivers us we have an obligation to live for God (Israel would not, but that was the intent of the deliverance).
5. We are to drive sin out of our lives. When we ignore sin and don’t drive it out, we will eventually suffer more and more harm. John Owen said it this way:
Every unmortified sin will certainly do two things: It will weaken the soul and deprive it of its vigor. It will darken the soul and deprive it of its comfort and peace. Sin does not only still abide in us, but is still acting, still laboring to bring forth the deeds of the flesh. When sin lets us alone we may let sin alone; but as sin is never less quiet than when it seems to be most quiet, and its waters are for the most part deep when they are still, so ought our contrivances against it to be vigorous at all times and in all conditions, even where there is least suspicion.”
Jesus said it this way:
Matthew 6:13 (ESV)
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Matthew 5:29 (ESV)
If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.
Paul said it this way:
Romans 8:12-13 (ESV)
So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
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