Judge: Ehud

Long, long ago the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD.  Their evil cause the LORD to give them over to the Eglon king of Moab and Eglon was in discussion with the Ammonites and Amalekites.  They agreed to join Eglon and attacked and over powered Israel; taking possession of the City of Palms.  Now the Israelites were subject to Eglon king of Moad and he ruled over them for eighteen years.

During these difficult and dark times we the Israelites turned form our sin and repented.  We started to cry out to the LORD to rescue us from this evil king.  The LORD took mercy on us as a nation and sent a man named Ehud to us.  

Ehud a left-handed man, the son of Gera the Benjamite, it was tradition for the Israelites to pay tribute to the king and the elders spoke to Ehud.  “Good evening brothers.”  Ehud greeted as he came and sat down between the elders of the City.  “Ehud, good evening.”  They greeted.  The conversation was around the hardship and the unfair labour that was taking place in all the cities.  How Israel had lost their independence.  Finally, a tribute was handed over to Ehud to be presented to the king.

Ehud stood up and returned home on his way he decided to stop by the blacksmith and speak to him about a sword he had in mind.  “Good day.”  Ehud greeted the blacksmith and walked into his shop.  “Good day Ehud, how can I help you today;” He said as he took a shekel and placed the hot iron into the water before he started to shape it with his hammer.  “I want you to make me a sword, it must be a doubled-edged sword and it should be a foot and a half long.  On completion I will come and collect it from you.”  Ehud said as he placed in the hands of the blacksmith a couple of silver coins.  He left the blacksmith and went home.

The blacksmith sent the sword to Ehud a day later.  Ehud went down to the public baths and washed and dressed in his best clothes.  Before he got dressed he tied the sword to his right thigh underneath his cloths.

Eglon king of Moab was a very fat man.  He could hardly move and when the people arrived to pay him homage he would sit and allow them to come very close to him.  Because of his weight it was difficult for him to move around fast.  There had been a number of people paying him homage and bring him tributes.  When Ehud arrived he waited to see the king.  “Ehud from the Israelites;” The announcement was made and Ehud was ushered into the room and stood before the king.  

Ehud looked at the king and then moved in closer as to give him the tribute from the Israelites.  On handing the tribute over he said to the king ‘I have a secret message for you, O king.’

The king said ‘Quiet!” and all his attendants left him.

Ehud then approaches 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 of his back.  Ehud did not pull the sword out and the fat closed in over it.  The 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 Seirah.  When he arrived there, he blew a trumpet and 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 ten thousand Moabites, all vigorous and strong; not a man escaped.  That day Moab was made subject to Israel, and the land had peace for eighty year.

Judges 3: 12 – 30 

Ehud was one of the Judges that was left-handed and because he was left-handed the Moabites didn’t suspect him of being able to carry a weapon.  Just goes to show people that are left-handed are really mighty.  The righteousness of God is always on all His people.  I hope you enjoyed my view of this passage.