11/5/12. Judges 3:12-31. GOD RAISED EHUD AND SHAMGAR-my devotional

Judges 3:12-31                                                                                                                                        Kevin Jesmer  NIU UBF

Key Verse: 3:15                                                                                                                                      11/05/12

“Again the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and he gave them a deliverer—Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab.”

       Dear Holy Spirit, thank you for the wisdom that you impart and the guidance that you give. Thank you for our study of Psalm 103 today. Help us all to praise and thank you from our hearts. I pray that this Thanksgiving me the most meaningful and deep and spiritual and satisfying thanksgiving time ever. Please help me to understand your word in a new and fresh way today. I pray in Christ’s name. Amen!

 Part 1: God Raised Up a Deliverer, Ehud (1-30)

Verseas 12-30, “² 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. ¹³ Getting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join him, Eglon came and attacked Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms.^[c] 14 The Israelites were subject to Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years. ¹⁵ Again the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and he gave them a deliverer—Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab. ¹⁶ Now Ehud had made a double-edged sword about a cubit long, which he strapped to his right thigh under his clothing. ¹⁷ He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was a very fat man. ¹⁸ After Ehud had presented the tribute, he sent on their way those who had carried it. ¹⁹ But on reaching the stone images near Gilgal he himself went back to Eglon and said, “Your Majesty, I have a secret message for you.” The king said to his attendants, “Leave us!” And they all left. ²⁰ Ehud then approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his palace^[e] and said, “I have a message from God for you.” As the king rose from his seat, ²¹ Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh and plunged it into the king’s belly. ²² Even the handle sank in after the blade, and his bowels discharged. Ehud did not pull the sword out, and the fat closed in over it. ²³ Then Ehud went out to the porch^[f]; he shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them. ²⁴ 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 palace.” ²⁵ 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. ²⁶ While they waited, Ehud got away. He passed by the stone images and escaped to Seirah. ²⁷ 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. ²⁸ “Follow me,” he ordered, “for the Lord has given Moab, your enemy, into your hands.” So they followed him down and took possession of the fords of the Jordan that led to Moab; they allowed no one to cross over. ²⁹ At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all vigorous and strong; not one escaped. ³⁰ That day Moab was made subject to Israel, and the land had peace for eighty years.”

Eglon, the Moabite king, ruled over Israelfor eighteen years. God responded by sending Ehud, the second judge. Ehud was courageous and decisive. He used his left-handedness for the glory of God. In ancient times, being left-handed was despised. But God used this to bring about a great victory when he took Eglon by surprise. God is ready to use our unique qualities and perceived weaknesses in order to accomplish his work. God delights in working through our weaknesses for he is glorified through them.

I can see here the qualities of leadership, boldness, decisiveness, bravado, faith and utilizing what we are given. We can apply these things in accomplishing what we are called to accomplish for the glory of God. I need to be such a leader. Right now our family changing the framework in which we are doing ministry. We are going to KBC and at the same time still part of UBF. We are finding our place in KBC and among a small group. There are things that we are getting involved in, like the Network of Nations. I get to have lunch with one student on Wednesday. It is like we are treading new ground in some ways. It takes courage and faith and serving Jesus in new ways. I also need to grow as a nurse. I want to become certified in different areas in prep for one day being a missionary. This won’t be easy. But with God’s help it is very possible. Julie and I also want to take up the torch for the Art of Marriage courses. This is kind of scary. But it is a challenge from God that I can decisively take hold of with faith.

I also learned that I can serve God with through my weaknesses. I have many weaknesses. I have many limitations. For example, I have no official credentials to be servant of God. But I am still called to serve him. I want to be a missionary, but have no formal training. But God can work through me. I don’t know the right things to say many times. But God will be with me as I open my mouth to speak of Jesus. He will give me the words to speak and how to say them. And in the end, as I offer up my weaknesses, Jesus will be glorified, for when I am weak he is strong.

 Part 2: Shamgar: Use What You Have For God (31)

Verse 31, “³¹ After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He too saved Israel.

During another crisis, God raised up Shamgar. He used what was available, slaying 600 enemies with an ox goad (a farm tool in which one end was an iron spear and the other end, a flattened scraper). From Shamgar, we learn that we can do the work of God with what God has made available. None of us has an excuse. We all have a measure of faith that we can combine with what God has made available and use it to bring glory to God.

I can use what God has given me to bring glory to his name. He has given me a family, Bible knowledge, lots of opportunities to study spiritual things. He is giving us co-workers, like Jenn K. who leads the Healthcare workers group study. And Lori, who opens her home. And my wife, who says, “whatever we do we do together.” There are also my kids, who, even though we don’t have the unity, they are co-workers. God has given Julie and I jobs and resources. We have a supportive body of believers, at KBC and UBF. We have our health and intact faith. God has given us so much. We can take hold of them and offer them up to Jesus so that people may come to Jesus and find salvation in him. God will accept these things and work through them. Thank you Lord.

Prayer: Lord, I am so full of weaknesses, but I rejoice in the fact you want to work through them all to accomplish your great purpose on our lives.

One Word:  Combine faith with what you have