The Gospel According to Judges (Judges 3:12-31) Questions for Reflection

Dig Deeper

In Deuteronomy 28:7, Moses sought to prepare the Israelites for life in the promised land promising that if they fully obeyed the Lord their God and carefully followed His commands,  “The Lord will grant that the enemies who rise against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.” Moses also warned the Israelites that if they did not obey the Lord their God “The Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies” (Deuteronomy 28:25). Judges 3:12 records that 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.”

When Israel “cried out to the Lord” , the Lord raised up another deliverer (judge)-- Ehud, a “left-handed man” (Judges 3:15). The Hebrew phrase used here means literally, “hindered in the right hand” and likely reveals that in this case left-handedness was viewed as a defect (Holman Study Bible notes, Judges 3:15-17). This further explains why King Eglon would be willing to grant an audience with Ehud alone without his guards as Ehud was certainly not viewed as a threat.

God’s use of Ehud inspite of his physical limitations one example of a pattern echoed throughout the Bible as 1 Corinthians 1:27 declares, “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty” (KJV). What additonal insights do you glean about God’s pattern of using the weak or seaminly insignificant for His glory? What weakness(es) of your do you sense the Holy Spirit desiring to use for God’s glory in your life?

Deuteronomy 7:6-8--

Judges 4:9 & 7:4--

1 Samuel 16:6-12--

Jeremiah 9:23-24--

Zechariah 4:6--

Mark 6:38 & Luke 9:13

Luke 21:1-4--

2 Corinthians 11:30-12:10--

Memorize This

2 Corinthians 12:10-- That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.