“The First Known Lefty” (Profile)*
The Book of Judges contains 21 chapters describing the various judges of Israel. Many of these chapters contain a repetitive verse saying, “Once again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord.” Because of this evil, the Lord gave a wicked king named Eglon of Moab power over Israel for eighteen years.
In answer to the Israelites cry for help, the Lord gave them a deliverer. Ehud, a man from the tribe of Benjamin and the first known left-handed person was, God’s chosen leader. Judges chapter 3 shares the details of how Ehud eliminated the overweight Eglon. Chapter 20 details 26,000 Benjamite swordsmen which included 700 chosen men who were also lefthanded. This is a strange story, but it teaches us that God can use us just the way he made us. Being lefthanded in Ehud’s day was considered a handicap, but God used this perceived weakness to give Israel victory.
At first glance, Ehud’s career as a judge may not seem relevant to us. He clearly lived in another time. He took radical and violent action to free people. His murder of Eglon (Judges 3:20-23) shocks us. His war on Moab was swift and deadly. His life is difficult to relate to. But our commitment to God’s Word challenges us not to ignore this leader.
As we read about his life, some questions come to mind: 1) When was the last time God showed me something wrong in my life and I took immediate and painful action to correct it? 2) When was the last time I asked God to show me how he could use something unique about me? 3) When was the last time my life was an example to others of obedience to God?
The enemies we face are as real as Ehud’s, but they are most often within ourselves. The battles we fight aren’t against other people but against the power of sin. We must remember, Satan is a defeated foe. God won the victory over sin through the death of His Son Jesus on the cross. The help of our Lord is the cause of every success, and his forgiveness is sufficient for each failure.
Pastor Carnes
- Profile of Ehud – NIV Life Application Bible – Read Judges 3:1-12 & 20:1-16
