Thursday, February 7, 2013

Judge Ehud



Judges 3:9-30 After the first judge of Israel, Othniel, died,
Israel again turned away from the Lord and followed after other
gods.

We don't have idols in this day, but we do have things that we
put in front of God. How do we know if we put something in
front of God? It is when we are living for our time with God to
be over so we can do the things we want to do. It is when we
are praying but can't keep our mind on prayer because of our
desire to do other things. It is when we look at disdain at
spending time with the Lord.

v12 So the Lord strengthened Eglon the king of Moab.
When we neglect the Lord, the things of this world will control
us and take over, and we will live in subject to them.

It is when the Israelites cried out to the Lord that a deliverer
was raised up. Don't neglect the Lord and when we find ourselves
under bondage we should cry to the Lord and He will raise up a
deliverance for us.

Isaiah 62:6,7 "On your walls O Jerusalem I have appointed
watchmen. All day and all night they will never keep silent.
You who remind the Lord, take no rest for yourselves and give
Him no rest until He establishes and makes Jerusalem a praise in
the earth."

We live in the New covenant now. We don't have to beg God to
answer. But we do need to stand against Satan. And this is what
we should do. Eglon gathered other armies and defeated Israel
and possessed the city of the Palm trees.

The city of the Palm trees could have been Jericho. But that
city was torn down by Joshua at the beginning of the invasion
of the promised land. Deut 34:3 refers to Jericho as having
palm trees. It could be south of the city; there was a
settlement there.

Ehud was the deliverer for Israel. He made for himself a sword.
He did not go buy a sword. He made it himself. Now this might
have been the norm. But when you make something you understand
it better. When you make something you appreciate it more.
When you make something it means more to you. When you make
something it is special.

Now, he was not making something that would sit up on the shelf.
He was making something that was going to be used. So he made
it specifically for the job at hand. 

The two-edged sword is a type of the word of God. Heb 4:12 For
the Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword. Isa 41:15
God has made for us a new sharp threshing sledge. With it we
will pulverize the mountains and make the hills like chaff.
God's word will destroy our enemies. The hills and mountains are
types of the trials that come our way. And the word of God will
make riddance of them. Jesus has a two-edged sword coming out of
His mouth in the book of Revelation.

The word of God is a weapon when we believe it and confess it
and use it to our advantage.

When we are in the word of God we are in the Spirit. For John
6:63 says the Words Jesus speaks to us are spirit and the are
life.

Ehud bound the sword on his right leg so he could reach it
easily with his left hand being left handed. In the same way we
can prepare the Word of God in our hearts to access it when we
need it. Study to show yourself approved unto God 2 Tim 2:15
There are areas in our life that need the attention of the
Scriptures. With this attention we can walk in faith and slay
the enemy by the use of the sword of God.

It is not just having the word of God, but we need to practice
using it. It is by this practice that we discern the will of God
and renew our minds to use the Word of God when life
throws trials at us. Rom 12:2

Eglon was a very fat man. Our enemy is not so strong that we
can't defeat Him as we walk in the authority God has given us.
We have the victory in Christ. Greater is He that is in us than
he that is in the world 1 Jn. 4:4 This fat man could not
defend himself against the word of God. When you look at
Scripture there is nothing that can withstand the word of God.
Rom 1:16 the word of God is the power of salvation. Even when
people reject it they can't stop its work. Some of the most
unlikely people get saved. Why? Because of the working of the
Word of God.

v28 After God has given us the victory in prayer we need to
walk it out. Walk it out with faith that as God has answered
your prayer He will support you as you accomplish the work He
has for you to do. Live in expectation. Live in joy of the
victory. Expect God to work with you with signs.

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