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.