These are the nations the Lord left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan 2 (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience):
I didn’t notice that before. So, it had nothing to do with testing their faith. God wanted to make sure they all had the special physical skills required so that when they were messed with by the other folks, then they would be able to stand up.
3 the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon
Known on maps today as Mount Hermon.
to Lebo Hamath. 4 They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the Lord’s commands, which he had given their ancestors through Moses.
5 The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 6 They took their daughters in marriage and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.
I suppose this was a test of the people’s faith as well. God definitely wasn’t happy about this part. As we go through the judges, you’re going to see a cycle that is more of s spiral. Israel does evil, God sends them a Judge. The Judge saves them. Then they do more evil than before. Every time they are saved, the “good spot” gets lower.
Othniel
7 The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs.
Why would you do that? You know that makes God sad and angry.
8 The anger of the Lord burned
See?
against Israel so that he sold them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim, to whom the Israelites were subject for eight years.
Consequences for that sin. God’s plan A was way better than this, but He doesn’t want robots. He wants humans.
9 But when they cried out to the Lord, he raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, who saved them.
God saved them. He just happened to use Othniel because He wanted to.
10 The Spirit of the Lord came on him, so that he became Israel’s judge and went to war. The Lord gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him. 11 So the land had peace for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.
It would appear that after each judge dies, the cycle begins again and spirals down a level each time.
Ehud
12 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.
The consequences get bigger.
13 Getting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join him, Eglon came and attacked Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms. 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.
When the video plays in my mind, I’m thinking of the character of Will Turner. He made swords too. Ehud is able to bypass security just because his sword is on a different side. I bet they all lost their jobs, but that would be speculating, and that’s why it’s in yellow, because God didn’t want us to worry about that part.
17 He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was a very fat man.
When you reach the top there’s no motivation to do anything.
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.”
It’s almost too easy.
The king said to his attendants, “Leave us!” And they all left.
Secrets are too good not to fall for.
20 Ehud then approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his palace 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.
Imagine the sound effect.
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.
Things were gross enough as it was.
23 Then Ehud went out to the porch; 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.
How long do you have to be in the bathroom for others to be embarrassed for you?
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.
I’m imagining a stealthy getaway.
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.
God accomplished what He wanted to anyway. The people of Moab were nextdoor neighbours to the Israelites. They knew God was up to things and didn’t repent anyway. They had the same opportunities as the other nations and this was the consequence for their sin.
Shamgar
31 After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He too saved Israel.
He gets the job done quickly without any fanfare. That’s why I should at least mention that much.
Scripture Discussed: Judges 3
IIWAC: Starting Off With A Bang
I didn’t notice that before. So, it had nothing to do with testing their faith. God wanted to make sure they all had the special physical skills required so that when they were messed with by the other folks, then they would be able to stand up.
3 the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon
Known on maps today as Mount Hermon.
to Lebo Hamath. 4 They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the Lord’s commands, which he had given their ancestors through Moses.
5 The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 6 They took their daughters in marriage and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.
I suppose this was a test of the people’s faith as well. God definitely wasn’t happy about this part. As we go through the judges, you’re going to see a cycle that is more of s spiral. Israel does evil, God sends them a Judge. The Judge saves them. Then they do more evil than before. Every time they are saved, the “good spot” gets lower.
Othniel
7 The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs.
Why would you do that? You know that makes God sad and angry.
8 The anger of the Lord burned
See?
against Israel so that he sold them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim, [a] to whom the Israelites were subject for eight years.
Consequences for that sin. God’s plan A was way better than this, but He doesn’t want robots. He wants humans.
9 But when they cried out to the Lord, he raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, who saved them.
God saved them. He just happened to use Othniel because He wanted to.
10 The Spirit of the Lord came on him, so that he became Israel’s judge[b] and went to war. The Lord gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him. 11 So the land had peace for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.
It would appear that after each judge dies, the cycle begins again and spirals down a level each time.
Ehud
12 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.
The consequences get bigger.
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[d] long, which he strapped to his right thigh under his clothing.
When the video plays in my mind, I’m thinking of the character of Will Turner. He made swords too. Ehud is able to bypass security just because his sword is on a different side. I bet they all lost their jobs, but that would be speculating, and that’s why it’s in yellow, because God didn’t want us to worry about that part.
17 He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was a very fat man.
When you reach the top there’s no motivation to do anything.
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.”
It’s almost too easy.
The king said to his attendants, “Leave us!” And they all left.
Secrets are too good not to fall for.
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.
Imagine the sound effect.
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.
Things were gross enough as it was.
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.
How long do you have to be in the bathroom for others to be embarrassed for you?
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.
I’m imagining a stealthy getaway.
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.
God accomplished what He wanted to anyway. The people of Moab were nextdoor neighbours to the Israelites. They knew God was up to things and didn’t repent anyway. They had the same opportunities as the other nations and this was the consequence for their sin.
Shamgar
31 After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He too saved Israel.
He gets the job done quickly without any fanfare. That’s why I should at least mention that much.
Scripture Discussed: Judges 3