How does Judges 3:28 connect with God's deliverance in Exodus? Setting the Stage • The people of Israel are under Moabite oppression (Judges 3:12–14). • God raises up Ehud as a deliverer, mirroring how He previously raised up Moses to confront Egypt (Exodus 3:10). Reading Judges 3:28 “Follow me,” he said, “for the LORD has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” So they followed him down, seized the fords of the Jordan across to Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross over. Echoes of Exodus • “The LORD has delivered” (Judges 3:28) parallels “the LORD will fight for you” (Exodus 14:14). • Both passages depict God decisively removing an oppressor—Moab in Judges, Egypt in Exodus. • Each deliverance turns on God’s sovereign action, not Israel’s strength. Shared Themes of Deliverance 1. Oppression → Cry for help → God sends a rescuer. 2. A clear command to follow: – Ehud: “Follow me” (Judges 3:28). – Moses: “Stand firm” and “move on” (Exodus 14:13–15). 3. A physical barrier that God turns into a path of victory. 4. Complete defeat of the enemy so that Israel can live in peace (Judges 3:30; Exodus 14:30). Water as Boundary and Battleground • Ehud’s men seize the Jordan fords, preventing Moabite escape or reinforcements, just as the Red Sea shuts behind Israel and engulfs Egypt (Exodus 14:26–28). • In both events, water becomes a dividing line: salvation on one side, judgment on the other (cf. Joshua 3:15–17 for another example). The Call to Follow in Faith • Ehud’s invitation demands active obedience—Israel must move and fight. • Moses’ call demands trusting stillness until God parts the sea, then swift obedience to walk through. • Together they show faith’s two sides: resting in God’s promise and rising to God-directed action (James 2:17). God’s Consistent Pattern of Salvation • Repetition of deliverance stories reinforces God’s unchanging character (Hebrews 13:8). • Each judge or prophet points forward to the ultimate Deliverer who conquers sin and death (Luke 24:27). Living It Out Today • Remember past deliverances—biblical and personal—as fuel for present faith (Psalm 77:11–14). • Stand firm when God says “be still,” and move decisively when He says “follow.” • Trust that no barrier—whether Jordan, Red Sea, or present trial—can thwart the Lord who “has delivered us, is delivering us, and will deliver us” (2 Corinthians 1:10). |
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