How does Judges 3:28 demonstrate God's deliverance through unexpected leaders? Setting the Scene • Israel has cried out under Moabite oppression (Judges 3:14–15). • God raises up Ehud, “a left-handed man” from the small tribe of Benjamin (Judges 3:15). • After assassinating King Eglon, Ehud blows the trumpet and proclaims: “Follow me, for the LORD has delivered your enemies, the Moabites, into your hands” (Judges 3:28). Unexpected Leader: Ehud • Left-handed—considered unusual and even limiting in ancient warfare; God turns the limitation into strategic advantage (Judges 3:16, 21). • Tribe of Benjamin—name means “son of the right hand,” yet God uses a “left-handed” Benjamite to overturn expectations. • Solo mission—no army, no royal pedigree, just obedient faith and ingenuity. How Verse 28 Highlights God’s Deliverance • “The LORD has delivered…”—Ehud points credit away from himself to the Lord; deliverance is God’s work, leader is the instrument. • Immediate action—“Follow me.” Faith calls others into God’s victory, not merely personal triumph. • Strategic control—seizing the fords of the Jordan cuts off Moab’s retreat; God equips His chosen leader with tactical wisdom. • Total victory—verse 29 records 10,000 Moabites struck down; verse 30 notes 80 years of peace. The scope underscores divine, not human, accomplishment. God’s Pattern of Surprising Deliverance • Moses: a fugitive shepherd becomes deliverer (Exodus 3–4). • Gideon: the least in his family, yet “mighty man of valor” (Judges 6:12, 15). • Deborah: a woman leading a patriarchal society to victory (Judges 4). • David: overlooked shepherd boy anointed king (1 Samuel 16:7–13). • Ultimately Christ: “the stone the builders rejected” becomes cornerstone (Psalm 118:22; Acts 4:11). New Testament Echo • “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise… the weak things… to shame the strong” (1 Corinthians 1:27). Ehud personifies this principle centuries in advance. Takeaways for Today • Never discount those who seem unlikely; God delights in confounding human expectations. • Limitations—physical, social, or personal—can become the very tools God wields for deliverance. • True leaders point followers to the Lord’s power, not their own credentials. • God’s people are called to respond quickly (“Follow me”) when He initiates deliverance. |
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