And again they cried out to the LORD, and He raised up Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed Benjamite, as their deliverer. So they sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab. And again they cried out to the LORDThis phrase indicates a recurring cycle in the Book of Judges where the Israelites fall into sin, face oppression, cry out to God, and are delivered by a judge. This cycle reflects the Israelites' dependence on God and their tendency to turn away from Him, only to return in times of distress. The act of crying out signifies repentance and acknowledgment of their need for divine intervention. and He raised up Ehud son of Gera
God's response to the Israelites' cry is to raise up a deliverer, demonstrating His mercy and faithfulness. Ehud, the son of Gera, is chosen by God to lead and deliver Israel. This highlights the divine initiative in the deliverance process, emphasizing that salvation comes from God, not human effort. a left-handed Benjamite
Ehud's left-handedness is significant, as it is mentioned specifically. In the tribe of Benjamin, which means "son of the right hand," being left-handed is unusual and noteworthy. This characteristic plays a crucial role in Ehud's ability to deliver Israel, as it allows him to conceal a weapon and surprise Eglon. It also illustrates how God uses unexpected means and people to accomplish His purposes. as their deliverer
Ehud is appointed as a deliverer, a role similar to that of a judge, tasked with leading Israel out of oppression. This foreshadows the ultimate deliverance through Jesus Christ, who delivers humanity from sin. The concept of a deliverer is central to the narrative of Judges, where God raises leaders to rescue His people. So they sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab
The Israelites are under the subjugation of Eglon, king of Moab, and are required to pay tribute, indicating their oppressed state. The tribute is a symbol of their servitude and the political dynamics of the time. Ehud's mission to deliver the tribute sets the stage for his plan to assassinate Eglon, which leads to Israel's liberation. This reflects the political and military strategies employed in ancient Near Eastern cultures. Persons / Places / Events 1. EhudA left-handed man from the tribe of Benjamin, chosen by God to deliver Israel from Moabite oppression. His left-handedness is significant in the account, as it plays a crucial role in his ability to carry out God's plan. 2. GeraEhud's father, mentioned to establish Ehud's lineage within the tribe of Benjamin. 3. The IsraelitesGod's chosen people, who repeatedly fall into cycles of sin, oppression, repentance, and deliverance throughout the Book of Judges. 4. EglonThe king of Moab, who oppresses Israel for eighteen years. His rule represents the consequences of Israel's disobedience to God. 5. MoabA nation east of Israel, often in conflict with the Israelites. Moab's oppression of Israel is a result of Israel's idolatry and disobedience. Teaching Points God's Response to RepentanceWhen the Israelites cried out to God, He responded by raising a deliverer. This demonstrates God's faithfulness and readiness to forgive and restore when His people repent. Unique Abilities for God's PurposeEhud's left-handedness, considered unusual, was used by God for a specific purpose. This teaches us that God can use our unique traits and circumstances for His glory. The Cycle of Sin and DeliveranceThe Israelites' repeated cycle of sin, oppression, and deliverance serves as a warning and reminder of the importance of faithfulness to God. God's Sovereignty in LeadershipGod raises leaders according to His will, often from unexpected places or with unexpected traits, to fulfill His purposes. Bible Study Questions 1. How does Ehud's left-handedness play a role in God's plan for delivering Israel, and what does this teach us about the use of our unique abilities? 2. In what ways do we see the cycle of sin and deliverance in our own lives, and how can we break free from it through Christ? 3. How does the account of Ehud encourage us to trust in God's sovereignty, even when His methods or chosen leaders seem unconventional? 4. What can we learn from the Israelites' cry to God about the importance of repentance and seeking God's help in times of trouble? 5. How does the account of Ehud and Eglon connect to the broader account of God's deliverance throughout the Bible, and how can this encourage us in our personal walk with God? Connections to Other Scriptures Judges 2:18This verse provides context for the cycle of sin and deliverance in Judges, showing that God raises up judges to save Israel when they cry out to Him. 1 Samuel 9:1-2This passage introduces Saul, another Benjamite, highlighting the tribe's significance and God's continued use of its members for leadership. Psalm 34:17This verse emphasizes that God hears the cries of the righteous and delivers them, paralleling the Israelites' cry for help in Judges 3:15. | A Man Left-Handed | W.F. Adeney | Judges 3:15 | | A Distinct Message | Spurgeon, Charles Haddon | Judges 3:12-30 | | A Message from God | W. Rudder, D. D. | Judges 3:12-30 | | A Message from God | J. Cumming, D. D. | Judges 3:12-30 | | A Message from God | J. B. C. Murphy, B. A. | Judges 3:12-30 | | A Sermon Upon Keys | John Mitchell. | Judges 3:12-30 | | Application of the Truth | | Judges 3:12-30 | | Effective Preachers Compared to Ehud | John McNeill. | Judges 3:12-30 | | Ehud: Left-Handedness | J. Parker, D. D. | Judges 3:12-30 | | God's Messages | J. P. Millar. | Judges 3:12-30 | | I have a Message from God unto Thee | T. Raffles, D. D. | Judges 3:12-30 | | Lessons from the Death of Eglon | T. De Witt Talmage. | Judges 3:12-30 | | Sin -- Suffering; Penitence and Deliverance Repeated | J. P. Millar. | Judges 3:12-30 | | The Christian Minister Bearing a Message from God to Man | H. S. Plumptre, M. A. | Judges 3:12-30 | | The Gospel Message | D. Johnston, D. D. | Judges 3:12-30 | | The Gospel Message | E. Cooper, M. A. | Judges 3:12-30 | | The Summer Parlour | W.F. Bishop. | Judges 3:12-30 | | Unexpected Perils | S. Baring-Gould, M. A. | Judges 3:12-30 | | Ehud | A.F. Muir | Judges 3:15-26 |
People Amalek, Amalekites, Ammonites, Amorites, Anath, Aram, Canaanites, Chushanrishathaim, Chushan-rishathaim, Eglon, Ehud, Gera, Hittites, Hivite, Hivites, Israelites, Jebusites, Kenaz, Moabites, Othniel, Perizzites, Shamgar, Sidonians, ZidoniansPlaces Canaan, Gilgal, Jordan River, Lebanon, Lebo-hamath, Mesopotamia, Moab, Mount Baal-hermon, SeirahTopics Benjaminite, Benjamite, Cried, Cry, Deliverer, Eglon, Ehud, Gera, Israelites, Lefthanded, Left-handed, Moab, Offering, Prayer, Present, Raised, Raiseth, Savior, Saviour, Shut, Sons, TributeDictionary of Bible Themes Judges 3:15 5156 hand
5577 taxation
5594 tribute
6634 deliverance
6738 rescue
8614 prayer, answers Judges 3:15-26 5941 secrecy Library Use what You Have
Few people really are and do their best. Nature has blessed a few with great talents and abilities. These persons often become proud, self-centered, and feel themselves to be superior, and for that reason many times they fail to make the proper use of their abilities. How often are they used in a bad or foolish way, so that what might be a blessing to the world fails to be such! There are many others who realize they do not possess these natural gifts. They look upon those who have them, and envy …
Charles Wesley Naylor—Heart TalksGifts and Talents.
"And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him."--Judges iii. 10. We now consider the Holy Spirit's work in bestowing gifts, talents, and abilities upon artisans and professional men. Scripture declares that the special animation and qualification of persons for work assigned to them by God proceed from the Holy Spirit. The construction of the tabernacle required capable workmen, skilful carpenters, goldsmiths, and silversmiths, and masters in the arts of weaving and embroidering. Who will furnish Moses …
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit Whether Baptism Should Take Away the Penalties of Sin that Belong to this Life?
Objection 1: It seems that Baptism should take away the penalties of sin that belong to this life. For as the Apostle says (Rom. 5:15), the gift of Christ is farther-reaching than the sin of Adam. But through Adam's sin, as the Apostle says (Rom. 5:12), "death entered into this world," and, consequently, all the other penalties of the present life. Much more, therefore, should man be freed from the penalties of the present life, by the gift of Christ which is received in Baptism. Objection 2: Further, …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica "This Then is the Message which we have Heard of Him, and Declare unto You, that God is Light,"
1 John i. 5.--"This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light," &c. The great design of the gospel is to make up the breach of man's joy, and open up the way to the fulness of it, and therefore it is the good news and glad tidings of great joy, the only best message that ever came to the world. Now it shows unto us the channel that this river of gladness and joy runs into, it discovers what is the way of the conveyance of it to the soul, and what are …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning Whether the Old Law Enjoined Fitting Precepts Concerning Rulers?
Objection 1: It would seem that the Old Law made unfitting precepts concerning rulers. Because, as the Philosopher says (Polit. iii, 4), "the ordering of the people depends mostly on the chief ruler." But the Law contains no precept relating to the institution of the chief ruler; and yet we find therein prescriptions concerning the inferior rulers: firstly (Ex. 18:21): "Provide out of all the people wise [Vulg.: 'able'] men," etc.; again (Num. 11:16): "Gather unto Me seventy men of the ancients of …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica The Country of Jericho, and the Situation of the City.
Here we will borrow Josephus' pencil, "Jericho is seated in a plain, yet a certain barren mountain hangs over it, narrow, indeed, but long; for it runs out northward to the country of Scythopolis,--and southward, to the country of Sodom, and the utmost coast of the Asphaltites." Of this mountain mention is made, Joshua 2:22, where the two spies, sent by Joshua, and received by Rahab, are said to "conceal themselves." "Opposite against this, lies a mountain on the other side Jordan, beginning from …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica The Prophecy of Obadiah.
We need not enter into details regarding the question as to the time when the prophet wrote. By a thorough argumentation, Caspari has proved, that he occupies his right position in the Canon, and hence belongs to the earliest age of written prophecy, i.e., to the time of Jeroboam II. and Uzziah. As bearing conclusively against those who would assign to him a far later date, viz., the time of the exile, there is not only the indirect testimony borne by the place which this prophecy occupies in …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament The Doctrine of Angels.
I. THEIR EXISTENCE. 1. THE TEACHING OF JESUS. 2. THE TEACHING OF THE APOSTLES. II. THEIR NATURE. 1. CREATED BEINGS. 2. SPIRITUAL BEINGS. 3. GREAT POWER AND MIGHT. 4. VARIOUS GRADES. 5. THE NUMBER OF ANGELS. III. THE FALL OF ANGELS. 1. TIME AND CAUSE. 2. THE WORK OF FALLEN ANGELS. 3. THE JUDGMENT OF FALLEN ANGELS. IV. THE WORK OF ANGELS. 1. THEIR HEAVENLY MINISTRY. 2. THEIR EARTHLY MINISTRY. a) In Relation to the Believer. b) In Relation to Christ's Second Coming. THE DOCTRINE OF ANGELS. We are not …
Rev. William Evans—The Great Doctrines of the Bible Judges
For the understanding of the early history and religion of Israel, the book of Judges, which covers the period from the death of Joshua to the beginning of the struggle with the Philistines, is of inestimable importance; and it is very fortunate that the elements contributed by the later editors are so easily separated from the ancient stories whose moral they seek to point. That moral is most elaborately stated in ii. 6-iii. 6, which is a sort of programme or preface to iii. 7-xvi. 31, which constitutes …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Judges 3:15 NIVJudges 3:15 NLTJudges 3:15 ESVJudges 3:15 NASBJudges 3:15 KJV
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