Greetings! Welcome to Canaan, the land of the Israelites! Or maybe I shouldn't welcome you. You know, this is a very dangerous place nowadays. Most of the time, we Israelites sadly disrespect our God, so he lets an adversary punish us. When we finally come to our senses (believe me, that takes a LONG time!!), God will appoint a judge to take care of our enemies. And then for a few years there is peace in the land...until we again forget our God. I'm telling you, it's a sad, sad endless circle of circumstances that's happening these days!
As you might suspect, this is the Israel in the time of the judges. When we haven't outright said that we want an earthly king, but for all apparent reasons have sure said that, as we have terribly disrespected our heavenly King. Well, I suppose you are wondering who I am. I can't tell you that quite yet, but I can tell you some about me. I am an Israelite, the son of Gera, a Benjamite. The the other madly apparent reason you'll remember me is because I'm left-handed. Yeah. Lefty. Lefties are not too excepted in Israelite society right now. I mean, everything is engineered for right-handed people, and well, um, you know, with no toilet paper around, the left hand is the hand you do business with. "And then you eat with your left hand?" people query Yeah. I do. So I know I'm a bit long-winded here, but all I'm trying to say is that with being left-handed, I'm not the most popular Israelite. [Judges 3:15]
I really didn't see how God could use me. I mean, I'm a lefty! Many times I'd cry out to God, painfully wondering why God made me a lefty. But the good news is that God did use me! He even used my left-handedness! In fact, my being a lefty was a big part of why God chose me for the job that He did! Always remember that even if you're different, even if you feel strange or out-of-place, God can use your different-ness for his glory. Let me tell you how he used me!
Just like my countrymen had done for hundreds of years, they once again forsook the true God. Therefore, He gave power to Eglon, king of Moab, to rule over the Israelites and do what he pleased with them. Oh, before I go on: Eglon is a really fat king. Remember that! Okay. Back to my story. The Ammonites and Amalekites joined forces with Eglon, and together they attacked and seized Jericho, the City of Palms. In this fashion, eighteen years went by before us Israelites remembered God. [Judges 3:12-15]
After we cried out to God, He appointed me as a judge. Me? Me? Me, the lefty? You sure you got the right guy, Lord? God assured me He did--he wanted to use my unique left-handedness, and my gleaming double-edged foot-and-a-half long sword. Wow! [Judges 3:15-16]
God told me of how I was going to go about this business. First, my secret agenda was to kill fat old Eglon for good. Of course, the guards wouldn't just let me in to see Eglon without reason, and if I said that I came to kill their king, they'd be the ones doin' the killing! So God told me to go on the premise that I was giving tribute, or money, from the Israelites to King Eglon. [Judges 3:17]
Of course, the guards don't just question you. They search you! And the prime thing they're looking for is swords...so how would I be successful? Now, finally, I understood the reason for me being left-handed. Eglon's guards would think that I'm a righty, and only search my left thigh for a sword. Me, being a lefty, would naturally hide my sword on my right thigh! [Judges 3:16]
Strong in the Lord's power, me and a bunch of other guys who were carrying the tribute came to see King Eglon. The tribute was given, and then I told fat ole' Eglon that I had a secret message for him. Everyone else scattered, and the doors were locked. Quickly, suddenly, I drew my sword (which was on my right thigh) with my left hand and stabbed Eglon. I stabbed him so hard the wound was fatal--and the sword went from his belly right through his back. I knew Eglon was dying, and I didn't take time to retrieve my sword. The fat just closed in over the sword. [Judges 3:18-22]
Quick as could be, I fled from Eglon's presence and closed and locked all the doors I could. I fled past all the idols, and finally stopped in Seirah. While this is all going on, Eglon's servants came to wait on him. They found the doors locked, naturally. Eglon was taking "so long" in the upper chamber that they thought he was relieving himself! From what I hear, they were getting really embarrassed. Finally, they unlocked the door and found their king...dead, plus one sword! [Judges 3:24-26]
While the servants were doing all that, I blew a trumpet call in the hill country of Ephraim, summoning all the Israelites to follow me and put to an end, once and for all, the reign of the Moabites. With God's help, we did, and killed about 10,000 of our enemies. On that day, Moab was made subject to Israel, and God gave us peace for eighty years. [Judges 3:27-30]
So that's my story. Interesting, isn't it? God used what I thought he could never use--me, a lefty--and use me to his glory. Don't forget that--even if you may think you're strange, or different, don't feel bad. God could have made you that way to fit his very special and unique purpose.
If you still haven't figured out my name, my name is...
Ehud
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