Judg 3:15 | KingComments | STEP | Ehud is the man who God raises up to deliver His people. His name means ‘the decisive’, ‘the strong’. He is the son of Gera, which means ‘reflection’. He comes from the tribe of Benjamin, which means ‘son of my right hand’. If we think about these names, we can observe the following characteristics in Ehud. He is from Benjamin, which shows that he is connected with a position of strength, because this is what the name Benjamin speaks of. However, it is not enough just to know that we are in a particular position. It also means that we make that position our property. That is, we are reflecting about what it means to have been given that place. This is derived from the name Gera, ‘reflection’. The result of this ‘reflection’ is that a powerful performance takes place. Ehud is left-handed. Therefore he carries his sword on the right ( ). That’s an unusual place, but for him it’s the best. This way he can use his weapon in the way that suits him best. From this we can learn that we should use the Bible in the way that suits us and that we should not imitate others in its use. That doesn’t work. Thus David has nothing to do with the armor and sword of Saul. He knows how to deal with sling and stone and therewith he kills the enemy ( ). The literal translation of the word ‘left-handed’ is ‘closed from his right hand’. Apparently he can’t use his right hand. In the life of a believer, something can go wrong, causing him to lose his grip on the things of God. For example, someone may know the blessings described in the letter to the Ephesians, but be so busy with the things of life on earth that he no longer has time and attention for those blessings. In that way ‘gifts are given to the flesh’, which we also see in Israel, which through the hand of Ehud brings tribute to Eglon. For us, this tribute may consist of letting pass by opportunities to learn more of God’s blessings. We never get those opportunities back. We live for ourselves. We are overwhelmed by earthly worries and do not think of “the things above” ( ).

‏ Judges 3:15

Ehud

Ehud is the man who God raises up to deliver His people. His name means ‘the decisive’, ‘the strong’. He is the son of Gera, which means ‘reflection’. He comes from the tribe of Benjamin, which means ‘son of my right hand’. If we think about these names, we can observe the following characteristics in Ehud. He is from Benjamin, which shows that he is connected with a position of strength, because this is what the name Benjamin speaks of.

However, it is not enough just to know that we are in a particular position. It also means that we make that position our property. That is, we are reflecting about what it means to have been given that place. This is derived from the name Gera, ‘reflection’. The result of this ‘reflection’ is that a powerful performance takes place.

Ehud is left-handed. Therefore he carries his sword on the right (Jdg 3:16). That’s an unusual place, but for him it’s the best. This way he can use his weapon in the way that suits him best. From this we can learn that we should use the Bible in the way that suits us and that we should not imitate others in its use. That doesn’t work. Thus David has nothing to do with the armor and sword of Saul. He knows how to deal with sling and stone and therewith he kills the enemy (1Sam 17:38-39 ; 49-50).

The literal translation of the word ‘left-handed’ is ‘closed from his right hand’. Apparently he can’t use his right hand. In the life of a believer, something can go wrong, causing him to lose his grip on the things of God. For example, someone may know the blessings described in the letter to the Ephesians, but be so busy with the things of life on earth that he no longer has time and attention for those blessings. In that way ‘gifts are given to the flesh’, which we also see in Israel, which through the hand of Ehud brings tribute to Eglon. For us, this tribute may consist of letting pass by opportunities to learn more of God’s blessings. We never get those opportunities back. We live for ourselves. We are overwhelmed by earthly worries and do not think of “the things above” (Col 3:1).