Judg 3:12-30 | KingComments | STEP | When Othniel has died, it does not take long or the Israelites do again what is evil in the sight of the LORD. It seems that they have learned nothing from the last time. Are they not a poignant example of who we are? It is significant that it says that the LORD strengthens the enemy. God’s power is not with His disobedient people of Israel, but with the enemy Moab. Is Moab better than Israel? No, he is not, but God wants to use Moab as a rod of discipline to get His people to return to Him. This enemy also represents something. What that is, we can deduct from his name and from his history. His name means ‘from the father’. Who is his father? That’s Lot ( ). In Lot we see a man who loves the world. He looks at what he sees with his eyes. He is guided by the desires of the flesh, that is the old nature that every believer still has within. In Genesis 13 this is reflected in the choice he makes ( ). In Moabs history two characteristics become visible that arise from the desires of the flesh, namely laziness and pride ( ; ). Moab represents the deeds (or: the works) of the flesh ( ). The man who rules Moab is called Eglon. Eglon means ‘round’ or ‘circle’. We could say that with Moab (the flesh) everything takes place within the circle of own interest. ‘I’ is central, and there is no place for God in this circle. The previous enemy, Cushan-rishathaim, who is a picture of the world, is followed by an enemy who is a picture of the flesh. This enemy is now given power over God’s people. In the life of a deviated believer, this means that he will behave himself carnal, that he is looking for the satisfaction of his own desires. That never gives real satisfaction.

‏ Judges 3:12-30

Moab and Eglon

When Othniel has died, it does not take long or the Israelites do again what is evil in the sight of the LORD. It seems that they have learned nothing from the last time. Are they not a poignant example of who we are? It is significant that it says that the LORD strengthens the enemy. God’s power is not with His disobedient people of Israel, but with the enemy Moab. Is Moab better than Israel? No, he is not, but God wants to use Moab as a rod of discipline to get His people to return to Him.

This enemy also represents something. What that is, we can deduct from his name and from his history. His name means ‘from the father’. Who is his father? That’s Lot (Gen 19:36-37). In Lot we see a man who loves the world. He looks at what he sees with his eyes. He is guided by the desires of the flesh, that is the old nature that every believer still has within. In Genesis 13 this is reflected in the choice he makes (Gen 13:8-11).

In Moabs history two characteristics become visible that arise from the desires of the flesh, namely laziness and pride (Jer 48:11 ; 29; Isa 16:6). Moab represents the deeds (or: the works) of the flesh (Gal 5:19-21).

The man who rules Moab is called Eglon. Eglon means ‘round’ or ‘circle’. We could say that with Moab (the flesh) everything takes place within the circle of own interest. ‘I’ is central, and there is no place for God in this circle. The previous enemy, Cushan-rishathaim, who is a picture of the world, is followed by an enemy who is a picture of the flesh. This enemy is now given power over God’s people.

In the life of a deviated believer, this means that he will behave himself carnal, that he is looking for the satisfaction of his own desires. That never gives real satisfaction.

Ammon and Amalek

Moab seeks the help of Ammon and Amalek. Ammon has the same horrible origins as Moab (Gen 19:38). His name means ‘independent’ and shows the self-will of the flesh. Amalek is a descendant of Esau (Gen 36:12). His name means ‘people of rulers’. It shows the assertiveness, the desires of the flesh to rule. “The city of the palm trees” is Jericho, the city that forms the entrance to the land and is captured by Israel (Jos 6:1 ; 20). The enemy now takes possession of that city again and thereby has a strategic place in his hands.

If a believer is unfaithful, the flesh takes possession of important principles in his life. For example, when making important decisions he is not guided by the Spirit, but by the flesh. When flesh takes control in a local church, there is conflict and confusion.

In the Bible, the church in Corinth is an example of this. Paul must exhort them because they are carnal (1Cor 3:1). In this situation he cannot speak to them about the blessings that are part of the Christian. He must remind them again of the most elementary things of faith, “Jesus Christ, and Him crucified” (1Cor 2:2).

Period of Oppression

During the previous domination, it took eight years before Israel cries to the LORD (Jdg 3:8-9). Now eighteen years of domination are passing before the people reach that point. It seems that deviating again from the LORD makes the people more insensitive to the discipline that God sends. It is only after eighteen years that the awareness of becoming slaves begins to grow and they long for their freedom. That is the experience we too can have. The longer we forget God, the longer it takes for us to return to Him.

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).

A Two-Edged Sword

Here we see the basis for victory. This is achieved by Ehud making for himself a sword with “two edges”. With this he overcomes his personal handicap and becomes useful to God as a blessing for His people. In various places in the New Testament we can read that this two-edged sword is a picture of the Word of God (Heb 4:12; Eph 6:17; Rev 1:16 ; Rev 2:12 ; Rev 19:15). The Word of God is the weapon with which any enemy can be defeated. But we have to be able to handle it, that is to say we have to get to know the Word so that we can use it.

The Lord Jesus uses this ‘sword’ against the devil when He is tempted in the wilderness. He parries every attack of the opponent with “it is written” and then cites a verse from the book of Deuteronomy (Mt 4:4 ; 7 ; 10).

It is a two-edged sword, i.e. it cuts in two directions. For us, this means that we must apply the Word first to ourselves and only then to the opponent. This order Paul presents to Timothy when he says to him: “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching” (1Tim 4:16). We cannot defeat the adversary if we allow things in our lives that are contrary to the Bible. We must first listen to the Bible ourselves and remove what is contrary to it.

The sword is a cubit in length. It is a precisely measured size, not too big and not too small. We must not add anything to the Word, nor take anything away from it. We need the whole Word, not just our favorite parts. Nothing is unimportant. Nor should we add our ideas or traditions. A cubit also speaks of something insignificant (Lk 12:25-26). The Word of God is shabby for people who trust and build on their own mind. But the simplest truths of the Word of God are capable of striking the flesh in all its corruption when used in real faith.

Ehud wears the sword under his clothes. Nobody sees it. This is reminiscent of the word of the Psalmist: “Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You” (Psa 119:11). At the same time, the Word gives strength to his walk: he wears it “on his right thigh”.

A Very Fat Man

Armed with his newly made sword, Ehud will bring the tribute to Eglon for the last time. Eglon is a very fat man. As said, this enemy is a picture of the flesh, where everything revolves around its own ‘I’. That cannot but result in slothfulness. Everything is viewed from the idea of how ‘I’ can benefit from it. There is no thought of others. Egoism reigns supreme. ‘I’ is getting big and voluminous. There is nothing in the flesh that attracts the spiritually-minded believer.

A Secret Message

God has raised up Ehud as a deliverer (Jdg 3:15). After his personal preparation he is ready for his actual task. After he together with others has fulfilled the obligation, he sends the others away. The commission of God is addressed to him personally. He must fulfill it on his own, without any further attendees. He achieves his victory in secret, without any outward showing. The effect of his act of faith is public and benefits the whole people. Others, the people, will benefit from his deed.

Gilgal occupies an important place in his mission, from there he leaves. We have already met Gilgal before (Jdg 2:1). There we saw that it is the place from which Israel has always left to conquer the land and to which the people have returned after a conquest. Ehud does the same (Jdg 3:19 ; 26).

The circumcision of the people also took place at Gilgal (Jos 5:2-9). The spiritual meaning of this is the judgment of the sinful flesh. Circumcision teaches us that every battle to be fought can never be fought in our own strength, in the strength of our flesh. If we go, while being aware of the fact that there is no power in us, God can fill us with His power.

The stones of Jdg 3:19 are probably those which Joshua erected as a memorial on the river banks after the people passed through the Jordan (Jos 4:20). But here are they are transformed into “idols”. This also happened with statutes given by the Lord, such as baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The Bible states that both have to do with the death of the Lord Jesus. Because this meaning is abandoned in parts of professing Christianity, to the roman catholic church they have become sacraments with an idolatrous meaning. They have even become means by which, when one uses them, one thinks one receives eternal life.

The Judgment on Eglon

Eglon is alone, in an environment that is completely adapted to his wishes. He sits there at ease, to satisfy all his desires. Here we see a striking picture of the selfishness of the flesh that wants everything for itself. There is only one answer to such an attitude and that is the message from God that Ehud speaks. This is how the judgment on Eglon is carried out (Heb 4:12; Rev 19:13-15). The flesh can only be killed in the presence of God.

That Eglon arises from his seat seems to indicate a certain respect for the Word of God, but it is only an outward form. There is nothing in his heart that is really open to this Word. Such people have always been there and they are still there. However, that does not change the judgment that the Word pronounces on them. How they are by nature is obvious when the Word is applied in its full sharpness. That’s how it goes with Eglon. The sword goes into his belly and “the refuse”, that is his girth, comes out. The corruption that is in him comes out through the sword.

The corruption of the flesh is revealed by God’s Word. Don’t we get frightened of ourselves when suddenly disgusting thoughts come up in us? That is the only thing the flesh can produce. The flesh of an unbeliever and the flesh of a believer are exactly the same. The Word makes it public and passes judgment on it.

After Ehud applied it to himself (Jdg 3:16 ; 19), he now applies it to the enemy of God’s people. He does so radically, deeply. He does not deal with his enemy in a sugary and superficial way. Nor is he content with a partial or temporary victory, but he wants a complete victory. He leaves the sword in the belly, he doesn’t pull it out. He also closes the room in which he killed Eglon.

As for him, he has done everything to completely eliminate this enemy of God’s people so that he cannot reappear. The application is clear. If we have judged a certain effect of the flesh in ourselves or in others by the Word that has caused it to disappear, then we must not allow it to reappear.

The Servants of Eglon

The fact that the king of Moab is eliminated does not mean that the people of Moab are deprived of their strength. Eglon has servants and warriors (Jdg 3:29). The servants have a good explanation for the locked door. They think he went to the toilet. If you eat a lot, you often have to get rid of your excrement.

At some point it takes too long to them. They suspect that something has happened. They get a key and discover that their lord is dead. We don’t read how they react. The actions and deliberations of the servants fit perfectly with the behavior of their lord. They belong to him and possess his spirit. The flesh has many expressions, but all these different expressions breathe the same spirit. It is always about satisfying the flesh.

The Victory of the People

After Ehud has won his victory, he calls on others to share his victory. He does not rest until the whole people have part in it. This is the true spirit of brotherly love. He is committed to others. He does not withdraw from the battle when he has done his part, but leads the army to finish the work.

How important it is to give others a good example. This is particularly true for an elder or overseer of whom we can see a picture in the judge. If the flesh has been radically dealt with by God’s Word, an elder or overseer can say “follow me”, and then show the believers the way to victory.

Any connection between Ehud and the enemy is broken. In our lives too, the world and the flesh must be dealt with openly and decisively. Only then will we have a lasting victory. The only crossing in the Jordan is occupied. The Israelites crossed the Jordan to enter the promised land. They could only cross the river at the place where the ark paved the way for the people. For us, the ark in the Jordan speaks of the death and resurrection of Christ through which we have gained a place in the heavenly places. This strategic point must be kept by the believers at all costs.

Eglon is very fat and so are many in his army. They are like him, for they are in his service and are fighting for the same cause. But they too must be killed. All the remains of the world and the flesh, the ten thousand “robust and valiant men”, die on the banks of the Jordan, the place that speaks of the death and resurrection of Christ. Moab is humiliated, not destroyed. The flesh remains an enemy as long as we live, but we must keep it in death.

The victory of Ehud has given the land eighty years of rest. As long as the sword, that is the Word of God, is active, there is rest. Although the period of rest is twice as long as the previous period of rest, this period also comes to an end, as we will see in the next chapter.