Have you ever heard of the most perilous operation ever reported in the Bible? Do you know the name of the man who managed to accomplish it? His name is Ehud.
Let me tell you his story. His target is not an ordinary individual, but a king entrenched in the confines of his palace, encircled and protected by a multitude of guards. This target is Eglon, the king of Moab.
Why? Why would one man alone wish to take such a risk? And what is his role in accomplishing this mission?
. . .
He is part of a category of people in history known as "judges". However, this term does not fully convey the meaning of their role. In Hebrew, this word means "conciliator" or "problem solver".
So, it could be said that he is part of a select group of privileged individuals whose mission is to save God's people from themselves and others. A judge is characterized by what he has achieved. In the Book of Judges, chapter 3, Ehud embarks on one of the riskiest operations ever recorded.
How did it get to this in Israel? Well, it all began during the time of the previous judge, in the time of Othniel. You see, after their exodus from Egypt, the Israelites cohabited with the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
Judges 3 verses 6 to 7. 6They took their daughters for wives, they gave their own daughters to their sons, and they served their gods. 7The children of Israel did what displeased the Lord, they forgot the Lord, and they served the Baals and the idols.
They have forsaken their God. Their integration into the pagan nations around them is partly due to the sin they committed by marrying these people. These unholy unions led them to worship false pagan gods like the Baals and the idols of Astarte.
Astarte was the name of a fertility goddess, and the wooden object of worship dedicated to her. Astarte was usually represented by a tree trunk devoid of branches planted in the ground, on which was often carved a symbol representing the goddess. Because of its association with these carved trees, Astarte's places of worship were commonly called "poles", and the Hebrew term "Asherah" (plural "Asherim") could refer to both the goddess and the sacred pole.
One of Manasseh's crimes was to "place the image, literally the carved pole of Astarte that he had made, in the temple" (2 Kings 21:7). After Joshua's death, the worship of Astarte spread among the descendants of Israel. Because of their incomplete conquest of Canaan, the nation was compromised.
They did not listen to the Word of God. At first, they fought the pagan culture of the Canaanites, then they feared it, and finally they cohabited peacefully with it. When you live next to something for long enough, it becomes normal.
God continually invites people to be distinct. God's standard for His people was that they be different from the surrounding nations. Unfortunately, they did not obey.
How could they stand out if they worshiped the same idols as these nations? They were corrupted with the worship of Astarte. Devotion to Astarte was reputed for its sensuality, and its rituals were contemptible and repulsive.
The children of Israel were forbidden to marry pagan people and practice pagan worship. Regrettably, they did not listen. God had warned them not to worship the gods of Canaan before their entry into the Promised Land!
Despite His clear instructions, idolatry became a problem for His people. God absolutely hates idolatry. It attracts His wrath on those who participate in it; it defiles and pollutes people and the earth.
Judges 3 verse 8: 8The anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and He sold them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim, king of Mesopotamia. And the children of Israel served Cushan-Rishathaim for eight years. God gave His people exactly what they desired.
Since they refused to serve Him, He consented to them being subject to a pagan king. They only reaped the fruit of their actions. Sin has consequences.
Eight years. It was only after long periods of servitude that 9the children of Israel cried out to the LORD, and the LORD raised up a deliverer for them who saved them, Othniel son of Kenaz (Judges 3 verse 9). There comes a time in life when everyone realizes their inability to free themselves by their own means.
Israel took eight years to come to this realization. Thankfully, when they cried out to the LORD, He raised up a deliverer to save them. This deliverer was Othniel, Ehud's predecessor.
Verse 10: 10The spirit of the LORD was upon him, and he judged Israel; he went out to war, and the LORD delivered Cushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Cushan-Rishathaim. 11The land had rest for forty years. Then Othniel son of Kenaz died.
Regrettably, the cycle continued. Did they learn from the past? Did they persist with the one who redeemed them?
No, once again, verse 12, 12The children of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD strengthened Eglon king of Moab against Israel, because they had done what was evil in the sight of the LORD. 13He gathered to himself the Ammonites and the Amalekites, and he went and defeated Israel; and they took possession of the city of palms. 14So the children of Israel served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years.
First, 8 years. Then 18 years. They made a major mistake.
Israel had strayed from dependence and obedience to the Eternal God. The Lord is the Judge. Their previous victory was not everlasting.
It needed to be maintained. They could not continue to rejoice in sin, for there are always consequences. Sin inevitably leads to enslavement.
Verse 15: 15The children of Israel cried out to the Lord, and the Lord raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud, son of Gera, a Benjamite, who could not use his right hand. His predecessor, Othniel, was from Judah, the strongest tribe of Israel, while Ehud was from Benjamin, now the smallest tribe. This illustrates that God can make use of both the great and the small, since the power comes from Him.
He was a man from a small tribe, an instrument of liberation. One point to remember is that he was left-handed. This detail will play an essential role in the success of his mission.
At that time, left-handers were often forced to become right-handers. For some, it was a physical imperfection, and it made Ehud an unusual person. This characteristic could prove useful.
Through him, the children of Israel offered a gift to Eglon, king of Moab, this opportunity came about by the grace of God. When his people denied God, he had every right to reject them definitively, however, when they finally called on him to be delivered, he answered their prayers. This is what led Ehud to this daring elimination of Eglon.
To prepare, he needed a weapon. He made one. Verse 16: 16Ehud made for himself a double-edged sword, a cubit long, and he girded it under his clothes on his right side.
If Ehud had been right-handed, his sword would have been worn on his left side. It was unusual to see a man handle a sword or dagger with his left hand, as most men fought with their right hand. That was their biggest mistake.
Ehud was an extraordinary man. The plan was in place. Finally, the fateful day arrived, a day that would change everything or cost him his life.
Israel was obliged to pay this tribute because it was subject to the king of Moab. Ehud presented himself to Eglon as an envoy or a message bearer. In Eastern countries, gifts, tributes, and other goods are offered with great fanfare.
Verses 17 to 19: "Now Eglon was a very fat man. 18When he had finished offering the gift, he sent away the people who had brought it. 19He himself returned from the quarries near Gilgal, and he said: O king!
I have something secret to tell you. The king said: Silence! And all those who were with him went out.
There was only the king and him left. In saying this, he did not distort the truth at all. The message was that those who persecute the people of God touch the apple of his eye, and they will have to answer for their actions.
It was at this time that he went to see him. Verse 20: 20Ehud approached him as he was sitting alone in his summer room, and he said: I have a word from God for you. Eglon rose from his seat.
21Then Ehud advanced his left hand, drew the sword from his right side, and thrust it into his belly. 22Even the handle went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not pull the sword out of his belly, and it came out behind him. 23Ehud went out through the porch, closed the doors of the upper room behind him, and locked them.
24When he had gone out, the king's servants came and looked; and behold, the doors of the upper room were locked. They said: No doubt he is covering his feet in the summer room. 25They waited a long time; and as he did not open the doors of the upper room, they took the key and opened, and behold, their master was dead, lying on the ground.
26While they were delayed, Ehud escaped, passed beyond the quarries, and escaped to Seirah. Whatever his skill, he was not capable of accomplishing this task alone. He absolutely needed brave and trustworthy men to join him and support him.
He was the leader, but to succeed, he needed volunteers. Would they be willing to follow him? Verse 27: 27As soon as he arrived, he blew the trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim.
The children of Israel came down with him from the mountain, and he led them. The leader cannot expect his followers to go where he does not want or has not been. He asked the Israelites to follow him since he was their leader.
He also encouraged them to turn with faith to the Lord by articulating to them in verse 28: Follow me, for the Lord has delivered the Moabites, your enemies, into your hands. They went down after him, seized the fords of the Jordan facing Moab, and let no one pass. 29At that time they struck about ten thousand men of Moab, all robust, all valiant, and not one escaped.
30On that day, Moab was humiliated under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest for eighty years. Thanks to his ingenuity and courage, as well as the unwavering support of his people, Israel enjoyed the longest period of tranquility.
Ehud remarkably illustrates how a man can make a difference through the Lord, and how God will call others to collaborate with this man to bring about change. Although this story is one of the most explicit in Scripture, it is also very edifying. The original readers would have seen God's power in this story for various reasons.
First, a single man penetrated the king's palace, eliminated him, and left without being arrested. This was a totally unexpected feat, involving huge risks. Secondly, a single battle changed the next 80 years of Israel's history.
Ehud's story goes beyond the elimination of a tyrant; it brings about a change in national history that impacted an entire generation. Thirdly, Ehud's success is a story of deliverance. Just as God delivered Israel from Pharaoh and Egypt when it cried out for help, God delivered Israel from its servitude under King Eglon when it turned to Him.
What can we learn by asking the question "Who was Ehud? " Ehud's actions provide a valuable insight into how God can change the destiny of a nation in a single day when He responds to his people's cries for help. Moreover, we see God faithful to His promise to assist Israel when it repents of its sins and turns to Him - a lesson still relevant today.
