complete dependence upon the
Lord for all needed help this evening is to direct your very
prayerful attention to the book of the Judges chapter 3 and by
way of text verses 20 and 21 the book of the Judges chapter
3 and verses 20 and 21 and Ehud
came unto him and his eglon and he was sitting in a summer parlour
which he had for himself alone and Ehud said I have a message
from God unto thee and he arose out of his seat and Ehud put
forth his left hand and took the dagger from his right thigh
and thrust it into his belly and he had came unto him and
he was sitting in a summer parlour which he had for himself alone
and he had said I have a message from God unto thee and he arose
out of his seat and he had put forth his left hand and took
the dagger from his right thigh and thrust it into his belly Like some of you here, I attempt over the period of
a year, some years, to read through the scriptures daily, and usually
by October or November, we've reached the end of the Revelation. And a number of weeks ago, I
read through the Book of the Judges, and I came across this narrative here and it struck
me somewhat unusually and I could feel a sermon coming on because
friends in the book of the judges we do not have mere narrative
we don't have mere history but what we have before us is in
each case a story and a type and a picture of redemption. There were 12 judges over Israel
in the time that they had no king. This was a time of unsettled
and unrest and distress for the children of Israel but
in each case we notice that they never looked to the Lord from
whence come of their help they looked to almost anything but
and consequently they always fell into error And you know
it's always been that way, from that day to this. When we take
our eyes off that which the Lord has given us, whether it be the
Scriptures, the throne of grace, whenever we take our eyes away
from the honour and the glory of God, we fall into error and
here it was common practice for the children of Israel to
fall into the idolatrous practices of their neighboring countries. But you know despite all this
we see time after time that God raised up a map He raised up
a man to stand for them, to stand with them. And in each of these
12 judges we notice that wonderful picture, even in that number.
The number 12 representing the church, of course. There were
12 disciples. 12 twelves are 144. 144,000 representing
that great number of Christ's elect throughout all times and
in all generations. And the mercy of God and the
mercy of God unto Israel and the mercy of God today unto His
Church is truly astounding. We began to read at chapter 2
in verse 14 and we read, and the anger of the Lord was hot
against Israel. in verse 20 of the same chapter. And the anger of the Lord was
hot against Israel. In chapter 3, in verse 8, therefore
the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel. And in verse
12, which is the beginning of this narrative that we shall
consider, We read, and the children of Israel did evil again in the
sight of the Lord. And bear this in mind, you know
often we read the Scriptures and we don't really take in what
has been said. I'm as guilty of that as anybody
here. I say this to myself as much
as to anybody else. but you know they'd only just
been delivered through Othniel and how soon they did evil in
the sight of the Lord and you know we read something here that
doesn't sit well with many people but it's a truth we read that
the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord
and we read and the Lord strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against
Israel and you know it can be that way the Lord can strengthen heathen
men I'm not saying that they are converted men absolutely
not or become converted men there's no sign or record of that at
all in respect of Eglon we have to remember that God's
purpose is always to his church that is why this world continues
it continues for the benefit of his elect But you know, through our own
sin, as He is through Israel's sin, we might just cause the
Lord to strengthen one of our enemies. And here we read that
He strengthened Eglon, the king of Moab, against Israel. It tells you why, because they
had done evil in the sight of the Lord. and we read that he
gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek and went
and smote Israel and possessed the city of palm trees and what
took place then? he took the children of Israel
into captivity as slaves so the children of Israel served Eglon
the king of Moab 18 years and this was hard labour you imagine working for a despot king like
this in the Middle East but you are seeing all these
things as a purpose, isn't there? you see the Lord doesn't punish
his people, he doesn't ever punish them He chastens them. And here is the difference. His purpose was towards Israel,
so he chastened them. Because we read then, But when
the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised
them up a deliverer. you see the Lord will have his
people call upon him and when they fall into sin which God's
people do or can then you know that doesn't need to be outward
things we don't need to be found to be adulterers or open liars
you know to be an open sin sin's in here it's part of who and
what we are When you talk to the world about sin and sinners,
they think simply in terms of external things. Well, external
things, of course, are sin. But the sin's in here. And we
have to come continually before the Lord in repentance. Continually
before Him. Continually looking to Christ.
Because as soon as we look away from Christ, we fall into idolatry
even in our own heart. We don't need to worship items
of stone. We can make idols of all kinds
of things. Not just the idolatry that Israel
was prone to fall into. But you see, He would have His
people call upon Him. And this is how gracious the
Lord is. Because when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord,
the Lord raised them up a deliverer. Now that word earlier in the
chapter, we can see Artheniel when he was raised up a deliverer,
that word means saviour. And here we have a type and a
picture of Christ. Each of the judges are types
of the Lord Jesus. And this is what I mean about
Christ being found in all the Scriptures. Don't listen to these
people that tell you that there's no such thing as the church in
the Old Testament. Friends, Christ is everywhere
within the Scripture. And we rejoice in that because
this is a precious truth. The church did not simply begin,
friends, in the acts of the apostles. The church is from Adam unto
the nasty vessel of mercy is called home. This is the gospel
that we preach. This is the truth that we preach. So he raised up Edelebra. And this man's name was Ehud. Ehud, the son of Gerah, a Benjaminite. A man, it says, left-handed.
If you have a Bible with a margin in it, it will say, shut of his
right hand. Now, some commentators believe
that Ehud did not have a right hand. Others simply believe he
did not have the use of it. We're not altogether sure, but
we do know at least he had no use of his right hand. It's interesting
here, this man had what we would today call a disability. And the Lord, if you notice,
particularly in the Old Testament, has raised up for his use in
his work and for his honour and glory several men that had disabilities
I think of Naaman the leper and there's been others, Mephibosheth
there have been others that were raised up for the Lord's honour
and glory that had, naturally speaking, disabilities and in
some cases of course men would be despised for having such things
but you see the Lord is not limited is he? in any respect and the
Lord will use whom he pleases so here we find this man Ehud
whose name I believe means united we have to remember names in
biblical times have greater meanings than what they have today often
told you a lot about a man's character or the family that
he was from this man's name means united again that type of Christ
bringing together God and his people Israel and we read here and by him the
children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon king of Moab Eglon's
name I believe means calf-like as in a cow but he who had made him a dagger
which had two edges of a cubit length and he did gird it under
his raiment upon his right thigh He brought him a dagger. He made
a dagger of two edges. Notice that. Two edges. These things are not in the scripture
by accident. They're there for a reason. And
of course, your mind may go to as mine went to Hebrews 4 when
it speaks of the gospel of God's grace being quick, powerful,
and sharper than any two-edged sword. And you know, it's always
been that way. What is this saying? That the gospel of grace has
two sides. And that the preaching of the
gospel always has two effects. We have to come back to this.
I know perhaps I'm repeating old ground, but we have to come
back to this where we find it in the scripture. This is very
prominent. Law and Gospel. Law and Gospel. Law and Gospel. And the effect
is that it proves to be a saver of life unto life, and it proves
to be a saver of death unto death. And it's always been that way. This is what the gospel does
you see. Here Israel had been raised up a deliverer. This man
Ehud who would come with a dagger in his hand. And we find and read of a most
amazing providence. We read that he did gird it under
his rim and upon his right thigh he hid it under his clothes and he brought the present unto
Eglon the king of Moab and Eglon was a very fat man you see this
was a man who lived in luxury we don't read exactly why he
was fat but in the scripture details this for a reason we
know certainly he had wealth, he had many servants and here we read and when he
had made an end to offer the present he sent away the people
that bear the present now this is amazing because here this
man Ehud who had been kept as a slave probably for the whole
of the duration of the 18 years, had been brought before the king,
he had come before the king, and he hadn't even been searched. Now, again, some things, you
know, they never change, do they? There's nothing new under the
sun. If you or I were to go to Buckingham Palace, and we were
to bring with us a dagger, we would be searched, most likely,
and it would be discovered, almost certainly. it was the same in
those days, they didn't have the technology they had having
these days, but you would be searched and this would be discovered
and would likely be punishable by death certainly here, not
today but certainly here for an attempted assassination upon
the king's life but you see God was working here and in the providence
of God Ehud went through all of these gods, and he came
before the king. Nobody will close the door of
providence if God opens it. And if God closes it, nobody
will open it. And it's too simply. That simple. What do we read here? But he himself turned again from
the quarries that were by Gilgal and said, I have a secret errand
unto thee, O king, who said keep silence. And all that stood by
him went out from him. And Ehud came unto him. So everyone
else was sent away. This is another amazing truth.
Ehud came unto him. and he was sitting in a summer
parlour notice the margin says a parlour of cooling the atmosphere
was very hot which he had for himself alone and Ehud said I have a message
from God answer me Ehud knew what he got to do and you know we see another amazing
providence here this fat king arose out of his seat it would
be unlikely for the king to arise out of his seat or for many so
called important people it would be unheard of for the king to
rise out of his seat for a slave man but you know we have to remember
this for heathen men around them, they'd heard of the God of Israel
and they'd heard what the God of Israel could do and he arose
out of his seat and many think that the king here was arising
in excitement, in anticipating of some great message he expected
to be flattered you see But what we have was a great
surprise and he had put forth his left hand and he took the
dagger from his right thigh and thrust it into his belly. This
was the message that God had brought. This was a message of death and it was a message
of deliverance. It was a message of death for
the Moabites and for the king of Moab and for the ways of heathendom
but it was a message of deliverance for the children of Israel who'd
cried unto their God we read he took the dagger from
his thigh and thrust it into his belly and the haft also went
in after the blade and the fat closed upon the blade that he
could not draw the dagger out of his belly and the dirt came
out. The whole of the dagger went
in to this king's belly. And we read another remarkable
providence. Then Ehud went forth through
the porch and shut the doors upon him and locked them. And when he was gone out his
servants came And when they saw that, behold, the doors of the
parlour were locked, they said, surely he covereth his feet in
his summer chamber. In other words, that the king
is in there and he is relaxing, he is enjoying himself, we dare
not disturb him. We dare not disturb him. God often uses some strange providences
in life. to deliver his people and that's
exactly what happened here and you know in these situations
the Lord was at work and the children of Israel those
of whom were dependent upon Ehud the deliverer to come they didn't
have a hand in it, did they? and you know that's exactly how
it is with God's people when the Lord raises up a providence
situation to vindicate his people often
they never have a hand in it and it goes right to the root
of the matter the case of salvation you and I We did not have a single
hand in it. It is all the work of grace.
It is all the work of God. But we look on. And we praise God for His free
grace and for His mercy unto us. But these men here, we read,
they tarried till they were ashamed. they realised something was wrong
and they were likely to be in trouble and behold he opened
not the doors of the parlour the king didn't come out therefore
they took a key and opened them and behold their lord was fallen
down dead on the earth notice this lord small l a lot of people trust in lords
with a small l This world trusts in a lord with a small L. These people did here. This was
the man that they looked to. This was their great leader.
And there he was, down dead, in front of them. No sign of
the dagger. No sign of Ehud, this slave man. because what do we read and this
is a further remarkable providence and Ehud escaped while they tarried
and passed beyond the quarries and escaped unto Sirath whilst
they were the guards closest to him were waiting outside the
king's chamber this gave opportunity for Ehud to escape and lead the
people away how remarkable and further we
don't know quite how many guards there were but he escaped beyond
the quarries there would have been further guards he remained
undetected and escaped under Sirath And it came to pass, when
he was come, that he blew a trumpet on the mountain of Ephraim, and
the children of Israel went down with him from the mountain, and
he before them. And he said unto them, Follow
after me, for the Lord hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into
your hand. And they went down after him
and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab and suffered not
a man to pass over. And they slew of Moab at that
time about 10,000 men all lusty and all men of valor and there
escaped not a man. Absolute vindication here for
the children of Israel. So Moab was subdued that day.
under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore
years. Eighty years the Lord gave them
rest. And this case, this remarkable
providence has been taken down for our learning, for our instruction. And as a living testament to
the power of God because here we have that wonderful
picture of redemption by Christ to be brought out of absolute
bondage to be brought out of the judgment of God and under
the hand of Ehud to find favor with their God. You see the Lord
Jesus went to speak, and he speaks today
doesn't he, for his people at the right hand of God. He ever
liveth to make intercession for them. You see this is the blessing
of covenant love. You see the Father cannot and
will not refuse the righteousness of the Son And he who went out, he spoke,
he was an advocate for the people. The Lord raised him up, a deliverer. And he delivered Israel from
their enemies. These people who had abused them. These people who had misused
them. What was the result? Well, they were all slew every
single one of them and there is escape not a man this was the heathen and you
know at the end of time the world will prove that text
there is escape not a man there is no escape from the day of
judgment and there's no escape for the
enemies of God they may think that they have their way but they don't and they won't I was in discussion here I may
have mentioned this to you I apologize if I have previously I was in
discussion here with our pastor upon the writer Christopher Hitchens
a well-known atheist he was we were speaking of his writing and Mr Sampson said to me, he
says, well he knows now doesn't he? he knows now it's a solemn
thought but all these people that despise the God of Israel and the Israelites They couldn't
boast of being great people, but the Lord had mercy upon them.
And the Lord showed them the truth. He brought them into the
truth. And they were vindicated under
Ehud. And the land had rest for 80
years. Notice that this is double the
period of rest that they had under Othniel. another remarkable
providence because we read at each time in the book of the
judges that they fell into idolatry we can see with a heavier and
a worse degree but the Lord gave them twice the mercy four score
years of peace in the land of course after Ehud's death we read that the children of
Israel and further along the children of Israel fell into
bad ways and the Jeremiah, Isaiah and the other prophets speak
at length about what they did but you see this always remains
an encouragement to God's people that A terrible, idolatrous,
backsliding man or woman can find mercy. Those who have seen
the truth and have fallen into ungodly ways, unrighteous ways,
idolatrous ways can find mercy. And He heard them. The Lord heard
them when they cried unto Him. and He raised them up, He Deliverer.
Now the times of the Judges, the times of the Apostles and
the times of the Prophets is gone. And we have had the Great
Deliverer. And all these things point to
the Great Deliverer. That is Jesus Himself. They are
all part of that great administration which is fulfilled in Christ. This is the Gospel in the Old
Testament, isn't it? That the Lord raised Israel a
Deliverer and there is a Deliverer today. Redemption is found today. This is the theme, isn't it,
of this whole book of the Judges and of this chapter in particular.
We sang of it. One of my friends at Garstang,
we sang that as his baptism. Now I have found the ground wherein
my anchor still shall firm remain, the wounds of Jesus for my sin
before the world's foundation slain. This is the truth. Redemption.
To win back. To redeem. It means to win back. to bring back,
to reconcile them. And this is what the Lord does
with the very vilest of sinners. And Ehud came unto him and he
was sitting in a summer parlour which he had for himself alone.
And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose
out of his seat. And Ehud put forth his left hand
and took the dagger from his right thigh and thrust it into
his belly. Amen.