Ehud And The Fat Man

I. Introduction

The story we are looking at this morning is in my opinion one of the wildest maybe one of the grossest stories in the Bible. In fact, the first time I heard it I said is that really in the Bible? We are looking at the second judge this morning in the book of Judges. The Judges’ name is Ehud. A friend of mine is a youth pastor in Winkler and I told him I was preaching on this passage this morning he got excited. He said one of his youth had wanted him to preach on this character, but he had not done it yet. This passage is a challenge to preach on because all the different commentaries have differing ideas and differing outcomes of this story. I want to point some those out to you, but I decided to look at one aspect of this story that can maybe speak to the more practical things on our lives today. But first, let you me tell you the story of Ehud in my words.

• The story starts out with the Israelite people falling back into their cycles of sin. They forgot the how God raised up Othniel to deliver them the last time they screwed up and worshiped other gods.

• Well they screwed up again and God allowed the King of Moab, King Eglon to become stronger and over –take the people of Israel and they became their slaves.

• So the Israelites screwed up and now are slaves of Kiln Eglon and his people.

• Once again the people of Israel called to God after this captivity went on for 18 years

• And once again God raised up a judge to deliver them, God raised up Ehud

• Now Ehud is from the Tribe of Benjamin and the Bible says he is left handed.

- This one little part about him being left handed is one of the causes of disagreement between theologians.

- Some say he was considered under privileged because he was left handed

- Some say he must have been deformed in his left hand

- So the sermon text could then be “God takes the weak and makes them strong” and that would work too!

- There are some that say he was ambidextrous, same strength in both hands.

- Some also point to Judges 20:16 that talks about the 700 men from the tribe of Benjamin who are called chosen men who were left handed and could not miss with their slings. Excellent fighters. So there is also good evidence that Ehud was one of these 700 warriors.

- Regardless, at the end of the day, despite all the opinions of the different theologians, we know that this guy is left handed!

• So the Israelites get Ehud to take a gift to King Eglon.

• Before Ehud goes to bring this gift he makes a sword with two edges that was 18 inches long and he attached it to his right tight under his clothes so it was concealed.

• When he arrives he presents the gift, the tribute to King Eglon.

• Now King Eglon is described as a very fat man.

• After Ehud had presented his gift to King Eglon, Ehud sent his team of people away that had helped him carry the gift for King Eglon.

• When he had sent his people away he turned back to the king and said I have a secret message for you.

• The King commanded silence and all of his attendants went out of the room.

• Ehud came up to the King who was sitting and they were up in his roof top chamber.

• Ehud said to King Eglon “I have a messaged from God for you”

• The King arose from his seat

• Ehud reached with his left hand and grabbed his dagger on his right tight and plunged it into the Kings belly.

• The Bible says the blade and handle went in and the kings fat covered it so that the knife could not be pulled out.

• Now here is where some of the story is lost in the translation.

• The NIV, The Message and others leave out the grouse part, but the Hebrew text would indicate that when he stabbed the King, the king’s poop came out of him. He soiled himself. The ESV and NASB translate it as dung, they bring out the gory details. The King James calls it dirt.

• Anyways, after Ehud does this, he escapes through the doors and locks them.

• After awhile, The King’s servants wonder where he is and go to the room, but they find the doors locked.

• The Nazarene Theologian Robert Branson says that maybe the smell of the King’s poop causes the servants to think that the King locked the door because he was relieving himself.