Ehud And The Fat Man

• Anyway, the Bible says that they did not disturb the King because they thought he was going to the washroom (that’s me putting into English)

• The servants waited a long time until it said they got embarrassed, but the doors still did not open.

• Finally they went to get a key, opened the door and found their King dead on the floor

• The story goes on to say that Ehud escaped while the servants delayed checking on their king.

• When he arrived back to his people he assembled the people by blowing a trumpet!

• He tells them to follow him for the Lord has given us our enemies in our hands.

• It says they went down and seized the strong holds and they killed 10,000 men.

- Now there is also some discrepancy here too!

- Some translate that these 10,000 men were strong and well able.

- Some translate that they were stout.

- My Nazarene Theologian friend says that these 10,000 men were all fat like their King, but they were strong

• The story ends with the Israelite people subduing their enemies And Judges 3:30 says that they had peace for 80 years.

Well what did you think of that story? Not your typical parable or story about Noah and the Ark, is it? I just want to look at this story briefly today and look at the implications for us. In all of this drama I see a group of people that realize they have sinned again and need help. I see a man that is ordained by God to help these people out of their predicament. Furthermore, I see a plan unfold and four steps to ensure this plan is successful, successful for the people of Israel. This same plan for success can work in our spiritual lives and also in our daily lives.

II. First, To be Successful, Ask God for Help

Judges 3:15 states:

Again the Israelites cried out to the LORD, and he gave them a deliverer

The people of Israel cried out for help. There was some memory, some recognition that God had delivered their forefathers before them and they cried out to Him. This was the first step. They asked God to help them.

We too need to make this the first step in our lives. We need to ask God to help us. Whether it is in our spiritual lives, in our work, in our financial decisions, with our families, if we want success we need to ask God for help. Period.

We can come to God in pray any time and ask Him for guidance. Even a short sentence when walking into a situation is a good first step. I often to that before a task or an event, I offer up a quick prayer as I am walking and ask God to guide my words and thoughts and ask for His leading. To be successful we need to ask God for help and His leading. He gave us prayer; we just need to do it.

III. Second, to be successful we need to utilize our strength

Judges 3:21 says: Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh and plunged it into the king’s belly.

Like I mentioned before, there was a special acknowledgement the Ehud was Left handed. Regardless whether Ehud was disabled in his right hand or was naturally left handed or was ambidextrous, we get the picture that Ehud had an advantage being left handed. For Ehud his left handedness was a strength for him. Maybe even the element of surprise with the attack coming from the left as opposed to the right was the strength that Ehud had. It seems like a small detail, but the Bible does mention it.