Ehud

-before I begin today I have to make a disclaimer. Lorie has asked that it be known that she holds no responsibility for me picking this story. This was not her choice, this was all me, just so you all know, don’t blame her if you don’t like the story.

-but today it’s my turn to tell my favorite Bible story.

-now I will warn you, this story is definitely my kind of story. For those that don’t know me, when I was a kid most of my life was spent watching Star Wars and playing hockey, so you can kind of guess what kind of story time we’re going to have.

-the story I picked is the story of Ehud and can be found in Judges 3:12-30. but I don't’ want to read it. Back when these stories would have happened the average person couldn’t read, these stories would have been passed on by people teaching their children or telling these stories around the fire at night, so I kind of want to do it like that. Sit back, imagine what’s going on.

-I should add, I believe the Bible is 100% true, so as a historical book, I believe this really happened just like it says it happened, so picture it in your mind as we go through it.

-our story begins as all stories in Judges begin, once again the Israelites do evil in the sight of the Lord, so someone comes in and conquers them. This time it’s the Moabites with their king, King Eglon. [SHOW JUD. 3:12 (NLT)]

-we know a few things about King Eglon. One, we know he was smart. He wanted to beat up the Israelites, God’s people. But they are not a weak little group of people, they own the world’s best land and know how to defend it, so he hires help. He gets the Ammonites, who hate the Israelites, and the Amalekites, who really hate the Israelites, and gets them all to gang up on Israel. So he’s a good military leader, and he manages to be over Israel for eighteen years. Smart man.

-we also know he’s rich because he demands a tribute from the Israelites. Also, in certain translations like NIV, verse 20 uses a term that translators aren’t too sure about, but they use the term summer palace. If the guy has more than one castle, he’s probably well off.

-but there’s one other way we know he’s rich and learn something about him. In verses 17 King Eglon is described as very fat. [SHOW JUD. 3:17 (NLT)] Now, in the Bible there is only one other person called fat, and he dies by falling back on his chair and breaking his neck. This guy is very fat. I mean Jabba the Hut fat. [SHOW PICTURE OF JABBA THE HUT] Except he’s a king [SHOW PICTURE JABBA WITH CROWN]

-so we pick up our story with the Israelites serving their eighteenth year and getting ready to give their tribute to Eglon. Now it says the people of Israel cried out to God for help and the Lord heard them and chose a man named Ehud. He is the son of Gera, he’s from the tribe of Benjamin and he’s left-handed. [SHOW JUD. 3:15 (NLT)] The only other thing we can guess is that he’s quite young because after he died the Israelites have troubles again, but that’s eighty years later.

-Ehud is given the job of taking Eglon his tribute, so he makes a small double-edged dagger and hides it under his clothes by strapping it to his right thigh. That’s important because what usually happened when another country came in and took over Israel they would take away their ability to make weapons. Ehud manages to make one in secret with improper tools.

-so Ehud and a handful of other people (because I’m guessing Ehud couldn’t carry all the gold himself). They deliver the treasure and leave, but on the way home Ehud leaves them and goes back to King Eglon’s palace by himself. He walks in and tells Elgon he has a secret message for him.

-King Eglon likes this idea so he tells everyone to leave him and Ehud alone. Ehud walks up to the king and says, “I have a message from God for you!” As King Eglon stands up, I’m guessing it was probably hard work for him since he was so big and needed to use his arms to push himself up out of his throne, anyway, as he works to stand up, Ehud takes the dagger strapped to his thigh and plunges it into King Eglon’s belly. But King Eglon is so fat the Bible says the king’s fat sucked in the dagger handle and all. [SHOW JUD. 3:21-22 (NIV)] [ACT OUT]