Man Sees The Limitations, God The Opportunities

MAN SEES THE LIMITATIONS, GOD SEES THE OPPORTUNITIES.

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes)

TEXT: 1 Corinthians 1:27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.

WHAT ARE WE TEACHING OTHERS?

I recently heard the story of a German shepherd that was expecting little ones. She ran out in front of a car and injured her back legs. The doctor said she would heal but it would take a long time. The dog had her litter of puppies.

When their eyes were open, the mother loved the puppies. As the mother walked she would drag her hind legs behind her and pull with her front legs. The owner observed the puppies as they learned to get around. All of the puppies were dragging their rear legs. The owner feared they had been injured in the accident. The vet x-rayed them and he found there was nothing wrong with them. They had full use of their rear legs. The vet explained, they watched their mom drag her rear legs and their actions were learned by observing the momma German shepherd. WHAT EXAMPLE OF FAITH ARE WE TEACHING?

GOD RAISES UP THE SECOND JUDGE OF ISRAEL IN A TERRIBLE DARK DAY OF OPPRESSION. GOD’S PLAN TAKES WHAT MANY CONSIDER THE WEAK… TO DO THE GREAT. GOD HAS A PLAN IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING. GOD‘S PLAN: GOD HAND PICKS THE MOST UNLIKELY HERO. VICTORY COMES THROUGH THE WEAK.

Judges 3:12 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD.

Judgment comes. KING EGLON RULED MOAB AND WAS VERY MEAN TO ISRAEL. EGLON RULED JERICHO. EGLON ABUSED ISRAEL AND HE SEEMED TO BE PROPSPERING. IN ISRAEL’S SUFFERING THEY BEGAN TO CRY TO GOD IN THEIR SUFFERING. The people of Israel cry out to God: PLEASE SEND A DELIVERER. The smallest tribe of Israel was BENJAMIN. There is a left-handed man named EHUD. 18 years Israel became slaves.

Remember, Ehud the left handed was considered a handicap as it was a token of unworthiness and unskilled. KING EGLON WAS OPPRESSIVE FOR 18 YEARS.

Judges 3:13 And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees. 14 So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.

Weakness of left hand… GOD SHARES HIS GLORY WITH NO ONE.

Judges 3:15 But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.

EGLON --- EHUD… DAGGER ON RIGHT SIDE BECAME AN ADVANTAGE.

Judges 3:16 But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh. 17 And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man.

EHUD HAD A SECRET… EGLON MEET GOD’S MAN. --- EHUD HAD A MESSAGE FROM GOD… IN PRIVATE

Judges 3:19 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.

GOD IS SENDING OUT A CLEAR MESSAGE. LET US RETURN TO GOD AND BE WILLING TO BE USED OF GOD.

Judges 3:20 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. 21 And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly:

DELIVERANCE COMES… THE YOKE BREAKS--- THE LORD

Judges 3:24 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. 25 And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the doors of the parlour; therefore they took a key, and opened them: and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth. 26 And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Seirath. 27 And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before them.