A Secret Message Made Public: Part 2 of 2

by John Lowe
(Laurens SC, USA)

The Hebrew text, according to some scholars, suggests he was left-handed only by necessity. That is, he was crippled in the right hand, and had to depend upon his left hand. Consequently, he is left-handed.

It may be that Ehud was selected by the children of Israel to take the tribute (money) each year to king Eglon for this reason. His condition did not pose a threat to king Eglon. A strong warrior probably would not make it back from king Eglon.
Ehud had to put faith in God to make such a trip to king Eglon each year. Ehud, because of his crippled condition, had to depend upon the strength of the Lord. The Bible says, “God raised up Ehud for such a time to be the Deliverer.” God uses people who will depend upon Him.

If we are to know deliverance from bondage from whatever it may be, we must learn to trust the Lord. As long as we are trying to turn over a new leaf, reforming ourselves, and trying to improve ourselves, we will continue in defeat and bondage to our crippling addiction.

WE NEED DELIVERANCE FROM GOD and we must depend upon God for His deliverance. SO, DELIVERANCE IS CONNECTED TO PRAISE AND WORSHIP AND TO DEPENDENCE ON GOD.

Last, and certainly not least, Deliverance is connected with the WORD OF GOD.

Verse 16 says that Ehud “made himself a dagger.” It was double-edged, and a cubit (18 inches) long. Most people were not making daggers; they were making themselves comfortable with a
life of bondage. Deliverance from bondage will require a violent take-over. Many people are not ready for such messy things as that. But, Ehud was working on a something to turn the tables. A secret weapon was being crafted by Ehud. Ehud had been working on this secret weapon for quite a while.

I can imagine us getting close to where Ehud lived and we could hear in the darkness...somewhere there’s metal upon a grinding stone. Ehud preparing a dagger. I can also imagine the thoughts that went through Ehud’s mind; as he brought the tribute each year, he was thinking of how could he do this? How could Eglon be destroyed?

Can’t you see Ehud behind his house practicing? Look at him reaching with his left hand down to grasp the dagger from his right thigh and thrust it forward. He practices again and again and again until every move is perfected. Ehud no doubt had a target in his backyard, and every time he passed this target he thought of King Eglon. You can see him pulling the dagger ever so quickly. Ehud, the fastest dagger in the Middle East.

Then the day comes. He has practiced every move and now comes the actual moment. All that he has learned, he will now execute. The application of his skills and talents with his dagger will now be used for God’s honor and glory.

So now the day had come. Ehud had the job of taking the tribute to Eglon’s palace. Ehud along with some other men did this each year, so it was nothing new. After delivering the tribute, Ehud and his men returned toward home. Just a little way from the city, Ehud bids his friends farewell and returns back to the king’s palace. Ehud lets the kings’ servants know that he had a secret message for the king.

Inside Ehud says “I have a secret message for you, king Eglon.” King Eglon sends everyone out of the room. Only Ehud and the king are left in the summer parlor. The king was sitting privately in his cool chamber. I have looked at several texts and it appears that the king was sitting on the pot. Ehud knew this would be a good time...the king was vulnerable. Ehud says, “King I have a secret message for you.” King Eglon leans over to receive the message into his ear, but failed to see the flashing of metal, and with one mighty blow...he was history! A premeditated blow! A planned assassination! The fatal blow was so quick and powerful that the dagger went completely to the other side of his body. The handle was also enclosed by the body fat. From the wound gushed forth his intestines and its contents. A horrible sight! The stench filled the room!
, Ehud leaves the king’s chambers. He locks the door which is made to appear like the king had it locked. Eglon’s servants see Ehud leaving and return and find the door locked. They thought, well he is still relieving himself. You don’t just bang on the bathroom door of the king. They waited and waited and waited. They were so embarrassed that they took a key to unlock the door. They found their master on the floor...dead!

Meanwhile, Ehud had escaped beyond the stone images and into the mountains of Ephraim. He blew a trumpet and rallied all Israel to fight against the Moabites. That day they killed 10,000 Moabites, all stout men of valor; not a man escaped. For 80 years the land had rest. Bondage to king Eglon had ended. Deliverance had come. Ehud was faithful in using his secret weapon, his dagger.

He had a secret message for the king. That secret message was the sword. There is no sword like the sword of the Lord.

Later in the book of Judges, the story of Gideon is about the sword of the Lord. That dagger (or sword) of Ehud represents to us the sword of the Lord, which is the WORD OF GOD!

Hebrews 4:12 states, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

And Ephesians 6:17 says, “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.”

There needs to be more Ehud’s. More deliverers are needed in our day. What that lost person needs is deliverance from Satan.
Satan is that fat bull of Moab. He won’t let lost people get saved without a fight.

Many Christians have played with the world and have allowed themselves to become addicted to evil habits. Addiction is not only a problem with the unbelievers. There are Christians bound to some kind of addiction. There are folks addicted to pornography. Some are addicted to gambling. Some are addicted to some pleasures that keep them away from church. Some folks are addicted to TV. I heard of a person who had to quickly leave a funeral of their relative because of a certain show that was coming on TV. Some folks are addicted to violent behavior, or abusive behavior. Then of course there are the drugs and alcohol addiction. And don’t forget folks who are addicted to their work. How we need some Ehud’s who will allow the Word of God to become a sharp weapon that they will be ready to use.

I know we described a violent act, a messy act, something very gruesome and very unpleasant to think about. The Word of God does a violent thing to the flesh. It cuts, it divides, and it does great damage to the flesh. There will never be peace for the unbelieving world. And if you walk with the Lord Jesus, and walk in His Word you will never know peace in the world until Jesus comes. You can have peace in your heart, but the world will not allow you to know peace.

Jesus said in Matthew 10:34-36 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law agaist her mother-in-law;” and a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.”

There are many who are kicked out of the family for becoming a Christian. Persecution, hardships, torture and death are still going on in the world against Believers. This world will not take to the WORD OF GOD. The flesh (old nature) of the unsaved person will not enjoy it.

The Secret Message that must be made public is this; “There is deliverance in the Lord God.”

Verse 28 says, “Follow me for the LORD has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand”

There is deliverance in Jesus! May the Lord help us to blow the trumpet? Make public this great news...there is deliverance in Jesus! Like Ehud, may God help us to swiftly share God’s Word from our hearts to a desperate world? May God help us to quickly display it and make application of the sword of the Spirit in every situation?

The Word of God will work at the cradle of the newborn.

The Word of God will work in the life of that young child.

It will work in the teenage years.

It will work in the young adult years.

It will work in the newlywed years.

It will work in the family life.

It will work in the business life.

It will work in the workplace, the schoolhouse, the courthouse, and in the White House. So many need to be set free.

Jesus said in John 8:31, 32 “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” There are so many who are in bondage. The message is powerful! It has been a secret for too long in the lives of many folks, and maybe you are here today and you have allowed God’s Word to be a secret in your life. It needs to be made public. You need to face that Eglon in your life. You need to be bold like Ehud and bring a death blow to that Eglon that keeps you in bondage. You need to make application of what you already know to be true. Lost person, unsaved, outside of the saving grace of God, you need to apply what you already know to be true.

Jesus took those death blows upon the cross. He took your sins so that you might know real freedom. You don’t have to carry those sins anymore. You don’t have to carry that guilt any longer! The children of Israel were in Bondage for 18 years, but you don’t have to be in bondage to Satan any longer, because Jesus came to set you free!

Amen.

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