God Uses Left-Handed People!

October 12, 2011,

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Judges 3:12-30

ESV

12 And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done what was evil in the sight of the Lord. 13 He gathered to himself the Ammonites and the Amalekites, and went and defeated Israel. And they took possession of the city of palms. 14 And the people of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.

15 Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord, and the Lord raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud, the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. The people of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab. 16 And Ehud made for himself a sword with two edges, a cubit in length, and he bound it on his right thigh under his clothes. 17 And he presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man. 18 And when Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the people who carried the tribute. 19 But he himself turned back at the idols near Gilgal and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” And he commanded, “Silence.” And all his attendants went out from his presence. 20 And Ehud came to him as he was sitting alone in his cool roof chamber. And Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you.” And he arose from his seat. 21 And Ehud reached with his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly. 22 And the hilt also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not pull the sword out of his belly; and the dung came out. 23 Then Ehud went out into the porch and closed the doors of the roof chamber behind him and locked them.

24 When he had gone, the servants came, and when they saw that the doors of the roof chamber were locked, they thought, “Surely he is relieving himself in the closet of the cool chamber.” 25 And they waited till they were embarrassed. But when he still did not open the doors of the roof chamber, they took the key and opened them, and there lay their lord dead on the floor.

26 Ehud escaped while they delayed, and he passed beyond the idols and escaped to Seirah. 27 When he arrived, he sounded the trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim. Then the people of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he was their leader. 28 And he said to them, “Follow after me, for the Lord has given your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” So they went down after him and seized the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites and did not allow anyone to pass over. 29 And they killed at that time about 10,000 of the Moabites, all strong, able-bodied men; not a man escaped. 30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest for eighty years.

I often point to Ehud as a favorite Biblical figure of mine, purely because he was left-handed. Hey, there's not too many of us southpaws in the world, so when you find one more, you consider them a kindred spirit of sorts.

Up until recently in history, being left-handed was considered a sort of disability. Parents would try to force their children to become right-handed by making them write, eat, and do everything else with the right hand.

Ehud's name means "strong," but ironically, his left-handedness was considered a weakness. In fact, the Hebrew words that we translate as "left-handed" literally mean "hindered in the right hand."

How wonderful is it, then, that God used Ehud, perceived weaknesses and all, to deliver His people from Moab's rule?!

God used Ehud's left-handedness specifically in this covert operation, a sort of Old Testament "Mission Impossible" scenario. Any "normal," right-handed warrior would keep his weapon hidden on the left leg, to reach for it with the right hand. Ehud kept his dagger strapped to his right leg, and Eglon never saw it coming. The very thing was perceived as a weakness, when used by God, became the strength that delivered the people of Israel.

God hasn't changed. He still uses people today, and He uses us as we are. Yes, He's given us strengths that He works through for His glory, but He also works through our weaknesses for His glory. Whatever it is that God has called (or, perhaps, is calling?) you to do, rest assured that He took into account both your strengths and your weakness when He called you. He's not unaware of your weaknesses, nor did He somehow fail to factor them into the scenario. He calls us as we are--strengths and weaknesses--then empowers us to do His will. He only asks that we make ourselves available to Him, to be used according to His will.

God didn't try to turn Ehud into a right-handed warrior; He used his left hand to deliver Israel--and He can use you, too--just as you are--if you'll allow Him to do so.

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