October 12, 2011
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...
