Judges 3
Ehud, the left handed Warrior's Thoughts
My job: take the monthly payment to the king of Moab.
We'd lived as slaves to the king of Moab for eighteen years. Our land, our food, our lives belonged to him. At long last, the Israelites cried to God for help.
One day, God gave me the perfect idea to end our slavery. Today was the day to carry out His plan.
I dressed in my best tunic, as a representative who visited a king would, and journeyed to the palace in Jericho. The king had grown fat during these eighteen years while we starved. His wide belly and legs wouldn't let him walk far and forced him to spend most of his time in his bedchamber.
Can you imagine a king allowing a slave to enter his bedchamber?
The gatekeeper saw me leading the carts toward the city and opened the gate. He ordered a guard to escort me to the king's bedchamber then another guard to take the carts.
"Your Majesty, the representative from the Israelites is here."
He grunted like a pig as he sat up in bed. "Send him in."
I stepped forward and bowed. "Your Majesty, I brought the payment due."
He yawned. "I hope the food is better than last time. The meat did not taste well. No, not at all."
I couldn't force myself to look at his fat face another minute, so I looked to the floor. "I'm sorry. We seek to please your lordship with our best."
He groaned then burped. "Yes, yes. You may take your leave, now."
The guard grabbed my arm and turned me toward the door. I pressed my foot to the floor. "Your Majesty, I have a message from God for you."
He clapped his heavy hands together and smiled. "A message? Well, then, you may stay. Everyone else leave at once."
When the room emptied, except for the king and me, he smiled. "What is your message?"
I stepped closer to him. "God's message is--" I looked into his eyes and reached under my tunic with my left hand then whisked my double-edged dagger and shoved it deep into his belly. His fat flopped over the blade and shoved on my hand off the handle.
Before the soldiers returned, I left the blade, ran to the bedchamber door and locked it to make the guards think the king needed privacy to go to the bathroom then escaped through the porch.
When I arrived back at home, I blew the signal trumpet in the mountains for all the children of Israel to hear. All our soldiers met me in the secret place within moments. "Follow me, for the Lord has delivered your enemies, the Moabites into your hands."
I led them to the end of the Jordan river to prevent any Moabite soldier from escaping. With the Lord's help we fought the rest of the day to free the Promised land of the Moabites.
That night all of Israel worshiped the Lord before returning to our homes--not the caves we hid in to this day, but our homes. Thank you God.
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1. What did the children of Israel do that was right?
2. What is the left-handed warrior's name?
3. Why did he visit the Moabite king?
4. What did he have hidden?
5. What did he do with it?
6. What was his escape plan?
7. Why did the Lord help the Israelites?
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