Deliverance

Text: Judges 3:14–15 “So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years. 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 left handed: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.”

In their conquest by Joshua many strong holds of the Canaanite where left to conquer by the individual tribe in their divisions.

This is the period of Judges, obedience bring victory and dis-obedience brings defeat, which is seen through out the entire book. obedience to the law brings peace, hope, victory while disodeiance brings oppression, defeat, death.

We all have a battle to fight especially in our own being. God saved us He did not give the old man a new nature he gave us a new nature, PTL. That old man runs runs diametrically (completely, directly in opposition to our new nature).

a. A battle without - flesh, Devil, world, temptations.

b. A battle within - Old Adam, old man.

5. Righteousness - not just a robe wrapped around us, but we are declared righteous before God. We in obedience do not have to be in bondage to this old flesh. Possible no victory because not saved, possible no victory because dis-obedience. This new nature is a fighter, feed it well!

I. Eglon: Type of the flesh, natural mans state. Flesh feeders.

Jezaebel eaten by the very dogs she feed every day

Judges 3:17–20 “And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man. And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the people that bare the present. 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. 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.”

A. We must get our private life right before we can get our public life effective.

B. Listen flesh wants to be in-charge. it Is Never satisfied with what it has.

Our thoughts, decisions, desires, direction, etc. No matter how much we pray, read, preach does not change what the flesh wants. Listen flesh is never satisfied, it always wants to be in charge. It hates God and loves itself. No matter how much you feed it, yield to, it will always want MORE. Talk of greed, he loves himself. His eye is never satisfied, never full, like a drug addict-more.

C. Being saved did not convert the flesh this is way gave us our new nature!

II. Ehud: Flesh Defeater: Intolerant with fellowship with it. So is God.

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

A. One must be decisive about direction: we cannot continue with trying to get these two to fellowship. Light will not run with darkness, comprende? We are no longer going to serve and live for it.

B. World; it preaches we tolerate everything except, The Bible, Separation, God, only Christ. WE MUST BATTLE THE FLESH, Ideal you cannot be!

C. Half hearted folks have to worst time selling out.

James 3:5–10 “Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.” But to be single minded

III. Weapon Choice: Dagger with two Edges (Type of the Word of God)

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.”

Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged 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.”

1. IT IS POWERFUL, SHARP AND QUICK (ALIVE).

2. IT IS A DISCERNER.

3. SPEAKS TO THE HEART. READ THE BIBLE, IT WILL SPEAK TO YOU!

4. GOD STRENGTHEN HIM: POWER IN THE SPIRIT OF GOD, TO DO THINGS YOU COULD NOT DO!

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.”

A. We cannot defeat the flesh with battling it, must fight it with the Word of God, great weapon of choice.

B. Planned to use it. Their land probable would make it unavoidably and even Illegal to have weapons. Seen that with Saul and Johnathan the only ones in the land to have a sword.

C. He did not play around, he struck it deep. Stop playing around. It said “...the dirt came out.” Cleans us up!

Judges 3:22 “And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out.”

Note: are we satisfied not living in Victory. Salvation, Holy Spirit, Word of God, God in us.