Ehud: When God Delivers Unexpectedly

Title: Ehud: The God Who Delivers in Unexpected Ways Passage: Judges 3:12–30 Theme: God brings salvation through unexpected means. Big Idea: God uses surprising people and strange methods to display His power and point us to His ultimate Deliverer, Jesus Christ.

“Sometimes the misery in our lives seems random, but Judges reminds us — even hardship is under the sovereign hand of God. That’s where we begin: with the misery Israel faced.”

I. Unexpected Misery

Judges 3:12–14 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.

Israel sins again, and God strengthens Moab — a nation that had no rightful portion in the land (Deut 2:9).

Israel is ruled from Jericho itself — the City of Palms, the very place of their first great victory.

The oppressors they once made tremble now enslave them for 18 years (cf. Num 22:3; Exod 15:15).

Romans 1:24–25 “24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.”

Hebrews 12:6 “6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.””

Application: Sin tolerated today will enslave tomorrow.

“In the midst of their misery, God’s people cried out. And in response, God didn’t send a mighty warrior or a seasoned commander — He sent a most unlikely man.”

II. Unexpected Man

Judges 3:15 ESV

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.

Ehud: a Benjaminite (“son of the right hand”) who is left-handed — literally “bound in the right hand.” Weak, overlooked, underestimated.

The king sees no threat; Ehud passes through security unchecked.

Unlike Othniel (3:10), no mention of “the Spirit of the Lord.” His very name means, “Where is the splendor?”

Cross Refs:

1 Corinthians 1:27 – God uses the weak to shame the strong.

2 Corinthians 12:9 – God’s power is made perfect in weakness.

Quote: Warren Wiersbe – “God can turn your weakness into strength if you will give it to Him.”

Application: God delights to use the unlikely. Don’t disqualify yourself because of weakness.

“And with this unlikely man came an unlikely mission — a tribute that looked like surrender, but was actually the first step toward deliverance.”

III. Unexpected Mission

Judges 3:15 ESV

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.

Israel sends tribute (מִנְחָה minḥâ) by his hand — a word usually used for offerings to God.

Paying tribute to a foreign king was not just financial oppression, but spiritual blasphemy: God alone is worthy of offerings.

Ehud carries this tribute with his “withered” hand, representing a conquered people.

Cross Refs:

Exodus 20:3 – “You shall have no other gods before Me.”

Matthew 6:24 – You cannot serve God and mammon.

Application: Be careful what you give your “offering” to — your money, time, and worship reveal your true allegiance.

“That mission carried more than silver and grain. It carried a message — not from Israel, but from God Himself.”

IV. Unexpected Message

Judges 3:16–22 ESV

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.

Ehud fashions a short, double-edged sword and conceals it.

At Gilgal — by the idols — he turns back and declares, “I have a message from God for you.”

That “message” comes in the form of the sword — God’s Word — bringing judgment.

Eglon, the “little bull,” is slaughtered like a fattened calf.

Cross Refs:

Hebrews 4:12 – God’s Word is sharper than any two-edged sword.

Isaiah 55:11 – God’s Word accomplishes what He sends it to do.

Illustration: The pen that looks ordinary but holds incredible power (like a hidden weapon). God’s Word seems ordinary, but it pierces hearts.

Application: Don’t underestimate God’s Word — it cuts, convicts, and brings life.

“And the way that message was delivered? No one saw it coming. God’s salvation often comes by methods that seem strange to us.”

V. Unexpected Method

Judges 3:21–26 ESV

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.

Stealth, surprise, and even deception.

The king’s guards assume their master is relieving himself — humiliation and delay aid Ehud’s escape.

God works through even awkward, embarrassing circumstances to accomplish His purposes.

Cross Refs:

Isaiah 55:8–9 – God’s ways are not our ways.

1 Corinthians 1:18 – The cross looks foolish, but it is the power of God.

Application: Don’t limit God to the methods you expect. His deliverance may come in surprising forms.

“But what looked like a desperate gamble became a decisive victory. God turned weakness into mastery, and through Ehud brought rest to His people.”

VI. Unexpected Mastery

Judges 3:27–30 ESV

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.

Ehud sounds the trumpet — now Israel follows.

10,000 strong Moabites fall — complete reversal.

Peace follows for 80 years — two generations.

Cross Refs:

Psalm 20:7 – Some trust in chariots, but we trust in the name of the Lord.

Romans 8:37 – We are more than conquerors through Him.

Application: Deliverance begins with one act of faith but calls God’s people to join in His victory.

“Yet Ehud was just a shadow, a hint of something greater. His victory points us to the ultimate Deliverer — the Lord Jesus Christ — who brings salvation in the most unexpected way of all: through the cross.”

VII. Unexpected Messiah

(Gal. 4:3–7; 1 Cor. 1:18–25; Heb. 4:15)

Ehud points us forward to a greater Deliverer: Jesus Christ.

The world mocked a crucified Messiah, yet salvation came by His pierced hands.

The weakness of the cross became the wisdom and power of God.

Cross Refs:

Galatians 4:4 – In the fullness of time, God sent His Son.

Hebrews 4:15 – Christ sympathizes with our weakness.

1 Corinthians 1:25 – The weakness of God is stronger than men.

Quote: John Stott – “The essence of salvation is God substituting Himself for man.”

Application: Trust in Christ — the ultimate unexpected Deliverer — who conquered sin, Satan, and death.

Closing Challenge

“Ehud reminds us that God delights in using the unexpected: a weak man, a hidden weapon, a humiliating escape — all to bring salvation. But the greater truth is this: at the cross, God brought the ultimate deliverance in the most unexpected way. Our Savior didn’t come with military might but in humility, weakness, and suffering. Yet through His death and resurrection, He secured eternal peace. Trust Him, follow Him, and rejoice in the God who delivers in unexpected ways.”

Group Questions

From Judges 3:12–14, what do we learn about God’s role in Israel’s suffering? How does this challenge our view of trials in our own lives?

Why do you think God chose someone like Ehud — a left-handed, seemingly weak man — to deliver Israel (v. 15)?

How does Ehud’s weakness point us forward to Christ’s “weakness” on the cross (1 Cor. 1:18–25)?

The tribute Israel paid to Moab was called a “minḥâ,” often used for offerings to God. What does this show us about the spiritual cost of idolatry and compromise?

Ehud’s “secret message” (v. 19–20) was ultimately a word from God. How is God’s Word like a “two-edged sword” (Heb. 4:12)?

Why do you think God often uses surprising, even strange, methods to accomplish His will? Can you think of times in your own life when God worked in an unexpected way?

Ehud escaped while Eglon’s servants hesitated. What does this reveal about how God uses even human foolishness to accomplish His plans?

After Ehud’s victory, the people finally followed him (v. 27–30). What does this teach us about leadership and obedience to God’s appointed rescuer?

How does Ehud’s temporary deliverance contrast with the permanent salvation Jesus brings (Gal. 4:3–7)?

In what areas of your life do you struggle to trust God’s “unexpected ways”? How can looking to Christ give you confidence in His deliverance?