Qualified Lefty

Qualified

God chooses and raises up Judges to lead his people back to him. God chooses and then uses what is unique about them to accomplish His purposes. "The Spirit of the LORD was upon them". 

That same Spirit is upon you. You are chosen and equipped to lead those around you into relationship with God. 

Are You Qualified

I met a new neighbor yesterday. Kind of diagonal from my house. We were helping another neighbor clear branches from their house and she asks me what I do for a living. I talk about being a pastor, and I talk about working from home as a software engineer.

And she asks “what qualifies you to do that?”

Umm… nothing, I guess. I mean they tried to determine as best they could before-hand that I would be good at my job and actually work when I’m home… but it certainly isn’t a sure thing of any kind.

What qualifies you to do what you’re doing?

I don’t think God lets us stay comfortable. He calls us to next steps that stretch us and test our faith and push our boundaries.

Some of you are already in the midst of that. Comfortable? You don’t know what comfortable even looks like, you are stretched and maxed to capacity!

Some of you, maybe, have already heard the edges of a call. A new ministry, a new responsibility, a whole new role or task or phase of life.

And one barrier, anytime we face something new or challenging: am I up to it? Am I qualified? Am I ready? Am I smart enough, good enough, old enough, wise enough?

Am I up to it?

Three stories from of some of the most qualified men, heroes in their day.

Three Stories from Judges Three

Shamgar

Judges 3:31 ESV

After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed 600 of the Philistines with an oxgoad, and he also saved Israel.

How bizarre? What were the circumstances that led to this situation?

How bizarre? What were the circumstances that led to this situation?

Caravan trade had come to a halt (we hear later in the Song of Deborah and Barak) and here comes Shamgar. I like to picture him whipping the ox goad around like Jackie Chan (while juggling a baby).

An ox-goad was an 8 foot long metal tipped pole used to goad (or poke and irritate) the ox.

Was this guy even an Israelite? Shamgar is a non-Semitic name, this guy could have been a Canaanite that God used… or even a Philistine.

What qualified him? Perhaps it was his epic bo staff skills.

Othniel

Judges 3:7–11 ESV

And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth. Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia. And the people of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years. But when the people of Israel cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel, who saved them, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. The Spirit of the Lord was upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the Lord gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand. And his hand prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim. So the land had rest forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

How did he save Israel? No idea. Othniel went out to war… and he won.

What qualified Othniel to lead the people of Israel? What do we know? Well, he Caleb’s younger brother, so perhaps it is family connections.

What qualifies you? Bo-staff skills and family connections.

Here comes our third hero.

Ehud

Ehud. Parental Advisory warning, this story gets graphic and gross. This book of the Bible is rated R.

Once again the Israelites are enslaved, this takes place after the time of Othniel.

They are in bondage to the Moabites: the guys on the East side of the river which today would be Kingdom of Jordan.

Judges 3:15 ESV

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.

Judges 3:

Judges 3:16 ESV

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.

And

He made his own sword. Awesome. They are in bondage so likely not allowed to keep weapons for themselves… so he made his own. A Cubit is about 18”, so this 18” knife, he straps his right thigh. Then, as part of being in bondage, they have to bring a portion of everything they make and earn as tribute to the king. So Ehud is in charge of taking the tribute and he gathers up the stuff and leads the procession to the king.

18” knife strapped to his right thigh.

And this king, Eglon, he was a fat man.

How do I know the King was a fat man?

Judges 3:17 ESV

And he presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man.

Judges 3:

Your king is SOOOoooo… fat! How fat is he? I’ll tell you.

They present the tribute: “King, here is your tribute!”

And the king probably says “oh, thank you that is great.”

And Ehud dismissed the other people in his crew “Ok, guys, job done” and says to the King “I have a secret message for you.”

And the king kicks everyone else out so he can hear the secret message.

And Ehud walks up to him “as he was sitting alone in his cool roof chamber.” *This place is cool.

And Ehud says.... this is an action movie right here. This is John McClane dropping out of the air event saying Yippee Kay yay...

Judges 3:20 ESV

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.

Ehud says “I have a message from God for you” and the king arose from his seat. I picture him leaning forward, so on the edge of his seat that now he is up and off his seat.

Judges 3:21–23 ESV

And Ehud reached with his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly. 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. Then Ehud went out into the porch and closed the doors of the roof chamber behind him and locked them.

TMI? Just wait.

Judges 3:21-24

TMI? Just wait.

Judges 3:24–25 ESV

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.” 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.

He’s… taking awhile in there. This is getting ridiculous… Maybe someone should check on him? You do it. Rock paper scissors.

Judges 3:24

And meanwhile Ehud escapes, he sounds the trumpet for his clan, and they, joined by other tribes, they were waiting… and they stream down after him

Judges 3:28–30 ESV

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. And they killed at that time about 10,000 of the Moabites, all strong, able-bodied men; not a man escaped. So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest for eighty years.

Judges 3:28

Left-Handed

What is Ehud’s defining characteristic. What is the one thing we know about Ehud? He is left-handed.

Left-handed does usually mean good things. Left-handed compliment. Left-out. Two left feet. Sheep on the right are saved, goats on the left are doomed to destruction. You show up at a party and there’s no one there… they Left! (Thank you, Jerry Seinfeld).

Left-handed is mentioned three times in the Bible, it is always about someone from the tribe of Benjamin (which is interesting) and always noted as kind of surprising and unusual. Literally, the Hebrew word for “left-handed” is “one unable to use the right hand skillfully”. It isn’t presented as a good thing

Ehud is left-handed. Why bring it up?

The theory is that since almost everyone was right-handed and a right-handed man would draw a weapon from his left thigh, the strapping of the weapon to the right thigh under his clothes meant that the weapon evaded any search before Ehud was allowed into the throne room.

Don’t know for sure. We do know that he was left-handed and that was apparently something that was worth mentioning to the extent that it played into the story.

That must be it.

Twice in : “THe Lord raised up judges for them”

“the Lord raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel… and the Spirit of the Lord was upon him...”

and that it was God who “raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud”.

and God “raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud”.

It isn’t bo-staff skills. It isn’t family connections. It isn’t being left-handed. God uses those things, God uses exactly their attributes and characteristics, where they were born and how they were born and how they were raised and what they have learned...

and he used all of it to accomplish through them his purpose.

Each of those judges was made on purpose for a purpose: God raised them up to lead His people back to Him.

What qualified them? The fact that God raised them up and called them to His purpose. We see here explicitly in Othniel, but we will see again and again that God also gives his Holy Spirit as sign and seal to His choosing.

They are qualified. They are “up to it” because God chose them to do it and sealed the deal, empowering them to accomplish the mission by His Holy Spirit.

Othniel

Judges 3:

Judges 3:7–11 ESV

And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth. Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia. And the people of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years. But when the people of Israel cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel, who saved them, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. The Spirit of the Lord was upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the Lord gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand. And his hand prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim. So the land had rest forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

What Qualified the Judges

Is it that they were skilled with an ox-goad (or bo staff)?

Is it that they were left-handed?

Is it who they were related to?

There is one common element.

God raised them up. And over and over, like Othniel, we will hear this “the Spirit of the LORD was upon him.” The same Holy Spirit we see so active in the New Testament, brooding over the waters in Genesis… God has always been Trinity.

But there is a qualification that gets mentioned for each of these guys.

Twice in : “THe Lord raised up judges for them”

“the Lord raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel… and the Spirit of the Lord was upon him...”

and God “raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud”.

It isn’t bo-staff skills. It isn’t family connections. It isn’t being left-handed. God uses those things, God uses exactly their attributes and characteristics, where they were born and how they were born and how they were raised and what they have learned...

and he used all of it to accomplish through them his purpose.

Each of those judges was made on purpose for a purpose: God raised them up to lead His people back to Him.

What qualified them? The fact that God raised them up and called them to His purpose. We see here explicitly in Othniel, but we will see again and again that God also gives his Holy Spirit as sign and seal to His choosing.

They are qualified. They are “up to it” because God chose them to do it and sealed the deal, empowering them to accomplish the mission by His Holy Spirit. The same Holy Spirit we see so active in the New Testament, brooding over the waters in Genesis… God has always been Trinity.

What Qualifies You?

So what qualifies you to do what God is calling you to next? Maybe he is calling you to ministry in your neighborhood, in your workplace, to just speak to that “one guy.” Maybe he is asking you to lead in your family in a new way, to lead your family back to him. He calls you to be a leader amongst your friends. He calls you to talk to your pastor about starting that new ministry, about getting involved in the church…

What qualifies you? Only this: God has made you on purpose for a purpose. We are in the activity of discovering His purposes, but we know the big one, we know the big mission. All things are created by and through and for Jesus Christ, and the story of history is about God rescuing His people over and over again, bringing them back to Him unceasingly.

God has made you on purpose for a purpose and he is now raising you up to accomplish your next step in His purpose. He has already empowered you with His Holy Spirit.

How do I know that? Because you heard the word… and you believed.

Ephesians 1:11–13 ESV

In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,

Ephesians 2:10 ESV

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Now I know that there are still a million questions you can still have, and a million barriers that stand between you and where God is calling you. You may still be testing and discovering what exactly God is calling you to. But we, as Christians, don’t get to say “I’m not qualified.”

Now I know that there are still a million questions you can still have, and a million barriers that stand between you and where God is calling you. You may still be testing and discovering what exactly God is calling you to. But we, as Christians, don’t get to say “I’m not qualified.”

“I can’t kill 600 Philistines with just this ox goad.”

“They will search me going in and find my knife.”

Can you imagine if every one of us, just hypothetically, crazy thought experiment, just took this as gospel and started doing the thing that we-think-maybe God is calling us to? No excuses, no self-doubt allowed. What would that look like?

God has made you on purpose for a purpose. He is raising you up to lead

God has made you on purpose for a purpose. You are qualified because He qualifies you and empowers and has and is shaping for this very purpose.

God help us discover your next purpose working already in my life. Show each of us how to lead in our families, in our homes, in our neighborhoods. Show us how we can be Judges: super-heroes who serve and who rescue and who love. Show us your will and then let NOTHING hold us back. No fear. No hesitation.