It had only taken seven years for the children of Israel to conquer the land of Canaan (1405-1398 BC); however, some enemy tribes still remained scattered throughout the Promised Land and Israel was commanded to completely remove them. Moses (Deuteronomy 7) and Joshua (Joshua 23) had forewarned Israel that they were to remove all the people of the land lest they should be influenced to worship other gods and intermarry with their enemies. Unfortunately, Israel did not completely expel their enemies (Judges 1-2) and they ended up intermarrying and worshiping other gods (3:1-6). ”So the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God, and served the Baals and Asherahs. Therefore the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and He sold them into the hand of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia; and the children of Israel served Cushan-Rishathaim eight years” (3:7-8). After the oppression had lasted for eight years, Israel finally cried out to God and He sent Othniel, who delivered them from their enemies and gave them rest in the land for the next forty years (3:9-11). Following nearly four decades of peace, Israel “…again did evil in the sight of the Lord” so He allowed Eglon, king of Moab, to overtake them for eighteen years (3:12-14). When Israel then cried out to God, He sent Ehud to deliver Israel from their enemies (3:15a). Ehud, a left-handed man, armed himself with a dagger (3:16) and was sent by Israel to Eglon with a tribute (3:15b), but the offering of gifts was simply a tactic for Ehud to get close to Eglon, who is described as being a “very fat man” (3:17). After Eglon had received the tribute, those standing together with them in the room were sent away when Ehud said that he had a secret message for the king (3:18-19). As soon as Ehud was alone with the Eglon in his private chamber, Ehud took the hidden dagger and thrust it so deeply into Eglon’s belly that the fat closed around the dagger (3:20-22). Ehud made a quick escape from the king’s private chambers, but the king’s attendants became suspicious when the king did not open the doors to his chamber for an extended period of time (3:23-25a). When they could not wait any longer, the king’s servants opened the door with a key and found him dead on the floor (3:25b). By the time Eglon was found dead, Ehud was far away and eventually returned to the children of Israel, who quickly attacked the people of Moab and subdued Moab (3:26-30a). Israel experienced rest in the land for eighty years (3:30b), which was the longest period of peace experienced by Israel during the time of the judges. After Ehud, Shamgar was also a judge and deliverer of Israel (3:31). Not much detail is given concerning his circumstances except that he killed 600 Philistines with an ox goad.
God passionately loved His people, Israel, but they continued to turn their back on Him by disregarding His commandments and worshiping other gods. Instead of abandoning the children of Israel for their disobedience, God heard their cries to Him and sent deliverers to free them from their oppressors. The Lord’s continual forgiveness and patience should have caused Israel to worship and love Him as the one, true God; however, they continually walked away from Him and embraced the things of this world. The consequences Israel faced because of their disobedience should be a warning to any whose hearts are turned from God in exchange for the pleasures of this world.
Dear God, may I embrace You while continually turning my back to the things of this world.
