Re:Verse passage – Judges 3:11-30 (day five) “But when the sons of Israel cried to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for them, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. And the sons of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab.”
I am indebted to commentator Michael Wilcock for help with understanding and explaining the Hebrew language. Verse 15 is not telling us that Ehud was a “lefty” per say. Instead, the language is telling us that he could not use his right hand. Deformed? Paralyzed? We don’t know. This language is telling us that most people (including Eglon) focused on his limitations. What we do know is that Ehud was faithful/trusting and used what he had been given to serve God. The “withered” right hand allows him access to an enemy leader. It also further demonstrates the power and purposes of God. The Israelites must trust God in using someone they themselves saw as limited and an unexpected hero. Sound familiar?
Isaiah 53- “For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.”
1 Corinthians 1- “For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.”
Thank you sincerely for this reminder, Scott.