The Principal Thing

Category: Bible Study Notes

  • Sunday Review Week 3: Ehud’s Victory and the Power of God’s Word

    Sunday Review Week 3: Ehud’s Victory and the Power of God’s Word

    Judges 3:12-31 Summary:

    Israel does evil again and cries out to God

    Verse 12 begins with the children of Israel doing evil again. This time, their punishment is that the LORD strengthened Eglon, the king of Moab.

    King Eglon gathered together the people of Ammon and Amalek and took over the city of Jericho.

    The people, after 18 years of oppression under Eglon, cried out to the LORD. God raised up Ehud, a left-handed man from the tribe of Benjamin, to be a deliverer for them.

    Ehud plots and executes an assassination

    This new deliverer, Ehud, planned to overthrow King Eglon and set the people of Israel free from them.

    He began by making a two-edged dagger and hiding it under his right thigh. Then he approached the king bearing a tribute from the people of Israel.

    Ehud requested a private meeting with Eglon, saying he had a secret message from the LORD. When they were in private, Ehud stabbed him with the dagger. The king’s fat was so much that it completely enclosed the blade, and Ehud couldn’t pull it out.

    Ehud escapes and the LORD delivers the Moabites into Israel’s hand

    The king’s guards were waiting outside during Ehud and Eglons meeting. They didn’t think to check on the king because the door was locked and they figured he must have been using the bathroom in the private chambers. They were embarrassed when they had waited so long and found him dead.

    Meanwhile, Ehud escaped back to the Mountain of Ephraim. Here, he gathered together all the people and told them that the LORD had delivered their enemies into their hands. He led them back down to the Jordan River and conquered the Moabites.

    Israel had peace for the next 80 years.

    My thoughts on Judges 3:12-31

    Ehud is the embodiment of the unexpected

    In a world of “rightys,” Ehud is left-handed.

    Almost everything about Ehud is not what one would expect.

    For starters, the text mentions that he is a left-handed man. This is an interesting fact, since in many cultures around the world, left-handedness is seen as negative. We wouldn’t expect to see a lefty as the hero of any ancient near-eastern story.

    In the Bible, we don’t have any verses that outright demean the left hand, but we certainly have some that indicate the right hand as more favored or as the hand of strength and action. For example: Genesis 48:14-18, Exodus 15:6, Deuteronomy 33:2, Psalm 17:7, Matthew 25:33, Acts 7:56, and many more.

    Ehud was not threatening

    In the sermon this sunday, my pastor mentioned that some scholars think it may have been possible that Ehud was crippled somehow in his right hand. I don’t see anything in the text that implicates this directly, but it would make sense that this is why he was able to get so close to the king without any guards around. They simply didn’t see him as a threat.

    On top of his unthreatening appearance, Ehud also hid his blade in an unexpected place. Usually, blades of this kind would have been shiethed in a more conspicuous and useful position, like the outer leg. But Ehud hid his blade on the inside of his right thigh. This is certainly not where one would expect a sword to be.

    Jesus was also unexpected

    The unexpectedness of Ehud compares to that of Christ. Christ was not what people were expecting. The Jews were expecting a conquering king, but instead, the messiah came as a gentle and lowly servant. There’s even a dispute among some who thought the savior couldn’t come from Nazareth (John 1:46).

    Ehud’s method of delivering the people was also unexpected. He assassinated the king with a hidden dagger among the king’s guards, in the king’s own house. Christ delivered his people by dying on the cross for their sins.

    The 2-edged dagger’s connection to Christ

    Verse 16 says that Ehud made a dagger with two edges that was a cubit in length.

    Several translations use the word “dagger,” but the word is more often translated as “sword.” In my opinion, the word “sword” is both more accurate, based on the description given, and is more easily cross-referenced with other scriptures.

    For example, a quick search for “sword” elsewhere in the Bible brings up several verses in the New Testament that specifically refer to the Word of God: Ephesians 6:17, Hebrews 4:12, Revelation 1:16, Revelation 2:12, Revelation 2:16, Revelation 19:15, and Revelation 19:21.

    God’s word compares with Ehud’s sword

    The one that stands out to me the most is Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword…”

    In this verse, the word of God is described as a two-edged sword which is exactly how Ehud’s blade is described. It seems to me that there could easily be a connection between the two.

    Hebrews says that the word of God cuts through and easily divides even the most difficult things: Soul and spirit, joints and marrow, thoughts and intents of the heart. This is pictured with the story we’re presented here with Ehud and Eglon.

    Eglon’s fat covered up the truth of what was inside

    In the story from Judges 3, Eglon is said to be a very fat man.

    Ancient culture viewed fatness very differently than we view it today. In modern culture, fatness is generally viewed as an unhealthy quality and something that should be avoided. But in ancient times, fatness was a sign of wealth and well-being. If one was fat, it was because they had more than enough for themselves. Many kings and other royalty were known for their fatness, and it was often credited to their wealth.

    King Eglon was fat. He had all that he needed, and then some. This fat could be seen to represent not only his material wealth but possibly also the perception of his immaterial wealth. He had power, servants, and land. He also had his graven images, his idols. And not just the idols themselves, but it says in verse 19 that Ehud had to pass by the quarries (KJV) which would likely be where they cut out those graven images.

    The use of the word “quarries” here (in the KJV) seems to indicate not only that Eglon had the graven images themselves, but also the means to make more of them as he wished.

    He was a very fat man, made fat not only by his material wealth but also by what he thought made him spiritually rich.

    Ehud’s sword revealed what was inside Eglon and God’s word reveals what’s inside us

    Ehud’s sword cut through the outer appearances of wealth and revealed what was on the inside. Eglon’s insides were full of “dirt,” fecal matter (Judges 3:22). This “dirt” was brought out of him but a cunning blade and he died.

    In the same way, the Word of God can cut through the outer layers and reveal what’s inside of us all. The reality is that inwardly we are all the same as Eglon, not just in a physical, biological sense, but also spiritually. We were all dead in our sins (Ephesians 2:1). Despite our outer appearances, our hearts are desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). But through Jesus, our deliverer, our inward parts, where this death resided, are renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16).

  • Faith Made Complete – Genesis 22

    Faith Made Complete – Genesis 22

    Article by:

    Brandon Wood

    Below is a summary my observations while reading through Genesis 22. A few things really stood out to me. This chapter shows an extremely challenging event in Abraham’s life, a shocking instruction from God, and a response to Abraham’s obedience that has great implications on believers today.

    According to James 2, this chapter in Abraham’s life serves as an example of how Christians should view their works as they relate to their faith.

    Chapter Summery

    • Abraham and Sarah had Isaac and sent away Hagar and Ishmael.
    • Abraham plants a grove at Beer-sheba and stays there for some time.
    • God “tempts” Abraham, and tells him to offer Isaac as a burnt sacrifice.
    • Without a question, Abraham heads off to follow God’s command.
    • Isaac asks Abraham where the lamb is for the offering, Abraham says God will provide a lamb.
    • As Abraham gets ready to slay his son, God stops him and says “Now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your only son.”
    • Abraham finds a ram in the bushes nearby and offers it instead of his son.
    • God speaks to Abraham again says that because he obeyed and didn’t withhold his son that he will bless him and make his seed to multiply and that all the nations will be blessed in his seed because he obeyed God’s voice.
    • Then Abraham returns home to learn that his brother’s family has grown.
    Sacrifice of Isaac, Rembrandt, 1635 (Image from Hermitage Museum)

    Things that Stand out to me:

    • God “tempts” Abraham (v. 1)
      • This is odd to me, considering the statement in the new testament saying that God “tempts no man.” (James 1:13)
      • One possible explanation, which would avoid a contradiction, could be found in the context: Here, in Genesis 22, God is simply testing Abraham to see how much faith he really has, whereas James is talking specifically about being drawn into sin.
      • It would seem from this passage that, while God will never entice us or cause us to sin, God sometimes dares us to “put our money where our mouth is” and really show our faith; not merely proclaiming it, but proving it and fulfilling it.
    • Abraham shows that he believes God from beginning to end.
      • Abraham was amazed when Isaac was born to him and Sarah. Seeing God fulfill his promise, Abraham’s faith must have grown.
      • God’s instruction to offer his son on the alter is unimaginable to most parents, but Abraham, trusting God, doesn’t put up a fight.
      • He immediately obeys God, and when questioned about the sacrifice, he shows that he believes God will make a way.
      • Hebrews 11:19 says that Abraham believed that God was able to raise Isaac from the dead, since he knew Gods promises about him, and thus he was willing to follow God’s command.
    • God uses Abraham to show how our works appear to those around us.
      • HE stops Abraham from slaying his son and says “Now I know that you fear God, seeing that you didn’t withhold your son from me.” (v.12)
      • God saw that Abraham was willing to follow through on what he claimed to believe, thus proving to the observer (which was God in this case) that he really did believe and trust in God.
      • In this same way, our actions (our good works) show those around us today that we have faith, and not only that we claim with our mouths to have faith, but that we are willing to take meaningful and impactful action because of it.
      • This can play a HUGE role in spreading the Gospel.
      • If people see that we say one thing yet do another, they will rightfully call us hypocrites.
      • If people see that we say one thing and do that same thing, then they would know that we really do believe what we claim to.

    Application: More than just proclaiming our faith, we should live it out for all to see.

    “Let your light shine before men, that they see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

    Matthew 5:16
    Picture curtesy of Biblehub.com

    At the time of writing this, I am also studying the book of James, particularly James chapter 2.             

    In James 2, the author makes it clear that this is the fulfilment of Genesis 15:6 (James 2:21-23), where the Bible says that “Abraham believed God and He counted it to him for righteousness.”             

    Specifically, James uses three words to describe how these two sets of scripture relate: justified, perfect, and fulfilled.             

    The word justified has many meanings which boil down to mainly one point: that the subject conforms to a standard. James 2:21 implies that Abraham was justified by his works here. Given the meaning of the word, something about Abraham’s actions in Genesis 22 conformed him to a standard of some sort.             

    James 2:22 says “See how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?” Perfect means complete or “lacking in no essential detail.” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary) As a verb, to perfect something means “to bring to completion.” This verse isn’t simply saying that faith is completed by works, but rather it’s asking the reader if they can see how faith is completed by works.

    If the reader can’t see how, all they need to do is read the next verse, which says that the “scripture was fulfilled which says that Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him for righteousness and he was called the friend of God.” To be fulfilled means to put into effect, execute. If we look at Abraham’s obedience in Genesis 22, and we say that his actions “fulfilled” his faith, then we are saying that his actions “put into effect” his faith, or that he was acting on his faith.

    The observation that James makes in chapter 2 verses 21-23 is the same observation that God makes by example in Genesis 22:12. James is seeing that Abraham chooses to let his actions exhibit his faith. Abrahams actions “fulfilled” his faith (James 2:23); they put his claims of trusting God into effect. If he had not acted in accordance with his faith here, then it would be obvious to those watching (in this case: God and anyone reading this passage, including James) that the standard which he set when he believed God would not have been met. His work here shows those observers that he does indeed meet the standard, he is justified.

    This is not talking about being righteous in God’s sight, but rather that those watching our lives would see our works, that they align with what we claim to believe, and know that we fear God.

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  • Bible Study Notes: Genesis 27

    Bible Study Notes: Genesis 27

    6/4/22

    Recently, as I sat on the deck behind my house, admiring the beautiful clouds with my wife and daughter, I read the story of how Jacob stole his brother Esau’s blessing from Genesis 27. In this chapter there was a great picture of what Jesus does for those who have faith in him, as well as a foreshadowing of Gods plans for his people.

    Chapter 27 begins with Isaac, who is old and frail and can’t see. He calls his eldest son, Esau, to him and tells him to go hunting and to bring him some of his favorite meat so he can bless him. Rebekah overhears this, and tells their younger son, Jacob, to go kill two goats and to take the meal that she will make to his father. She says that in doing this, Jacob can get his brother’s blessing.

    Jacob obeys his mother. But Jacob recognizes that he isn’t anything like his brother. Esau is hairy and spends most of his time in the field. To disguise himself, Jacob puts on his brother’s clothes and covers his smooth skin with goat’s skins.

    As he approaches his father claiming to be Esau, Jacob gives him the savory meal which Rebekah had prepared. Isaac can’t see, and notices that when his son speaks it sounds like Jacob, instead of Esau. After eating the meal, he asks Jacob to come close so he can smell and feel him to be sure to it was Esau. Isaac is fooled by Jacobs disguise and proceeds to give Esau’s blessing to him.

    A few key things stand out to me in this story:

    1. Jacob brings a “savory” meal to his father that he did not prepare by himself.
      • This is paralleled in several other stories and examples throughout the Bible:
        • Abraham offers the ram which God prepares instead of his own son;
        • The law of Moses requires that sacrifices were to be made as a “sweet savor unto the LORD;”
        • Jesus is a sacrifice of a “sweet smelling savor” unto God that we did not prepare ourselves. (Ephesians 5:2)
    2. Jacob wears his brothers clothes and covers his bare skin with goat skins in order to appear to Isaac as his bother Esau, and he is successful.
      • Similarly, Adam and Eve were also covered by skins in the Garden of Eden to cover their bare skin.
      • The older brother’s clothes along with the goat skins essentially seal the deal: if it weren’t for them, Isaac would have noticed that Jacob didn’t feel or smell like Esau.
      • Because the disguise works, Isaac truly believes that he is passing on the family blessing to Esau.
      • Esau is the first born in this story, while in the new testament Jesus is called the firstborn of the Father.
        • Jacob is given the blessing because Isaac was giving it to Esau. We are given the blessings found in the new testament because of how God the Father blesses his son, Jesus.
    3. Even after the deception is found out by Isaac, he doesn’t retract his blessing, in fact, he doubles down.
      • Immediately after the deception is discovered, Isaac confirms “yes, and he will be blessed.” (v.33)
      • While Jacobs blessing is that God give him the dew, the fatness, and the plenty, Esau’s blessing is that he shall dwell in those things.
      • We know that in the end Jacob/Israel end up fully inheritying the land and all the plentifulness of it, and just like many other examples, the first becomes last and the last becomes first.
      • This forshadows God’s plan for his people, that Israel ends up not being the ultimate people who are called by His name, but rather the Church is, and God will call them His people which before were not. (Hosea 1:9-10, Romans 9:25)