Head Scratcher — Ehud - Tuesday
Today’s Verse
Judges 3:15-17
But when the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help, the Lord again raised up a rescuer to save them. His name was Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed man of the tribe of Benjamin. The Israelites sent Ehud to deliver their tribute money to King Eglon of Moab. So Ehud made a double-edged dagger that was about a foot long, and he strapped it to his right thigh, keeping it hidden under his clothing. He brought the tribute money to Eglon, who was very fat. (NLT)
I grew up watching VeggieTales. I couldn’t tell you what it was that had my three-year-old self requesting “all Bobs and all Larrys” for Christmas, but I was a big fan. And I am really glad, because VeggieTales instilled an important message that I fear we often forget. At the end of each episode, Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber would look at the camera and say, “God made you special, and He loves you very much!”
That simple message has deep roots in Biblical truth, and it can have a profound impact on our day-to-day lives.
In Genesis 1, we find that God created us. Both male and female were made in His image to bear His image. In Psalm 139, we’re reminded that God knows the deepest, most intimate details of our lives and our bodies, for He is the one who crafted our bodies and gave us life. In 1 Corinthians 6, we’re instructed to honor our God with our bodies, for our bodies house the very spirit of God.
There are so many more examples where the Bible talks about our bodies, because our bodies mean a lot to God. And I think our bodies mean a lot to God because He wants to use our bodies for His glory.
We see that in the story of Ehud, a left-handed man of the tribe of Benjamin, whom God raised up to rescue and save Israel from their captor, Eglon. We are given physical descriptions of both Ehud and Eglon. Ehud is left-handed (or more literally translated: “restricted in the right hand”), and we are told that Eglon is fat. A quick word on each…
When Eglon is called “fat,” this is not a remark on his character or moral judgment. It is not an insult, nor does it suggest he is a “big deal” or that “evil = fat” via some poetic wording. Rather, this is a direct description of his physical body relevant to the story.
On the other hand (pun intended), we read about Ehud, a left-handed man. Ehud ends up using his left-handedness to hide a dagger on his right thigh, where no one would search for it (it’s like storing your phone in your shoe—no one would look there). We’ll soon learn why Ehud did this, but for now, I want us to focus on this fact…
Ehud used his body, exactly as it was, to accomplish the task God appointed him to accomplish in a way that only he could. God likely knew Ehud would do this, and that is why God appointed him.
God wants you to use the wonderful body that He carefully and intricately designed, too. He wants to use your body—the parts you’re ashamed of, the parts you don’t think of often, the parts we use every day—for His glory. God made you special, and He loves you very much.
REFLECTION
Take a moment to think about the parts of your body that you think negatively about, or that you don’t often think about (ears, nose, toes, etc.). Thank God for making you just as you are. Ask God to show you how you can use your body to bring Him glory and help His people.