Expect the Unexpected
Series: Leaders, Legends and Losers
June 15, 2014
I don’t know if you realize it, but Dad's we’re in a battle. It’s not a physical battle like “The Battle of the Bulge” or a battle in Iraq. But it’s a battle nonetheless. It’s a “spiritual” battle for our families, for our kids, a battle for our marriages. And just like any battle there are weapons, enemies & casualties.
The Israelites had allowed the values & philosophies of the people around them to infiltrate into their lives to the point that there was very little difference between them and their secular counterparts. Now, even though our world has changed dramatically since the days of the Judges, the “world system” is still the same because human nature hasn’t changed. As long as we’re in this world, God’s people are involved in a spiritual battle against Satan and his armies, and God is still looking for men and women who have what it takes to win.
In II Cor.10:4 the Apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Corinth, “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.” (2 Cor. 10:4, NIV). A principle that every Christian, (every DAD) needs to take to heart this morning is: When God goes to war, He usually chooses the most unlikely soldiers, hands them the most unusual weapons, and accomplishes the most unpredictable results through them.
That was never more evident than in this mornings passage of scripture from Judges. God uses 3 men as Judges or ‘saviors’, to deliver the Israelites from their enemies. Othniel, Ehud and Shamgar. Each of them gave to God what he had, and God used it to bring about the victory they needed. Listen…God doesn’t ‘want’ what we can’t give Him. God wants us to give Him all we have, and He’ll use THAT to bring about victory in our lives.
So if you’re going to Achieve Victory in Your Life…Dads, if you’re going to achieve victory with your families…God is asking you this morning to give Him 3 things, and we find those 3 things in the 1st 3 judges…all found in chapter 3! (do you see a pattern here?)
The 1st thing we need to give God is found in the Judge by the name of Othniel. Othniel teaches me that I need to…
1. Give God my SELF
God wants to use YOU. But He can’t (and He won’t use you), without your permission! Judges 3 starts out by saying, “These are the nations that the Lord left in the land to test those Israelites who had not experienced the wars of Canaan. 2 He did this to teach warfare to generations of Israelites who had no experience in battle.” -Judges 3:1,2
According to this verse, God left these ungodly nations in the Promised Land as a way of testing them, to see what they were made of. Does God still do that? Sure He does! (If you were here last week, Rudonna made a great case for the fact that God will use pain in our lives to reveal to us what we’re made of.) And so because the Israelites wouldn’t choose the easy way of obeying the Lord…He was going to use the oppression they’d endure to get them ready for battle. Now, If He did it that way in their lives, what makes you think He won’t do it in your life! God is using the trials, the battles, the crises of our lives to prepare us for battle, to make us stronger…IF we’ll let Him!
So, struggling under the physical oppression of King Cu-shan-risha-thaim for 8 years, they FINALLY cry “uncle”. (King Cushan-risha-thaim means “dark & doubly wicked”. That’s probably not what his parents named him, but that’s what kind of a person he turned out to be.) So this guy was a pretty bad dude and God responds by “raising up a deliverer” in vs. 9. READ 9-11…
The bible doesn’t tell us a lot about Othniel, but we do know that he was the son of Caleb’s younger brother. You remember Caleb right? We first learned about Othniel in chapter 1 when Caleb promised to give his daughter to the man who attacked and captured Kirith Sepher. Othniel took the challenge, won the victory, AND the girl! So by blood and by marriage, Othniel was part of a family noted for its courageous faith, its willingness to face the enemy… and then depend on God for the victory. Is that the kind of legacy you want for your family? Dads, is your family known as a family that depends on God for it’s victories? What would your neighbors say? God called Othniel because He was a man of character. He agreed to be used, and so the Lord sent His Spirit on him, giving Him the power he needed to defeat His enemies.
Never make the mistake of underestimating the good that one person can do who’s filled with the Spirit of God and obedient to the will of God. The bible says in Zech.4:6, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit.’ says the Lord of hosts” (Zech. 4:6, NKJV). The secret of Othniel’s strength was God’s Spirit working in his life. And if you want to defeat the enemies of your life…the trials that threaten to destroy you, the enemies that are attacking your family. If you want to overcome Satan (the dark and doubly wicked one)…make yourself completely available to God. Tell Him right now…”Lord, I’m completely yours! I want to be sold out, to do Your will in Your way. If there’s an area of sin or habit that’s keeping me from being all Yours, I want to give that to you right now!” God uses men of character, men who stand for God, who want to make a difference everyday in the lives of their kids. It’s like someone said, “Being a great father is like shaving. No matter how good you shaved today, you have to do it again tomorrow.” Dads, if you’ll do that, if you’ll be consistently courageous in your relationship with God…you won’t have to force your family to go to church, or to love God…they’ll willingly follow you! They’ll see the person of Jesus in your life and want to follow you in your faith. So what does it mean to be filled with God’s Spirit? Well, a lot of people have tried to describe what it means to be “filled with the Spirit”, from speaking in tongues to doing miracles. But I think it comes down to one thing…VICTORY. Are you experiencing victory in your life…
• victory over sinful habits
• victory over weaknesses of worry, control, addictions
• victory over your tongue, emotions, trials, etc.
See, when the Spirit of God is filling you…you will have victory! You won’t (can’t) stay the same! Jesus was filled with the Spirit and had victory over death! The bible says that the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead, lives in US! So if filled…should be experiencing growth and change and victory. If not? ASK!
Now to help you men remember each of these points this morning, our Women’s Ministry has provided you with a little “Father’s Day” present. I know as well as anybody that “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach”, (and I want to get to your heart)… so I want to give you a little gift to help you remember each point. Because Othniel was a man of character overflowing with God’s Spirit…I want to give you a bottle of “DAD’s Rootbeer”, as a way of reminding you to give yourself to God and let Him fill you with His Spirit. As you pour root beer into an ordinary glass and watch it overflow, I want you to think of yourself…an ordinary man, full of character, & overflowing with the Spirit of God.
The next think we need to do if we’re going to experience victory in our lives is…
2. Give God my WEAKNESSES
The bible says that after Othniel died (vs.12), that the cycle begins again…“Once again the Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight”. Charles Spurgeon once said that “God never allows His people to sin successfully”, (that’s true!). There are always consequences to sin. And so as a result of their sin… the Lord gave King Eglon of Moab control over Israel because of their evil.” According to vs.13, “Eglon took possession of the City of Palms” (which would have been Jericho). Only now their bondage wasn’t just 8 years…it was 18 years! Again, after they’d suffered enough from their sinful ways, they cry “uncle” (when will we ever learn?). And God, being the faithful, merciful person He is, again sends a “deliverer”. READ Judges 3:15 “…Again the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and he gave them a deliverer—Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The bible doesn’t waste any time telling us that Ehud is a “left-handed” man. Why would it mention that? Well, one of the things I’m learning is that the bible doesn’t say anything, without having a reason. The fact that Ehud is left-handed is significant. Do we have any ‘lefties’ here this morning? If you’re left-handed you know that God created a few perfect people, the rest of us will just have to deal with being right handed. But in the culture of that day, the right hand was a symbol of power and ability. You wielded your sword in your right hand. Now, as an added irony, Ehud was from the tribe of Benjamin—the name “Benjamin” means “son of my right hand.” But Judges 3:15 lit. says that Ehud was “unable to use his right hand”. So it’s very possible that Ehud’s right side was paralyzed or disabled in some way. But (as we’re going to see), that was an advantage, not a disadvantage in this case.
In a society that was pretty cruel to the physically handicapped, he would have been considered useless. No one would have looked up to him as a leader. But he was God’s choice, and that’s all that matters. Amen? Ehud was sent to King Eglon to deliver the tribute money to Him in vs.15, but he had a plan. He’d made a double edged sword (so it would cut both ways) which he strapped to his right thigh underneath his clothing.(v.16) See, right-handers always carried their swords on the left, so they could unsheathe it quickly. So the guards in charge of security would be searching for weapons on his left, but because of his disability, they wouldn’t suspect that he had a weapon on his right!
Let’s pick up the story in vs.17-30…READ. We find out in vs. 17 that King Eglon was a “very fat man”. Now I don’t think the bible is capping on fat people! It’s just stating the facts. The guy was BIG! His BMI (body mass index) must have been off the charts! (by the way, have you noticed that according to BMI almost EVERY American is obese?). Anyway, He’d been living high on the hog, stuffing himself at the expense of the Israelites hardships. His fatness symbolized his greed. But now he’s about to meet his Waterloo. So after delivering the tribute money and taking off, Ehud turns around and goes back to give “King Obese” a “special message from God”. Assuming that this “paralytic” was no threat, Eglon lets him in for a private meeting.
Ehud approaches the king and as he stands up to greet him, he reaches his “left hand” over to his right side, grabs the sword…and “delivers” God’s “message” deep into the kings belly! Immediately, the rolls of fat close in on his sword so he can’t even remove it. So he just leaves it there. I think He got the “point” don’t you? Now the NIV version is a little bit too polite when it just says that “it came out his back”. The lit. Heb reads…”the dung came out”. Now I’m not trying to be rude, but the bible tells it like it is! Which explains why Ehud was able to escape. See, the guards outside the room smelled the stench, and just thought King Fatty was using the restroom. So they wait…and they wait…and they wait…to the point of embarrassment. Eventually they realize there’s been some “foul” play. (ohhh!) They get a key, unlock the door, and find their king with a sword in his gut, dead on the floor. He’d been assassinated, and the assassin had gotten away scott free!
It didn’t take Ehud long to rally the Israelites, charge the stunned Moabites and gain a complete victory over their armies. Soooo…what’s the lesson here? NO…it’s not “make sure you stay on a low fat diet!” No…the lesson is one I’ve shared with you before…Disabilities need not disqualify. You may think you’re NOT qualified to be a great dad because of your background, or the kind of family you were raised in. But I’m here to tell you…God wants to use the hardships and the weaknesses of your life to change all that! The very thing you think disqualifies you from being used by God, is the thing He wants to use! That’s what Ehud discovered. That’s because when He’s done, and the victory is won…you’ll know you didn’t do it…He did! God LOVES to use what we think are weaknesses…to show His power.
If the Jews had been asked to vote on a leader, Ehud probably would have lost on the first ballot. But he was God’s choice, and God used him to set the nation free. The bible says that Moses was “slow of speech’ (he had a stuttering problem), and that Apostle Paul was not imposing in his appearance OR his speech… but Moses and Paul, just like Ehud, were men of faith who led others to victory. Ehud turned a disability into a possibility because he depended on the Lord. ***
Maybe you’ve heard about Nick Vujicic or seen this video, if you have, it’s worth seeing again! (show video of Nick V. on Oprah Winfrey) So think about your weakness this morning…
• Maybe you don’t think you’re smart, or good looking
• You may even have a physical problem or EVEN a physical deformity like Ehud.
• If could be that you have a difficult past or maybe a sin that you think disqualifies you from being used by God…
THINK AGAIN! God wants to use your weaknesses and turn them into strengths. Do you believe that? But again…you have to let Him! If you shrink back, or let Satan discourage you…God can’t use you! You have to step out of your comfort zone! Now again Dads…I want you to remember this point, and so I want to give you a bag of “pork rinds” this morning. This is pure fat! And as you’re eating them, I want you to remember how God used an “unusable, disabled” person like Ehud, to gain a “huge” victory, over a “big fat” problem! Amen?
Ok…now the last thing you’re going to have to give to God in order to accomplish victories over your toughest problems is to…
3. Give God my TOOLS
God has equipped everyone of us here this morning with tools, abilities, spiritual gifts…that He wants to use to secure victory in our lives. Remember what we said, When God goes to war, He usually chooses the most unlikely soldiers, hands them the most unusual weapons, in order to accomplish the most unpredictable results.
For example, later on in Judges 4, Jael used a hammer and tent peg to kill a captain (4:21), in Judges 7, Gideon routed the whole Midianite army with only pitchers and torches as weapons. In chap.15 Samson slaughtered 1,000 Philistines using the jawbone of an donkey. Young David in I Sam.17, killed the giant Goliath with a stone hurled from a shepherd’s sling. And now in vs.31 of Judges 3… God gives Shamgar an “ox goad” to kill 600 men with. READ Judges 3:31…”After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He too saved Israel.” That’s all we know about Shamgar. God used an “oxgoad” to strike down 600 Philistines. Anybody here know what an “ox-goad” is? It’s nothing more than a pointed stick! It was about 8 ft. long, and at one end there was a sharp metal point for prodding oxen forward. On the other end was a spade for cleaning the dirt off the plow. It was the closest thing Shamgar could find to a spear because the enemy had confiscated all the weapons of the Israelites (5:8; see 1 Sam. 13:19–22). Now, I can just imagine Shamgar whirling and twirling that pole around like Bruce Lee, knocking out Philistines left and right! Shamgar was Sham-wow!
So what “tools”, what ‘gifts’ has God given you?
• I used to tell my kids that I don’t know how to work on cars or fish…couldn’t teach them that, but I CAN teach you about leadership. So I took every opportunity I could to teach them about how to be a leader.
• Your ‘tool’ may be a skill, or a personality trait, a special spiritual gift. God can use your gift of serving, or teaching, or helping…it could even be a gift of laughter to make a difference in the lives of people God surrounds you with.
• And if you don’t think you have enough tools…you can always educate yourself and gain some new ones.
In Shamgar, we see a man who obeyed God and defeated the enemy even though his resources were limited. Instead of complaining about not possessing a sword or spear, Shamgar gave what he had to the Lord, and the Lord used it. Joe Parker (a different one from our Joe Parker) said, “What is a feeble instrument in the hands of one man, is a mighty instrument in the hands of another, simply because the spirit of that other burns with holy determination to accomplish the work that has to be done.”
It must have taken incredible faith and courage for Shamgar to stand his ground with a farmers tool against the enemy that was far better equipped. Let’s face it…our enemy, Satan is far better equipped than we are. He’s faster, stronger, smarter, wiser. He’s going to hand us our “head on a platter” unless we learn how to pray and seek God’s face for power and wisdom. See, that’s the one thing He doesn’t have…the power of God on his side!
If Shamgar were here today, I’m sure he would stand up and tell you Dads, “Men, no matter how little or how great the tools God has given you… stand your ground courageously, and trust God to use what’s in your hand to accomplish great things for His glory.” So what are we going to eat that will remind us to use the “ox-goads” that God gives us? What else but a beef stick! (hand out). As you chew on this beef stick, ask God, “Lord, what do you want to use in my life that you’ve already put in my hand to bring about the victory in my family, my job, my marriage?”
The great prayer warrior E.M. Bounds once said, “The world is looking for better methods, but God is looking for better men” That’s true! Othniel, Ehud, and Shamgar didn’t have better methods than most men…they were just better men. Men of courage, men of humility, men of faith. Othniel, Ehud and Shamgar have shown us how to be men and women of faith and power, using what God has given us. Now we need to turn around and give it back to Him, so that His power will work through us. When God goes to war, He usually chooses the most unlikely soldiers, hands them the most unusual weapons, and accomplishes the most unpredictable results through them. Amen?
Let’s pray!
