The Silent Warrior

The Silent Warrior

There are some people who drive you crazy telling you how much they do and all that they know and how important they are. I do not consider any of them real heros.

This sermon is in honor of my dad, who recently passed away. He was never one to be at the forefront. He served the Lord faithfully while backing and blessing ministers and bible school students. He looked for ways to serve God and others from the shadows. The last thing that he wanted was any fanfare.

Few people were as fanatic about being early for church as my dad. We would always arrive 20 to 30 minutes early. We only lived a little over a mile away. Our family of 8 would march in and find our pew. He would not allow us to lay out of church. There were no weekend getaways. Sunday was the Lords' day and he made sure that his family honored it.

Heros are not restricted to a specific format. We may be surprised at some individuals that have proved to be real heros over time.

When I read of Namaan the leper, I find a little servant girl who went out on a limb to convince the family to have Namaan go to the prophet in Israel for help. What a heroine. And then, some other servants put their neck on the line to get Namaan to go down into the Jordan River and obey the man of God. More heros.

Central Text: Judges 3:1-31

We read of a time when the children of Israel were having a real hard time of being faithful and true to God. Sort of like the days in which we live.

This stirred up the wrath of God (v.8). He sold them over into the hands of the enemy.

Now that God has their attention again (v.9), the people cried out for the Lord to send deliverance.

I. OTHNIEL --the boring but anointed judge (hero)

This is Calebs' little brother. Everyone knew Caleb, but who is this Othniel?

The Spirit of the Lord came upon him and he simply judged Israel.

He went out to war against the enemy and whipped them.

For the next 40 years, the land had rest.

He evidently kept the people in line. He probably established and enforced some laws and regulations.

We are at a loss to tell you of any other great feats that he accomplished, but he was CHOSEN and USED of God.

After Othniel passed away, the children of Israel again went a backsliding. And again we see that God gives a hand to the enemy to chastise His rebelious children (v.12). Are you seeing a pattern here? Does it still take place today?

Again (v. 15), the people of God, finally get sick and tired of being beaten down, and they cry out to God for help and deliverance.

II. Ehud--the somewhat odd judge

This man was left-handed. In many cultures over the years, this has been considered an impediment. It is quite probable that the subjects were a little embarrassed of their king.

Why didn't his momma make him learn to write with his right hand?

It reminds me of something funny that I heard. There was a woman who decided to walk to work to save gas. Along the way, she passed a store with a caged parrot on the sidewalk.

As she walked by, the parrot said, "hey lady, you are ugly." The second day, the same thing happened. She went in and told the store owner of how offended she was. The owner assured her that he would deal with the bird. The next day, the woman was walking by, and the parrot gawked ou

t, "hey lady", then he paused briefly and added, "you know".

Ehud was determined to be a dedicated servant of God in spite of what others thought about him.

He went in to see the enemy king with a two-edged dagger on his right thigh (v.16){this was done because he was left-handed.}

In a frisking by guards, they would check the left side for a weapon since "everyone" would carry a knife, dagger, or sword in that position.

Ehud was creative in finding a way to deal with the enemy of Israel.

Moses and Paul were men with impediments as well. We all know how God used them.

Being different or seemingly defective does not limit God from using you.

III. Shamgar

This judge served at a very dificult time.

1 Samuel 13:19 Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears:

The enemy had taken away everything that they thought could be used as a weapon against them.