Summer Quarter Sunday School 2011
SUMMER QUARTER SUNDAY SCHOOL 2011
THEME: GOD INSTRUCTS HIS PEOPLE
UNIT ONE: GOD INSTRUCTS HIS PEOPLE IN TRANSITIONAL TIMES … LESSONS FROM THE BOOK OF JOSHUA
UNIT TWO: GOD INSTRUCTS HIS PEOPLE IN TRAGIC TIMES (JUDGES)
UNIT THREE: GOD INSTRUCTS HIS PEOPLE IN TESTING TIMES (RUTH)
“AND NOW ON CENTER STAGE…EHUD,
GOD’S LEFT-HANDED JUDGE”
(LEFTY VS. HEFTY)
Sunday School Lesson No. VII – July 17, 2011
Presented by Rev. Frank Davis, III, Pastor-Teacher
Lesson Text: Judges 3:12-30
Motto Text: Judges 3:15a, “When the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded…”
Required Reading: Judges 3; 21:25
Reliable Resources: The Book of Judges, vols. 1-2 by Dr. David Jeremiah; Be Available by Dr. Warren Wiersbe; Union Gospel Press Expositor and Illuminator; Standard Lesson Commentary; Libronix Electronic Library; Dakes Annotated Reference Bible; MacArthur Study Bible by John MacArthur; Children’s Ministry Resource Bible, Thomas Nelson Publishers; H. L. Wilmington’s Bible Handbook
INTRODUCTION
Beloved, as we venture into the Book of Judges, we are reminded that this book follows a circle of events that describes its nature and form. The children of Israel,
according to H. L. Wilmington: “Sin, Serve the pagan nations, Supplicate to God and are Saved or delivered by God.” Beloved, what a merry-go-round of misery! All because they would reject the teachings of God and find themselves in “compromise and apostasy.” But in the midst of their folly, God was faithful and merciful on their behalf. Note: “And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord…” 3:7a, 12a; 4:1a; 6:1a; 10:6a 13:1a. But thank God for 2:16, “Nevertheless the Lord raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.” This describes the wonderful hand of Jehovah’s amazing grace. Time after time, the Lord raised a deliverer and gave Israel peace from their adversaries! This is why I call the final lessons in Judges “And Now On Center Stage…”
We will examine a few of the thirteen judges that are mentioned in the Book of Judges. We will bring them to center stage and hopefully learn from their experiences. One of the things that leap from the pages of scripture is that most, if not all of the judges would be rejected on the first ballot of a leadership contest. Our first judge for examination this week is Ehud, God’s left-handed judge.
My Anticipated Power Points concerning Ehud are:
· A Family Feud. Judges 3:12-14
· A Physical Hindrance. Judges 3:15
· A Perfect Plan. Judges 3:16-26
· A Proclamation of Victory. Judges 3:27-30
Lesson Outline
“And Now on Center Stage…Ehud, God’s Left-Handed Judge”
I. A Family Feud. Judges 3:12-14
Not very far from the homeland of the children were some distant relatives, family who were related to Abraham. These were not the promised inhabitants of God’s land, but they were great thorns in the sides of the Israelites. These were the descendants of Lot’s incestuous relations with his two daughters, whose sons were Moab and Ammon. (Read Genesis 19:30-38). As the Lord would have it, the King of Moab, Eglon, had joined forces with Ammon and a distant cousin Amalek to hold the Israelites under servitude for 18 years, because of their disobedience to the Lord. God used these distant family members to fuel affliction upon a disobedient, idol-worshipping Israel. Remember their problem: “Compromise and idolatry.” Now they are paying tribute to the enemy!
II. A Physical Hindrance. Judges 3:15
In the 18th year of this occupation, God raises a man of Benjamin whose name is Ehud, a man with a physical hindrance. According to Dr. Warren Wiersbe, “The second judge, Ehud, a left-handed man, came from Judah’s neighbor, Benjamin. The name ‘Benjamin’ means ‘son of my right hand.’ (The Benjamites were known for their ambidexterity. See Judges 20:16 and I Chronicles 12:2). However, the text of Judges 3:15 can be translated, ‘A man handicapped in the right hand,’ which suggests that he was not ambidextrous at all but able to use only his left hand.” Dr. Wiersbe’s quote makes me think that Ehud’s physical hindrance made him appear to be not so dangerous to the occupying forces under the leadership of King Eglon.
III. A Perfect Plan. Judges 3:16-26
Ehud was the least to be expected to bring havoc against the Moabite king, but God brought him to center stage and gave him the perfect plan.
A. A perfect weapon. vs. 16
Ehud had forged a 14-18 inch double-bladed dagger that he could conceal on his right thigh under his flowing garments. In the eyes of the occupying armies of Eglon, he appeared to be no threat. He was a man with an impediment and they under- underestimated what ability God had invested in him. Beloved, never underestimate the power in a servant used by God!
B. A perfect present. vss. 17-18
Eglon had the obligation of leading the congregation of gift bearers. Remember Israel was under occupation for 18 years and paid tribute to their occupiers, no doubt yearly. King Eglon and his emissaries were quite at ease with Ehud, who probably was very eloquent in his presentation. It is no doubt based on the rest of the story that the king somewhat trusted him, or at least felt no fear of him.
C. The perfect deception. vss. 19-20
After homage was paid to King Eglon with great gifts, Ehud left with his cohorts, only to turn back and reappear before the king, to share that he had a special message from God to him. Now the king who was over-confident and perhaps very superstitious, knowing of the Israelites’ God, wanted to hear this secret message just for him. So he dismissed everybody except Ehud.
D. A perfect execution. vss. 21-22
With the help of the Lord, Ehud got close enough to king Eglon and secretly drew his dagger from the place of concealment and planted it into the mid-section of the greatly obese king. The scripture declares the dagger went in so far that all the fat of the king enclosed it up to the handle. It could not be removed and the wicked adversary of Jehovah got the message… “Your days have been numbered and your punishment is death!” (Read Galatians 6:7)
E. A perfect escape. vss. 23-26
Quoting Dr. Wiersbe: “The next problem was how to escape from the palace without getting caught, and this he accomplished by locking the door of the private chamber and delaying the discovery of the corpse. As Ehud hastened away, the attendants concluded that the interview was over, so they went to see if their king wanted anything. The three ‘beholds’ statements in verses 24-25 indicate the three surprises that they experienced: the doors were locked, the king didn’t respond to their knocks and calls, and the king was dead. All of this took time and gave Ehud opportunity to escape.”
IV. A Proclamation of Victory. Judges 3:27-30
Now being moved to a great level of confidence that Israel’s time to overthrow its occupiers had arrived, Ehud went up to the high grounds and blew a summons blast on the trumpet; a call to arms and God was with him. God then used this unsuspecting left-handed man to lead Israel to a great victory over the best soldiers of Moab and their allies, and so God again delivers Israel from their adversaries when “they cried out unto the Lord.” Beloved, according to Wiersbe, “Ehud turned a disability into a possibility because he depended on the Lord.”
CLOSING
“Have you any rivers that you feel are uncrossable? Have you any mountains that you cannot tunnel through? God specializes in things that are impossible, And He will do what no other power, Holy Ghost power can do.”
Bibleway Missionary Baptist Church, New Orleans, LA & Little Bethel Baptist Church, Amite, LA
Mailing Address: Post Office Box 19768, New Orleans, LA 70179
Phone: (504) 486-7876 Email:
Website: www.thestudyhour.com
TV Broadcasts: WHNO TV 20, Sunday, 6:30 a.m. – Channel 14 (Hammond-Amite area), 6:30 a.m.
Radio Broadcasts: WLNO AM 1060, Saturday 8:30 a.m.; Sunday 5:30 a.m.
AM 1570 (Hammond-Amite area) Saturday 1:00 p.m.
Looking Ahead: July 24, 2011 Judges 7:2-4, 13-15; 8:22-25