Judges: A Message
And Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you.” (Judges 3:20b).
Even in the dark days when Israel sought their own ways instead of seeking the Lord, the Lord still spoke. He still listened. He was still intent on his people.
He loved them too much to leave them in their sins. Not leaving them in thier sins, though, meant selling them. It is not easy to wake people up, but God loves us as a father loves a child--and disciplines. The oppression by Moab, as humiliating as it was, was an act of grace. Dare we believe and see that even our struggles are gifts of grace?! It was a message for Israel --"I love my glory, your highest good, and I love you, my chosen people for my glory, the seed from which the Messiah to bless all the nations will come, too much to leave you as you are. I will act, I will sell you, I will bring you to myself again."
The Lord himself strengthened Eglon, he gathered the Ammonites and Amalekites. He was active among the nations. He loves his glory and his people's good so much he stirs nations. Not content to just move little things, he works on a cosmic scale. Very nations are moved out of his loving purposes. What wondrous love! What awesome power! What great good!
Ehud was right--he had a message for Eglon. All nations will bow before the Lord. All we see his glory. The Lord has a message that will ring out to the ends of the earth, the ends of time: He is loving, his glory will fill the earth, he is Lord. He has chosen his people for his eternal glory. We will either listen to his message and bow with joy, or we will close our ears and bow in judgment. But all will hear of his great name, all will hear his message.
It is a message of encouragement--our Lord reigns. He loves us, even when we are struggling and in suffering. He moves mountains and nations on behalf of his glory and our good. He is the Lord, and ultimate vindication will come for his glory. His message rings thoughout the ages, down to us, down to me.
Even in the dark days when Israel sought their own ways instead of seeking the Lord, the Lord still spoke. He still listened. He was still intent on his people.
He loved them too much to leave them in their sins. Not leaving them in thier sins, though, meant selling them. It is not easy to wake people up, but God loves us as a father loves a child--and disciplines. The oppression by Moab, as humiliating as it was, was an act of grace. Dare we believe and see that even our struggles are gifts of grace?! It was a message for Israel --"I love my glory, your highest good, and I love you, my chosen people for my glory, the seed from which the Messiah to bless all the nations will come, too much to leave you as you are. I will act, I will sell you, I will bring you to myself again."
The Lord himself strengthened Eglon, he gathered the Ammonites and Amalekites. He was active among the nations. He loves his glory and his people's good so much he stirs nations. Not content to just move little things, he works on a cosmic scale. Very nations are moved out of his loving purposes. What wondrous love! What awesome power! What great good!
Ehud was right--he had a message for Eglon. All nations will bow before the Lord. All we see his glory. The Lord has a message that will ring out to the ends of the earth, the ends of time: He is loving, his glory will fill the earth, he is Lord. He has chosen his people for his eternal glory. We will either listen to his message and bow with joy, or we will close our ears and bow in judgment. But all will hear of his great name, all will hear his message.
It is a message of encouragement--our Lord reigns. He loves us, even when we are struggling and in suffering. He moves mountains and nations on behalf of his glory and our good. He is the Lord, and ultimate vindication will come for his glory. His message rings thoughout the ages, down to us, down to me.
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