As people are prone to do, the Israelites soon fell back into the same sin of doing evil before the Lord. The Lord can never abide with any sort of sin, and so he gave Israel over to the Moabites and King Eglon. He defeated the Israelites at the City of Palms (Jericho) and took possession of it. And so, the Israelites came under the control of King Eglon for 18 long years.

Again, as sinners are accustomed to do, the Israelites cried out to the Lord. They repented of their sins and the Lord listened to their cries for help. He had mercy and compassion on them, and he raised up another judge, Ehud, to save his people. Ehud formed a plan to get rid of Eglon. He went to pay him tribute and after doing so, said he had a secret message for the king. After clearing the room, Ehud assassinated King Eglon with his double-edged sword, and then escaped before Eglon's attendants discovered what had happened. Ehud then blew a trumpet, rallying the Israelites by saying, "the Lord has given Moab, your enemy, into your hands." Moab was defeated and Israel saw peace for 80 years. After him came Shamgar, who saved Israel from the Philistines with his ox goad. The Lord truly gave Israel the victories.


Application: Father, we so easily forget who you are, and we stumble into sin. Thank you for your mercy and care for sinners. Help us repent our sin and return to you.
One Word: It is the Lord who gives the victory