WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, THE TOUGH GET GOING (even alone)

January 11th, 2013 | By admin

by Paul Holland

            A certain holy courage and a confidence of faith are necessary for a great victory in spiritual matters. When the going gets tough, the tough get going (sometimes even alone).  Let’s see how this principle is revealed in the life of Ehud – Judges 3.12-30.

ISRAEL IS PUT TO THE TEST:

            God commanded Israel should destroy, wipe out the unbelievers in Palestine (Deuteronomy 20.17-18).  However, the people grew tired of fighting and they left the pagans in the land. They sank into slavery for eighteen years (3.12-14).

            In order to punish the people of Israel, God strengthened their enemy (3.12).  God wanted to discipline Israel and Moab (Eglon) was the means of disciplining them

            When you are put to the test, what do you do?  God puts us to the test for the same reason – to see if we will obey Him or not – if we love Him supremely or not.  Does it depend on the number of “Christians” who stand with you?  Do you stand in the right path – regardless of the number?  We see a man in our story who confronted sin and he said: “Not me, not here, not now.”  Ehud stood shoulder to shoulder with God – even alone – and he won

GOD CAN CONQUER ENEMIES THROUGH ONE INDIVIDUAL:

            Ehud rises to save the Israelites (3.15-16). Ehud was a left-handed man. Ehud used his “talent” for the glory of God.  He went to pay Eglon tribute. The Bible says that Eglon was “a very fat man” (3.17).  Could Ehud beat Eglon in hand-to-hand combat? Perhaps not.

            Eglon stood up in order to hear the message of God and Ehud gave it to him.  Eglon did not expect that message! But he stood up and Ehud drew his sword from his left side and implanted it into Eglon’s stomach!

            When you confront temptation, what do you do? After you conquer temptation, do you turn and strengthen the brethren? After you become a Christian, do you go to war shoulder to shoulder with your brethren? After you reach the “pinnacle” of a spiritual experience, do you do what Ehud did?

            Ehud turned and inspired the Israelites (3.27-29).  Ehud returned, not to the inheritance of the seed of Benjamin, but to the inheritance of the seed of Ephraim and he blew the trumpet. The children of Israel descended with him from the mountain and made him their leader (verse 27).

            This is the attitude of a “conqueror”.  When the children of God have need of a leader, he accepts the challenge.  The children of the Lord served for eighteen years in slavery and during that time they cast off the yoke of the Moabites.  When the going gets tough, the tough get going (even alone).

            What does God have in view for you?  What will you do?  Even if you are alone?  When God puts His people to the test, those who are bold and faithful get going.

THE FALL OF A BIG MAN

December 28th, 2012 | By admin

by Katt Anderson

Today when we see a tall person on a basketball court, we comment on how tall they are. They may be seven feet plus, and to us, they are a tall person. People have gotten taller in the last  100 hears. Even in Bible times, a tall person would probably be around six feet. Think about how the army of King Saul felt when they faced a man over nine feet tall. That’s about the size of Goliath. He was a very big man.

Most likely, Goliath was not only tall, but strong or muscular. He was a very big man even by our standards today. Not only was he big, but he was mean. He had a dirty mouth and shouted horrible things to the Israelite soldiers. Today we would call him a bully.

The whole arm of King Saul were frightened of him. He would stand and make fun of the army, ridicule them because they were afraid of him. He was having fun making them feel bad. Isn’t that what a bully does today? They like to make us feel bad.

D avid was a teenager when he met Goliath. He was not a big man. He only came to the battlefield to check on his brothers and bring them food. He had not come to be made fun of by this huge man. Still, he entered the picture and saw how Goliath talked to the soldiers. He could not understand why the soldiers were afraid of the giant. Didn’t they trust in God? Wouldn’t God help them through this battle?

David did not appreciate the way Goliath was talking to his people, and decided he would do something to stop him. Then the soldiers ridiculed David for thinking he could bring down such a mighty man. David had courage that God would help him in every situation. He knew God would deliver His people from this tyrant.

After having killed a lion and a bear, this Philistine did not seem so bad to David. At least he stood still and wouldn’t fight him like the lion and the bear did. He could take a chance of being rid of that giant. He had confidence in himself. Today, we lack that confidence a lot of times. We’re afraid to stand up for what Jesus teaches.

King Saul tried to give David armor, but it weighed him down, and he could not move well. He threw the armor and the shield off. Instead of all the defensive articles of battle, he picked up five stones from the creek. He listened to Goliath make fun of him as he walked within range of this huge man. He put a stone in his sling and slung it around. When he let go, the stone found its mark in the forehead of Goliath. The mighty man fell with a loud thump. David had killed an enormously large man with a stone.

In your minds eye, can you see Goliath start to wobble and fall? Can you feel the earth shake as his giant body hit the ground? The loud noise probably hurt the ears of those nearby. I wonder if his body made a dent in the earth. This bully would no longer hurl insults and cursing to the people of Israel. One young man had courage and faith to face this huge problem.

Today we have problems that seem as large as Goliath. Do you turn your back and run, thinking they will go away if you ignore them? Or, are you more like David, willing to face the problems in your life? Nothing is too big for God. Our faith and trust in Him will help us through all of our problems. We must have the faith and courage of David.