“And he said unto them, Follow after me: for the LORD hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over.”
In Judges 3:28:we find ourselves in the midst of the narrative of the Book of Judges. This book focuses on the period after the Israelites entered the Promised Land, when they were led by a series of judges who delivered them from oppression and guided them in their relationship with God. This particular verse describes an event involving one of the judges named Ehud and the deliverance of Israel from their enemy, the Moabites.
Prior to this verse, the Moabites had oppressed the Israelites for eighteen years. In response to their cries for help, God raised up Ehud, a left-handed man from the tribe of Benjamin, as their deliverer. Ehud was chosen by God to deliver a tribute to Eglon, the king of Moab, as a pretence for an assassination attempt.
In the preceding verses, we learn that Ehud crafted a double-edged sword and hid it on his right thigh, where it would not be detected due to his left-handedness. He then presented the tribute to King Eglon, who was a notably obese man. After delivering the tribute, Ehud asked for a private audience with the king, claiming to have a secret message for him.
Once alone with the king, Ehud revealed his true intentions. Drawing the sword from his right thigh, he thrust it into Eglon’s belly, resulting in the king’s death. Ehud then escaped while the servants assumed the king was relieving himself in the inner room. The text indicates that the doors to the king’s chamber were locked and could only be opened from the outside.
This brings us to Judges 3:28. After Ehud successfully assassinated King Eglon, he rallied the Israelites and urged them to pursue the Moabite forces. Ehud declared that the Lord had delivered their enemies into their hands. The Israelites followed Ehud’s lead, and together they seized control of the fords of the Jordan River, which were strategic crossings used for military movements.
By seizing the fords of the Jordan, the Israelites effectively blocked the Moabite forces from retreating to their own territory and prevented reinforcements from crossing over. This victory enabled the Israelites to gain a decisive advantage over their oppressors and marked the beginning of their liberation from the Moabites.
Judges 3:28 demonstrates the role of Ehud as a judge, chosen and empowered by God to deliver the Israelites from the oppression of the Moabites. It highlights the strategic wisdom of Ehud in blocking the fords of the Jordan, which effectively immobilized the Moabite forces and secured a significant victory for the Israelites.
Overall, this verse showcases God’s faithfulness to His people and His commitment to delivering them from their enemies, even in the face of challenging circumstances. It serves as a reminder that God can raise up leaders and provide strategies that bring deliverance and freedom to His people, demonstrating His sovereignty and care.
