Ehud — The Left-Handed Judge

Israel had been oppressed by Eglon, the obese king of Moab, for eighteen years. They cried out to Yahuah, and He raised up a deliverer: Ehud, son of Gera, a Benjamite — and he was left-handed.

In ancient Israel, left-handedness was considered a deficiency. The tribe of Benjamin literally means 'son of the right hand,' making Ehud's left-handedness even more ironic. But Yahuah uses what the world considers weakness.

Ehud made a double-edged dagger, about eighteen inches long, and strapped it to his right thigh under his clothing. Because guards checked the left thigh (where right-handed men carried weapons), Ehud's dagger went undetected.

He presented tribute to King Eglon, then said: 'I have a secret message for you, O king.' Eglon dismissed his attendants. Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into Eglon's belly. The fat closed over the blade.

Ehud escaped, rallied the Israelites, and they struck down ten thousand Moabites. The land had rest for eighty years.

This story — graphic and unconventional — shows that Yahuah does not use cookie-cutter heroes. He takes what others call a weakness and turns it into the very tool of deliverance.