7.7.24 Huddle
Opening Discussion
- What is a weird talent or quirk you have? (Double jointed, juggling, can fold your tongue in half, etc.)
Shortened Version
Read and Discuss
Judges 3:12, 14-19
12 The Israelites again did what was evil in the Lord’s sight. He gave King Eglon of Moab power over Israel, because they had done what was evil in the Lord’s sight.
14 The Israelites served King Eglon of Moab eighteen years.
15 Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and he raised up Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed Benjaminite, as a deliverer for them. The Israelites sent him with the tribute for King Eglon of Moab.
16 Ehud made himself a double-edged sword eighteen inches long. He strapped it to his right thigh under his clothes 17 and brought the tribute to King Eglon of Moab, who was an extremely fat man. 18 When Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he dismissed the people who had carried it. 19 At the carved images near Gilgal he returned and said, “King Eglon, I have a secret message for you.” The king said, “Silence!” and all his attendants left him.
- Why did the Israelites turn away from the Lord again?
- What was unique about Ehud?
- What are some unique things about you that the Lord can use to build His kingdom?
Judges 3:20-23,26-30
20 Then Ehud approached him while he was sitting alone in his upstairs room where it was cool. Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you,” and the king stood up from his throne. 21 Ehud reached with his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and plunged it into Eglon’s belly. 22 Even the handle went in after the blade, and Eglon’s fat closed in over it, so that Ehud did not withdraw the sword from his belly. And the waste came out. 23 Ehud escaped by way of the porch, closing and locking the doors of the upstairs room behind him.
26 Ehud escaped while the servants waited. He passed the Jordan near the carved images and reached Seirah. 27 After he arrived, he sounded the ram’s horn throughout the hill country of Ephraim. The Israelites came down with him from the hill country, and he became their leader. 28 He told them, “Follow me, because the Lord has handed over your enemies, the Moabites, to you.” So they followed him, captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross over. 29 At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all stout and able-bodied men. Not one of them escaped. 30 Moab became subject to Israel that day, and the land had peace for eighty years.
- Why does the Bible include all the gross details of Eglon’s death?
- How did the Lord provide everything that Ehud needed to succeed?
- What is the Lord providing in your life right now that you can use to further His kingdom?
Discipleship Questions
- What are some hardships that you’ve been through that the Lord has used to help others?
- Who is someone that is having trouble seeing how God can use them?
- What can you say to them this week to encourage them in the Lord?
Extended Edition
Judges 3:12, 14-19
12 The Israelites again did what was evil in the Lord’s sight. He gave King Eglon of Moab power over Israel, because they had done what was evil in the Lord’s sight.
14 The Israelites served King Eglon of Moab eighteen years.
15 Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and he raised up Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed Benjaminite, as a deliverer for them. The Israelites sent him with the tribute for King Eglon of Moab.
16 Ehud made himself a double-edged sword eighteen inches long. He strapped it to his right thigh under his clothes 17 and brought the tribute to King Eglon of Moab, who was an extremely fat man. 18 When Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he dismissed the people who had carried it. 19 At the carved images near Gilgal he returned and said, “King Eglon, I have a secret message for you.” The king said, “Silence!” and all his attendants left him.
- Why did the Israelites turn away from the Lord again?
- What was unique about Ehud?
- What are some unique things about you that the Lord can use to build His kingdom?
- What was it about the carved images at Gilgal that reminded Ehud of God’s faithfulness?
- See Joshua 4:4-7 for a reminder
- 4 So Joshua summoned the twelve men he had selected from the Israelites, one man for each tribe, 5 and said to them, “Go across to the ark of the Lord your God in the middle of the Jordan. Each of you lift a stone onto his shoulder, one for each of the Israelite tribes, 6 so that this will be a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ 7 you should tell them, ‘The water of the Jordan was cut off in front of the ark of the Lord’s covenant. When it crossed the Jordan, the Jordan’s water was cut off.’ Therefore these stones will always be a memorial for the Israelites.”
- What are some things in your life that reminds you of the Lord’s faithfulness?
Judges 3:20-23,26-30
20 Then Ehud approached him while he was sitting alone in his upstairs room where it was cool. Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you,” and the king stood up from his throne. 21 Ehud reached with his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and plunged it into Eglon’s belly. 22 Even the handle went in after the blade, and Eglon’s fat closed in over it, so that Ehud did not withdraw the sword from his belly. And the waste came out. 23 Ehud escaped by way of the porch, closing and locking the doors of the upstairs room behind him.
26 Ehud escaped while the servants waited. He passed the Jordan near the carved images and reached Seirah. 27 After he arrived, he sounded the ram’s horn throughout the hill country of Ephraim. The Israelites came down with him from the hill country, and he became their leader. 28 He told them, “Follow me, because the Lord has handed over your enemies, the Moabites, to you.” So they followed him, captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross over. 29 At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all stout and able-bodied men. Not one of them escaped. 30 Moab became subject to Israel that day, and the land had peace for eighty years.
- Why does the Bible include all the gross details of Eglon’s death?
- How did the Lord provide everything that Ehud needed to succeed?
- What is the Lord providing in your life right now that you can use to further His kingdom?
- How did Ehud provide godly leadership when it was missing from Israel?
- Who do you look to for godly leadership in your life?
- Who can you provide godly leadership to?
2 Corinthians 12:8-10
8 Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it would leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.”
Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. 10 So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
- How did Paul rely on the Lord when he felt weak?
- What are ways God’s power is made perfect in our weaknesses?
- Where do you feel weak in your life now?
- What might the Lord be doing in that area?
- When you face hardships this week, what can you do to remind yourself of Christ’s power residing in you?
Discipleship Questions
- What are some hardships that you’ve been through that the Lord has used to help others?
- Who is someone that is having trouble seeing how God can use them?
- What can you say to them this week to encourage them in the Lord?
Memorize it!
Judges 3:21-22
21 Ehud reached with his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and plunged it into Eglon’s belly. 22 Even the handle went in after the blade, and Eglon’s fat closed in over it, so that Ehud did not withdraw the sword from his belly. And the waste came out.
Prayer TACOS
Thanksgiving- Give thanks to the Lord for using our weirdness to further His kingdom
Adoration- Worship the Lord for His strength
Confess to the times that you have turned away from the Lord instead of trusting Him
Others- Pray for someone who needs to be reminded that God can use them where they are now. Ask Him for an opportunity to talk to them this week.
Self- Pray that the Lord would show you ways to serve in His kingdom this week