Renewing Your Mind Ehud, Judge of Israel
Dec 2, 2025
Derek Thomas, Chancellor's Professor of Systematic and Pastoral Theology and a teaching fellow at Ligonier Ministries, dives deep into the story of Ehud, a left-handed judge of Israel. He unpacks the shocking assassination of the tyrant Eglon, exploring its gruesome details and the historical context of Israel's apostasy. Thomas highlights the significance of Ehud's cunning plan and the broader implications of divine deliverance in messy circumstances, linking it to the recurring cycle in the Book of Judges.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Context Shapes Violent Narratives
- Judges 3 frames Ehud's story in a period of Israelite apostasy and foreign oppression.
- Derek Thomas highlights context as essential to understanding the violent deliverance narrative.
Ehud's Graphic Assassination
- Derek Thomas recounts Ehud presenting tribute, slipping away, and assassinating Eglon with an 18-inch dagger.
- The graphic detail (including dung) underscores the raw historical report and Ehud's premeditated escape.
Messy Instruments Of God's Deliverance
- The episode treats Ehud as God's instrument of deliverance rather than an allegory or moral parable.
- Thomas connects this messy deliverer to the larger biblical pattern of God using flawed people to save Israel.
