'The Lord gave Eglon, king of Moab, power over Israel' (:12). Did we ever think about these words from Judges? How often do we read something like this in the Bible… and yet we easily ignore the significance of it.
Moab, although probably a Semitic nation too, was always a threat to Israel. Even when there was no open war, Moab was a danger to Israel, because of the temptation of its idols which undermined the pure faith of Israel. Indeed, a very dangerous enemy. And here we read that God made this enemy so powerful that the Israelites were subject to Moab for eighteen years. So God delivered them in the hands of their enemies because they did evil in the eyes of the Lord.
It took them a long time, but at last the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and He gave them a deliverer: Ehud (:15) who summoned all the men to battle after first setting the example by killing Eglon, the king of their enemies.
Is this story not a clear example of the gospel? How many of us are groaning under the terrible power of the enemy, Satan? Many have given up resisting and do not know any different. But there are still people who cry out to God in their distress, and then Jesus - the Redeemer - becomes a reality.
Let us join the tremendous army that Jesus has acquired throughout the ages! Then we will share in His victory over Satan's power.