Without a King Part 3: “Obvious. Overlooked. Ordinary”

Main Text: Judges 3

Message Overview
Judges 3 introduces us to three very different deliverers: Othniel, Ehud, and Shamgar. Othniel was the obvious choice, Ehud was the overlooked choice, and Shamgar was the ordinary choice. Each one shows us that God can use anyone, whether strong, weak, or ordinary, as long as they are willing. Ultimately, these judges point us forward to Jesus, the greater Deliverer, who defeated sin and death through the unlikely weapon of the cross.

The Cycle of Judges (3:7–8)
Israel fell into the repeated cycle of rebellion, ruin, repentance, rescue, and relapse. They forgot the Lord and became enslaved to idols for eight years until they cried out for help. The truth is, we all become slaves to whatever we worship.

Othniel: The Obvious Choice (3:9–11)
Othniel had the résumé: from the tribe of Judah, Caleb’s brother, a proven warrior, and filled with the Spirit of God. His story reminds us that God can use the strong and the qualified, but it is never about human strength. Victory only comes through the Spirit of God working in and through us.

Ehud: The Unlikely Choice (3:12–30)
Ehud was a left-handed Benjamite, the “son of my right hand” who could not use his right hand. Weak by cultural standards and overlooked by men, yet God used him to bring down a powerful king. Ehud’s story is graphic, but it gives us a vivid picture of what God does with sin. Ehud drew his sword and put an end to the enemy. In the same way, we are called to take the Word of God, the sword of the Spirit, and put sin to death. Jesus has already dealt the decisive blow on the cross. He took our punishment, defeated sin and death, and set us free.

Shamgar: The Ordinary Choice (3:31)
Shamgar gets only one verse. He was a farmer with an oxgoad, a tool for working cattle, not for fighting wars. Yet God used what was in his hand to defeat six hundred Philistines. Shamgar shows us that God often uses ordinary people with ordinary tools to accomplish extraordinary things.

The Gospel Connection
Othniel points us to Jesus who came from the royal line of David.
Ehud points us to Jesus who was overlooked, despised, and appeared weak, but through the cross He crushed the power of sin and death. What Ehud did to Eglon, Jesus did to sin once and for all.
Shamgar points us to Jesus who used the unlikely weapon of the cross, an instrument of death, to bring life to the world.

This Week’s Challenge
The question is not whether you are strong like Othniel, weak like Ehud, or ordinary like Shamgar. The question is this: Are you willing? God does not need the most qualified. He uses those who are available. Ask yourself: What has God placed in my hands, and how can I use it this week for His glory?