Serving Eglon Eighteen Years - Judges 3:14

In the book of Judges we learned how, “the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD. And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees”, and in chapter three and verse fourteen of Judges, we learn how, “the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years” where we read,

So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.

The verse reads, “So the children of Israel served Eglon …” The writer began with the words,“so the children of Israel” or “therefore, wherefore and then the offspring belonging to Israel whose name means ‘God prevails’ and is the name of the descendants and the nation of the descendants of Jacob” “served Eglon” which means “labored and worked for Eglon whose name means ‘calf-like’ and was the king of Moab who oppressed the children of Israel for eighteen years before he was killed by the judge Ehud”. The writer shared how the offspring belonging to “Israel” worked and labored for “Eglon”. 

The verse continues, “… the king of Moab eighteen years.” The writer added the words, “the king of Moab” which means “the royal ruler and leader belonging to Moab whose name means ‘of his father’ and was a son of Lot by his eldest daughter and the name of he nation that descended from him” “eighteen years” or “eighteen annual sets of days”. The writer said “Israel” labored and worked for “Eglon the king of Moab” for “eighteen” annual sets of days. 

When we meditate upon the words in this verse, we learn how the offspring belonging to “Israel” worked and labored for “king Eglon of Moab” for “eighteen” annual sets of days. Their disobedience cost “Israel” for an extended amount of time, and they could have avoided all of it just by obeying God. God wants us to obey Him because we are benefitted when we do, and because He knows we violate His law and thereby sin, He sent His Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind and to be raised from the dead after three days. When we yield to Him as our “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and put His Holy Spirit within us to guide us into all truth and to empower us to live according to that truth so we align with Him and avoid adverse consequences that may last for years. (See John 3:16; 16:13; Acts 1:8; James 4:8)

Next time we learn, “when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".