LEFTY BIBLE FACTS

Since the word left has been associated with evil and such since, well, almost forever, people focus most on the Bible talking about such things as “Don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.”

I started writing that just the opposite, being a lefty, because the teaching here, is simply not to holler from the housetops or blow trumpets, as it were, ahead of you when you’re about to do some nice for someone else. Not, necessarily, that the left hand is bad, and right is good.

Then there is the sheep and the goats scripture of the goats going off at the left of Jesus, and the sheep to the right. This is a depiction of the separating work of the righteous and the unrighteous people. Sheep are mild tempered, willing to follow their shepherd. Goats are more strong willed. I had one. I loved her; she was fun, but she sure could find ways of causing trouble! So, I’m not particularly offended that they are separated in this way. Just doesn’t bother me, overmuch, that the wicked are sent off to the left, while the good people are sent to the right.

I will concur, you won’t find too many instances where left appears to be the preferred side. But there is one significant one. As we read in Judges 3:12-30, once again, the chosen nation of God left off worshipping Him. Went off to prostitute themselves to the gods of the nations, and to do what was bad in His eyes. So, he allowed Eglon, the king of Moab to come capture them, and for 18 years they suffered under his oppression. Finally, they decided to remember their God, Jehovah, and called out for help.

Who did he raise up to save them? Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjaminite who was left-handed. The plan was to go to Eglon with a tribute to gain his favor. Ehud brought that in, presented it, and left . . . but then came back, claiming to have a secret message for the king. Unsuspecting, Eglon sent his attendants away. Ehud told him he had a message from God for him. At that, Eglon stood up from his throne.

Ehud drew his two edged sword forged for this moment and which was strapped at his right side, and he buried it deep in Eglon’s very fat belly. In fact, the fat closed over the blade for he didn’t withdraw the sword.

Ehud escaped safely, and came back with an unspecified number of Israelites to defeat Moab. After that, the nation had 80 years of peace under Ehud’s leadership. So, for that amount of time a left handed man judged the nation of Israel. About the longest time there was peace in the land in those days of the judges.

Now, that is really a cool fact, don’t you think?

Later in the time of the judges, there arose a sad conflict between the tribe of Benjamin and the rest of the Israelites. A battle cry went out, and we learn that in the army of the tribe of Benjamin there were 700 chosen men, all left handed, who were deadly with the slingshot. Never missed.

It would seem that these men weren’t belittled for their uniqueness, but were chosen for their prowess with their favorite weapon. That’s as it should be, don’t you think?

Celebrate what you can do, however you can do it; whatever hand is most efficient for you to do it with. And if it’s with the left hand, so much the better!