Pastor Allan Kircher
Shell Point Baptist Church
1 Sept. 2013
Judges 3:31
SHAMGAR: THE OBSCURE SAVIOR
Intro: Bible/filled/tales/obscure people who appear/pages/Bible and then promptly disappear.
• These people step out/shadows
• used mightily/Lord then they fade away
• Most of them never being mentioned again.
Among those that come to mind are:
David’s mighty men: 2 Sam. 23:8-12
Josheb – He killed 800 men/one time/spear.
Eleazar/stood boldly/day of battle
• Fought so long/killed/many Philistines
• Hand would not open/allow him/release his sword.
Shammah/stood alone/field/peas
• Fought/Philistines/God gave him a great victory.
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The Widow of Zarephath – 1 Kings 17 – She fed the prophet Elijah and sheltered him during a famine.
The Israelite Maid who told Naaman about the Man of God – 2 Kings 5:1-4
• Told her master about/God of Israel
• This led/his cleansing/leprosy/his spiritual conversion.
Little boy/gave/lunch/Jesus
• He gave/little he possessed
• God used/tiny portion/food/feed/vast multitude/people.
Woman who anointed/Lord/washed His feet/her hair
• She performed/labor/sacrificial love/Lord Jesus.
Joseph of Arimathea
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Seems/God chooses/use those who are unknown and obscure to accomplish His work in this world.
• The passage before us is no exception.
• Introduced to a man/Shamgar.
• He/unknown man/appears/pages/Word/God
• used by God/great way
• Then vanished back into/shadows/he came.
• Not much is known about Shamgar.
• He is only mentioned twice in the Bible. 3:31 and 5:6
• What is said about him reveals a man/character/courage.
• The little information we are given reveals a man whom God used in a great way.
I want to study Shamgar today.
• Three observations about this man.
• I want you to see Shamgar The Worker/Warrior/Winner.
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I. SHAMGAR THE WORKER
• “Shamgar” means either “sword” or “cupbearer”.
• Either name would fit/details we have concerning this man.
• He was like a “sword” hand of God
• God used him/destroy/enemies/Israel.
• He/like “cupbearer” who brought cup/God’s wrath to those God would judge.
One thing we know for sure about Shamgar he was farmer.
• He carried and fought with an “oxgoad”
• Ox goad was not a weapon/agricultural tool.
• Pole some 8/10 feet/2 in/diameter.
• One end long iron point/used/encourage/oxen to move
• Other end shaped spade
• used to clean wet clay, roots/impediments off plow points.
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Another thing we know/Shamgar has to do/time which he lived.
• It was a very difficult time for the people of Israel.
• Judges chapters 4-5
• Oppressed by Jabin, the King of Canaan.
• Possessed 900 iron chariots
• His army seemed totally unbeatable.
• custom those days,would not allow/Israelites to arm themselves
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It was a time when the people of Israel were filled with fear
• They/afraid/travel/highways because/their oppressors.
• Afraid/live/their homes because/who invaded/attacked them.
• It seems that while Israel was oppressed by Canaan
• They were also under attack from the Philistines.
• We will talk more about them in a moment.
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One/great lessons take away/Shamgar/God tends use those who are already busy.
• When God called Shamgar/called a man who already busy.
• Shamgar/man/actively working/feed/care/his family.
• When the enemy came
• God used Shamgar as His chosen instrument.
God does not use lazy people in any great fashion.
• When He looks/church/places His hands/folk to use them
• Chooses those who/actively engaged His work already.
• need remember He saved us to serve Him
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As you are faithful to work small tasks He assigns you, He will open up larger and more important avenues of service.
If He can’t trust you to do the small tasks He will never use you in greater ways, Luke 10:16.
Day in which we live is a hard day/servants/Lord.
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It seems/government/society/growing their hatred/Lord/His work.
• Hearts/becoming continually harder against the message of the Gospel and the Lord’s call to salvation.
• It is a hard day to raise families.
• It is hard day to be in the ministry.
However, these are days/Lord/chosen/us to live and work.
I challenge you to do the best you can where you are.
• Serve the Lord in your home/Sunday School class
• Choir/youth group/outreach ministry
• In any way you can find.
• The Lord is watching!
• He takes note of your faithful service
• He will bless you and use you here.
• You can be sure that He will reward you when you get home.
II. SHAMGAR THE WARRIOR
As I said a moment ago, Israelites being oppressed Canaanites under King Jabin/his powerful army.
• Jabin/disarmed/Israelites/made them weak military
• Not/position to defend themselves.
This provided an opportunity for/Philistines
• Warlike people who lived near the Mediterranean Sea, to take advantage of the situation.
• They would invade Israel/capture slave/steal crops/destroy villages.
• When the Philistines came
• Most of the people/Israel would flee in terror.
• They wanted avoid death or capture.
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Shamgar, however, refuse to flee.
• When Philistines came/stood his ground/he fought.
• He didn’t have any weapons of war, he had his oxgoad.
• It was a tool/it could used/weapon.
• Spear on one end---axe on the other end.
• The long pole could have been used to block blows/sword.
Shamgar took what he had and he used it to secure victory for his people and safety for his family.
Over the course of his life, he killed 600 Philistine raiders.
Using heavy oxgoad kill 600 men would have been amazing physical feat.
• man who was top notch physical condition
• His power wasn’t merely physical.
• His power was spiritual.
• Shamgar man empowered God for this task.
• No doubt/Spirit/God enabled Shamgar/stand/fight like he did.
Shamgar stood his ground and fought while others ran away
Shamgar knew that some things are worth fighting for.
• He was fighting for his home/family/freedom/land.
• He was fighting/right worship his God.
• Shamgar/physical/spiritual powerhouse.
• He was a fighter used in a mighty way by the Lord.
Remind you while we are to be workers, we must also/warriors!
• When God saved us
• He enlisted us in His army and set us about the business of spiritual warfare, Gal. 5:17.
• We are war today!
We are at war:
• Satan, like the Canaanites, he would oppress us.
• with the world, like the Philistine, It would invade us and take away everything we value.
• And some things are worth fighting for.
Some things cry out for us to stand our ground and fight.
If we don’t fight and protect the things that matter most, we will see them taken by the enemy and destroyed!
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What things am I talking about?
The Home
• Your marriage/spouse/children are worth fighting/dying for!
• There/no sacrifice too great/or price too high
• For those whom God has given into our care.
We should fight for their salvation/righteousness.
• We should fight to the death if necessary to protect them from the world and Satan.
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The Church
The world would slip in/take away things we value as a church.
• Things like the Word of God, our preaching, our worship, our doctrines
• Our separation are all under attack by Satan/world.
• Every day the world makes inroads into the church
• We must be willing/fight/die for/things we believe are right.
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The Lost
• They don’t know God/don’t care about God
• they need someone to stand/gap
They need people:
• Praying for them.
• Who will tell them about Jesus? Who will fight for them?
• Someone fought for us!
• If you can’t think of anyone, Jesus certainly did!
• He went through Hell for us.
• The least we can do is to stand and fight for others.
Do we have any warriors in the building?
Do we have any saints of God who will sign up today?
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III. SHAMGAR THE WINNER
• The Bible tells/Shamgar “delivered Israel”.
• His courage freed the people around him
• Let’s look on a smaller dimension! You…
• Allowed them to live in freedom and liberty.
• He made difference/lives/those he fought for.
• We are fighting for things that truly matter.
It may seem at times there are very few victories down here.
• In spite of that, fight/worthwhile!
• Because we are willing/fight/good fight/faith
If we can pass down a pure Gospel/holy church/next generation, we have been successful.
• If we can hear Him say, “Well done” end of the way, we have been successful
• When I see my children and my wife worship
• I understand/every battle/every sacrifice has been worthwhile.
When I see some young child fall under Holy Ghost conviction and come to Jesus, it makes we want to sharpen my oxgoad, the Word of God, and go forth to battle once more!
• Church, let me encourage you today. Stay in the battle.
• All around us many are laying down their oxgoads
• running away in fear of the enemy.
• Some are running away to join the enemy.
• Can I encourage you to stay in the fight?
• Can I encourage you to keep preaching, to keep teaching
• to keep living for Jesus, to keep witnessing
• To keep fighting for those things that matter?
• We are too near home to quit now!
• Be like Shamgar/stay/fight until Jesus comes 1 Cor. 15:58.
And, when you feel like quitting, just look/greatest example of steadfastness of all.
Look to Jesus and be encouraged to keep on Heb. 12:1-3.
He faced the greatest odds ever encountered by any man.
He stood His ground and used His oxgoad, an old rugged cross, to defeat the works of the devil.
Let His example inspire you to keep fighting, so that you can say with Paul
“I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith”
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Conc: What can we take away from this study of Shamgar
Shamgar fought where and when he was
• He did not give in to fear.
• Didn’t wait for better circumstances.
• Just took his stand for God and won the victory.
Shamgar fought with what he had
• No matter how weak you think your weapons are
• Put them hand of God and watch Him do great things with them.
Shamgar left the results to God
• Every time he fought he put his life on the line.
• Shamgar trusted God with his life.
• Live or die, he would stand/Lord and for what was right.
Shamgar enjoyed victory
• Every time he fought
• Shamgar walked off the field of battle the victor.
• God honored his faith and He will honor yours too!
Has God spoken to you about this matter of fighting for Him?
Are you standing your ground in the day of battle?
Are you fighting for your home, your marriage, your family, your church and the other things that matter in your life?
