Sermon: Suggestions From The Life of Shamgar
Text: Judges 3:31 And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel.
Introduction: God used Judges to fill the leadership void after the death of Joshua. The first duty of a judge was to execute absolute justice, showing the same impartiality to rich and poor, to Jew and foreigner. He was forbidden to accept bribes or pervert judgment. Judges must not let themselves be swayed by popular opinion, or unduly favor the poor. During the time of the Judges. The nation was brought low and miserable by forsaking God. They would have experienced prosperity and happiness if they remained faithful to God. Their punishment was equal to their evil deeds. They served other gods, and God made them serve the nations round about them. They found out that God’s promises and his threatening’s were equally true. God could have in His justice have abandoned them, but he would not because he pitied them. The Lord raised up the judges and used them to save his people. In the days of the greatest distress of the church, there shall be some whom God will find or make fit to help it.
Who was Shamgar in the Bible? Shamgar is described as the son of Anath. Some scholars suggest he was the son of a certain Egyptian or Canaanite soldiers who served under the banner of the goddess of war, known as Anath. In that case, it would mean Shamgar was not an Israelite but used by God all the same to provide some deliverance to Israel. God can used unlikely and unknown people to fulfill his purpose and carry out his will. Shamgar was probably fighting for his home, his family, his freedom and his land. He was fighting for the right to be free, to make his own choices. Shamgar became a physical and spiritual powerhouse by the help of God. He was a fighter used in a mighty way by the Lord. Shamgar served as the third judge over Israel, after Othniel, the first judge and Ehud, the lefthand second judge. Under Ehud, Israel had rest for 80 years and went into a downhill spiral of sin and idolatry. Again they cried out for a deliverer.
Life is filled with transition and change. You and I can count on opposition. Almost every time you make a new declaration, embrace a new vision, or attempt a goal, you expect opposition. Especially, when you decide to follow Jesus, to live a godly life and fulfill the purpose of God, you can expect opposition. The hymn writer said it this way, “Time is filled with swift transition, and none on earth unmoved can stand, build your hope on things eternal and hold to God unchanging hands.” Adversity will come! Listen to some the quotes by writers on adversity,
• Adversities do not make the man either weak or strong, but they reveal what he is. -Faith Forsyth
• Gold is tried in fire, and acceptable men in the furnace of adversity. --Seneca
• Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm. –Syrus
Proverbs 24:10 “If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.”
Caroline Schoeder, "Some people change when they see the light, others when they feel the heat." I am convinced that more people change when they feel the heat than when they see the light.”
Shamgar fought with what he had. No matter how weak you think your weapons are, put them in the hand of God and watch Him do great things with them — like an oxgoad, Moses' rod, David's sling, even the lunch of a little boy. Shamgar left the results to God. Every time he fought, he put his life on the line. The man of our text decided he wanted a different kind of life. His name is Shamgar, son of Anath. He was a simple farmer who earned a reputation as the slayer of 600 Philistines with an ox goad. Every challenge God allows is an opportunity to grow. How we respond to the challenges of life determines our success or failure. Some people respond too negatively, they are defeated before they start. Others spend their time fighting the wrong enemy, as king Saul spent his time fighting against David. Still others become paralyzed by fear as the children of Israel before the Promised Land. Some embraced the challenge as David did with Goliath and became Israel’s favorite son. Some challenges may be avoided or delay, while others must be faced head on. Whenever you make a decision to live for God and receive everything God has for you, Satan will come against you. How do you respond when it seems like everything is standing in your way?
Wouldn’t it be nice to simply change your course and avoid unpleasant things altogether? Wouldn’t be nice to reboot and start over? Most of the time, if I have a problem with my laptop, or I pad or the internet service, I just reboot it! When I reboot, the computer repairs itself. In life, you can’t simply reboot! The bible tells us in Ephesians 6:11-13 that we must prepare for opposition and adversity when it reads
“Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
So, it was with the man of our text, Shamgar. Shamgar, son of Anath, was the slayer of six hundred Philistines with a simple farming tool called an ox goad. Just as Samson slew a thousand Philistines with a jawbone of an ass, so God empowered Shamgar to rise to the occasion. Shamgar was simply caught in the turmoil the nation was going through, but he found a way to be successful and deliver Israel. He was confronted on a country road, having neither sword nor spear, but he used the instrument at hand. No matter how weak the weapon, if God directs it, you can win the victory.
This lesson may seem distant from our time, but it is still very pertinent. We live in a day of suicide bombers, terrorist, chemical weapons, nuclear weapons and the like. Hundreds are killed in one way or another every day, but to slay six hundred well trained, well-armed soldiers in hand-to-hand combat is still quite a feat. It seemed like an impossible task and yet he succeeded.
Think about it, a simple farmer, untrained in warfare, with a farming ox goad as his only weapon. It was a long stick with a small flat metal attached to one end and a sharp point on the other end. They are still commonly used today in the Middle East. The sharp end is used to keep the oxen moving along, while the flat end is used to clear debris from the cartwheels and plow points. He is so ordinary!
The life of Shamgar is listed between Judge Ehud, a left-handed man and Barak, a man who needed Deborah by his side to succeed. No definite years are given for his judgeship, little is known about his youth and childhood. Yet he became a deliverer of Israel. He comes on the scene in the middle of chaos. Judges 2:12 reads, “And they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them and bowed down to them. And they provoked the Lord to anger.” And Judges 5:6-8 gives us additional details, “In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the main roads were deserted because travelers kept to the side roads. Villages were deserted, they were deserted in Israel, until I, Deborah, arose, a mother in Israel. Israel chose new gods, then there was war in the city gates.”
This was a dark period in Israel's History. After God through Joshua had led Israel into the Promised Land, Israel had failed to subdue their enemy. They had allowed them to dwell among them and now they had become a snare to Israel, instead of Israel ruling and reigning over the land, the situation was reversed. The enemies were lording over Israel. Israel had begun to cow down to their enemy and bow down to their gods. Their armies had disbanded and disarmed themselves. There was no structured government in place, no justice in the land. Everyone was doing their own thing. The Scripture said, "Everyone did what was right in their own eyes."
This chaotic situation forced Shamgar into action. Shamgar did not step forward because of illumination, Shamgar step forward because of desperation and He slew 600 men using only an ox goad as his weapon of war. He prepared the way for a greater deliverance of Israel under Deborah and Barak. Some may wonder why I want to talk about Shamgar? Even though very little is written about him, there are several good reasons I want to consider him (1) He step forward at a time when the nation of Israel was in great need of change (2) He did not allow the lack of support to stop him from taking action (3) Hiss individual actions not only blessed his family, it blessed the nation.
Shamgar may be unfamiliar to many of us. He is an unlikely hero with no famous ancestry line. He is not described as a wealthy man or well-educated man nor a man well prepared for the task before him. Shamgar had no sword, shield, spear, helmet nor any of the things need to wage war or fight a successful campaign. No mention is made of his religious commitment or his military training. I believed God sets him forth as an example to all of us who must face great challenges with limited resources. Like many of us Shamgar had a thousand disadvantages; but God still used him to deliver Israel.
I believe God gives the example of this man so that none of us would ever allow our circumstances to dictate to us what we can or cannot do. Everyone us must realize that we are a can-do people, serving a can-do God. I know many of us remember Samson, Barak, Deborah, and Ehud, all these were famous and did many exploits. Normally, we would never compare ourselves to the Samsons or King Davids of the Bible. We need examples like Shamgar!
Ordinary guys, who stepped up to the plate, overcame obstacles and saved the day. Today, our world is filled with chaos. There are contradictions all around. Our nation is militarily and economically stronger, but morally and spiritually weak. Our nation is technically advancing, but less connected. declining. Moral corruption seems to be everywhere, and the church has not be able to avoid being contaminated. The government has its share of corruption, the schools are under attack, and the country is bogged down with conflicts on several fronts. Racism, antisemitism and police brutality is on the rise. Gun violence, murder and killing are constantly in the headlines. Our communities struggle with economic disparities, bad credit, no credit and exorbitant interest rates. At a time like this, the church is being called on the rise and leads the way from darkness to the light.
How can the church rise, when she is also under attack? Many say the church is dying rather than growing; others say the church spends all its time hiding behind the stain glass window and are afraid to tackle the problems of the real world. Some are asking the question, Is the church even relevant today? Some accuse the church of being in a maintenance mode rather than ministry mode. Some have identified the present church as the church of Laodicea, that seems rich, full, and have need of nothing when in reality, its poor, wretched and blind. Instead of helping others, the church needs help! We must remind ourselves that the church is still the Lord's church. It is still a shining light amid the darkness.
Shamgar found himself a victim of circumstances. The nation had forsaken God. Without God's favor the enemies of Israel had come in and plunder the nation. The entire society was under oppression. An old familiar enemy, tribes who were once their servants had become their masters. Injustice was rampant throughout the land. The strong lorded over the weak, the rich lorded over the poor and there was no court of appeal. The resources were scarce, food was in short supply, laws were nonexistent and friends were hard to come by. Now, poverty and lack had become Israel's newest enemy. At a time when others were giving up, submitting to the enemy, Shamgar found a way to make a difference. Shamgar found a way to survive and thrive. The Bible says, "He too delivered Israel." He was an ordinary man, but he was a real man. He was one solitary individual who lifted up his eyes and looked on the field and said "Enough is enough!" We must look around us, not to complain, but to see our God given opportunities to act in His stead. We must play the man for our generation. We are ordinary men and women, but those who are saved have an extraordinary anointing that empowers us to make a difference. God knows who we are and He has no doubt about what we can accomplish for his glory. Shamgar may not have been the strongest or smartest. He may not have been the most skilled in warfare, but he accepted the challenge and took action.
In our lives we may have walked into chaos, inherited chaos or created our own chaos. We may not have made the smartest decisions; you may have fathered children before marriage; got a spouse before you got a house; have a blended family, may be facing a mountain of debt; may be unemployed or under-employed; may need to be retooled or schooled. Shamgar’s story offers three significant challenges that may help us.
1. Shamgar Started Where He Was! You can’t simply hit the reset button. You may be unable to erase the past or delete the mistakes. You can determine with God’s help to start where you are. Don’t spend any time or energy worrying about where you would go if things were different. What it is, is what it is! You are up for the challenge! Where you go will be determined by where you start. Shamgar couldn’t wait for a better time, place or position. It was now or never! We cannot afford to wait. We must start where we are. In the midst of hurricane season, dealing with the aftermath of storm, dealing with all the election noise, we must move into actions.
2. Shamgar Used What He Had! He was not a Jew with a long pedigree. He did not have a huge number of resources or helpful assistants. He just chooses to act. He decided to use what he had. We can use the godly advisors around you; take advantage of the resources God has provided. Get in the word and get the word in you. Decide to be a good provider, love your wife, and bring your children up in the admonition of the Lord. Be a good friend and support others. Shamgar couldn’t wait for better equipment, additional supporters or special training. All he had in hand was an ox goad. He used it as best as he could. What do you have in your hand?
3. Shamgar Did What He Could! He cannot control others around him or what they are doing. Like Shamgar, we can decide to do what we can. I know we try, but we cannot really control our church members, or our grown family members? We struggle to control ourselves. Paul said, “when I desired to do good, evil was always present.” Yet, there are some things you can determine do now. You can keep developing solid life principles. Develop the attributes of a good Christian. Be the best you can be. Teach what you learn to others. You can do all you can do as you work, plan and move forward.
Decide today, with God’s help, I will be a responsible and accountable person. I will vote responsibly, live righteously, and try to be loving and kind. I will not spend my time lamenting over my past mistakes, I will repent, forgive myself and others, and keep discovering the possibilities of the future for me and my family. Today I take on the good work of being a Christian with new sense of urgency. With God’s Help, I will Start where I am, Use what I have, and I will do what I can!
I am encouraged by Shamgar’s story! This story teaches us that God can use any of us. Our limitations are not a hindrance to God. Othniel was not perfect, Ehud was lefthand and alone, Gideon was afraid, and Samson had some issues. God used them all. You and I had missed the mark, may have failed, but we are still here and available to be used by God. There is no mention of Shamgar’s relationship with God, or his friends. There is no mention of Shamgar’s prayer life or fellowship with God. I know I can made a difference for our generation, because I have found a friend in Jesus. Through Jesus, I have a relationship with God the Father and the Holy Spirit. I have sweet fellowship with the Father and the Son. I am not facing life alone…You are not alone! We have each other as sojourners together on this journey! You pray for me, and I will pray for you. Together we can make it!
Even if we must walk alone, Jesus proved that we could make! He was so alone, He cried out “My God, My God, why has thou forsaken me?” Yet he allowed himself to suffer death on the cross and everyone thought it was all over. Everyone, the disciples, the high priest, the crowd, and even Satan thought it was all over. The resurrection testifies to the possibility of comeback. It’s not over until God says it’s over! Israel was as low as a nation could go, yet there was hope. They cried to the Lord, and God raised up a deliverer. The deliverer was different, and unknown. He was of a different race with an agriculture background and only an ox goad in his hand. If God can use him, God can use anyone including you and me. Be willing to start where you are, use what you have and do what you can. God give the victory.
1Corinthians 3:6-8 reminds us “I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work.”
As wonderful as skill, courage and hard work are, it is God who gives the victory. God’s purpose will be accomplished. Amen
