We Need More Men In The Pea Patch

Happy Father’s Day! Today America honors dads throughout the land. And for my Father’s Day Sermon I want to call your attention to 2nd Samuel 23. 2nd Samuel 23 tells us about ‘David’s mighty men.’ These were a group of highly trained soldiers who fought on many battlefields along side of David and aided him in his victories.

Know this: when God calls a man to perform some special service in the interests of His kingdom and His people, He also graciously raises up for him those who support his cause and strengthen his hands by using their influence on his behalf.

Today, I want to focus in on one of David’s men — his name is ‘Shammah.’ I don’t know if he was a father or not, but I do know that the spirit and determination he possessed, along with the effort he put forth, would do any father much good to emulate.

Text: 2 Samuel 23:11-12

11 And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles:

Now those of you with extended culinary experience will tell you that lentiles are peas. And so, what the scripture is saying here is that the Philistines brought their army together to destroy a pea patch that was about ready for harvest.

Continuing with verse 11, it says: and the people fled from the Philistines. 12 But he [Shammah that is] stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory.

*I want to stick my shovel in at verse 12: “But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory.”

My sisters and brothers, in the text the Philistines have come, once again to attack the people of God. The Philistines, you’all, were always starting some mess! They are like some folk you find in the church; always starting some, or in some mess. [Touch your neighbor and tell them: “Don’t start none... won’t be none!”]

Now the Philistines were Israel’s nemesis for, literally, hundreds of years. They were a warring people — and David had had a lot of trouble with them ever since he killed their biggest, baddest, and strongest warrior, a fella named Goliath. You remember Goliath? Goliath was the Philistines’ “Bad, bad, Leroy Brown... the baddest man in the whole dog gone town!” Goliath was huge and intimidating! The Bible says that He stood over nine feet tall! — that’s two feet taller than Shaquille O’Neal!

Goliath wouldn’t have to jump to put a basketball into the hoop. All he would have to do is reach up and slam it down! He was built and he was strong! He wore a coat of armor that weighed 125-pounds. The point of the spear that he threw weighed 15 pounds all by itself. Goliath was not the kind of guy that you want to meet in a dark alley at night! — And every Israelite was afraid of him... except David.

Now why wasn’t David afraid of Goliath? Here’s why: you see, David had God on his side! He was anointed! Let me tell you... when you are anointed, you don’t have to fear nothing or nobody! My sisters and brothers... when you are anointed, your enemy may [at times] win the battle, but they won’t win the war!

Goliath had the tools, the talent and the tenacity to destroy David, but David the power of God in nothing more than a homemade sling shot and a smooth stone. But that was enough!

Now even though Goliath was slain, the Israelites knew that the Philistines had other great warriors. And because they were such vicious, and seditious people, when they came around to make war, most of time the Israelites ran away.

... But on this particular occasion, recorded here in these two verses of 2nd Samuel 23, one man takes a stand; brother Shammah! — And on this Father’s Day 2007, I hear Shammah speaking to all of the men, and he’s telling us: “Brother’s... we need to stay in the pea patch and fight for our victory!” — And there are three [3] aspects of this story that I want to focus on that I believe are germane to the times in which we live.

First of all, I want you to see in this story that:

IT WAS A TIME OF GREAT CONFLICT.

Now notice WHEN the Philistines came. WATCH THIS: They came during the time of the harvest. Here the Israelites are, in the pea patch, trying to get their crops in. Their attention is so focused on what they are doing, that they are not prepared to go to battle. And so, when the enemy comes, he catches them unprepared and easily defeated. There’s a great lesson to the church here, as well as to fathers: First let me deal with the church: Let us not be so busy with church work, that we neglect the work of the church!