Shamgar and a pointed stick
“After Ehud, Shamgar son of Anath became judge. He delivered Israel by striking down 600 Philistines with an oxgoad.”
Judges 3:31 HCSB
https://bible.com/bible/72/jdg.3.31.HCSB
Judge #3 Shamgar
Shamgar is only mentioned in two Bible verses the other is Judges 5:6
“In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the main ways were deserted because travelers kept to the side roads.” HCSB
This is how Easton's Bible Dictionary describes Shamgar
“The Philistines from the maritime plain had made incursions into the Hebrew upland for the purposes of plunder, when one of this name, the son of Anath, otherwise unknown, headed a rising for the purpose of freeing the land from this oppression. He repelled the invasion, slaying 600 men with an "ox goad" (q.v.). The goad was a formidable sharp-pointed instrument, sometimes ten feet long. He was probably contemporary for a time with Deborah and Barak (Jdg 3:31; 5:6).”
As for Anath, Deborah, and Barak, we will talk about them in the next installment of the Judges.
What can we gather from Shamgar? Why would someone pursue a raiding party with a 10-foot-long pointed stick? Well the best guess is that he was out with his cattle and the Philistines came to raid his cattle and he fought back with such intensity that he was able to ward them off and kill 600 of them. So his conversation with God might go like this.
Shamgar, “God what is going to stop these uncircumcised Philistines?”
God, “You!”
“Me? I have no sword or shield or horse!”
“What is in your hand?”
“Just a simple ox goad.”
“I will use it! Now go get them Shamgar”
Both Shamgar and God remembering Exodus 4:1-3.
“Then Moses answered, “What if they won’t believe me and will not obey me but say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’? ” The Lord asked him, “What is that in your hand? ” “A staff,” he replied. Then He said, “Throw it on the ground.” He threw it on the ground, and it became a snake. Moses ran from it,” HCSB
And I do believe that God strengthened the stick and Shamgar, so the Shamgar was as tougher and stronger than any of those Philistines, and his ox goad was as strong as a steel sword, but was easy to wield as a stick.
So what is in our hands? Are you a simple farmer like Shamgar use what you have for God’s glory! Are you a wealthy king ruling a country use what you have to glorify God! Are you somewhere in the middle use all you have for God!
“So we must not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.”
We are told that Shamgar was able to deliver Israel. So he did not just rescue his cattle from the raiding party but was able to return all the plunder to Israel. And he was able to keep the raiding parties out of Israel? Both through his God and his reputation among the raiding parties.
What does our reputation speak of us?
“A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of one’s death than the day of one’s birth.”
Ecclesiastes 7:1 HCSB
“A good name is to be chosen over great wealth; favor is better than silver and gold.”
A good name -your reputation- is better than smelling good and riches! It is how we will be remembered when we are gone!
Shamgar will be remembered as saving Israel from 600 Philistines with an ox goad! How will you be remembered?
Comments
Post a Comment