Shamgar, the son of Anath

Have you take your Bibles and come with me to Judges chapter number 3?

Judges chapter number 3.

And we'll be looking at one. Just one scripture verse this evening. Has been look at shamgar, another judge. Man shamgar was rather an obscure judge of Israel. And we think about in the Bible is filled with stories of obscure, people who appear on the page, the scripture and then, just as quickly as they appear, they probably disappear. And it's like these people just step out of the Shadows. They're used Miley of the Lord and then they stayed away. Most of them never being mentioned ever again, in the pages of scripture among those at come to mine or several men who are mentioned in 2nd Samuel, chapter number 23. The first man, his name was a dino where mentioned the 2nd Samuel chapter 23 and verse 8 that he killed eight hundred men at one time with the spear So here's one gentleman, who steps out in the page of the scripture? He kills eight hundred men, he is mentioned and then he disappeared from the pages of scripture. Another example of this is also in second Samuel 23, his name is Eliezer. He was one of David's Mighty Men, is he stood boldly in the day of battle, and he fought so long against the Philistines that his hand would not open and allow him to release the sword? It held it so long and held it. So tightly that, when it came time for him, to let the sword down, it would never fall out of his hand, maybe some of you men know what that's like, if you've held a hammer for a long. Of time or some type of a tool that you were, your fingers, just don't want to let go. And that was the case worth with Elie, Azar. And then also and 2nd, Samuel chapter 23, there is a mention of a man named Shema. Jamal was a mighty warrior of David Shema, stood alone, in a field of peas, Bible tells us he was unhappy patch. I don't know if it was purple Hull peas or what but he was in that he stood in the midst of peas and fought the Philistines and God gave him a great Victory, everything about the Widow of Zarephath. And first king 17, how she fed the Prophet Elijah. She sheltered him, during a time of famine, John used her. She steps out on the page scripture and then once that is over with, she's never mentioned again. So those really good list of these obscure people whom God greatly uses could go on and on it. Seems that God chooses to use those who are unknown and obscure to accomplish his work in this world and the passage that we have before us is of no exception judges 3:31. it says, after him, speaking of a HUD After him was shamgar, the son of an off who kills 600 of the Philistine who killed six hundred men in the Philistines with an ox-goad and he delivered Israel. So on that one verse, we are introduced to a man named shamgar is an unknown man who appears on the pages of the word of God. He is used by God and a great way. And then he vanishes Back Into Obscurity after this mention and Joe and judges 3:31. He is mentioned briefly and the next chapter chapter 4 and verse number are 5:6 and Debra's song. He is mentioned there briefly We don't know a whole lot at all about shamgar other than he killed six hundred men of Philistines with a NOS code. Unlike the previous judges there is no introduction of shamgar. There is really not a whole lot of context at all to his life in the and how he fought the Philistines. And there really is no conclusion of his life. But what is said about shamgar really reveals this men's character. It also reveals this man's courage to fight the enemy with an ox-goad. So let's look at his life briefly would look at this one verse we think about shamgar who was a worker shamgar was a worker. The name shamgar has two meanings one meaning. Is the word sword, the word Sword, and the other is the word cup bear. So his name has too many zooz. Either the sword or cut bear either name really would fit with the details concerning his man's life. He was like a sword in the hand of God as God used him to destroy the enemies of Israel and he was like a cupbearer. Brought the cup of God's Wrath to those God would judge. Very interesting here that we see that the name shamgar is followed with this phrase, he was a son of enough, the son of an offense, very interesting to learn that he shamgar was at one time a pagan. It was a pagan 2 * is identified as a son of a knob here in judges 3:31. And then Judges chapter 5 and verse 6. We think well okay, maybe his daddy was named enough but that's not true. The name and not is not a masculine name, it's a feminine name and you say well K, maybe that's his mother's name but that wouldn't be true. Either enough was a pagan goddess. Anat was a Syrian goddess in, who is a goddess of sex and War. And this man shamgar was such a at one time, a devoted worshiper of pagan Idols, so they called him the son of a knife. It was so devoted to Pagan worship. Now, the question is, how was it that this man who was not a Jew The name shamgar is not a Jewish name. We know, Samson was a Jew, we know Deborah was a Jew. We know jephthah, and Gideon were Jews and they were judges does shamgar was more than likely not, even an Israelite, not even a Jew. So he was not a Jew and he was a devout Pagan worship of Idols at one point. How did this man get to be one of the judges of Israel? Well, by the grace of God. By the grace of God. There came a day, when God came to him, he spoke to his heart. God reveal to shamgar the truth about who God is and shamgar responded correctly to God. He turned from his paganism, he turned from his life of sin and he gave himself holy unto the Lord. You know, that's what happened to you when you got saved. That's what happened to me when I got saved. God revealed himself to us and we responded correctly into the lore. We gave our self holy unto the Lord.

One thing we know for sure about shamgar was that he was a farmer. He carried and fought with an ox-goad. And as you know, an ox go was not a weapon. It wasn't a spear, it wasn't a weapon of choice for the army of Israel. An ox, go with something of an agricultural tool. That was something akin to an ancient cattle prod. It was a long stick. Some of them eight to 10 ft in length and at the end of this, long stick or long, Paul wasn't very sharp long Iron Point. This was the this end this iron point was used to encourage the auction. He was driving to move auction. Might not respond to the voice commands auction. May not responded to the pulling of the rain, but they would respond to that sharp points of an ox-goad. The other end of this tool. Was shaped like a spade and so the other end was something akin to like a metal blade. That was used to clean off wet, clay and clean the roots off of certain plow points, but God aren't shamgar. Use this agricultural tool as a weapon and defeated 600 million 600 Philistines. A truly remarkable Act of courage and act of Act of Bravery. But what we learn from shamgar is that he did what he could with what he had right? You didn't have the best abilities. He didn't have the best of tools that he did was he did what he could with what he had. It was a worker shamgar was also a warrior. He was a warrior. I said, a moment ago, this Israelites were being oppressed by the Canaanites under King jabin and his army and tells us that in 4:3. How Jaden the king of Canaan oppress the Israelites and course that oppression made the Israeli Army, very weak. They were not in the position to defend themselves, this provided there for now opportunity, for the Philistines who were a very much, a warlike people to take advantage of the situation. They would invade Israel, that would have been capture slaves, they would still crop, still food and Destroy villages. And when the Philistines came most of the people would flee, they would run and tear, they would run and hide. They wanted to, to avoid that. They would want to avoid being captured, but we see hear what one man did not run. That was shamgar, he refused to run. He refused to flee. When the enemy will come and if listings came he stood his ground and he fought And again, he did not have a weapon of War. He used what he had, he used an ox-goad.

Shamgar took what he had in the used it to to secure a victory for his people and safety for his family. And over the course of his life.

He killed six hundred Philistines soldiers. Using that heavy Ox, go to kill six. Hundred men would have been obviously an amazing feat. Is a man who is in top-notch physical condition? No, doubts, but it was not his physical power that brought him. The victory His power was spiritual. Shamgar was a man empowered by God for this task. There can be no doubt that the spirit of God and Abel shamgar to stand and fight like he did.

Why does shamgar in art not to flee? When others flee at fled, why didn't he run? Like the others ran because shamgar knew there was something worth fighting for and there are some things worth fighting for beloved. Shamgar was fighting for his home. He was fighting for his family was fighting for his freedom. He was fighting for his land. He was fighting for the right to worship His God. Shamgar was a physical in this point he was a physical and spiritual Powerhouse. He was a fighter used in a mighty way by the Lord.

Listen, when God saved us. He enlisted Us in his army and has set us about doing about his father's business. We are in a spiritual warfare. The scripture tells us We are at war with Satan.

Why the Canaanites who would oppress us? We are at war with the world, like the Philistines who would invade us and take away everything we value. We are at War and some things beloved are worth fighting for.

Some things cry out for us to stand our ground and fight. And listen, if we do not stand, if we do not protect the things that matter the most to us, everything that matters most of us will be taken away. And shamgar was tired of running. He was tired of seeing all the men of Israel running. So he stood with what he had. John Huston. John used it. You didn't have the greatest of weapons that he had. Something that God used to kill 604 listing men.

What are some things that we need to stand for? Well, I think about the home. We need to stand for the home. Our marriages. Our children are worth fighting for. Our children are worth dying for. There's no sacrifice too great. There is no price too high for those to whom God has given into our care.

And it is the parents to whom God has given our children. It is our care. Not the government's care. no matter what our president said, just recently that the responsibility to raise our children is not a shared responsibility between the parent and the state The responsibility is solely upon the parents.

So, we should fight. Farrar home. Would you fight for our children? If we don't fight, we will lose our children to the enemy. And sadly, we are losing them. So quickly, I shared something the other day about how that now nearly 20%. Of those who are considered the generation. Oh, what is it? Z Generation. Z are now identify themselves in the lgbtq

Nearly 20%. 7.2% now identify as the lgbtq in that person's would just increase in the generation Alpha which is those born after 2004. What happened? Parents stop. Fighting. Parents stop fighting. They gave their children over to the state. Do the enemy.

I need to fight for the home.

We need to buy for the home because it is God who established the home. It is. Who established marriage. And it is gone. Who said that Shield? Renar a black sing unto the Lord. The blessing. When you fight for the home because it is a home that really is the foundation of the church. So, we also need to buy for the church. and here's the thing, if the home Is all in disarray. Then the church will be in disarray.

You cannot have a strong church when you have a series or a congregation full of dysfunctional homes. You won't work now, yes, a church needs to strengthen those homes, but nevertheless, if the home is weak, the church is also going to be weak. So, the devil knows if he can destroy the home, he can destroy the church. You destroy the home, you destroy the church. You also make a very weak State Godless State, and that is where we are at. We must value the church. We must value the things such as the word of God. In the teaching of the word of God, the doctrines of God's word, we must be careful of those things every day. The world makes inroads into the church. So therefore, we must be willing to fight and die for the things we believe are. Right? How many times we hear of churches, giving in to the things of this world? It is every day we hear of some other two nomination or some other church that is giving way to sin and allowing CNN to dictate. Their church or denomination.

Notice shamgar, the winner. So shamgar is a worker, he is a warrior but notice also he is a winner. The Bible tells us in verse 31 that God used him to deliver Israel. Now get it doesn't tell us a whole lot about an introduction to shamgar, how he got to be a, a judge of Israel. It doesn't tell us how long he judged Israel. Doesn't give us a conclusion. That just tells us what we do know is that he was used by God to deliver Israel. His courage freed, the people around him, allow them to live in freedom and liberty. Made a difference. You made a difference in the lives of those, he fought for Bloodless and we are fighting for four things. We should be fighting for things that really truly matter. It may seem at times that there are very few victories. But in spite of that, the fight is still worthwhile. Because we are willing to fight the good fight of Faith. Others have the hope of a better future. If we can pass down a pure gospel in a holy church to the next-generation. Beloved, we have been successful If we can hear our Lord and savior say, Well done, at the end of our way, at the end of our journey, we can say that we've been successful. when I see my children in my wife, Worship, the Lord in spirit and in truth, I understand that every battle and every sacrifice has been worth while

So, I want to encourage everyone here to stay in the battle. Now, we know that. Scripturally don't want. When I talk about the church fighting a battle, we not talk about weapons of this. World are not talk about carnal weapons. How does a church fight? We fight by standing. standing Ephesians chapter 6 tells us when you have done all stand, and I asked you this, many times, all we need to do to win this, battle is to have common sense and stand upon truth, If we just have common sense and stand upon proof, we will win. My God, help us. To stay in the battle and just stand upon what we know is, right? Be like shamgar. Be like shamgar when everybody else is running, you stand, when the churches are giving in around us, you stand?

May the Lord give us the courage. To stay and just like shamgar. And we think about our Lord, Jesus Christ 2. Really in many ways. is like shamgar who came on the scene, in obscurity was born in a obscure, Little Town of Bethlehem who would ever thought that the Messiah of this world would have been born in the tiny little village named Bethlehem he was raised in Nazareth another obscure place And a town or the area known as Galilee. As We Know,

From that obscurity came the savior of all the world. So may the Lord help us to be like sham guard with. Look at this very obscure judge me times, we just overlooked it I pray, we see some great Bible lessons in the brief life that we read of shamgar. all right, we asked you, if 2, if you have a prayer request or an update that we need to mention, To let us know those things Court. Arthur Bishop. His funeral was Monday and everything went very well. Where the funeral? And the fellowship meal afterwards.