The story of Shammah (2 Samuel 23:11-12)

The story of Shammah (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: and the people fled from the Philistines. 12 But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory. I. A hopeless situation A. "The Philistines were gathered together into a troop" 1) The threat of the Philistines (v. 11) Philistines = greatest enemy of the people of God Translation of "lachayah" - at Lehi (RSV, NLT, ESV): Samson's showdown with Philistines (Jud. 15:9-19 - killed 1,000 men with jawbone of donkey) - at a place (NIV) - into a troop (KJV, NKJV, Darby, NASB): in line with v. 13, which is translated by all translations as "troop", "host", "band" or "army" (300-800 men) The point: Philistines (greatest enemy of Israel) assembling against Israel 2) The attack of the Philistines (v. 12) Kill & destroy Not a fight Shammah was looking for (v. 12 "stood in the midst", "defended") B. The Israelites dispersed ("the people fled from the Philistines") 1) Fear / laziness - "I might die!" / "I don't want to fight" 2) Discouragement - "I don't think we stand a chance!" 3) Abandonment - "I'm outta here!" --> Shammah left all alone (cf. David & Goliath) - "It's not worth it!" --> vicious circle (cf. Iglesia: 1-2-1-4-3-2-0 --> how to stop that??) C. The issue / reason for fighting ("a piece of ground full of lentils") 1) Some things are not worth fighting for! - KJV issue at Fountains - "Sleeping" in class 2) What about the field of lentils? - Almost laughable: one man against a troop of armed Philistines just for a field of lentils??? - Seemingly insignificant - But: without food, the people would perish! ==> Things that are of vital importance! ...that you must fight for (e.g. church) - Vital for unbelievers & for you! II. Key word of this text: "endurance" (Actually not found in the text! But in the text!) A. What did Shammah do? "He stood in the midst of the ground" "stood" = Heb. "yatsab" (station oneself, take one's stand, place anything so as to stay, remain) B. In the New Testament Gr. "meno" = remain, abide "hupo" = under "hupomeno" = abide under, remain behind "hupomone" = endurance, patience III. How to endure (as a church, struggles in your personal lives) Heb. 12:1-3 1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. 2 Tim. 2:3-4 3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. How are you going to endure? ... that you don't give up, ... don't waste your life, ... don't make shipwreck of your faith? A. Separate yourself from anything that would hinder your ministry and walk with the Lord 1) Sin -"Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us" (Heb. 12:1) - I did that when I became a Christian... --> Written to Christians! (Eph. 4:22: "Put off the old man") REPENTANCE 2) Every other weight -"No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life" (2 Tim. 2:4) Not sin, but weighs you down and hinders you in the race... My life: football --> How much time and money!? Time --> How much time to you spend on movies, entertainment, sports, hols...? --> How much time to you spend in God's word and in prayer? TV still reigns as the great life-waster. The main problem with TV is not how much smut is available, though that is a problem. Just the ads are enough to sow fertile seeds of greed and lust, no matter what program you're watching. The greater problem is banality. A mind fed daily on TV diminishes. Your mind was made to know and love God. Its facility for this great calling is ruined by excessive TV. (DWYL) --> Justin Bieber haircut Money --> How much money do you spend on music, toys, gadgets, clothes, food...? --> How much of your money is used for something with eternal value? (GV) -Shammah did not pack up and go home to escape conflict -He laid aside the security and comfort of his home and persevered -His friends and countrymen would have discouraged him, but he separated himself from them by not going with them --> What is holding you back or weighing you down or distracting you from enduring? -Sin? -People who discourage you? -Worldly pleasures? ("affairs of this life") --> If you want to endure, you must rid yourself of these things! B. Fight! If you don't fight, you will lose, because the enemy will be fighting against you! This is war! (Spirit v. flesh) Rom. 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (John Owen: "Be killing sin or it will be killing you.") - Shammah realised this truth and fought with all his might - "Soldier", "warreth" (2 Tim. 2:3-4) - "run with patience (endurance) the race that is set before us" (Heb. 12:1) Your fight starts first thing in the morning every day - No time for reading your Bible? Time for breakfast? - No answer to prayer? Give up? "We must be prepared for serious warfare, 'and having done all, to stand,' we must fight through, and then stand victorious on the battlefield. Is not this a secret of many unanswered prayers, that they are not fought through? If the result is not seen as soon as expected, Christians are apt to lose heart, and if it is still longer delayed, to abandon it altogether. You know the name they give to places in England when the building (or whatever it is) is abandoned, when only half of it is completed-so and so's 'Folly.' I wonder whether some of our prayers do not deserve the same stigma. ... We must count the cost before praying the prayer of faith. We must be willing to pay the price. We must mean business. We must set ourselves to 'see things through'." -James O. Fraser "You cannot know what prayer is for, until you know that life is war." (John Piper) C. Have faith! (most important - prerequisite for other 2) Look to Jesus and place your faith and hope in Him! If you have never placed your faith in Christ, this is where you must start. If you don't know Jesus, you are not even in this race. You haven't even crossed the starting line and you'll never reach the finish line! And for those of you who know Jesus: - Heb. 12:2-3 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. How does this help?? ==> Jesus endured much more than you will ever have to endure (He knows your weaknesses, struggles...) NOT the main point! (Other people also suffered greatly..) ==> The cross! Jesus defeated sin & death & hell & Satan Look to Jesus and what He has accomplished on the cross. You are united with Christ and it is that which gives you the power to live the Christian life (endure, fight...) ==> He will carry you through and bring you to the finish line (Phil. 1:6) ==> You cannot do it in your own strength! - 2 Tim. 2:4 "...that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier." In order to please God, you must have faith! (Heb. 11:6) - Faith of Shammah: Did he have faith or was he just crazy / lucky? ==> 2 Tim. 4:7 "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." IV. Victory is the Lord's! "But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory." (2 Sam. 23:12) ==> Who is the hero in this story? God! -There will be trials / struggles / fights in your life. -But, with the help of God, they won't destroy you or harm you, but strengthen you. He will give you the power to endure and to finish your race. -Derek Redmond -Prov. 24:16 "For a just man falleth seven times and riseth up again, but the wicked shall fall into mischief." -Everybody falls, but only some rise up again. John Calvin (The Golden Booklet of the True Christian Life): -"Perfection must be the final mark at which we aim, and the goal for which we strive." -"No one in this earthly prison of the body has sufficient strength of his own to press forward with a due degree of watchfulness, and the great majority [of Christians] are kept down with such great weakness that they stagger and halt and even creep on the ground, and so make very slight advances." -"But let everyone proceed according to his given ability and continue the journey he has begun. ... Let us not cease to do the utmost, that we may incessantly go forward in the way of the Lord; and let us not despair because of the smallness of our accomplishment. Though we fall short, our labor is not lost if this day surpasses the preceding one." ==> Testimony of God's goodness to my struggling home church Conclusion How about your race? Are you running? Can you say the following with Paul: Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 3:12-14) Same message for Christians and non-Christians: - Place your faith and hope in Jesus Christ, - turn away from your sin and those things that distract you from Christ, - fight with all your might to know Him more and more, - and see Him bring you safely to the finish line. Jesus Christ is the only One who can help you endure until the end! Benediction: (Heb. 13:20-21) Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.