2 Samuel 23:11-12 | A FATHER WHO STANDS
Notes
Transcript
TEXT: 2 SAMUEL 23:11-12 | A FATHER WHO STANDS
TEXT: 2 SAMUEL 23:11-12 | A FATHER WHO STANDS
ILLUSTRATION: If you could be any superhero, who would it be?
I’ve grown up in a time where superhero movies were a major emphasis in our society.
You could be Batman, who by day is a rich business owner, but then uses his money to acquire some of the coolest gadgets.
You could be Spiderman… my kids have a certain love for the web slinger.
I wouldn’t mind having the rippling muscles of Thor in his movies… Though I try to convince my wife that he and I are virtually the same
It’s hard to think of any character that has more power than Superman.
We’ve probably all had dreams of being able to fly, or having super strength
Or maybe you just are able to jump a little higher than you normally can jump.
I’ve had recurring dreams of dunking a basketball… I have my doubts that it will ever become a reality.
EXPLANATION: In 2 Samuel 23, we are actually introduced to some superheroes in the Bible.
Now as far as we know, these guys didn’t wear masks or capes, but their stories are incredible none the less.
And the Bible actually gives them a cool group name…
Before there was a Justice League or the Avengers, there were a very real group called the Mighty Men of David!
But these guys weren’t just some fantasy story… they were real men that lived on this earth.
And while they couldn’t fly or shoot webbing from their hands, their accomplishments are still stunning.
In verses 8, we are told of Adino who with a spear, killed 800 men of the enemy in one battle.
In verse 9, we are told of Eleazar, and it’s clear why he had to be so tough… it’s because his dad’s name was Dodo
When you’re dad’s name is Dodo, people are going to make fun of you, so you have to be tough.
He fought the Philistines in battle, and he killed so many with his sword, that the Bible says his hand “clave” to the sword.
He couldn’t let it go… it was like his sword had become and extension of his arm.
Jump down a few verses and you make it to v.13 and find that David longed for a drink water from the well of Bethlehem… but the Philistines controlled that area.
So, 3 of David’s mighty men fought through the army of the Philistines, and came back to David with a cup of water from the well.
When they gave it to David, he poured it out, because how could he drink something that those three men paid such a great cost to get.
And then there is Abishai, who killed 300 of the enemy with his spear.
And then there is Benaiah in v.20, who killed 2 “lion like” men, and then while it was snowing, went down into a lion pit and killed a lion, and then he took the spear out of an Egyptians hand and killed the man with his own spear.
These were tough guys!
And today, I want to focus our attention on one of these men, who God used to do a critical task that at first seems to be very small.
APPLICATION: Dad’s, Grandpa’s, Men… Today’s message is for you.
Yes the applications are for everyone here, so if you are a lady, don’t just tune out.
But fathers, the message today is of vital importance in our culture today.
It is one of the reasons our world is in the place that it is today.
The Fatherless rate is astronomically high, but one of the scary realities is while you may not be someone who leaves their family, you may be geographically in the right spot, and still be far from fulfilling your God given responsibilities.
So men, I challenge you this morning, don’t just listen to the message in passing… soak it in.
Be willing to put yourself to the test this morning and ask God to clarify if there are areas, you have become complacent in.
Friend, God is looking for more Mighty Men.
And I pray that today, we will challenge a few more to step into that gap.
Join me as we look at one more mighty man here in Scripture… a man named Shammah.
And let’s see just what he did that made Him so mighty!
I. A WORTHY STANCE
I. A WORTHY STANCE
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.
EXPLANATION: Shammah, this mighty man, undoubtedly did many powerful things for the Lord
But the one thing God wrote down in His eternal Word for us to know about Shammah:
He defended a field of lentiles… Pease or beans
Now if this had been the Dr. Pepper factory… or maybe the place they make Ghirardelli hot chocolate mix, I would understand.
But pease or beans?
What in the world can we learn about a guy defending a bunch of lentiles?
Well, there’s a couple important lessons we can learn!
This wasn’t just any plot of land.
The word for “piece of ground” is chelqah — a portion, an allotment.
It comes from the same family of words used for the inheritance portions God allotted to Israel in the Promised Land.
This was not random dirt.
It was an allotted portion — ground assigned by God to be kept.
This was land that God had given to them!
You see the land was valuable, not because of what grew on it, but because of Who had given it.
You see to the world, this was just a bean field…
But to Shammah, this was land that had been entrusted to them by God
ILLUSTRATION: I was probably about the same age as my son Jayce, around 10-11 years old.
My dad gave me a little two blade Case pocket knife.
It had been passed down to him and he had given it to me.
Like any little boy, I took that pocket knife with me everywhere I went.
I’ll never forget when I walked into our house and into my room and reached into my pocket and the knife was gone.
I retraced my steps and searched for hours.
I was devastated.
I’ll never forget when I opened the car door and there that knife was next to the seat on the floorboard where it had slipped out of my pocket.
You know, that knife had only a little value monetarily… but to me, it was priceless.
Somewhat because it was a knife and I was a little boy.
But even more so, because of who had entrusted me with it… and I didn’t want to let my dad down.
APPLICATION: Dads, God has given you a field.
And it might not look impressive to the watching world.
Your field is a marriage.
Your field is a son who needs correcting and a daughter who needs your time.
Your field is bedtime prayers,
Faithfulness to God and leading your family to church
It’s showing up at the supper table when you would rather collapse.
It is ordinary, daily, common ground — lentils, not gold.
And the world will tell you it is not worth the fight.
The culture diminishes the value of these things.
It says a man’s significance is out there (in the world) — in your career, your reputation, your accomplishments — not in the unglamorous patch of family God has given to you.
But hear from the Lord this morning: your field is an heritage of the LORD.
Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: And the fruit of the womb is his reward.
The word heritage is almost identical to “a piece of ground” found in our passage.
It’s an allotted portion.
Your children are not a distraction from your calling.
They are a portion handed to you by God.
Dad, don’t abandon your post!
Be faithful to your patch of ground God has given you!
II. A DESTRUCTIVE ENEMY
II. A DESTRUCTIVE ENEMY
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.
EXPLANATION: The Bible is clear here that the Philistines intentionally gathered at this location.
Now the question is, Why a bean field?
Why not at the city gate?
Why not at the wall of the city?
Why a bean field?
There are different speculations as to why they would have gathered there.
One commentator said it was because this field represented the the food that would have sustained the families through the harsh winter months when food was hard to come by.
It was a direct attack on the families of the people… the wives… the children
APPLICATION: There is no question the world desires to destroy the family.
The very first institution God created, wasn’t the church.
It wasn’t the government
The very first institution God ordained was the family.
And from the very beginning, Satan has been seeking to destroy what God established!
You don’t have to look very hard to see Satan’s fingerprints on the attempts to destroy the family.
A child isn’t safe in the safest place they could possibly be, because abortion is running rampant.
The attempt to spread gender confusion amongst children is out of control
June is labeled by our world as “pride month”
But the way, Proverbs mentions that there are seven things God hates and He considers them abominations…
The very first thing on the list, “pride”
It is any wonder that it is called by that same sin
The garbage that is available on your tv, or computer, or your phone is a convenient gateway to destroy your marriage!
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
You can mark it down, the world, the flesh and the devil, are seeking to destroy your family.
You cannot pursue the pleasures of this world at the expense of your family, and expect to get away with it.
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
EXPLANATION: It’s certainly likely they gathered in that place because they desired to destroy the families.
But I think there is an even clearer reason they gathered there that we actually find right in the text:
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.
They gathered there, because everyone else had abandoned there position of responsibility to guard that parcel of ground.
This is a tragic reality in this verse.
The enemy wasn’t going to conquer the ground because they defeated an army of Israelites.
They were going to conquer the ground because the men refused to fight
The field did not become vulnerable because the enemy was strong.
It became vulnerable because the men left their position.
APPLICATION: Friend, the enemy doesn’t gather in the places that are well guarded.
They gather in the places that have been neglected or abandoned.
Dad, what field have you already walked off of this morning?
Where have you given in and given up, and the enemy is moving in?
They say that “men respond to a challenge”
Well men, it’s time to respond.
There are men in this room that aren’t living like the husband they ought to be.
You’ve abandoned your field
There are men who have neglected their role as a dad, and your leaving the responsibility to raise your kids to love God to your wife.
You’ve abandoned your field.
There are men who are bondage to some sin, and you’ve stopped fighting and given in.
You’ve abandoned your field!
Friend, when you abandon your field, you can mark it down the enemy is just waiting gather there.
Dad, I challenge you this morning, don’t abandon your field!
A Worthy Stance, A Destructive Enemy
III. A FIXED POSITION
III. A FIXED POSITION
But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the Lord wrought a great victory.
ILLUSTRATION: I had build a raised bed garden for our family, and part of that meant we needed a fence around the garden.
Last year I spent a great deal of time building that fence all around the garden to ensure nothing could get in, and nothing could
It looked so nice with the wooden posts and fencing.
But then something happened, this winter we had those crazy winds that blew through.
While the fence looked nice, there was one thing I didn’t do… I didn’t put the posts into the ground.
They were simply resting on top of the ground…
While they had supports and bracing, when that wind blew through, it moved those posts just enough that it snapped the 4x4 at their tops.
So this past week, once again, I was rebuilding our garden fence.
But this time there was one major change… each of those posts is buried into the ground 2 feet, and the corner posts surrounded with concrete that was poured into the hold.
Because I don’t want those posts going anywhere this time.
I want them to be planted firmly in the ground.
EXPLANATION: Verse 12 is the turning moment in these verses.
When the enemy showed up, everyone tucked tail and ran… they abandoned their responsibility
All except for this one guy… Shammah.
While everyone else may have just seen a field of peas and beans, Shammah saw this as a responsibility given to him by the King of Kings.
And while everyone else ran to save their lives… Shammah stood firm and unmovable.
The word for “stood” is yatsab — means to take one’s stand, to station oneself, to plant your feet and refuse to be moved.
He did not merely stay; he set himself like a post driven into the ground.
He wasn’t going anywhere!
APPLICATION: Fathers, this is the posture we are called to.
Not impressive — immovable.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
Shammah’s stand was not reckless heroics, not a man showing off his strength.
It was faithful duty in the assigned place.
He simply decided that the ground God gave him would not be surrendered while he had breath.
Friend, that is a decision you make before the troop appears.
The stand is settled in the quiet, so that when the battle comes you are already planted.
Determine now — in the midst of your field, in the center of your home — that here you stand, and you will not flee.
The end of v.11 and beginning of v.12 give very contrasting positions.
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.
But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the Lord wrought a great victory.
Which position do you find yourself in this morning?
Are you fleeing in the face of the enemy?
Or are you standing your ground?
Will you take the position of Shammah or abandon your post?
Will you be challenged by God’s Word to be equipped to take your stance?
Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
Will you make Joshua 24:15 more than a picture on your wall?
And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
CONCLUSION:
As we finish here this morning, I don’t want you to miss one final truth that we find at the end of v.12
But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the Lord wrought a great victory.
Victory” is teshuah — salvation, deliverance.
It’s the very same word that is used of the LORD’s saving acts throughout Scripture.
The text is careful and deliberate: the man stood, but the LORD saved.
Shammah’s job was to stand.
God’s work was to win.
We are responsible for the standing — never for the victory.
A father can plant his feet in the field all his days and still need God to bring the harvest of his children’s hearts.
Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.
So where does a tired father find the strength to stand?
The same place David’s men found theirs.
They became mighty men under a mighty king — they took their courage from him.
And our strength to hold the field is borrowed strength, drawn from our King.
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
And this is where every earthly father must finally look — because every one of us, at some point, fails to hold the line.
We flee.
We grow weary.
We surrender ground we should have kept.
But there is a greater Mighty Man.
When the whole world fled, when not one of us could stand, the Lord Jesus Christ planted His feet on a hill called Calvary and held the ground of our redemption.
He stood in the midst — in the very center of the battle for our souls — and He would not flee.
He defended a field no other could deliver.
And by His stand, “the LORD wrought a great victory” — a teshuah, a great salvation — for everyone who will trust in Him.
Friend, if you are here today and you have never trusted in Jesus Christ to be your Savior, it’s time get your position locked in.
You cannot stand for Christ if you’ve never joined his team.
If you have been depending on getting to heaven your way, I can tell you this morning you’ll never make it your way.
Because Romans 3:23
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
If you’ve never accepted Christ as your Savior, today is the day to stop joining in on the side of the enemy, and accept what Jesus did for you on the cross.
Accept the the gift that He offers to you this morning!
Fathers, the best thing you will ever do for your field is not merely to stand on it yourself, but to point every soul in your home to the One who never fled.
Be a Shammah this week — plant your feet, defend your portion.
But teach your family to look past you, to the greater Mighty Man, who stood for them when they could not stand for themselves.
Dad, you don’t have to be a super hero… but you can be Mighty Man for God today!
It’s time to reclaim some fields, and stand firm in the call God has given you!
A WORTHY STANCE, A DESTRUCTIVE ENEMY, A FIXED POSITION
