The Book of Judges - "SHAMGAR" - [Pastor Nathan Deisem - Fathom Church]

The Book of Judges - "SHAMGAR"

(Pastor Nathan Deisem - Fathom Church)

Judges – SHAMGAR

Judges 3:31; Judges 5:6; 2 Timothy 3:16; Isaiah 55:8-9; Matthew 10:16

o FILLER EPISODES: The Bible Has No Filler!
 2 Timothy 3:16 “16 ALL Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,”
 Anime and Manga
– Friends S6.E15-16
– The Office S6.E14 “The Banker”
o Today’s story is not a proper cycle of the Judges…

• Israel does evil in the sight of God

• God raises up an oppressive nation to discipline them

• The people repent and cry out to God
• God raises up a deliverer to deliver them
• There is a time of peace … (repeat)
 DISOBEDIENCE - DISCIPLINE

 REPENTANCE - DELIVERANCE
o Judges shows us what happens to society when they drift away from God

 Cultural/Moral Decline - Societal Disaster (Political, Economic, etc…)
o Judges shows us that God uses Men (AND WOMEN) to be agents of Deliverance -

 Even when they are flawed

o BIG THEMES:

 Every man did what was right in his own eyes (Moral Relativism)

 There was no King in Israel (Disregard for God’s Authority)

 The Empowerment of God’s Holy Spirit

• This does not mean God endorses all of these people’s choices or actions!

o JUDGES IS VERY RELEVANT TODAY!
 It shows us that when God’s people walk away from God, then that which is anti-God can creep in and oppress God’s people. And repentance will (almost always) need to precede deliverance.

Judges 3:31 - SHAMGAR
31 After him (Ehud) was SHAMGAR the son of ANATH, who killed 600 of the PHILISTINES with an Oxgoad, and he also saved Israel.

• SHAMGAR the Son of ANATH

o Shamgar is a Hurrian Name …
o Anath is the name of a Canaanite goddess of War
 Possibly a Nick Name ??? (I don’t think so - Pagan goddess)

 Possibly from Beth Anath in Naphtali ???
• Judges 1:33a “33 Neither did Naphtali drive out those living in Beth Shemesh or Beth Anath; but the Naphtalites too lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land.”

 I think it is most likely that Shamgar is from mixed parentage
• Judges 3:5-6 “5 The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 6 They took their daughters in marriage and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.”

• 600 – How do you eat an elephant? … one bite at a time!

o It is unclear if this is done in one glorious battle (Sampson Style) or over the course of an extended campaign. (Both possibilities are amazing!)

• PHILISTINES – (Sea faring peoples)

o Living on the coastal regions of Canaan (Between Egypt and Gaza)

o This is where we derive the word Palestine from

o Sampson - King Saul - King David etc…
o Metal workers with superior forging technology for centuries.
• Ox Goad – (8’-10’ long – Pointed on one end and a spade/shovel on the other)

o Farmer’s tool – Shamgar was a farmer – This is what he had “at hand”

o Israel was disarmed (Ehud made his dagger Judges 3:16)

 1 Samuel 13:19-22 “19 Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears! … 22 So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.”

Judges 5:6-9 (Song of Deborah)
6 “In the days of SHAMGAR, son of Anath, in the days of Jael, THE HIGHWAYS WERE ABANDONED, AND TRAVELERS KEPT TO THE BYWAYS (backroads).
7 The villagers ceased in Israel; they ceased to be until I arose;
I, Deborah, arose as a mother in Israel.

8 When new gods were chosen, then war was in the gates.WAS SHIELD OR SPEAR TO BE SEEN AMONG FORTY THOUSAND IN ISRAEL?
9 My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel who offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless the Lord.

APPLICATION
• Start Where You Are!

o God used Shamgar the farmer to deliver his people!

• Use What You’ve Got!
o Shamgar had and Ox Goad … What do you have?
• When You Face Opposition … Get Creative!

o If the highways are not safe – use the byways!

o Matthew 10:16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”
o Isaiah 55:8-9 “8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

- Noah – Moses the Stutterer – David and Goliath – Like The Judges – Like JESUS the Messiah? --- Like Fathom Church? … (PRAY)

#NathanDeisem #FathomChurch #Shamgar #Judges

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