“Now after him came Shamgar the son of Anath, who struck and killed six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad; and he also saved Israel.” (Judges 3:31 NASB)
This is a very appropriate verse for this new day, a new Monday, a place in time that we have never seen before. What a blessing! Thirty-one years ago, in another blessed period of life, I preached on the topic. “Small Mean, But Great Results, by Faith.” Years have passed, decades have gone by, but the truth of that message lives on. Shamgar, one of my youngest son’s favorite Bible characters, killed six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad, an agricultural tool, and he saved Israel. Shamgar and his oxgoad versus an army that came against him. That alone should be encouraging because God was obviously with Shamgar and He will be with you too when you face a plethora of problems or a persistent attack by our three key enemies: Satan, the secular world, and our fleshly self. Even when you seem like you are alone, you can get the victory if you depend on God. You are not in your battle alone. It is true child of God, “God is on your side.” A new day, acknowledging that God will be with us, well that’s good news from the jump. But there is more for us this morning.
Shamgar’s oxgoad had a sickle on one end and it was used to clear the way. On the other end was a pointed piece which could be used to prod his oxen to continue on their journey. The oxgoad can be thought of as the word you received on Sunday. The oxgoad can serve as a reminder that you have had your rest and now it is time to continue prodding on; continue doing your tasks as a witness, a worker, wonderful representation of who is in you; the indwelling Christ. The oxgoad was in many cases specifically necessary.in your life, to keep you from staying at status quo, remaining in the same place spiritually. You have to move on. As they say, “That’s what we do!”
The oxen had some characteristics that of course should be applied to you and me as God’s children. They were yoked together, unified in the work. Shouldn’t that characterize you and me as we do the work of the Lord in our local churches? When they went down, obviously the oxen went down together. Shouldn’t that characterize our willingness to go down to the house of the Lord together? And shouldn’t that characterize our tendency of going down on our knees to pray together? The oxen faithfully served their master. Shouldn’t you and I be faithful servants of our Master? The oxen in Shamgar’s case did not have to fight the battle with the Philistines. Their master fought the battle, and this resulted in victory. Shouldn’t we really stay calm in the midst of the battles around us, realizing by faith that the Lord will fight our battles? More good news!
Okay! We have looked at the oxgoad, the oxen, and of course you. So what’s next? What’s next is obvious. You must rise up to continue to serve your Master, the Lord Jesus Christ. What’s next is on this very day, early on Monday morning or as soon as you can, you go down to pray and get up to prod onward, press upward, staying on the narrow path of righteousness. What’s next is that you start your week with the expectation, the anticipation that you are going to come out victorious against your enemies who approach you in any form or fashion. Have a good Monday my friend! You may not have an oxgoad, per se, but you have a great tool! See below! Be blessed!
“Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:17 NLT)
Still committed to the climb,)
Mark L. King