Prepare
Opening Prayer
Thank God for the day and his Word, and ask the Holy Spirit to help us read and understand it.
Read
Scripture Passage
Judges 3:31
A — About
What Is This Passage About?
In the Bible's only verse about Shamgar, this otherwise unknown son of Anath kills six hundred Philistines with an ordinary ox goad and delivers Israel. God uses one faithful man, at one time and place, for a remarkable act worth remembering.
B — Best Verse
Which Verse Best Summarizes the Passage?
Judges 3:31
The devotion covers one verse, and Bryan explicitly identifies that sole verse as the Best Verse because it contains Shamgar's entire remembered act of deliverance.
C — Called or Christ
C — Called to Do & Christ Connection
Faithfully do the duty God gives you without seeking a large story or lasting reputation. A life matters even if others forget its name: walk in Christ's footsteps and trust God to use ordinary faithfulness in your family and calling for his glory.
Devotional Study
Transcript of the devotion. Minor transcription errors may remain.
Hey, hey, good morning, good morning. Welcome to Coffee and Devotions. This morning we got one verse. Very end of Judges chapter 3. Who is this guy who just gets one verse? Let's have some coffee, we'll pray, and we'll find out about the one verse judge. Father, we thank you so much for this day. We thank you for your Word. And Father, we pray that your Holy Spirit would please help us to read and to understand your Word. In Jesus' name, Amen. Judges chapter 3, verse 31. After him was Shamgar, the son of Anath, who killed 600 men of the Philistines with an ox goad. And he also delivered Israel. The end. Right, that's it, that's it. All right, so we gotta ask ourselves, A, what was this about? B, what's the best version? C, what are we called to do in response to this? So, A, what's this about?
Well, we had Ehud, the left-handed assassin who kills Eglon, the fat dude, right? And then we get into verse 31, after him, him being Ehud, was Shamgar, Shamgar of Anath, right? And there's just one thing we're told. He killed 600 Philistines. He killed 600 Philistines with an ox goad.
What is a goad? It's a long, sharp stick, right? So as the oxen were pulling the plow or on the cart or whatever, as they were yoked up, he would kind of poke them with a big, long, sharp stick. It's kind of like a spear would be used later or even at this time, right?
And so he killed 600 people. 600 Philistines with an ox code and he also delivered Israel that were delivered Yesha this is like helped or was victorious for the people. So that's all we get Sham guard does battle with the Philistines. He has this amazing accomplishment. He kills 600 to one right one man again 600 and he's memorialized in the book of Shabbatim, in the book of Judges. And so that's what we have. We just have this sham guard. What's the best verse to summarize this? Well, I'm gonna say verse 31. Let's see calling, what are we called to do? Are you called to pick up your goat and go and kill 600 people? I don't think that's what it's talking about.
But I do wanna say how encouraging it is to know that the Lord can do remarkable things and sometimes Our story doesn't need to be big and long. Sometimes it's just being remembered. Knowing that the Lord can use us for one act, and that's it. And that was enough. You know, I remember Count von Zinzendorf or something like that, one of the Moravian guys, he said, preach and die and be remembered no more. I'm paraphrasing that, but the point is, Do your duty to the Lord, and then be forgotten.
We don't know anything about Shamgar. We know that he's the son of Anath. Who's Anath? We don't know. But what we do know is that Shamgar was used by God. Was used by God at a specific time, in a specific place, for miraculous, specific action. The Lord uses him. And the Lord remembered him and memorialized him.
Our names will never be written in the Bible, but it doesn't mean that our lives don't matter. The Lord might use you. You may be memorialized on the hearts of your family members as you pour out your life, discipling your children. Maybe for some of you, it's your grandchildren now that you're raising and caring for and trying to love, trying to pour your life into. Those are miraculous acts where all of hell is set against our children coming to Christ. Will it be that your name is written as a remembrance for it?
They shared God's word. They were faithful. Shamgar was faithful and God used him. Will we be faithful? will we walk in the footsteps of Christ and be remembered for nothing more than for being faithful to him. Let's pray. Father, we pray that with the faith of a mustard seed, we might be able to move mountains.
Lord, we don't know much about this Shamgar fellow other than you used him. He didn't have amazing weapons of war, He didn't have chariots of iron. He didn't have the strength of Goliath. All we know is that he was a son of Anath, and then he followed after you, and you used him.
God, please use us. May you receive all the glory. It's not about us, Lord, it's about you. In Jesus' name, amen. May the Lord bless you. May you walk in the faith of Jesus Christ. May you know that you are no small person to him, but he counts every hair on your head. He numbers your days. He's closer to you than your very breath. I'll see you next time. Bye.