OX GOAD POTENTIAL
What great feat can one person do with an ox goad? We wonder if anyone
actually gave it much thought before a man named Shamgar came on the scene in
the early part of the period of the judges.
The time was an era filled with heartache and sadness and ‘ups and downs.’
Because of the repeated idolatry of Israel, God sold them into the hands of the
surrounding nations. When Israel eventually came to their senses and repented,
however, God each time raised up a judge to deliver them.
During one of these apostasy–repentance–deliverance cycles, God raised up
“Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed six hundred men of the Philistines with an
ox goad; and he also delivered Israel” (Judges 3:31).
An ox goad? It’s a long, narrow farm implement, up to eight feet in length,
fashioned of wood or iron, made for the purpose of goading or prodding oxen
along. It isn’t made for war purposes. (We strongly doubt that at various
soldiers’ gatherings, when men came together to compare and boast about their
weapons, that anyone would have brought forth his ox goad.)
“Why, then, the use of an ox goad in battle?” you wonder. It may have been
the only implement at Shamgar’s disposal. A song written by Deborah (a later
judge) speaks of the “days of Shamgar” as a time when “not a shield or spear was
seen among forty thousand in Israel” (Judges 5:6-8). A humble ox goad may have
been the best fighting tool he could find. And use it he did in doing the Lord’s
work of defeating Israel’s enemies. He used what he had.
Is there not some lesson to be learned by us in this?
What if every disciple of Jesus could be persuaded to, like Shamgar, take
what he or she has and by faith put it to work for the Lord?
“Oh, but I’m just a nobody… I don’t have much ability… I’m just a one-talent
person… What can I do?” Those are the sentiments of a person with a defeatist
attitude, a disposition that accomplishes nothing. Sadly, it is an outlook that
prevails in the hearts of many of today‘s disciples.
My fellow Christian, look at Shamgar! Who can deny that his God-aided
ingenuity fulfilled the potential of his cattle device? He is but one of several
biblical illustrations of how God uses little people with seemingly little
capabilities to accomplish great things.
SO WHAT if your abilities are nothing of which to boast? What abilities are?!
(Read 1 Corinthians 4:7.) The real question is, “What are you doing with the
abilities God has blessed you with?” Are you an ‘ox-goad’ (one-talent) person?
The Lord wants to know, and will someday bring you to account for, what you are
doing with the talent he’s blessed you with (Matthew 25:14-30).
If we would be pleasing to the Lord we must throw off these debilitating
mindsets that freeze us in place. We must with confidence believe what the
Scripture says, that God “is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we
ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Ephesians 3:20).
Repeat after Paul: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”
(Philippians 4:13).
--Mike Noble
actually gave it much thought before a man named Shamgar came on the scene in
the early part of the period of the judges.
The time was an era filled with heartache and sadness and ‘ups and downs.’
Because of the repeated idolatry of Israel, God sold them into the hands of the
surrounding nations. When Israel eventually came to their senses and repented,
however, God each time raised up a judge to deliver them.
During one of these apostasy–repentance–deliverance cycles, God raised up
“Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed six hundred men of the Philistines with an
ox goad; and he also delivered Israel” (Judges 3:31).
An ox goad? It’s a long, narrow farm implement, up to eight feet in length,
fashioned of wood or iron, made for the purpose of goading or prodding oxen
along. It isn’t made for war purposes. (We strongly doubt that at various
soldiers’ gatherings, when men came together to compare and boast about their
weapons, that anyone would have brought forth his ox goad.)
“Why, then, the use of an ox goad in battle?” you wonder. It may have been
the only implement at Shamgar’s disposal. A song written by Deborah (a later
judge) speaks of the “days of Shamgar” as a time when “not a shield or spear was
seen among forty thousand in Israel” (Judges 5:6-8). A humble ox goad may have
been the best fighting tool he could find. And use it he did in doing the Lord’s
work of defeating Israel’s enemies. He used what he had.
Is there not some lesson to be learned by us in this?
What if every disciple of Jesus could be persuaded to, like Shamgar, take
what he or she has and by faith put it to work for the Lord?
“Oh, but I’m just a nobody… I don’t have much ability… I’m just a one-talent
person… What can I do?” Those are the sentiments of a person with a defeatist
attitude, a disposition that accomplishes nothing. Sadly, it is an outlook that
prevails in the hearts of many of today‘s disciples.
My fellow Christian, look at Shamgar! Who can deny that his God-aided
ingenuity fulfilled the potential of his cattle device? He is but one of several
biblical illustrations of how God uses little people with seemingly little
capabilities to accomplish great things.
SO WHAT if your abilities are nothing of which to boast? What abilities are?!
(Read 1 Corinthians 4:7.) The real question is, “What are you doing with the
abilities God has blessed you with?” Are you an ‘ox-goad’ (one-talent) person?
The Lord wants to know, and will someday bring you to account for, what you are
doing with the talent he’s blessed you with (Matthew 25:14-30).
If we would be pleasing to the Lord we must throw off these debilitating
mindsets that freeze us in place. We must with confidence believe what the
Scripture says, that God “is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we
ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Ephesians 3:20).
Repeat after Paul: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”
(Philippians 4:13).
--Mike Noble