Preparation #42 Shamgar

September 27, 1999

Brian Kocourek

HEBREWS 11:32 ¶ And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and [of] Barak, and [of] Samson, and [of] Jephthae; [of] David also, and Samuel, and [of] the prophets: 33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, Let's just bow our hearts and our heads in prayer. Let's pray.

This morning I would like to continue in our study of the men of faith that we find in the book of Hebrews, and mentioned in the book of Judges. Brother Branham mentions to us the name of Shamgar of which little is spoken of in the Scriptures, but whom follows in the same manner as did Samson

JUDGES 3:31 ¶ And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel.

Now, this scripture does not tell us a whole lot about Shamgar. But it does tell us that the men of Israel were not trained fighters at this time, for had they been trained fighters, he would have used a sword or spear or some other implement of war. But He chose to use an ox goad which tells us he was a farmer. Now, an ox goad is a sharp stick used to prod the oxen along. To prod them along so they will go into the stall. And that is the closest thing he had to a spear. Now, another thing we want to examine here.

Israel at this time was only a scattered people. They were not an organized group like all the other nations. There was s small group here and a small group over there. And they had no central place that unified them all together. In fact that did not happen until they denominated, and wanted a King like the other nations had. I think it is interesting how the minds of men seems to work. Israel, while they were just a scattered people with small groups scattered throughout the land, seemed to have trials come and go with an opposing force once in a while. And God always delivered the people by raising up someone, some insignificant person, to become a judge over them, not through education, not through years of training with the sword and spear.

No, these were not an educated lot. But they were led by the Holy Spirit. Men of God led by the Spirit of God. And all it took was one man to destroy the workings of the enemy. One man against a thousand and the one man would destroy them all. And such was Samson as we spoke of last night, and such is this man of God Shamgar that we will examine this morning. One man, used by God to defeat the gates of the enemy.

JUDGES 3:31 ¶ And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel. Again we find more information in Judges chapter 5 in the song of Deborah. JUDGES 5:1 ¶ Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying, 2 Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves. 3 Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, [even] I, will sing unto the LORD; I will sing [praise] to the LORD God of Israel. 4 LORD, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water. 5 The mountains melted from before the LORD, [even] that Sinai from before the LORD God of Israel. 6 ¶ In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, (the caravans ceased) and the travelers walked through byways. 7 [The inhabitants of] the villages ceased, (the villages were unoccupied) 8 They chose new gods; then [was] war in the gates: was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel? 9 My heart [is] toward the governors of Israel, ( My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel,) that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the LORD. 10 tell of it, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and ye who walk by the way. 11Far from the noise of archers, in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the LORD, [even] the righteous acts [toward the inhabitants] of his villagers in Israel: then the people of the LORD went down to the gates.

Notice that when God was dealing with Israel in the times of the judges, He would raise up one man here and one man there and He would receive all the glory, and the people would teach their children about these great times when god stepped on the scene and delivered them from the mighty armies by the strength and cunning of a single man. The people rehearsed these stories and told them over and over and over again building up their holy faith in the Lord God of Israel.

But later on they began to get lazy and became neurotics as brother Branham said, worrying about what might happen. What might happen that might cause them to change their plans. What might happen that might cause them to have to call upon their God. People don’t like having to call upon God, they want to do things for themselves. I've heard people say, I don't want to bother him, there are so many more important things for Him to do than to watch out for me. And that opinion is so contrary to the Word of God.

LUKE 12:15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. 16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, [and] be merry. 20 But God said unto him, [Thou] fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? 21 So [is] he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. 22 ¶ And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. 23 The life is more than meat, and the body [is more] than raiment. 24 Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls? 25 And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? 26 If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? 27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more [will he clothe] you, O ye of little faith? 29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. 30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. 31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you 32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

052 Now, there was during the time of the judges, a little old fellow named Shamgar. He wasn't even a judge, just a little said about him, a little bitty spot in the Bible, about a couple of verses, Shamgar. Maybe you may never have read of him. He was just a little old Israelite. He lived during the days, that every man done his own way that he felt. He had no cooperation. One was a Methodist, another one a Baptist, another one a Presbyterian, the other one a Oneness, the other was a Twoness, the other one a Threeness. Oh, my, no cooperation. They couldn't get together. So every man done what he thought was good in his own sight. That's the reason the Philistines come in and got them. Now, if you are a born again Christians and will forget your differences and come together as Christians ought to, we can do something. Our King will come to us, Jesus Christ.

053 But there, the little old Shamgar, there was no king. Who was he? He was just a lay member. Well, they'd build up the crop and work hard, Israel would. And the first thing you know, about the time that the crops got ripe, they got all their wheat harvested and everything, round come the Philistines, take everything they had, go back. That's the way the devil does it. Just about time you get your church fixed to a place, and you say, "Well now, I'm just getting along fine. We're having a real old time revival." The devil will slip in some old crazy idea, "You know, them people just about crazy." All that stuff, "There's no such a thing to it, 'cause doctor So-and-so said there was no such a thing as that."

054 A man right here in this same neighborhood said, "Well now, we believe in Divine healing, of course, if the man's a coming. But after the meeting's over, let me see somebody that was healed. There won't be one." That guy was a lying. He don't believe in Divine healing. No, sir, can't believe in divine healing. Brother, it's so whether you say it or not. God said so. If I prayed for ten thousand people tonight, and ten thousand of them died in the morning, tomorrow night with the same faith, I'd be preaching Divine healing. If I preach to a thousand people tonight, and they all died; fifty years from now the resurrection, come to me saying, "Brother Branham, don't believe in Him. You're dying now, but you do something else. There's no such a thing as Christ; there's no such a thing as that," I'd still take my choice with Christ and let me die believing Him. That's right. No matter what people says, it's what God has said. That's right. God has said so. I believe God.

055 This little old Shamgar, he got his place filled up, and he got his food all laid up, his wheat. And oh, those year before the Philistines took it away from him. I can see him, his poor little old wife out there, and the sleeves all out of her dress, and his little children standing there real peaked, their faces all drawn down, about like some of these little churches now that's been kicked and beat around by some of these theological cemetery, embalmers. That's right.

056 You know, that puts me in mind of a morgue. They take a dead man in that's already dead and shoot a lot of fluid into him to be sure he stays dead. That's the way they do; just keep him dead. "Don't believe that stuff. Don't go around one of them meetings. It's nothing but a bunch of fanatics." Oh, mercy, how can you believe?

057 Then I can see this great big bin of wheat. He say, "Well, now honey," I hear Shamgar saying, "Now, sweetheart, maybe we, the children... Now, we got the harvest in and maybe we can feed them a little bit." We're going to have a revival pretty soon and--and maybe some of these people have a little, you know how the pastor gets his church set up to the place... And the first thing you know, Shamgar was standing there talking to his wife, and she looked so pale. And I could see the tears on his cheeks, poor little thing, she's starved to death. See his little children, how hungry they look, and no clothes on... Philistines, big old fat potato bug, come right in and take it right out just as fast as he could make it. And there... That's the way the devil will do it: chop it right away from you, take everything you can get, come right around and rob you of every bit of experience you've got, take everything away from you, telling you there's no such a thing, pointing to some old crow bait laying on the bank. You know that's the truth. I hope you're reading between lines. If you don't, I'll tell you right off on the lines. Notice, all right, but that's truth.

058 Now, and there he was, there with his wheat and everything. And about that time he heard something coming. Here come the Philistines, coming up the road, six hundred of them. Oh, my. "Well, there we go; here it is again; labored all year, here comes the Philistines to take everything I got." His old wife begin to cry, and the little children holding one another. Shamgar pulled back the window and looked out. There they was, six hundred of them, all armed, trained, theological--Philistines anyhow. There they's a coming up the road, armors a gleaming, you know, and the spears in their hands, walking right on. They knowed how to do it, brother. I'm telling you, they were warriors. Little old Shamgar stood there and thought, "Well, I ain't no soldier; I don't know how to fight. I don't know nothing about it, but..."

059 To you holy people, his righteous indignation got up. I hope yours does too tonight. Get up against evil, get up against that old wheelchair, get up against them crutches. What the devil stuck them on, don't have to have them. No, sir. They don't belong to you. Christ said, "Should not this daughter be loosed on the Sabbath day been bound with the devil all these years?" But it's going to be up to you.

060 Shamgar stood there, and he looked around. He wasn't a warrior; he didn't have time to go away and train now, how to duel and to fight these men with the swords and things. He didn't have time to do it. You don't have time to go study out all these things and take a….

061 That's the trouble of it is, when a preacher begins to learn how to... begins to have a calling to the ministry, they'll take him away to seminary, and keep him there about twenty years, and take all out of him God ever put in him. That's right. Then bring him back, and he just knows so much that, my, that nobody can tell it. That's the way it goes. And when he comes back out, he's worse than when he went in. If God calls you by grace and by power, stay with it. That's right.

062 Puts me in mind of a little woman here not long ago. She was belonged to a church, and she washed over a board and everything. She wanted her boy to go away to be a preacher. He had a little calling in his heart, so she sent him away to one of these big classical schools. And the first thing you know, while he's away three or four years, his little Mammy got sick. They sent him word, thought she was going to die, he had to come home.

063 Well, during that time, there was a little woman lived down in a mission of a Full Gospel. So she went up and told to this woman, she said, "Do you believe in Divine healing?" She said, "Well, I don't know. Is it in the Bible?" Said, "Yes, it's in the Bible." Said, "Our pastor prays for the sick." Said, "Well, can I have him come up and pray for you?" Said, "Why, yes, if it's in the Bible." So the pastor come up, said, "Howdy do, lady?" Said, "Now, I just like... I don't want to take you from the church; I just want to read you what God said." So he said, "Here's the departing words of Jesus Christ, 'Go into all the world, preach the Gospel; he that believes and is baptized could be saved; these signs shall follow them that believe: In My Name they'll cast out devils, speak with new tongues, take up serpents, drink deadly things; if they lay hands on the sick, they shall recover.'" She said, "Why, it's in the Bible." Said, "Yes." Said, "Well then, you anoint me and pray for me." They did. The Lord healed her.

064 Well, it went on. After while the boy come home, and he was rejoicing, said, "Oh, Mother." Said, say, by the way, you wrote and told me was telling me I was going to have to come home all at once, that you was so sick with that pneumonia." But said, "All at once you quit writing." Said, "What happened?" She said, "Oh, honey," said, "that Full Gospel Mission down here, them holy-rollers," said, "their pastor come up and anointed me with oil and read out of the Bible in Mark the 16th chapter that we should pray for the sick. And he prayed for me, and the Lord healed me." Said, "Praise the Lord, honey. What do you think about that?" He said, "Mother," said, "the very idea. You with them people? Why," he said, "mother, down in the seminary..." said, "Them men are illiterate; they don't understand." He said, "We know down the seminary that Mark 16 from the 9th verse on is not even inspired." She said, "Hallelujah. Praise the Lord. Hallelujah." He said, "Mother, ridiculous." Said, "What do you mean?" She said, "Honey, you mean Mark 16 what he read to me from Mark 16, the 9th verse on is not inspired?" Said, "No." Said, "Glory, If God could heal me with uninspired Word, what would He do with that's really inspired." Amen.

065 That's right. What are you going to do with Mark 11:24 and all of that? "What things you ask in My Name I'll do." Yes, sir. "If He could heal me with uninspired Word, what would He do with that's really inspired then?" He could really do things that way. That's right.

066 I can see Shamgar now. (We'll hurry; it's getting close to the prayer line time.) I can see Shamgar standing there; he looks out. Oh, my. His righteous indignation begin to come upon him; he got a little fight in him. That's what you got to get, is little fight, a little backbone. Take that wishbone out and put a backbone in. That's right.

067 I think old Buddy Robinson, his testimony, said, "Lord, give me that backbone like a saw log, give me plenty of knowledge in the gable end of my soul, and let me bite the devil as long as I got a tooth in my mouth, and then gum him till I die." That's right. That's the way to do it, brother. Get some spunk about you. Stand up and claim your God given privileges. God promised you healing; it's yours. If you're too weak and jellyfish to take it, you'll die. You want to stand and say, "It's right," then stand. Hallelujah.

068 If God saved my soul, I took it by faith and believed that He did, and God give me the baptism of the Holy Ghost in confirmation of it. If I stand and take Him as My Healer when Mayo Brothers told me I had a few hours to live, I took Him as my Healer; and I got the confirmation of it tonight. Hallelujah. Yes, sir. Take Him at His Word and believe it.

069 Little old Shamgar got his righteous indignation up. He looked around; he couldn't find nothing. He wasn't a warrior. But what was in his hand? He couldn't find nothing but a ox-goad.

You know what a ox-goad is? It's a old stick that's got a big grass hump on it, they push the dirt off the plow, and sometime and punch the cattle through the gate with it.

That's all he had. But, brother, he was sick and tired of the Philistines coming, taking what he had.

070 Oh, my, aren't you tired, mother? Aren't you, sister? Sick and tired of the devil telling me, that, "I can't walk, I can't do this, I can't do that." God, bless your heart, "All things are possible to them that believe." That's it.

071 Shamgar said, "I'm sick and tired of it. I'm not a warrior, the odds is against me." No matter how much odds is against you, God's for you if you take His Word. He said, "There's one thing I know: I am circumcised. I am a Philistine... I mean, I am a Israelite. That is a uncircumcised Philistine. I know that I'm right." "I'm a child of God tonight. And I know diseases come from the devil and I know God promised me victory." Whew. Brother, I wish you felt like I did right now. Yes, sir, I feel awfully good. Look. It's my God given privilege. Yes, sir. I'm still tonight in America, where I can preach it, enjoy it. Thank the Lord for it.

072 His righteous indignation rose; he grabbed that ox-goad, and jumped through the window and challenged six hundred Philistines, and stood there and beat their heads in. Right. Why? Not a warrior, not at all, but he was a Israelite; he was circumcised.

And if tonight you're circumcised with the Holy Ghost you don't have to wait till you're trained to be a warrior. God bless your heart, claim your God given privilege, and beat their heads in. Amen. That's right. Say, "Get out of the way, Satan." Kick him out of the way. "I'm the guy that's taking over now. I come in Jesus' Name." Watch him scatter. Brother, when you use that faith on him, he will back up.

073 A guy told me not long ago, he had a dream, said, "He'd seen a devil, a little bitty old devil stand before him." Said, "It scared him." And said, "The devil jumped at him, and he jumped back. And every time he'd jump, the devil, he'd get littler and the devil would get bigger." Said, "He knowed he'd have to fight him after while somehow." So he looked around and tried to find something, he found the Bible. And he drawed it up and whacked him, he took him. And every time he would hit him, the devil would get littler and littler, and then he just beat him to death." That's right. Every time he jumps on, just say, "Days of miracles is past." You say, "It is?" "No such a thing as divine healing?" "Is it?" Oh, he will kill you. God bless your heart, take your stand out there. Say, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever promised me this thing, and I got it." Brother, you'll see him shrink right on away. That's right.

074 He beat them Philistines. And look, an untrained farmer peasant with a ox-goad in his hand beat down six hundred armed men. Whew. Oh, that's the Lord. I tell you I feel like I was just about to have a heart spell to run a little bit. You know what, when I think of that? You ain't got quite room up here; I have to have a lot of room to preach, brother. I got to move out a little bit. Oh, my. A farmer with a ox-goad slew six hundred Philistines with the power of the same God that's on us tonight. He didn't have no promise of that in the Bible either. He didn't have a promise of it. We got a promise. Amen. Oh, let that old sickness drop.

Now, what did these men of God have in Common? Samson and Shamgar. What did they have in common? They were persistent.

They had perseverance. And they were not afraid to take God at His Word. God Said I will give you this land, and so He did. And if God gives you something, he is not going to take it away. They took God at His Word.

ROMANS 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. 5 ¶ Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: 6 That ye may with one mind [and] one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

LUKE 8: 4¶ And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable: 5 A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. 6 And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. 7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. 8 And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 9 And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be? 10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. 11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. 13 They on the rock [are they], which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. 14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of [this] life, and bring no fruit to perfection. 15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep [it], and bring forth fruit with patience. 16 No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth [it] under a bed; but setteth [it] on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light. 17 For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither [any thing] hid, that shall not be known and come abroad. 18 Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.

HEBREWS 6:9 ¶ But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. 10 For God [is] not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. 11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: 12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. 13 For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, 14 Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. 15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

HEBREWS 11:6 But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

JAMES 1:2 ¶ My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing [this], that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have [her] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. 5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all [men] liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8 A double minded man [is] unstable in all his ways.

Jesus said in LUKE 21:19 In your patience possess ye your souls. In other words, In your patience, obtain or acquire your own souls.

ROMANS 2:6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds: 7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:

ROMANS 5:1 ¶ Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only [so], but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

ROMANS 8:24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? 25 But if we hope for that we see not, [then] do we with patience wait for [it].

HEBREWS 10:35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. 36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. 38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if [any man] draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. 39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.