Shammah! Who in the world is this man? He is described as one of David’s mighty men. Let me describe the setting from two little verses in II Samuel 23:11-12. It is the fall of the year, and the lentils (little peas) are ready to pick. For months those who lived around Shammah had worked in the field. In the spring they’d planted. In the ensuing days, weeks and months, weeding, hoeing, and dressing would be a normal activity. When fall finally arrived, excitement would be in the air. The crop is looking good, and the pickers are ready to work. But Israel had a recurring problem. The problem was a people named Philistines. These were a tribe of warring people that lived near the coast. To say they were a thorn in the side of Israel constantly would be an understatement. David would one day, in the future, finally subdue them but not till years later. The philistines were more equipped for war than Israel. The war machine from Philistia was outfitted with iron while Israel was outfitted with wooden staves, shovels and slingshots. It was a normal thing for Israel to work hard only to have the workers chased away and the crop seized by these marauders. How could they fight against those more powerful? It would be suicide to fight iron with rickety wooden sticks.
This particular fall day, workers had begun picking only to have a watchman sound the alarm. “The philistines are coming; the philistines are coming.” All the pickers begin to run, just like previous times, from the field looking for a hiding place. Except one! Shammah! Enough is enough. Only so much a man can take before he fights back. Shammah had been pushed enough.
1. Notice his Courage: Shammah may have been with David during earlier raids by the Philistines. Remember he was one of David’s mighty men and those fellows moved around a lot. But not this time. Maybe David has given some of his men, like Shammah, a little time of R & R. His family and friends had told him of the earlier raids often enough. The names of the killed would be young men with whom he shared his childhood. That morning he’d gone to the fields to help and soon the trouble began. He stands in the middle of the pea patch all by himself. No doubt the philistines think he’s lost his mind. “One man thinks he can stand against all of us. He’s nuts.” What they didn’t realize is one man with God on his side will always be victorious. Joshua 23:10 tells how with God “one man can chase a thousand.”
2. Notice his Clarity: He’s trained from his time fighting with David. He’s a warrior. Also, he knows some things. A few days ago, a good friend of mine was talking with me outside the hospital. He had on a T-shirt that I loved. It said, “I watch baseball; and I know things.” Shammah knew things. He knew the stealing was never going to stop until somebody stopped it. He knew that everyone else had fled so it was up to him to protect the crop. He knew if he failed and the crop was stolen, Israel would have a hard time making it through the winter without provisions. It is an amazing thing, clarity. It is almost as if time slows, and understanding is enhanced. I look forward to asking Shammah how he did it. I know the biblical answer, the Lord did it and that is true. I want to know if the Lord gave him a quick plan or just the strength to fight and fight and fight some more. Our passage says that the philistines were gathering into a troop. That means there were several of the enemy, perhaps thirty, and it wasn’t like the battle between David and Goliath, mano a mano. This fight would be one against many. The philistines were not planning on using one, when many would make quick work of this fool. They just didn’t know. When we are in a battle, clear thinking must prevail. God told Ezekiel he was looking for a man to stand in the gap and make up the hedge. The Lord needed a single man, willing to be used for great victory. Shammah was that man.
3. Notice his Compensation: His name has gone down in the history of Israel and in the record of Holy Writ. He is praised for being used by God for a great victory. The enemy has been killed. That’s around thirty fighting age men that won’t be troubling God’s people anymore. The pickers come out of hiding and begin harvesting the peas. Shammah’s area of Israel will have food this winter. One day you and I will stand at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Rewards and accolades will be given to the faithful. Are you willing to stand alone for right? When everyone runs away will you stand your ground and face the enemy. The times which we find ourselves call for great courage. It could be that we as Christians get savaged for our biblical standards. Shaming on social media is a routine event for those that hold to biblical foundations. The beliefs of Christianity such as using the Bible as our standard of faith and practice and calling for all people to repent and come to Christ is ridiculed. Let me state that for the record I will never bow to the godless who reject and deny my God, rip my Bible as fabricated by men, and denigrate God’s people for their beliefs. My prayer is that we together will have the courage of our convictions. Let’s all be a Shammah!