The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1916-12-22

-.ss9A,p-So4 Israel was not to
associate with
them, nor bow down To their gods. nor
even mention the name of their gods.
But Israel did not obey. and the
steps of their downfall are recorded
in this chapter; they did not drive out
their enemies, they took their daugh-
ters To be their wives. they dwelt
among the Canaanites. they served
their gods, they forgot the Lord their
God, and he sold them into the hand
of the enemy.
The book of Judges Is sad, sad
story OF disloyalty, defeat and bond
age, frightened now and then by "a
description OF some nobs man or
woman whom God raised up to defend
his honor and To deliver Israel from
her sad condition.
Among the heroes whom God used
for this purpose no name shines out
more slgnally than that of Shamgar,
of whom IL is said that he slew six
hundred men single-handed with an
OK goad. And that is all that We know
about him. To my mind this Is II strik-
Scriptures. If the Bible had been
made by man, he would surely have
devoted "a whole chapter TO such n ra-
markable achievement, but the Holy
Spirit for reasons best known to him
self gives only 20 words 20 IL. The in
spiration of the Scriptures Is proved
as conclusively by their silence as by
what they say. ,
Shamgar is q good type Of the per-
sonal worker. We need many like him
today. We have men enough 10 cont
plain and criticize, but not enough
of those who are willing 10 grapplc
with the problems OF life, and attempt
to solve them. II he had been like
some men he would have called con-
vention TO discuss the state Of religion
In Israel, passed resolutions, appointed
n committee To report and returned
home. Shamgar was not that kind
of II man. He believed i'm personal
work, and so he took hold Of the mat
ter himself. ".'
Furthermore, he was not a trained
worker. In these days we have schools
To instruct workers In the best meth
ods, but Shamgar had received no
training at all He Knew nothing abont
war, and he had no weapons except
an OK goad. II Is not likely that he
killed those Philistines just as -sclen-
tifically' as some might have done II.
but ne did 1t just as encctually for he
left them dead. ."-
THERE'S a large place for untrulhed
workers I'm our day. There is always
something that anyone can do, who
really wishes 10 help, and In tire doing
Of 1t he gets a certain training. ".
Where did Mr.. Moody get his train
ing? Or Uncle John Vassar, Mel Trot-
ter or host of others who have been
signally successful in winning SOUS to
Christi
Shamgar had faith in God. He was
familiar with his Bible, and he remern-
bered that God had promised Moses
and Joshua that one should chase
1000, and two put 10000 To flight.
Here were only 600 PhilIstines, and II
Gods promises were reliable, that was
an easy job.
/ suppose II came about In this way:
The Philistincs had raided the country
50 often that the people were intimidat-
ed. We read In Judges o :6 that the
highways were unoccupied and the peO-
pie travelled in the byways. IN the
spring Of the year the frightened Is
raelltes crept out Into their fields and
sowed them. During, the summer their
enemies left them unmolested, but
when the crops began 10 rlpen, they
raided them constantly and carried of
the harvest.
one day a band Of Phllistlnes came
down upon Sbamgar's field. Some men
would have rpm away put not 80
Shamgar. He-d: "Thls thing has
gone far enough. II is q disgrace to
our nation and 20 Jehovah as well.
II no one else will resist them, must,
and I may as well begin now as ever"
Accordingly be attacked the 600 men
with nothing but an ok goad. God hon
ored his faith and gave him the vic
tory. This put fresh courage into faint
ing hearts When they saw what God
and one brave MIN could DO. they rdl-
lied as a nation and soon threw OF
the yoke OF the enemy.
Jonathan did the same thing as We
read IN I Sam. 14;6, and Nehemiah
also, and God honored their faith In a
similar way. God needs more Sham
garB In our day-men who are willing
TO- work for hip in, a arall way, and
work alone. and work with what they
NrsfrI -. A..