The daily commonwealth. (Greenwood, Leflore Co., Miss.) 1916-1919, 1917-01-08

out on certain
conditions.
~ These condi.
tons were that
NV Israel was not to
associate with
them, o bow down to their gods, o
eve 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-
tiers 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 a sad, sad
story Of disloyalty, defeat and bond
age, frightened now and then by q.
description of some noble 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 signally than that of Shamgar.
Of whom 1t 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 a strik-
ing proof Of the inspiration Of the
Scriptures. II the Bible had been
made by man, he would surely have
devoted a whole chapter to such a re-
markable achievement, but the Holy
Spirit for reasons best known to HIM
self gives only 26 words to 1t. The In
spiration of the Scriptures is proved
as conclusiyely by their silence AZ by
what they say.
Shamgar is a good type Of the per.
sonal worker. We need many like him
today. We have men enough to COM
plain and criticize, but not enough
Of those who are willing to grapple
with the problems Of life, and attempt
to solve them. If he had been like
some men he would have called a on
yention to discuss the state of religion
In Israel, passed resolutions, appointed
q committee to report and returned
home. Shamgar was not that kind
Of q man. He believed in personal
work, and so he took hold Of the mat
ter himself.
Furthermore, he was not q trained
worker. In these days we have schools
to instruct workers in the best meth
DDS, but Shamgar had received no
training at all. He knew nothing about
war, and he had no weapons except
nm OK goad. 1t is not likely that he
killed those Philistines just as scien-
tifically as some might have done It,
but he did 1t Just as efeectually for he
left them dead.
There is a large place for unframed
workers III Dur day. There is always
something that anyone a do, who
really wishes to help, and in the doing
Of 1t he gets a certain training.
Where did MI. Moody get his train.
ing? Or Uncle John Vassar, Mel Trot.
ter or o host of others who have been
signally successful in winning souls to
Christ?
Shamgar had faith in God. He was
familiar with his Bible, and he remem-
bered that God had promised Moses
and Joshua that one should chase
1000, and two put 10000 to flight.
Here were only 800 Philistines, and IL
Gods promises were reliable, that was
an easy job.
I suppose 1t came about in this way:
The Philistines had raided the country
so often that the people were intimldat-
ed. We read in Judges 5:8 that the
highways were unoccupied and the peo-
pie Travelled in the byways. In the
spring Of the year the frightened Is
raelites crept out into their fields and
sowed them. During the summer their
enemies left them unmolested. but
when the crops began to ripen, they
raided them constantly and carried Oft
the harvest.
One day a band of Phillstines came
down upon Shamgar's field. Some men
would have run away, but not so
Shamgar. He said: "This thing has
gone far enough. It Is a disgrace to
our nation and to Jehovah as well.
If no one else will resist them, I must,
and l may as well begin now as ever" ,
Accordingly he attacked the 600 men
with nothing but az 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 man could do, they raj.
lied as a nation and soon threw Of
the yoke of the enemy.
Jonathan did the same thing, as We
read In l Sam. 14:8, and Nehemiah
also, and God honored their faith In q
similar way. God needs more Sham.
snrs In our day--nen who are willing
to work for him in a small way, and
work alone, and work with what they
have. VIII you be one7
--O--
COMyNc ATrrpA CrTONS.