Editor’s Note: The following appears in the September/October 2024 issue of Nurturing Faith Journal.
“After him came Shamgar the son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad; and he also saved Israel.” – Judges 3:31
Twelve days after the New Year (1240 B.C.)
The wife suggests keeping a record to help keep track of sowing, harvesting, rainfall, so we can better plan our year. Good idea, I guess. Can’t see how this won’t be boring as Sheol, though.
Forty-five days after the Feast of Booths, (1239 B.C.)
Tilling with oxen in south field and oxgoad just up and broke. One good jab in the flank and the durn thing splintered on me. The wife says I don’t know my own strength, and take it easy on the ox. I say it’s bad craftsmanship.
Will cut new oxgoad tomorrow. Make it thicker. Probably use oak.
Two days after Passover, (1239 B.C.)
Harvest coming along well. Good weather. Looking forward to grape harvest later this year. Will make special thank offering next Sabbath.
More bad news about Philistines in Hebron. Every Israelite I talk to scared to death – ready to cut and run. Everyone does whatever’s right in his own eyes. Startin’ to irk me.
Sixteen days after Passover, (1239 B.C.)
Kind of a crazy day today.
Was in middle of harvest when I look up and see a squad of Philistines in south field. Had just enough time to run to tool shed and grab heaviest thing I could find – my new oxgoad.
Ran and met them nearly at the house. Wife screamin’ bloody murder. Uncircumcised rascals point and laugh. Say, “What’s that slave think he’s gonna do with a pointy stick?”
Well, they run up on me, and after I skewer three of ‘em the rest turn tail. I figure that’s the end of that, but the wife says “Keep your eyes peeled.” She’s right as usual. An hour later a whole mess of ‘em show up!
I commence to skewering again, but after a hundred or so times of that, the point’s pretty blunted, so I just have to swing the thing.
Well, by the end I cut down 582 of the varmints. I knowed it was 582 cause I had to hire a cart and move every single carcass off my land.
Thanks to Yahweh for givin’ me strength to protect my home and family.
No thanks to Philistines – cracked my new oxgoad on some guy’s head. That’s two broke oxgoads in one year!!
Three days after Pentecost, (1239 B.C.)
Haven’t had a moment’s peace for a month. People from as far off as Beersheba comin’ to see me, askin’ did I really kill 600 Philistines, askin’ me to sign their oxgoads, and yellin’ “Give ‘em Sheol, Shamgar!” day and night.
Lots of ‘em ask how I managed it, and I just tell ‘em Yahweh was with me. Folks look disappointed, like they want to know all the gory details. I tell all the young folks that come by that it ain’t no picnic sendin’ another man down to Sheol. It weighs on a man, even if he did it for good reason.
May need to get out of town for a while. Maybe take the kids up to Gilgal and see ol’ Joshua’s memorial stones.
Late Summer, (1230 B.C.)
Been a good few years. Fig harvest really nice. Kids doin’ good work.
Every once in a while someone’ll ask about that crazy day with the Philistines. Still gotta correct people and say it weren’t no 600.
Early Summer, (1215 B.C.)
Finally had to stop workin’ the fields. Got to depend on the kids now. Good grape harvest this year. New wine very sweet.
Heard about some long-haired kid killed 300 Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey. Rascal pulls the same stunt I did, but with the weirdest thing he could grab.
Early Fall, (1210 B.C.)
Strange thing happened today. Nice young Levite scribe shows up at the door, says he wants to ask me some questions about that day with the Philistines. Says he’s a writin’ a book. Asked me all kinds’a questions, tryin’ to get the whole story outta me.
I asked him what’s his book about, he says “Judges.” I told him I weren’t no judge. He says he figures a judge decides what’s fair for folks, and punishes evil-doers, and that I “fit solidly in the latter category.”
He says he wished there were more folks like me around. Told him I didn’t see that’d do much good. Punishing people don’t make people better mosta the time. What we really need is a judge could just change evil people into good ones. That man’d be a right good Judge. Be like havin’ God with us, in the flesh. He looked kinda shocked, like I was blasphemin’ or something. I tells him that’s just how I feel about it, and he can take it or leave it.
Anyway, the scribe fella went off a little unsatisfied, said my entry would be “brief.”
Well, I hope his book does good, whether I’m in it or not.
Pastor of The Crossing Baptist Church in Mesquite, TX
