After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He too saved Israel. (NIV)

”For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds” (2 Cor.10:3,4).

Shamgar is summed up in two sentences. It seems he didn’t achieve as much as some of the other Judges, but he played his part. He was on the team. He was someone God used. ‘He too saved Israel.’ You don’t have to be a ‘big name’ to be used by God. The Lord has many anonymous heroes and heroines. The point to note is that whether the human actor is well-known or not, the work is God’s and all the glory should go to Him.

”But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that the all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” (2 Corinthians 4:7)

God uses in His great purposes unexpected people, and often with unlikely weapons. Shamgar ”…struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad.” ‘An oxgoad is a metal-tipped wooden rod used for prodding or goading plough animals…Even the humblest ”weapon” can be effective when God strengthens the arm of the one using it.’ Tom Hale

‘He turns our weaknesses into His opportunities, so that the glory goes to Him’ (Graham Kendrick)

I am encouraged today by this reading. It seems to me that what I have to offer is small, and weak, and not likely to win victories, ”… but with God all things are possible.” (Matt.19:26).