"But He Stood"
As the enemy footsteps approached and the battle was close at hand, one particular soldier stood his ground ready to defend that which belonged to God. He was stalwart in his character and relentless in his determination, and because of his stand in that unnamed battle, generations to come would be encouraged to follow the high road of conviction.
Shammah is listed third amongst King David’s three mighty men. The stunning account of his defense is recorded in the twenty-third chapter of II Samuel. From this two-verse portion of Scripture, several varied and life-changing truths can be drawn to teach those who are presently alive the importance of a solid stance upon the Word of God.
After a brief sketch of his lineage in verse eleven, the Bible sets the stage for the battle. It reports that “the Philistines were gathered together into a troop.” Undoubtedly, the enemy force had sent a great many soldiers to fight in this skirmish. Shammah was facing insurmountable odds, still “he stood” against the majority. First, this Displayed the Content of His Character. He was willing to fight the multitude that came against him no matter what the outcome was to be.
It has been wisely stated that “the test of your character is what it takes to stop you.” A troop was coming against Shammah, “but he stood”! Is this not inspiration enough for every believer reading these words to “strengthen the things that remain” (Rev. 3:2)? Too many today are weakening their stance to yield Bible convictions due to a little bit of pressure from the world. This is not God’s way! It is the low road of compromise that always ends in tragedy.
Perhaps the pressure comes through a promotion from the boss. Maybe it emerges from a nagging wife or a weak husband. It could very easily surface through children who long to please someone other than God. Whatever the source, when the pressure comes, the child of God must not yield! He must dutifully heed the admonition of Scripture to “stand fast in the faith” (I Corinthians 16:13) and “stand fast in the Lord” (Philippians 4:1). The response that is offered to the winds of compromise will certainly display the content of the believer’s character.
In the following phrase a very unique fact comes to light. The Bible describes the valuable property over which this battle was fought as “a piece of ground full of lentiles.” Someone asks, “Are lentiles some type of essential minerals?” The answer is “No.” Another questions, “Are lentiles a form of petroleum?” Still the answer is in the negative. Could the lentiles be a name for the tomb of the ancients? No. Were they the king’s treasures, the king’s palace, or the king’s family? No. No. No. In fact, lentiles were a type of agricultural produce. To put it plainly, Shammah was defending with his life a plot of ground filled with beans!
Before anyone concludes Shammah to have been “one brick short of a load,” let it be known that where he stood Revealed the Conviction of His Soul. The crowd would not have given a second thought to yielding this “worthless” sod to the enemy. However, this soldier understood that this land was quite valuable to his captain, and that alone was enough to cause him to lay his life on the line in defense of it. What formidable conviction! The same is sorely needed amongst preachers and laymen alike in this present day.
The Devil does not come at first by attacking the crown jewels of our beliefs. His strategy is set to subtly undermine the minor issues in our life and then move in for the kill. Before he openly denies God’s Word, he seeks first to question it. Before he attacks the deity of Christ, he slowly tempts us to deny it with our life. This is why it is so crucial for every Christian to defend the “bean fields” of Biblical standards, Christ-honoring music, personal devotions, faithful church attendance, holy living and others. For if these are compromised now, the threat of unbelief and apostasy looms on the horizon. One must always remember that before Peter yielded to the unthinkable compromise of denying Christ (Luke 22:54-62), he surrendered a diligent prayer life in the garden (Luke 22:45-46). Shammah knew that the little details make up the big picture. He was aware that should the pea patch be surrendered today, the palace may be surrendered tomorrow. Thus he stood with iron-clad resolve and refused to move.
His stand indicates something further. The Bible continues with the phrase, “the people fled from the Philistines.” Apparently these folks did not value this land as Shammah did. When the conflict came, they wanted no part of it. Thus the fact that one soldier stood Uncovered the Cowardice of the Multitude.
Should the believer choose to stand solidly upon Bible conviction, it will not be long before he sees others begin to jump ship. It is of grave concern to the heart of God to see any one of His own running from instead of running toward the battle. This would include those who used to believe one way but because of the insistent whispers of the more “progressive,” they alter their beliefs. C.H. Spurgeon once stated that “a Christian’s convictions should never weaken, they should only strengthen as the years progress.”
There are a couple of amazing side-lights revealed in this portion of the passage. First, the enemy valued the land more than all but one of the Israelite soldiers. This was highlighted as Shammah saw the bright yellow stripes running down the backs of his cowardly compatriots! Second, it is interesting to note that those who fled remain unknown to us today. Only Shammah’s name & influence continue to the present.
Not a word in these verses was given and preserved accidentally; thus, as the events unfolded, they Showed the Courage of His Heart. Shammah was not standing on the fringe of this property. He did not choose to run to nearby cover and attack the enemy with arrows. His courage is plain as “he stood in the midst of the ground and defended it.” In the center, not the sideline is where the battle will be won every time.
On occasion, it will involve standing against disobedient authority figures. Naboth told King Ahab that the “the inheritance of his fathers” was not for sale (I Kings 21:3). Sometimes it will motivate one to resist the compromise of family members. Job told his wife, “Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh” (Job 2:10). Still at other times, courage to do right will cause one to rebuke dear friends. When Peter would not decry the falsehood of the legalists, Paul “withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed” (Galatians 2:11).
Courage is not the absence of fear. Instead it is a determination to do right even when fear is present. Courage hears the quite voice of principle above the troubling cries of fear. Standing firmly and courageously in the midst of the ground, he “slew the Philistines.” Oh, that this kind of courage will be donned by every soldier of Jesus Christ!
The result of this glorious battle was nothing but positive. On that day, “the Lord wrought a great victory.” What a thrill to see the outcome of the conflict! There can be no other conclusion than that this Declared the Conquest of the Lord!
If victory will be had, it will come at great price. Shammah paid that price and was there in the end to see the Lord work a miracle. Almighty God longs to give the same type of victory in this present century. He is not bound by the time period of Biblical history. However, if the child of God expects to see it, he must stay the course. Only those who remain faithful will be around to taste the victory first hand. Consider the words, ”The Lord preserveth the faithful” (Psalm 31:23). And what else can be added to the truth that, “A faithful man shall abound with blessings...” (Proverbs 28:20)? Immediately following the promise that God gives victory through our Lord Jesus Christ, the Christian is admonished to be “steadfast” (II Corinthians 15:57-58). God rewards His own in spite of their failure, however, the majority of His blessings fall upon those who have faithfully obeyed His Word.
When the dust had settled that day, and the battle was through, one warrior stood holding a weapon in one hand and victory in the other. Did he ever have second thoughts? Perhaps. Was it easy standing alone? To be certain, no! Was the battle wearisome? There can be no doubt. Was it worth the struggle? Indeed! Nothing could have been more rewarding than to stand before, during, and particularly after the fight, all the while watching God win the battle. May it be a shining lesson to all who seek the same outcome.
Evangelist Dwight Smith
This article was first published in the Volume VII Issue 1 of The Exhorter Newsletter of Evangelist Dwight M. Smith
