Shamgar's entire record in the Bible is one single verse: "After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed six hundred men of the Philistines with an ox goad; and he also delivered Israel." (Judges 3:31)
That's it — one verse! No backstory, no details about his family or tribe, no description of the battle. Just one incredible sentence. An ox goad was a farming tool — a long wooden stick (about 8 feet) with a metal point on one end for prodding oxen and a flat blade on the other for cleaning plows.
Shamgar didn't have a sword or a spear. He had a farmer's stick. Yet with God's power, he defeated 600 Philistine warriors and delivered Israel.
An ox goad was about 8 feet long. The Philistines often confiscated weapons from the Israelites (see 1 Samuel 13:19-22), so Shamgar may have used a farming tool because no real weapons were available!
Shamgar teaches us that God doesn't need much to do a lot. A farming tool and a willing heart were enough. God can work with whatever we bring Him — our talents, our time, our simple resources — and accomplish the impossible.
Notice also that Shamgar is mentioned again in Judges 5:6, in Deborah's song: "In the days of Shamgar… the highways were deserted, and the travelers walked along the byways." This tells us Shamgar lived during a time when Israel was so oppressed that people were afraid to travel on the main roads.
In the darkest times, God raised up an ordinary farmer with an ordinary tool. That's how God works — He uses the weak things of this world to shame the strong (1 Corinthians 1:27).
Complete all sections to finish!
Read each section and answer the questions correctly.