Deliverance and Shamgur

I mentioned earlier that the book of Judges is presented in such a way that we see the nation of Israel deteriorating before our eyes. With each judge (which is what the unofficial leader of the nation was called), the people turned further from God and suffered more extreme consequences. This means that they also needed more extreme deliverance.

The phrase that we see time and time again is "when the people of Israel cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer from the people of Israel who saved them." While we know the names of Abraham, Moses, or Joshua, you probably have never heard of judges Othniel, Ehud, or Shamgar. Some of the judges who God used to deliver the nation are only given one verse. However, these people were used by God to save His people.

So we are given a good reminder. Some people may be Moses, but others may be Shamgar. Each were equally important. A character in a new TV show said "fame is the only thing that matters today," and I am not so sure that she is wrong. In today's reality TV culture, some people are famous simply because someone said that they are famous. I would guess that most people want to be known. We celebrate celebrities and big names. This happens in churches as much as it happens in movies.

It is also important to remember that Moses and Shamgar were both used by God, and it was quite an honor. Sometimes we need to realize how God is using us rather than asking us how God can use us in bigger ways. It is also important to ask ourselves why we would want to be Moses rather than Shamgar.

If that is not enough, we also should remember that God has an amazing amount of patience. God continually delivered the people simply because they called out for help only when things got really out of hand. God also exhibits his patience because he uses people in the first place. He uses people, and anytime people are involved, things get messy. He know this, and He still chooses people like you and me to change lives and change the world.