Defend the Harvest

Defend the Harvest
Feb 11, 2013
2 Samuel 23:11  ". . . But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field."

King David was a renown warrior in the Old Testament.  Yes, he was a great king, but he was a very effective military leader.  He couldn't do it alone, however, as leading many fighting men required commanders to assist him.  David had some brave and courageous commanders.  They were called "Mighty Warriors."  One such man was Shammah.  Little is known about Shammah except for a few verses in the Bible that describe his exploits.  They read, "When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils, Israel’s troops fled from them.  But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the Lord brought about a great victory."

There are a few interesting things we can glean from this short story of Shammah's adventures in the field.   The Philistines were attacking the specific location for a reason.  It was a food source.  The field was full of lentils (peas).  It didn't say it was a lentil field. It said it was a field full of lentils, meaning it was ready for harvest.  All the hard work had been done and the only thing left to do was receive the bountiful harvest.  The enemy knew if they could cut off the food source, they could further destroy the Lord's Children.  The pea field was the target.  Shammah knew this and he understood the importance of defending the harvest.  He led his troops to the field in response to the attack but his troops fled in fear.  They abandoned him.  He was left alone.  Thankfully Shammah had courage enough to stand and fight for the harvest.

The Bible says he took his stand in the middle of it all.  Notice he positioned himself in the center of the harvest and refused to give up.  By positioning himself alone in the center it suggested he was aware he would probably die there defending the field by himself.  But he was determined to not go down without a fight.  He was willing to die, surrounded by the enemy army, for a worthy cause, as the odds were clearly against him.  It seems as though he was a brave but foolish man.  Thankfully, Shammah WAS a brave but foolish man.  Had he not been willing to stand and fight for the harvest, against all odds, the Lord would not have granted him the great victory.  There is no victory without a fight.

The enemy wants to destroy your harvest but you must stand and fight.  Position yourself in the middle and take your stand.  Stand firm in defense of what the Lord has already given you, your harvest, not willing to go down without a fight.  It may be you alone in that field while everyone else has abandoned you, but you must stand in the middle and fight.  When the enemy surrounds you it is not time to panic or run in terror.  It is time to take a stand, no matter what the odds, and defend the harvest.  Your harvest is ready but the enemy wishes to destroy it.  While the Lord is in charge of the great victory, it is still your job to stand in the middle and defend your harvest.

Don't take my word for it; look it up: 2 Sam 23:8-17, John 4:35, 1 Peter 5:7-9