The God who uses unlikely people

The God Who uses unlikely people.
Read Judges 3:31-4:24
“After him Shamgar…now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth was judging Israel at that time.” (Judges 3:31: 4:4)

          When we look at the people God uses, we often look for the gifted, the powerful, the individuals who are remarkable and stand out in the crowd. We look for people who exemplify godly character. Yet when we look closely at the pages of scripture, we find that God often uses the unlikely, the obscure, and the untalented. God uses people the world overlooks.   At first glance, Shamgar and Deborah seem unconnected, two individuals that God used in a long line of individuals. Yet, in the song of praise Deborah, she explicitly mentions Shamgar and his deliverance and connects him to her actions as well. Furthermore, we find that both of these individuals were unconventional and unlikely people whom God used.
              The first thing that strikes us about Shamgar is his name. His name suggests that he was not a Hebrew but a Hurrian, which were a people living in Palestine. The mystery of Shamgar is further given by the mention of the fact that he was the “son of Anath.” Anath was a goddess of war and was a consort of Baal, thus suggesting that Shamgar’s religious background was Canaanite rather than Jewish. Of further note is the tool he used to kill six hundred Philistines. The ox goad was a long stick made of hardwood and possibility tipped with iron that was used to control the livestock. It was a tool of a shepherd, not a weapon of war. The point then of the story is that God used an unlikely person (a gentile) with dubious means to deliver his people.
                Equally unlikely is the story of Deborah. As was the case of Shamgar, Deborah was an unlikely choice because she was a woman in a male-dominated culture. Initially, she was called to appoint Barak as Israel's deliverer. However, Barak, lacking faith in God’s promise to be with him, asks that Deborah go into battle with him. Because of his lack of faith, God pronounces through Deborah that the victory will go to the hands of a woman rather than Barak. This was achieved when Jael lured a tired Sisera into her tent and then assassinated him with a tent peg. An essential part of understanding this point of the story is that even when God’s appointed leaders (the men of Israel) fail to follow his leadership, God will still accomplish his purpose.  
               In both of these stories, the focus is not upon the individuals involved but on the power of God to achieve his purpose through unlikely people. Even when God’s people fail to respond in faith, God is able to bring his salvation and accomplish his goal. The sovereign power of God is not confined to just those who are his followers. While Deborah was a woman of faith, it is questionable that Shamgar was a proselyte to the Jewish faith. Yet God is not restricted by the people he uses.  
                   Throughout the history of the Bible, we see God in his sovereignty direct and use unlikely obscure people, even people who do not believe in him. God's sovereignty extends to all people, all events, at all times in history. The two stories focus is not on the people who obtain the victory but upon the God who stands behind the activities of the world. He is the orchestrator of events, who uses all things to accomplish his purpose so that the praise goes to him, not the vessels he chooses to use.   When God uses unlikely people and unlikely events (even events and people that we think harmful) to change our life, we are to remember that God’s sovereign hand is moving circumstances, events, and people's actions to accomplish his purpose in our lives. This is what gives us peace and rest in no matter what the circumstances.