BATTLE FOR A HILL OF BEANS

By Clinton White

This Bible study is a lesson from the life of Shammah the son of Agee. His name is only in the Bible four or five times. He is not well known to students of Scripture, perhaps not known at all to many of you. But there is an incident in the life of Shammah that speaks to every Christian. Shammah was one of the mighty men that David mentioned as he listed heroes he had known and served with.

We begin our lesson by opening the Bible to 2 Samuel chapter 23 and we begin to read at verse 11. Read it carefully.

"And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together in a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentils: and the people fled from the Philistines, but he (speaking of Shammah) stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the Lord wrought a great victory."

Do you see what happened here?

Shammah stood his ground against a band of foraging Philistines, but what makes this story so meaningful is what he was defending.

Everyone has heard of the old expression "not worth a hill of beans." When men wish to indicate something is worthless or at least of very little value, they say, "it's not worth a hill of beans."

Shammah was defending a patch of lentils.

Lentils are beans.

This man fought like fury to defend a hill of beans.

He laid his life on the line for a hill of beans and he won.

The Bible calls that victory a great victory.

He is listed with heroes.

Why? What is so important about this hill of beans?

The patch of lentils in itself is not important, but what was represented is all important.

That was a part of God's promised land. It wasn't very much, but it was something. The enemy wanted it back. The enemy wanted the fruit of their labor.

The people had claimed the land and had possessed God's promises. Then, they had developed it.

It was bearing fruit.

Then along came the Philistines; they wanted to consume the fruit of the labors of God's people and then get the land.

When you give a Philistine an inch, he takes an acre.

Some ran away, they would not defend it. They thought, "Why fight for a hill of beans?"

The Bible says, "Shammah stood in the midst of the ground."

Now it would be foolish to die for some beans. It really would. But when you see what this lesson is all about, you see that it's not at all foolish to stand your ground in what appears to be a small thing.

The Bible teaches us that we are involved in a fight.

Paul said, "Fight the good fight of faith" (1 Tim. 6:12).

In another place the Bible says, "Neither give place to the devil" (Eph. 4:27).

Do not give the enemy (who is Satan) a foothold. Don't give him an inch, not any place to stand, not even a section of your life that seems as valueless as a hill of beans. If someone had not stood his ground, if Shammah had been defeated, the enemy would have had a place to take a stand.

They would have had a wedge into the whole land.

If we don't take a stand on some apparently small things, the enemy gets a wedge into our hearts.

Did you ever watch a man split a big tree? He uses a wedge. He can work that wedge into that tree until he splits a great oak wide open.

You know what I mean.

You know you have an enemy.

You know that he goes about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet. 5:8).

You never knew that you had a spiritual enemy until you entered into spiritual life, until you were converted, but then, you realized very quickly that there is severe contention for your life.

Satan no longer is a cartoon image, a red imp with a forked tail and a pitchfork, but rather a very real power, the fountainhead of evil, the enemy of souls, the tempter, the avowed enemy of Jesus Christ.

Paul says, "We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Eph. 6:12).

You have claimed God's promise of salvation.

You have entered into the place of spiritual power.

You have tasted of the kingdom of God which is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost (Rom. 14:17).

When the Israelites claimed God's promises in spite of all odds, when they walked into the land in the face of every adversity, it was a tremendous witness.

It gave great glory to God.

Their victories made the people of the earth tremble and acknowledge the existence of a very powerful God.

The enemy did everything he could to bring about their defeat, to mar their witness, to blur their testimony. He wanted to rob God of the glory and the only way he could do it was to defeat God's people and make it look like God was not with them at all.

You, as a Christian, have shined like a light in this unbelieving perverse generation, in this atheistic and immoral time, in the most ungodly of all ages.

You have borne witness to the world that Jesus Christ is alive.

They have seen your life changed through the power of His name and faith in His name. They have seen your faith bring you victories.

They have seen your joy remain alive and vibrant in the face of dark times and adversity.

The fruits of the Spirit have hung heavy on the boughs of your life.

Men have seen this and God has been glorified. This is what Jesus meant when He said, "Herein is My Father glorified that ye bear much fruit" (John 15:8).

But the enemy will come into your life to plunder that fruit, to mar and besmirch that testimony. He only wants a small place to stand.

He only wants a wedge, maybe just a hill of beans, just an acre of lentils.

The enemy wants into your heart.

He hates your testimony which gives glory to God.

He wants to consume your fruit.

The Bible says, "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life" (Prov. 4:23).

Don't compromise in the smallest matter.

Don't let the bars down on the most apparently insignificant things. Stand your ground.

David walked out on his roof top; a woman was bathing in a courtyard below . . . David looked at her.

He could have looked away right off. He could have turned and walked back inside, but he probably thought, "What harm will it do just to look."

Just a look.

That thought was the enemy pounding at David's heart, telling him, "It's only a hill of beans, why stand and fight for it, surrender, give just a little bit to the enemy."

David did, and he was caught in a whirlpool of sorrow and misery.

It was the wedge that got into his heart.

It was a look, then it was lust, then it was adultery, then it was murder, then it was endless family troubles.

It was spiritual torture and a dark chapter in his life which sullied his testimony.

It all started with an attack on a tiny corner of his heart, but he would not defend it.

The enemy will come knocking at your heart.

You can count on that.

You can depend on it, and very likely he will not come trying to sweep away your life with a big attack. He probably will not be telling you to commit adultery or murder, or to steal . . . rather it will be to lust, or to hate or to envy.

If he can just get you to hold a grudge, if he can just create a little hard feeling between you and a brother or sister in Christ, he considers that a victory.

This gives him a place to stand, a foothold, a place in your heart.

Jesus said, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another" (John 13:35). If he, your enemy can do the smallest thing to create friction and rub out that love and smear that testimony, he chalks up a score.

It all begins with a small thing, a little giving in to gossip. Finally, your heart gets seared over to it. Your conscience doesn't get pricked about it any more, and the way is paved for bigger things, such as outright criticism and backbiting and lies about people without even realizing that you are lying.

All he wants is a foothold so he can make you unlike Jesus and turn your testimony sour, not only in the sight of the world but in the eyes of all heaven.

If he can get his feet on the place where your fruit is growing, he will trample it down and rip it up by the roots.

You will have to take a stand.

You will . . . just like Shammah.

Take a stand on little things.

It was only a hill of beans.

But on a bit further were the vineyards and the fig trees, the fields of grain and the silver mines, the homes, the wives and the children.

A line had to be drawn somewhere, and it was better to draw it right there across that hill of beans.

Don't let him have any foothold in your heart.

Deal with hard thoughts before they become hatred.

Slay fears before they become phobias.

Stamp out self-pity thoughts before you are possessed with a sympathy-seeking spirit.

Deny fleshly cravings before you become a slave again.

While an enemy is still attacking you in the idea stage, meet him there.

STAND YOUR GROUND!

Be firm. Resist the devil and he will flee from you (Jas. 4:7).

And the Bible says. "Take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness and your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace, above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked, and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit" (Eph 6:13-18).

There is a battle plan.

God will give you victory.

Don't wait until you are infiltrated completely before you make a counter attack.

Meet him in the beanfield and fight.

If you do that, you will never come into bondage and you will enjoy fellowship with your Lord.