FIELD OF LENTILS

The second book of Samuel in the 23rd chapter tells the story of David’s mighty men. These were touts and vagabonds, distressed, in debt, and discontented with their lives who joined David in the cave of Adullam (1 Samuel 22:2). They became mighty men under the tutelage and mentorship of the would-be king David, who was then a fugitive on the run for his life. The graphic description of their exploits leaves any reader amazed at what mighty warriors they had become. These are the superheroes of the Bible. They certainly will beat Batman, Superman, Ironman, and even Incredible Hulk, hands down!

One among them was Shammah the Hararite. He was a brave warrior who risked his life to defend a plot of lentils (2 Samuel 23:11-12). Yes, you heard me right. He put his life on the line to protect a farmland. It seems strange why anyone would take such a significant risk just to defend a field of lentils. It would make sense to defend the field if diamonds were buried there. But there was something Shammah knew, which I want you to see as you fight the daily battle for sexual purity. In their typical behavior, the Philistines gathered an army to destroy a plot of lentils so that they would later impoverish Israel through hunger. All the trained fighters of Israel fled because a field of lentils did not seem like something to risk one’s life over. There were several other plots to sustain them even if they lost this little ground, but Shammah the Hararite thought differently.

The Bible says he took his stand “in the middle of the field” and defended it. His fellow soldiers likely beckoned him to let it go and not risk his life for such an insignificant field. It is equally likely that the Philistine soldiers themselves taunted him for wanting the be the “hero” by defending a little plot of land. Often, the enemy tries to convince us to let go of a little “plot of land.” But Shammah understood that any ground given to the enemy would only become a new base from where they will launch more attacks. He knew that if he let them capture that field of lentils, they would eventually make it a stronghold from where they would target more lands till they ultimately captured the city of David. He knew that by defending that small piece of land, he was defending the entire nation of Israel.

Still, wondering the connection between that field of lentils and your battle for sexual purity? Stay with me. There are two ways it applies to you. Firstly, how many times has Satan beckoned on you to compromise just a little bit? How many times have you been tempted to take a closer gaze at what you know to be sexually impure? Thoughts like:

“That cute guy has been persistently asking you for it. Why not just give him a little? He will kiss you and fondle with your breasts, but that will be all. You won’t get pregnant, will you?”

“God understands that as a guy, you have needs. You’ve been quite horny for a long time. Why not relieve yourself through masturbation? It’s not something you do every day. You are only responding to hormonal changes in your body.”

“Most girls at your age have already lost their virginity. You have kept yourself for this long. God knows you have tried. Why not just let the guy put his finger through you? You will enjoy it, but both of you won’t fornicate, isn’t it?”

“Do you remember the picture on sister Sarah’s WhatsApp DP? She had those tight trousers that showed her panty lines with her legs spread towards the camera. Just look at it one more time. It’s not as if you are watching porn… you’re only admiring the body of a sister.”

These suggestions are similar to the likely suggestions Shammah received from fellow Israelites: “why risk your life for a piece of land?”, “He that runs from battle lives to fight another day.” Shammah understood that if he gave the enemy a foothold, they would turn it into a stronghold to hold the entire nation of Israel to ransom. In our application for victory over sexual sin, you need to understand that as a single lady, once you give a boy access to your body for sexual pleasure, you are awakening a monstrous appetite that will leave you always longing for more until you cross the border and bite the forbidden fruit. You need to understand that your eye is probably your greatest weak point as a single guy. Once you begin to feast on the body of a lady (whether through explicit watching of pornography or a repeated gazing on the pictures of fellow Christian sisters who appear alluring), you awaken a fiery appetite that will stop at nothing until it is fully satisfied. You will continue to desire more and more explicit displays to satisfy the ever-growing craving until you eventually cross the borderline and bite the forbidden fruit. I pray that God will give you the grace to flee all appearances of evil.

Sometimes, the temptation may overwhelm you, and you may begin to succumb. The devil may then whisper to you that God is already displeased with you since you have already started to fall, so you should go on to enjoy the sin till the end. This is a great deception – 10% victory is still a victory, 20% victory is still a victory. Even if you cannot overthrow the temptation completely, make sure you don’t lose the ground. When you hold 10% of victory today, and you don’t let go of it, it becomes possible to attain 20% tomorrow, and eventually, it will lead up to 100%.

So hold your ground. Stand strong. Resist temptation. Even if the urge comes strongly, declare that you are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (2 Cor 5:21). Declare that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and you have been bought with a price (1 Cor 6:19-20). Declare that sin shall not have dominion over you (Romans 6:14). Declare that He that is in you is greater than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4). Speak out the word of God and command your body to obey. Always remember that your old man was crucified at the Cross with Him so that you will no longer be a slave to sin (Romans 6:6).

Every temptation is spiritual warfare, and each piece of armor made available to us, as listed in Ephesians 6, can be used to overcome. The only offensive weapon in our armory is the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God spoken out through your mouth by faith. When you declare the word of God by faith, in the Spirit, you are swinging a sword against the enemy. That is how to win. I invite you to join the mighty men of the Son of David (Jesus Christ) who take their stand “in the middle of the field” of temptations to defend the territory (your body, His temple) from Philistine invasion.