The scene, as it began to unfold before his eyes, was one of despair. The Israelites were leaving the lentil field and fleeing to high ground. Shammah knew that this field was the key to stopping the Philistines from reaching the more valuable soil and territory. The Israelites had to make their stand here or else the Philistine invasion would be fully realized.
"STOP running you cowards! We have to hold this field!" His heart was racing and he quickly looked for a solution. In that moment, as if everything became suddenly clear, he decided that he would stand firm, no matter who would stand with him.
With a battle cry of fury, he charged into the center of the field, hacking down Philistines as he went. The Israelites ran, but the Philistines seized the moment to surround their enemy. Slowly, they began encircling Shammah so that this fearsome warrior would not escape. And, slowly Shammah took down the Philistines, so that the bodies lay piled around him.
He continued on, demolishing the forces of the Philistines with unequaled power and might. It was as if an angel of the Lord was fighting in that field, because all eyes were on him. The Israelites, from under the cover of the nearby trees, watch one of their leaders struggle to find victory. Ashamed and afraid, they remained hidden in the trees, despite the compelling strength in which he fought.
He danced. It was a dance with death that he had perfected over time. This was his calling, this was his duty. Defend the king at all costs, and if you give your life for his sake, then so be it. Whether in a bean field or on the battlements of the king's fortress, his job was the same: defend.
He was getting winded, but continued on. Thirty slain. Thirty-five slain. Why aren't they coming to my rescue? Isn't it obvious that we're going to defend this field. With a resurgence of effort, he pushed on, knowing that the end was near. Forty slain. For the king!
Although he would never tout his own might and glory, the nearby Israelites began to whisper their amazement. Before long, word had gotten back to the king's elite forces, his mighty warriors. They quickly regrouped and sent a force out to aid Shammah. With speed that no regular warrior in Israel could muster, they ran on to find their brother in arms.
They reached the edge of the bean field and almost collided, because they stopped so suddenly. The field was silent and there was no movement whatsoever. Josheb-Basshebeth quickly asked, "Have we come to the wrong field?" As the leader of the mighty men, he was afraid that he had led them in the wrong direction.
"No!" another exclaimed. "There is movement in the middle of the field."
The men ran to the middle, jumping over the bodies of the fallen Philistines. There, in the center of the field, was Shammah. He was struggling to stand, now using his bloody sword as a crutch to assist his legs.
"Help him," Josheb cried, and quickly two men ran to Shammah and put his arms around their shoulders for support. "Shammah, what were you thinking? This field is useless and you shouldn't have stood alone!"
"This field is on the way to the king's fortress," he replied. "If I didn't stand to defend it, you would have been surrounded."
With relief Josheb said, "Thank you, brother. I guess that even the bean field has its place in the kingdom." And with that, the men carried Shammah back to the king to share his story and honor his bravery.
[This story can be found in 2 Samuel 23:11-12.]
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