OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

The Old Testament has always been of special interest to me.  The story of God’s dealing with all of people, then a family, and, finally, a nation is just fascinating.  How Jehovah God continually loved His people, regardless of how many times they turned away.  O, yes, He would punish them, and they suffered for their sin; but, if they turned in penitent prayer, He would always rescue them.

The first teacher that I remember that captivated me with the stories of the Old Testament was Dale Brown, at the Midland Boulevard church of Christ in Fort Smith.  He had this booming deep voice (at least, that is the way I remember it 50+ years later), that just made those events come to life.  I don’t know what happened to Dale – I know that he preached in Siloam Springs for a while, and then went back to Fort Smith to work in the family business.  If I remember correctly, this family business involved auction services, and I am sure that voice was of great benefit for that.  I will forever be in his debt, for helping to create that love of the Old Testament (and its’ stories).

I wrote those words during the summer of 2017, but I was reminded of them a couple of weeks ago.  This year, during the early mornings I have centered my readings on a daily devotional from the book of Psalms; and then journaling through the Bible with daily reading.  These two things jumped out from the reading of one day, and I wanted to share these thoughts with you.

 The first was a reading from Psalms:

He established a testimony in Jacob

     and appointed a law in Israel,

which he commanded our fathers

     to teach to their children,

that the next generation might know them,

     the children yet unborn,

and arise and tell them to their children,

     so that they should set their hope in God,

and not forget the works of God,

     but keep his commandments;  (78:5-7)

That same morning, I was journaling through I Samuel 17, when I read a story with which we are all familiar. The main people in this particular story, is a young Jewish shepherd boy and a Philistine giant.  Not only is the story familiar, but we also have the names of David and Goliath, indelibly etched in the recesses of our minds.  That’s a story that most all of us have heard for all of our lives.  BUT, what do we remember?  A young boy, a warrior giant, a slingshot with 5 stones, and the improbable victory?

Remember, the testimony (the stories) and the law (the commandments) were so that we (fathers) could teach our children, and then they could teach their children.  What was the purpose of those stories and commandments — …so that they should set their hope in God AND not forget the works of God, BUT keep his commandments.  As I read that all so familiar story, I started looking for messages that would give me hope.  For me to have hope, I would have to find something in that story about God that I would not forget; and that would motivate to seek after Him by keeping His commandments.  So what did I find?

You remember the story of I Samuel 17?  The Israelites and the Philistines had gathered at Socoh in Judah, on opposite sides of the valley – preparing to fight.  The a Philistine giant, Goliath, walks out and challenges ANY ONE in the Israelite camp to a 1 on 1, winner take all fight.  The Christian Standard Bible says that Goliath was 9’9” tall, and that his bronze helmet and armor weighed 125 pounds.  On top of that, his spear looked like a weaver’s beam, and the iron point weighed 15 pounds.  The men of Israel ran from him, and “were much afraid”.  Saul was afraid also, but he was trying to entice someone to go and fight by promising great rewards if they were victorious.

About that time, Jesse, the father of David, sent him with food for his three oldest brothers, and cheese for the commander of their thousand.  When David got there, of course, he was attracted to the spectacle that Goliath was creating.  His reaction was different than others, he brazenly said “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel?  For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (verse 26).  The young boy (may be young man) had made a direct accusation and challenge to every Israelite; and, in particular, Saul because he was the biggest/tallest of the Israelites, by almost 1’ (I Samuel 9).

I’m sure that we all remember what happened from that point forward.  Saul sent David ought to challenge the giant.  I wonder what his army thought as they watched the young man go out, to do something that they had all been afraid to try?  David endured the vulgar, sarcastic, and hateful remarks of the giant, defeated him, and then took Goliath’s sword and cut off his head!

What I want to call attention to is verses 45-47, where David replied to Goliath, saying:

…You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin,

     but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the

     armies of Israel, whom you have defiled.  This day the Lord will deliver

     you into my hands, and I will strike you down and cut off your head.

     And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines to the

     birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may

     know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know

     that the Lord saves not with sword and spear.  For the battle is the Lord’s,

     and he will give you into our hand.

We may never be in a conflict like this, but we face a battle every day (Ephesians6:10-12).  There are four things that jumped off the page at me from this reading, and they are things that we can gain hope from!

1. Just like David, the fights we engage in, we … come in the name of the Lord of hosts. Whatever the struggle is, if I am seeking the Lord, attempting …to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with God. Then the Lord is on my side!  The victory I achieve, may not be a victory in the eyes of the world, it may not even be what I thought a victory would look like – but I will be victorious.

2. My walk with God in this struggle, will give evidence …that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. People may never read a Bible, but my actions may all the Bible they know. I want to be sure that people can seeing God living through me, and let my life by evidence of God’s existence.

3. We need to know, and the people around us need to know, … that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. The weapons of this world, are not the weapons that we need to win the battles that we need to win. A Glock or an AR-15, will not be efficient in the battles that I need to win against the demons of hell.

4. Everyone needs to know, that in our struggle against evil, that the battle is not ours; For the battle is the Lord’s, … I need the faith to believe that! I don’t know where you are, but I would assume that I am not by myself in that.

We need to teach those stories, and move beyond a giant, a boy with a sling shot and 5 stones.  We need to see those stories as lessons from God, that can and will give us hope.  When we achieve that, let’s be sure to teach our children; so that they can teach their children.  If we do that, people of faith will always continue to exist.  If we don’t ……

Bill