“Let no one’s heart fail”

David meets Goliath.jpg1 Samuel 17:1a, 4-11, 19-23, 32-49 (June 30, 2024)

This morning we return to our series of readings from the books of Samuel. Today’s story is a great one! It holds our attention, even if we know in advance what the outcome will be.

Little David and giant Goliath. Do you remember this story from your childhood? It does appeal to children who, in a world of adults, can often feel small and powerless.

Children and youth can be heroes, the story proclaims. Little people can accomplish great things. Underdogs can emerge victorious. We can win the day. We can beat the odds!

It’s a message of hope in the face of intimidation. Justice will be done. God will give the victory!

But now we’re getting ahead of ourselves. So let’s just settle in and listen.

The story is set in the border lands, disputed territory, where the hills of Judea slope down toward the coastal plain of the Mediterranean – an area occupied by a sea-faring people known as the Philistines. They formed an alliance of city-states. And they were bitter enemies of Israel.

These two nations face off against each other: “The Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with a valley between them.” (v.3) Two flanks of armed soldiers.

And one soldier in particular: Goliath of Gath.

Goliath.jpgHe was a giant! A towering monster of a man, 10 feet tall. He wore a helmet of bronze, and a coat of armour weighing 150 pounds. He was armed to the hilt with javelin, spear and sword – the latest iron-tipped technology.

Goliath represents pure brute force. And he stands before the Israelites with one primary purpose: To instill fear in his opponents.

Every day Goliath would come forward and taunt them. “Today I defy the ranks of Israel,” he would bellow. “Give me a man that we may fight together.”

For days on end Goliath did this. And for days on end, there was no one in the Israelite army that was man enough to fight. Not even the commander in chief, king Saul. Who, remember, was chosen for this very purpose: to defend the nation from external threats.

Goliath was a scary guy. And I want to pause right here to inquire about the giants who inhabit your world. Who are they? Can you name them?

Who or what stands before you today? It’s probably not a soldier. Though I guess if you’re on the front line in Ukraine, facing a barrage of fire from well equipped hostile forces, you may beg to differ.

For us, however, giants may be dressed in a different sort of armour. And by giant, I’m referring to any force or power that towers above us, diminishing our humanity, making us feel vulnerable.

It may be the giant of cancer that strikes fear in of our hearts. The way we experience this disease, and even the treatment prescribed for its defeat, can be daunting and demoralizing.

Maybe our giant is something different. Maybe it’s a rift in our family that has us standing on two opposite hills with a great separation between us. And all we can do is yell back and forth. How will peace be restored?

There are giants that threaten our society: Like the giant of addiction that is marching through our cities, fueled by opiates and organized crime. It’s a giant that inflicts an enormous cost, making neighbourhoods unsafe, and causing harm to families and loved ones.

We have giant anxieties about our future: The future of our kids, the future of our church, the future of our world. Death looms large over all of us. And the older we get, the closer it comes. How do we slay this looming fear? How can we live more care-free, courageous, confident lives?

Well, enough of these things. There’s good news in our passage for today: Giants are not invincible! Goliath will meet his match. Just wait till you see his challenger!

David.jpgAt the very moment, when Goliath is delivering his speech, David arrives with a lunchbox full of bread and cheese – a little something for his older brothers.

When he hears the giant, David is outraged: “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

Then he turns to Saul, “Let no one’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”

It’s laughable, really. Little David, fresh from the pastureland, all full of bravado.

“You’re just a boy,” says Saul. “You have no experience in battle. And this giant has been a warrior from his youth.” The king dismisses him out of hand. Just a boy. But David has enough cheek to argue.

“I used to keep sheep for my father,” he begins. And then spins a tale of rescuing little lambs from the jaws of bears and lions. David may be young, but already he claims an impressive resume.

“This uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them. … The LORD will save me.”

“OK then,” says Saul. I mean, if the kid really wants to … He proceeds to outfit him with his very own coat of armour. Puts a helmet on his head, straps a sword to his waist.

Beach rocks.jpgNow David can hardly walk! David throws it all off. And this is significant, I think. When David goes to battle the giant, Goliath, he will not do so on Goliath’s terms. He puts the armour aside. And takes instead, things that are familiar.

He takes his staff in hand. Goes to the river, picks out five smooth stones. Puts them in his shepherd’s bag. And grabs his sling.

What do you have, I wonder? What do you already know? What familiar gifts might you use for the purpose of slaying your giants?

As a child, I used to think that a sling-shot was the neatest thing. I would try and make one using a wooden branch and some elastic bands, or a piece of old inner tube from my bicycle. And I would set up some tin cans and try to shoot them. I seem to remember aiming at squirrels too. Thank goodness I never hit one!

David marches out toward Goliath who, scripture says, “disdained him, for he was only a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance.”

“Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” Are you here to play games, little one?

The giant borrows a page from Mohammed Ali and begins to trash talk this pretend young warrior who’s entered the ring. “I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the air …”

Intimidation, you see, is how giants work. Puffing themselves up. Making you feel small and helpless and completely inadequate. And if they succeed in that, they’ve pretty much won already.

But David is not intimidated. And he has some trash talk of his own.

“You come to me with sword and spear and javelin; but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This very day the LORD will deliver you into my hand …”

Then David, who’s nimble on his feet, runs toward him, swings that sling, and …

One well-placed rock is all it takes to fell a monster! They are not as powerful as we think.

Yes, little people can slay dangerous ogres. Given courage, and keeping our wits about us, we can emerge victorious on the other side.

Before I say more, I want to share something I’ve been pondering these last few weeks, since I knew this would be our passage for today. And that is … how we, as a community of Mennonites, a peace church, understand a story like this and begin to apply it to our lives.

David and Goliath - Michaelangelo.jpgGod knows the world is full of violence, threats, weapons of war, brutal loss of life.

Do you know what David did next? He grabbed Goliath’s sword and cut off his head. Then carried it about, showing it off as a sort of trophy. Meanwhile, the Israelite army massacred the Philistines and pillaged their camp.

You can say “It was a different time back then,” but it doesn’t look all that different to me.

The thing is, that’s not the kind of world I want to live in! And those early Anabaptists, I believe, were right when they said it is not the way of Jesus.

Put the sword away! “Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matt. 5:44)

If you’re going to put on armour, let it be “the breastplate of righteousness … take the shield of faith … the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:14-17)

As Christians, we often find ourselves caught in a tough moral dilemma. How do we maintain a peace witness? It’s a question of conscience that many have had to wrestle with at a very personal level.

Here’s what I think we can say. The battles we face are not just military ones. In fact, the biggest giants in the world may not live “out there” at all. Instead, they may reside within! And it’s not by our own strength that we will succeed.

David tells Goliath, “The LORD does not save by sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s …” It’s not ours to win.

Sometimes, humanly speaking, we don’t win. The giant seems to prevail. At least in the short term. Disease, addictions, divisions in our families, anxieties and worries. Injustices in the world. Too often these appear to carry the day. Even though we have wielded our prayers and done what we could.

Death is the greatest giant of all. Yet that battle is not ours to win.

Like David, we are called to be faithful and courageous in life-long service. And, ultimately, in the end, simply to put our trust in God. Surely, we believe, God’s purpose will prevail.

A few weeks ago I mentioned that these biblical stories in the books of Samuel were stitched together centuries later, in another time of national crisis. Living as exiles and captives under Babylonian rule, the people of God remembered these stories and the words of their beloved king: “Let no one’s heart fail!”

In all the ups and downs of life, we are never alone. God is with us!

And sometimes we are called to be a David. In a world of giants, we may be the one anointed by God. That little person called to speak a word, or bear witness to a presence beyond ourselves. To stand fast in the face of insurmountable odds. To speak what we know. To use whatever we’ve been given. To share courage and hope with others whom we love.

Think of the giants in your life. Things that intimidate and make you anxious. Could you be a David? The victory will be the LORD’s. Let no one’s heart fail! May we be God’s faithful servants. Amen.

“Covenant love”

Ruth 1:12-17 (June 23, 2024)

I want to begin by saying “thanks” for the invitation to share this service with you today. A number of our First Mennonite folk live here at Bethany Manor, and our congregation has a long-standing relationship with this place.

It’s good to be together, in the presence of God. And good to hear the stories of our faith. Including the one for today, which centres on three main characters: Naomi, Ruth and Boaz.

I’m told the theme for this month is “Weddings, couples and marriages in the Bible.” It’s true that many people get married in the month of June. Maybe some of you will be celebrating an anniversary.

But we also need to say that marriage is not for all people. Some of us have never been married. Others were married, but may not be now. Sadly, spouses die. Or relationships come apart. Life can be difficult.

There is a marriage in our story for this morning. But the message of the book of Ruth is much bigger than that. It speaks to a universal human need for companionship, love and caring – which can appear in many forms, as we shall see.

This story begins by showing us people who look after each other through a dark and difficult time in their lives. Naomi’s husband died. Then, tragically, her two sons die as well! That leaves her, and two daughters-in-law, grief-stricken and vulnerable.

“You girls should go back to your own families,” Naomi suggests. “Don’t worry about me.” She wants the very best for them. But they resist. “We’d rather stay with you!” they say. We can see there’s a warm and loving bond between them.

One of those daughters-in-law, Ruth, refuses to turn back. Scripture says she “clung” to Naomi. She clung to her.

Did I mention that love takes many forms? Ruth clings to Naomi and will not let her go!

Is there someone in your life who clings to you? A friend or companion, another person by your side? Someone who will never leave you? And always wants the best for you?

We are made to live in loving relationship with each other. The stronger these relationships are, the healthier we will be.

Who clings to you – even with your faults and foibles? Is it a spouse? A member of your family? A friend or neighbour? Who can you depend on?

Listen to these beautiful words Ruth gives to her mother-in-law, Naomi:

“Do not press me to leave you, or to turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God.” (Ruth 1:16)

Our story highlights the love these two women have for one another! This love that transcends generations: It brings together an older person – Naomi; and a younger one – Ruth. It brings together people of different nationalities: Naomi was an Israelite. Ruth was from the land of Moab. Which, by the way, was enemy territory.

But love – the kind of love that God gives – crosses boundaries, turning enemies into friends.

This relationship speaks volumes about the character of these two women – who managed to put aside whatever differences they may have had, to care genuinely for each other.

Challenges in life can test a person’s character. When we find ourselves in a difficult place, we discover what’s valuable in our relationship.

Someone once said, “After all, a crisis doesn’t make a person, it reveals what a person is made of.”[1] Do you think that could be true?

When things get hard – love, friendship and beauty can still flourish! We don’t want bad things to happen. But when they do, it can bring out the very best – in us and others: generosity, patience, commitment, endurance.

God’s love enables us to be more forgiving, more caring. It inspires us to always want the best for another, no matter what.

We’ve been talking about these two women. But now it’s time for us to meet the man in the story.

Boaz was a relative of Naomi’s husband. When she returns to Israel with Ruth, Boaz sits up and takes notice. He sees the kindness and loyalty Ruth has shown toward Naomi. Who would expect that from a Moabite? But there it was, and it was beautiful! Loving and caring for others always makes us more beautiful!

Boaz himself is a pretty decent man. There’s a joke someone shared with me a few days ago. Perhaps you’ve heard it. But before I tell it again, I need to break the suspense of this story and let you know that Ruth and Boaz will eventually get married. We’re finally going to have a wedding!

Do you know who Boaz was before that happens? Get ready for this. Here it comes! The answer is, Boaz was “ruthless.” (Ruth-less!)

In actual fact, nothing could be further from the truth! Boaz was a lovely man. When he sees Ruth gleaning in the fields, following the harvesters, gathering up whatever remains, he tells his workers to be generous toward her. “Leave her some extra!”

He watches out for Ruth and protects her. He even sits down and shares his lunch with her.

And that’s where, I think, romance begins. Boaz is a perfect gentleman. He makes Ruth feel cared for and safe. Boaz sees something in Ruth. And she sees something in him.

The beauty of these characters is more than skin deep. And therefore more attractive for that very reason. These are not self-centred people. Their lives bear what we would call the “fruit of the Spirit” – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, self-control.

From our standpoint, 3,000 years later, we would say they are Christ-like. And that makes their humanity shine! Here are two people living the way God made us to be.

Here is human flourishing. Even when life is hard and lonely and insecure. Love draws them all together, and helps them find a way through.

Are you going through a difficult time? Do not hesitate to draw strength from your companions. Accept their generosity. Let others support you. Let love embrace you.

I told you this love comes to us as a gift from God. As we think about “Weddings, couples and marriage in the Bible,” we can say that romance is a lovely thing. But the romance between Ruth and Boaz is rooted in something deeper.

Scripture uses the Hebrew word “hesed,” which can be translated as steadfast love. Or covenant love. It describes the love God has for God’s people.

Hesed means loyalty. God sticks with us even when we try to go our own separate way. Just like Ruth clung to Naomi. When difficulties arise, God does not turn away. Just like Ruth did not turn away.

God’s love is steadfast and sure. We can depend on it. God’s love will never let us go! God’s love is beautiful and life giving and good.

And it can be part of our lives too! When we open ourselves more fully to our loving Creator, and allow God’s Spirit to shape us in the way of Jesus – then we are participating in God’s covenant love.

Naomi, Ruth and Boaz found great blessing as they shared each other’s lives, allowing God’s love to guide them. And, whether we are married or not, we can too!

Ruth and Boaz did get married. And together they had a son. As our story draws to a close, we’re told their son became the grandparent of great King David. A Moabite woman is the ancestor of an Israelite king! Who’d have thought?

You know what else? The Gospel of Matthew names Ruth as an ancestor of Jesus. God’s love at work in our lives bears good fruit that blesses for generations!

This morning I pray that God’s love would be at work in you, forming who you are, building character, and enabling you to live in loving relationship with others.

God’s love grows in many different ways. May it be so for all of us! Amen.

 

[1] Warren Wiersbe, https://quotefancy.com/warren-w-wiersbe-quotes, Accessed June 21, 2024.

“God’s choosing”

1 Samuel 15:34 - 16:13 (June 16, 2024)

Old Baseball.jpgI have strong memories of being chosen – or not chosen. Have you experienced this? A group of friends gets together to play ball. And the question is, who’s going to be on which team. You don’t want one side stacked with all the best players and the other side to have none.

So you start by naming captains. They’re typically players with the most ability. Then those captains take turns picking others for their team. You know how this goes. The good ones are chosen first. And with each subsequent choice the talent pool gets thinner. So by the time you reach the last couple of players … Well, it’s important to include everyone, isn’t it?

Were you the first to be chosen, or the last? Were you the one with chest puffed out, proud to be recognized by your peers? Or were you the one with a deflated ego, praying that someone would have compassion and pick you before they get to the end of the line?

What we have in our scripture reading today is one of these moments of choice. And this choice comes as a surprize!

bowing.jpgThese last few weeks we’ve been following a series of readings from the books of Samuel. First, we listened as God called Samuel in the night. Then, we heard how Samuel received the people’s request for a king.

In today’s reading, Samuel will anoint another king. That’s because things have not been going well. Didn’t God predict as much? “You can have your king,” said God, “but there will be trouble ahead.” Israel’s first king, Saul, had a serious shortcoming – namely, disobedience.

Our passage today tells us that “Samuel grieved over Saul. And the LORD was sorry that he had made Saul king over Israel.” Oh dear!

So now it was time to move on.

We don’t find change easy, do we? But God says, It’s time to move forward, Samuel. “Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.”

We grieve. We hesitate. We get stuck. We don’t want to leave what has gone before. And we can’t imagine what the future will be. We’re so caught up with what we’ve lost that we become trapped there.

But listen to this! God has already devised another future. If one path has come to an end, God will provide another way. The future is always open, never closed.

nature walk.jpgGod’s purpose for the people of God will not be thwarted!

Now the plan for all this is tricky. Samuel is meant to anoint a new king while the present one, Saul, is still living. This is dangerous business. If Saul catches wind of it, Samuel’s life will be forfeit.

So the LORD instructs Samuel to take with him an animal for ritual sacrifice. That way, if anyone asks, he has a valid reason for being there. “Just going to church!” he can say.

We all know there’s more to it than that. Samuel is actually engaged in high treason. His mission is to secretly anoint a ruler of God’s choosing. Just don’t get caught!

When the elders of Bethlehem come out to meet him, you can tell they are nervous. They’ve heard that Saul and Samuel have had a falling out. “Do you come peaceably?” they ask.

“Oh yes,” says Samuel, keeping his cards close to the chest. Then he invites them to the sacrifice, along with Jesse and his sons.

Eliab.jpgAnd this is where things get interesting. Remember I told you that God’s choice will be a surprize? This is the centre of our story, so listen to how it unfolds. It’s a story of high drama and suspense!

The first son of Jesse that Samuel meets is Eliab. And he’s a fine-looking candidate for king. Samuel goes through his check-list and Eliab ticks all the boxes. He is the eldest son, the favoured one, the first in line. It looks like Samuel has his man.

But not so fast, says God. “Do not look on his appearance,” which must have been striking. And “do not look on the height of his stature,” which also must have been impressive. “Because I have rejected him,” says the LORD.

What! Samuel must have wondered what the LORD was playing at. Samuel was sure this would be God’s pick.

But “the LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”God is not impressed by superficial things. God sees deeper, often hidden, more important things.

heart in glass.jpgSpecifically, it says that God can see the heart. When we hear that word we think of emotions, like love. And certainly a heart that loves the Lord is an important starting place. But there is more to it.

For the Hebrew people, the heart was the centre of our human lives. More than emotion, the heart signifies will and purpose. The heart directs our actions. The heart is the home of obedience. Which is the very thing Saul was lacking.

So then, candidate #1 – no.

Candidate #2, Abinadab. Jesse made him pass before Samuel. And, once again, the LORD turned him down.

On to candidate #3. What do you think? Will Shammah pass muster? No, he will not!

Are you detecting a pattern here? It’s all rather puzzling, since God had told Samuel that one of Jesse’s sons will be chosen.

And it must have tested Samuel’s faith. Really Lord? I was sure you said I’d find a king here today. I don’t understand what is happening.

Sometimes, we just don’t know. We believe we’re being faithful. We do the best we can. But God’s answers don’t always come quickly.

Samuel could have packed it in. But he persevered, through all seven of Jesse’s sons. And seven is a significant number. Because in the ancient world seven signified perfection or completeness. The seventh son meant that Samuel had seen them all. He was at the end of the line.

“What now?” he wondered. “Are all your sons here?”

flock of sheep.jpgThere is one more – the youngest, the smallest, the last, the least. The one that Father Jesse never thought to bring. Because … “someone’s got to mind the flock, you know.”

So Samuel gives instructions for him to come. As soon as he arrives, Samuel takes one look at him and gasps. “Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome.”

Hold on! I thought we weren’t supposed to pay attention to these things.

Samuel cannot help but notice. This last fellow – whose name, by the way, is David – captures the attention of the entire room.

Still, we must wait. What will the LORD say?

Finally, the LORD gives the stamp of approval! David, the last and least expected, will be the one of God’s choosing, Israel’s brand new king. And, as it turns out, he will be the best-loved king that Israel ever had.

I want to make sure we see the stunning significance of it. Because this is what I understand to be the point of the whole story.

“The LORD does not see as mortals see.”

Eldest, first-born, tallest, privileged, first in line. These are not the criteria that God employs. All through scripture we find God going against the grain of our very human, very earthly, way of choosing.

God’s prophets demand attention to the least privileged and least likely to be chosen. We’re told, throughout the Old Testament, to care for widows and orphans and strangers in the land. People with no family connections, no means of support. Migrants who come seeking shelter.

So also, Jesus cared for outcasts and lepers, the ethnically and religiously impure, people who were sinners, pushed aside and forgotten. Excluded even.

In God’s kingdom, the first shall be last, said Jesus. He promised a divine reversal in our status. So all of you multi-talented people who get picked first – be careful. And those of you who hang your heads in shame and embarrassment – rejoice!

Like Samuel, we still get caught up in these cultural norms that are deeply ingrained in our society. How do we judge? Who do we choose?

I told you this passage has surprizes to offer. God’s choosing and our choosing are not the same! How do we look upon others? And how do we look upon ourselves.

Sometimes I think we sell ourselves short. We don’t recognize the gifts that we’ve been given. We don’t imagine that God could be calling us, inviting us to give ourselves to something greater.

David anointed.jpgImagine David at the end of our story, standing in front of his family– his seven older brothers, his father, the elders from his village – while Samuel poured anointing oil on his head.

Looking after sheep had uniquely equipped young David, in the eyes of God, to be a shepherd-king, the leader of God’s people – protecting them from danger, tending them with care. Even as God cares for us.

Where would Israel have been without David as their king? Where would we be without this writer of Psalms? This forebear of Jesus the Christ – God’s anointed.

God does not see as mortals see. Could you see yourself – even your lowly, humble, last-to-be-chosen self, as a person of God’s own choosing? The right person for what is needed by God and others?

This morning we’re invited to look at others, and even ourselves, with different eyes. With God’s eyes. And let me say – you may be surprized at what you see!