Opus 2025-163: Fantasy Traditions

I think we are always open to being made aware of the fantasies that we have in our theological framework.  We all have Bible stories that we have heard told or which we picture in our mind, which have nothing to do with what the Bible really says.  Simple examples are such things as Mary riding a donkey to Bethlehem, three wise men or Paul falling off a horse. Another one that struck me as I was reading and from a recent conversation was a picture in my mind of David, as he was called in to serve Saul with his harp and music.

I assume you are aware of the story.  Samuel had gone out to anoint the new king.  He rejected all of the older brothers, and finally settled on the baby of the family, David.  Most of us go from there to the story of David and Goliath and think of David as being this adolescent teenager who happens to be good with a sling.  That doesn’t quite work if you read the context.  Look at this description of David as he is called in to serve Saul with his harp,

1 Samuel 16:18 (KJV) Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, [that is] cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD [is] with him.

Notice this is not the picture of a teenage boy who is still wet behind the ears and goes out to foolishly challenge a giant.  Notice that he is considered a mighty valiant man, a man of war.  You need to readjust your thinking if you still think of him as a little boy.

When David went out to face Goliath, he had his own armor and his own weapons but instead he chose the five smooth stones to take on the giant.  His preparation reflected his statement about the living God.

1 Samuel 17:45 (KJV) Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.

It probably doesn’t make any difference in your life to see David as a full grown warrior but doesn’t it feel good to have a little tidbit to share with the uninformed.

homo unius libri

Opus 2014-232: Discernment Watch: Elements of the Good Life, part 1 of 2

Are you tired of hearing about how the Chinese invented everything?

I have also heard that the Russians claim that they invented everything and the greedy capitalists stole all their ideas.

It doesn’t really matter.  It is not the insight into the invention that matters but the creativity of application and the economic system that allows production, distribution and profit.  Powerful cultures are not necessarily powerful because they come up with new ideas.  They dominate because they find ways to develop the ideas of others.  They decline because they don’t see the potential in what they have.

This developed in my mind when I was writing a post on my devotional blog and referred to a verse in the Old Testament.

(1 Samuel 17:20 KJV)  And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle.

This verse refers to the army of Israel fortifying their campground.  It specifically mentions trenches.  The culture that is famous for this is the Romans.  Every night a Roman legion on the move would build a strong fortress to defend them from attack.  Part of each soldiers load was a stake that would go into the wall.  Obviously this idea was not original with them, they just developed it to the point of conquering the known world.

The Romans are also known for their use of the arch and concrete.  Neither one of these was original to the Romans.  They just took an idea, developed it and made application.

To be continued...

homo unius libri