Today’s Scripture Reading (September
20, 2013): 1 Chronicles 19
It is the
high point of the movie. The Empire is
coming and the Rebellion is in trouble. Luke Skywalker, who a short time ago
was simply the son of a farmer on a peaceful planet far away from the conflict,
has thrown himself into the cause of the Rebellion. But the cause would seem to
be a lost one. Hans Solo, the major male character in the story, is preparing
to make an exit – after all, he recognizes that the future is uncertain, and
the last thing that he wants to be a part of is a lost cause. The general calls
a meeting of all the pilots and basically agrees that the Rebellion is in
trouble. They have a chance, but it is not much of one. If they can get to the
Death Star, and get through the defenses, and if they can hit a small target –
all before the Death Star is in range to fire on the base of the Rebellion –
then they can win. But at best the plan is a long shot.
Of course,
in the heat of the battle and in that moment when the Rebels begin to realize
that all is lost, Hans Solo returns to help Luke get to that vulnerable part of
the Death Star. There is just something about lost causes that keeps him coming
back – maybe, it is just that he recognizes that lost cause that he carries
deep inside himself on a daily basis. But in the end, all that the Rebels can
do against the might of the Empire is to fight bravely for the people – and
hope that the Lord (or in Star Wars terminology – the Force) is with them.
The armies
of David are preparing for battle. The
task is a simple one, at least from a strategy point of view. David may have
united the people, but as long as enemies bordering the nation have the ability
conduct raids into the territory, the unification will be short lived.
Eventually the people will leave the national interests to pursue their own
peace and security. So the enemies that surrounded the nation needed to be subdued
and defeated; they needed to be brought under the influence and control of
Israel. And for a nation that was relatively young on the international stage
(Saul and David were the first kings of Israel, and really the first people to
try to unify the nation under one political and military system) it was a huge
task. So Joab gives the speech. It is one that is found throughout both our
histories and our fiction. The cause might be lost, but we will fight bravely.
And our only hope is that God is with us.
The one
axiom that we sometimes forget is that “God won’t put you to it if he can’t get
you through it.” If the battle is really God’s, then he has the means to pull
us through – even though we might not be able to see it at the time. What is
required from us is to really seek God’s will (not ours, and I admit this takes
a bit of work, because sometimes it is hard to tell the difference), and when
we are sure that it is God’ interest we are following, then we need to trust.
After all,
Israel did win the wars that they were entering –and England survived the
Battle of London – and D-Day was a success - and in the Star Wars Universe the
Death Star was destroyed. They were all longshots – except that the battle
still belongs to the Lord.
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1
Chronicles 20
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