The Jebusites who lived there 5 said to David, “You will not get in here.” Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion—which is the City of David. – 1 Chronicles 11:4b-5

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 24, 2013): 1 Chronicles 11

It seems almost absurd to suggest it, but the deteriorating weather in and around Normandy in June 1944 might have been the weapon that the Allied Forces needed for the D-Day invasion to be a success. At the time, the bad June weather was thought to have been a disaster. There were only ten days each month when the invasion could happen. And the bad weather almost cancelled the June invasion Normandy. Evidence obtained after the war indicates that even the German high command considered an invasion of Normandy in the bad weather of June 1944 impossible. As a result, when the invasion started they were not prepared. The bad weather that almost cancelled the mission became one of the reasons why the mission ended up being a success – and what was impossible suddenly became possible.

It seems to work that way more often than we might want to admit. Something that is thought to be impossible, if attempted, suddenly becomes possible. A wall that is thought to be impossible to climb is left undefended, so if someone can find a way to climb it, it becomes a way in. Whatever it is that is thought to be impossible, sometimes becomes the key weakness that the enemy needs to win the battle.

The Jebusites were sure that their city could not be taken. Their walls were high and easily defended. There was even a source of water inside the walls. They had stores of food and so they could withstand a long siege. The Jebusites believed that all of this made their city, Jebus, not worth the trouble of trying to take. David could put the city under siege for a while, but eventually he would get bored and go away and trouble someone else.

Chronicles cleans up the story, but everyone who would have read the history would have remembered what had happened. The wall really could not be scaled, but the sewer lines of the city had been left unprotected. And David and his mighty men would climb into the city that way. What was impossible, suddenly became possible. It was not a pretty fight, but Jebus fell - and became Jerusalem – the City of David.

The importance of the story was a reminder to those who were returning to Jerusalem of the importance and the history of the city. The heroes of the nation had risked their lives to take the city, and now it was their turn to risk their lives so that the City of David could be rebuilt. There were those around them that were sure that the rebuilding of the city was an impossible task, but even the impossible is sometimes possible – we just have to see the situation in way that no one else does.

Tomorrow’s Reading: 1 Chronicles 12