So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their plow points, mattocks, axes and sickles sharpened. – 1 Samuel 13:20

Today's Scripture Reading (April 7, 2022): 1 Samuel 13

In the early days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, one thing became quickly evident; this would not be a replay of the final days of the multi-national forces in Afghanistan. The citizens were not going to lay down and let the invaders take control of the country; they would fight. And so, the West began to invest huge amounts of money in weapons that could be sent to the Ukrainians to allow them to continue the fight. News agencies and government spokespeople alike marveled at the Ukrainians' skill and determination as they fought off the invaders. And ordinary citizens began to find other ways to fight. Clothes makers used old pieces of metal sewn into a piece of fabric so that the resulting garments could be used as body armor. People of all ages searched the internet to figure out how to build Molotov Cocktails to throw at the Russian advance. I loved the eighty-year-old war veteran, someone whose age meant that he didn't have to stay in the country, who told reporters he was staying; this man had been a sniper in his younger days, and he had a hunting rifle that was aching to be used. Nothing was going to prompt him to leave his home. He was ready to fight.

So, Russia began to do what it needed to do. They threatened those who had been giving weapons to the Ukrainians, promising to send their vengeance on those supporting nations. Any weapons shipments they could detect coming into the country would be subject to attack. And since weapons shipments and humanitarian shipments are hard to tell apart, the threat effectively meant that the invaders were willing to target anything coming into the nation.

The Philistines believed that one way to make Israel subservient to their demands was to make an effort to control the weapons that Israel might need to obtain to make war. And so, they threatened the blacksmiths in the area so that Israel would not have any weapons to use in the battle. Israel could not find a blacksmith present in Israel to make the necessary swords and spears a war with the Philistines would require. Because Israel was without weapons, the Philistines believed that they could keep their dominant position in Canaan. Because the Philistines had the edge in military technology, maybe Israel would realize that they had no way to fight.

But the people of Israel decided on a different path. They got their farm implements and sharpened them as best they could. If they didn't have swords and spears, they would make do with axes and plowshares. But what they would not do was to give in to the demands of their more powerful neighbors.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 14