THE SWORD OF GOLIATH
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
This sword, found in ancient Corinth, is on display in the Archaeological Museum of Ancient Corinth in Greece. Here you can see the blade and the guard, which has turned green.
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verse: 1 Samuel 22:2
And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him.
David’s men, a collection of those who had suffered at the hands of Saul and his government, gave their loyalty to David. Each one may have seen the opportunity to improve their conditions by serving David and by helping to make him king. All were fugitives whose lives were in constant danger. The exception was their spiritual leader, Abiathar. He could have remained secure under Saul’s reign, but he chose David. It cost this priest and his family very dearly. The sword of Goliath was the symbol of David’s greatest triumph (21:9). To fight the fight of faith we need an Abiathar to provide the sword of the Spirit, which is, according to Eph 6:17, the Word of God.
We can probably identify with these people. We too are in danger from the “kingdom of darkness” (
Colossians 1:9-14). Colossians 1:13 points out that “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.” We are all needy people. Paul describes all who follow Jesus in
1 Corinthians 1:26-30. There is a humility here born of the recognition of our need. What a great comfort to know that “God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty” (1 Corinthians 1:27b). This is who we are. We rejoice that God has chosen us to be His own.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord Jesus, I choose You as my King. Grant that I may humbly follow You, whatever it takes. I’m Yours! Amen!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
I watch from time to time a very interesting man on the Fox News Channel whose name is Bill O’Reilly. He has written several books, among which are, “Killing Lincoln” and “Killing Kennedy,” detailing the historical events leading up to their assassinations. Recently he announced that he’s writing a new book…”Killing Jesus.” This got my attention. I’m reading the accounts of Jesus’ death from the four Gospels each day this week leading up to Good Friday. I felt compelled to pray for Bill. He’s touching the very heart of God in this new book. He’s also touching God’s ancient people, the Jews. I’m putting a copy of my letter to him below.
Yours for giving allegiance to Jesus,
David
P.S. Here is my letter I just emailed to Bill O’Reilly…
Dear Mr. O’Reilly,
Mel Gibson was made out to be anti-Semitic because of the way he portrayed the events leading up to the death of Jesus. I’ve done national TV across Canada for over 50 years. Before the release of “The Passion of the Christ,” I wrote Mel a letter like this one. After the release of the movie I was on TV with three Rabbis discussing their concerns of anti-Semitism. I pointed out that I believed that Mel was ill-informed in some respects, and that this was the reason for the anti-Jewish charges. I consider this to be an open letter which I’ve placed on my daily blog, 100words.ca, on the day before Good Friday, Thursday, March 28th.
First of all, Pilate’s judgement hall would’ve held a maximum of about 300 people. Jesus was brought before Pilate shortly after the 6.a.m. sacrifices. Almost all those present would have been on the payroll of the High Priest. In no way did they represent the average Jewish person when they cried,”Crucify Him” and when they said, “His blood be upon us and upon our children.” They were under instructions from the High Priest whose office was highly political as well as religious. This has been twisted by anti-Semites in the church and beyond to indict all the Jewish people. What a tragedy!
Secondly, Mel Gibson had only three women weeping when Jesus was carrying His cross to Golgotha. Yes they were weeping, but so was a great multitude. Again this represents the blame some want to put on all the Jews. The facts are found in the Gospel of Luke 23:27 which says, “A great multitude of the people followed Him and women who ALSO mourned and lamented Him.” “Also” shows that thousands of the Jewish people, who were now up and in the city for 9 a.m. from a night in their tents outside the city, were mourning for Jesus.These were the pilgrims there for “Passover.” They had been exposed to the ministry of Jesus in Jerusalem, in Galilee and elsewhere. These people represented the Jewish people, not the paid lackeys of the High Priest. This fact is backed up in Luke 23:48 & 49, “And the whole crowd who came together to that site (Golgotha) seeing what had been done, beat their breasts and returned. But all His acquaintances, and the women who followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.”
Either Mel did not get my message or chose to ignore it in favour of the twisted narrative we have had handed down because of early anti-Semites who rejected the Jewishness of Jesus and ignored the fact that most Christian leaders, and the great majority of Christians, were Jews for at least the first few decades in the history of the Church. It’s obvious, to me at least, that some non-Jewish Christians were either unaware of Luke’s record, or deliberately ignored it in order to curry favour with the Roman authorities.
I pray that you will have this passed on to you by your team members. I can hope for your eyes to see this. As you can tell I think this is very important for you, the “No Spin” man. The Jewish people are suffering because of the “Spin” of the 3rd and 4th centuries.
I watch you often and have read several of your books. I respect highly all you are trying to accomplish.
David Mainse
