The Bigger They Are...

1Samuel 17:1-7 (NRSV)

Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle; they were gathered at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. Saul and the Israelites gathered and encamped in the valley of Elah, and formed ranks against the Philistines. The Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with a valley between them. And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. He had greaves of bronze on his legs and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders. The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron; and his shield-bearer went before him.

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And I keep on fighting for the things I want
Though I know that when you're dead you can't
But I'd rather be a free man in my grave
Than living as a puppet or a slave

So as sure as the sun will shine
I'm gonna get my share now, what's mine
And then the harder they come
The harder they fall, one and all
Ooh, the harder they come
Harder they fall, one and all

"The Harder They Fall" by Jimmy Cliff from the album and movie by the same name.

We're familiar with the story of David and Goliath. Goliath has even come to English as a way to describe someone who is huge and strong. Yet as we think of this giant, we can not think of him without a hint of vulnerability.

Goliath depended upon everything that was his--strength, size, armor, weapons, people, connections, even an intimidating voice. The people knew when to be afraid too, and Goliath scared all of the men of Israel.

David had none of these things. David was the least son of his father. David was the shepherd, in this passage he begins as the errand boy. His brother even accuses David of coming to the battlefield to be a spectator. But when Saul seeks someone to take on Goliath, David replies, “The LORD, who saved me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, will save me from the hand of this Philistine.”

Jimmy Cliff sings about the powerful who will take what does not belong to them. He sings about the Philistines on his doorstep and cries out "But I'd rather be a free man in my grave, Than living as a puppet or a slave." Jimmy Cliff knows the same thing David knew, "the harder they come the harder they fall." The lesson of David continues to teach us "the harder they come the harder they fall."

There is danger and there is fear in our lives, but through the Lord who saves us from the paw of the lion and the bear, the eternal live the Lord promises is safe from all earthly dangers. David and Jimmy don't promise us we will come out of this unscarred, but the Lord promises these scars don't last.

God Remembers

Genesis 9:8-17 (NRSV)

Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, “As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my Bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the Bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the Bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

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I can see clearly now the rain is gone.
I can see all obstacles in my way.
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind.
It's gonna be a bright (bright)
bright (bright) sunshiny day.
It's gonna be a bright (bright)
bright (bright) sunshiny day.

"I Can See Clearly Now" written and recorded by Johnny Nash from the "I Can See Clearly Now" album

What a glorious passage, God has made a covenant with Noah and his descendants after him. God has promised never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth. Never again will the global calamity these people just experienced be known ever again.

To this covenant, this sacred promise of action, God has made a sign, a bow in the skies "and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth." When the bow is visible on earth, it is a reminder to Noah and all that follow him about the vow God has taken on behalf of all creation.

Here's the important part- God tells Noah "When the Bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” When the bow is not visible to Noah, God is still reminded of the covenant God made with Noah and every living creature. God will remember to protect creation.

That's the wonderful thing about the covenant, even when we forget--even if we don't know about the covenant at all--God remembers. God knows the promise made and kept. God keeps us and protects us. God--even as the sign of the promise is in the clouds--God sees the sign and God remembers.

We too received a sign--a good many signs truly. The most important sign is that of Christ on the cross and the cross empty after the resurrection. This is the sign that God has not forgotten and will never forget.

This is difficult for us to remember when we see devastation around us. Hurricanes and earthquakes, tornadoes and tsunamis, addiction and abuse; these horrors still surrounds us. But we still have the two signs from God, the bow and the cross.

God promised Noah that life will never be swept from the face of the earth. We know this from the sign of the Bow. God has also promised that nothing, not even death, can remove us from the love of the Lord. We know this from the sign of the cross, the empty cross.

As God's full glory is revealed, as the rain stops, as we can see clearly, then the rest will be redeemed.