6-4-2019

Good Morning All,

            1 Chronicles 20:5; “When more fighting broke out with the Philistines, Elhanan, son of Jair, killed Lahmi, the brother of Goliath from Gath.  (The shaft of Lahmi's spear was like a beam used by weavers)"

    Several years ago, when my sons were still in high school, we went to a game against a sometimes opponent.  This team, though from a small school, had one really big, good player.  He could really dominate the game.  He was finally a senior and everyone thought that, after this year, we would finally be rid of him.  Yet, as we took the program for the game and all sat down; we noticed that now this team had an 8^th grader, same last name and very, very big.  One of the fathers sitting behind me exclaimed, “Son of a biscuit, he’s gotta brother!”

    I wonder if this was the Israelites reaction to Lahmi, the brother of Goliath.  Just when you thought it was safe to go back to war with the Philistines another giant brother shows up.  There was another one to fight, another one to defeat and they did defeat him.  We are not told much beyond this verse but Goliath had a brother and, just as Goliath was a troublesome foe, so too was Lahmi.  Yet both were defeated by men faithful to God and His covenant.

    As I read this part of Scriptures, I am reminded of people who think God does not love them.  They claim to pray that God will remove a specific temptation form their life and then turn around to find something else to take the place of the first temptation or struggle.  Temptation has many brothers.  It comes to us in obvious ways; it comes in subtle ways.  It comes through hidden ways; it uses backdoor ways to enter our life and our struggle.  Temptation will always be there.  At every turn, the devil, the world and our sinful nature will tempt us to sin.  It is a battle that, if we fight it alone, we lose.  Yet, fortunately for us, we have a Brother too.

    Our brother is Jesus.  He came into this world to fight our fights.  He came to win the battles that we cannot.  He conquered the devil, sin and the world for us.  He conquered them so that we might have hope.  He conquered them to give us the victory over them.  They hang around and sometimes a new one shows up but Jesus has given us the power to defeat them.  He gives us his Spirit to stand firm and even if we fall, his love and grace picks us up and gives us courage to try again.

   Just like any schoolyard scrap, it is best to have the strongest brother on your side.  Jesus is stronger than any temptation the world can throw at us.  He gives us courage and strength to stand and forgiveness when we fall.  He has redeemed us and never will abandon us.  He holds us close so that nothing can ever overtake us.  We are his and no temptation, or its brother, will ever change that.

Father, you sent Jesus to be our brother.  He carried our burden of sin and redeemed us on the cross.  Guide us to be strong and to stand against temptation.  Strengthen us by your Spirit.  Defend us as we go.  In the precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret