The Man In Between
We are studying 1 Samuel at church. The current series is Good King/Bad King and chronicles the rule of both King Saul and King David, while comparing their hearts and character. Yesterday we covered inarguably the most famous account of David - David & Goliath.
We all know the story. The Israelites and Philistines had been in conflict for years and were facing off on opposing sides of a valley. To spare the lives of many, each side would choose a champion to represent them in a one-to-one combat. The Philistines sent out their champion to meet the champion of the Israelites, but none could be found to accept the challenge because of how big and scary Goliath - the Philistine Champion - was. Until David entered the scene…youngest son, shepherd boy, to small for even the king’s armor.
Our pastor explained that champion literally means, the man in between. Goliath was the man in between the Philistines and the Israelites and David was the man sent to stand in between the Israelites and the Philistines. As is the case with every Biblical account, the story itself is a representation of Jesus and what He comes to do for us. He is our Champion. We face Goliaths’s everyday…the death of a loved one, a difficult diagnosis, the end of a relationship, the spiritual death of someone we love that chooses to walk away from God and the truth. Jesus is the Man in between us and our Goliaths, our Champion. He stands in between us and our Goliaths and fights FOR us. David did not kill Goliath with a sling and a stone. His faith is what slew the giant. God is the one that directed where the stone landed, not David’s amazing skill with the weapon.
We just got back from a vacation to NYC with our two boys. Anyone who knows our family and has for a long time knows how huge it was for us to be able to go on this vacation with Jeremiah. As little as 4-5 years ago, taking Jerry to NY would be as catastrophic as transporting a giant gorilla from a remote island in the middle of the sea to the Big Apple for profit. And we all know how that story ended!
Autism, schizophrenia, dyspraxia…oh my! Our Goliaths have been many through the years - from behavior challenges to medical and mental diagnoses to learning disabilities. And let’s not forget puberty. How could we ever forget? But as I look at these two pictures…one from our trip to Stone Mountain, GA when Jerry was probably 7 (pre-schizophrenia and puberty) to this one in the middle of Central Park in NY at almost 22…it’s hard to miss the Champion in between.
There were so many times fear immobilized us and erased our memories of God’s prior faithfulness to us. In the end, our faith in the Champion who stood in between us and those Goliaths is what got us through. And He is not just standing in between us. He is surrounding us on all sides. His goodness and mercy follow us everywhere. I am so thankful for the perspective on the other side of our valley. I know there will be more Goliaths and more valleys to come, but I also know that we have evidence of battles won and giants slain littering previous valleys all around us.
Look at this boy. The first picture is a little boy just enjoying the fresh air on top of Stone Mountain, letting the cool breeze whip through his hair and fingers as he takes in the view around him. Look at his face in the second picture. That’s a young man standing victorious…and joyful..and in the presence of his Champion.
My cup overflows.