Killing Goliath was fast. David took a smooth pebble stone and slung. God guided the stone to sink into the forehead of Goliath. Poor Goliath fell on his face to the ground (1 Samuel 17:49). Probably, Goliath was mortally wounded. David came up to him, drew Goliath's sword out from the sheath to finish off his life. David cut off Goliath's head to warn off the Philistines (1 Samuel 17:51). Therefore, killing Goliath took less than one minute.
Tonight, I need to finish off another Goliath, the examination scripts. But I can only "kill" them slowly. How I wish they were Goliath so that I could finish them off within one minute!
I'm back. Previously, I was naively optimistic, writing that God intended to save all mankind, including the villains such as Cain. If so, how am I going to understand the killing of Goliath?
First of all, it is not convincing simply to say that all men are mortal. Therefore, sooner or later, Goliath would die. Remember, Goliath was decapitated (1 Samuel 17:51). He died not a natural death, but a violent one.
Secondly, martyrs also died violent deaths. They earn our admiration. But I don't think people in general admire Goliath, perhaps with the exception of the Philistines.
Of course, God's way is not our ways; God's thought not our thoughts. We may not respect Goliath, just like the treatment lowly people received from the others. However, God may still love him!
First of all, it is not convincing simply to say that all men are mortal. Therefore, sooner or later, Goliath would die. Remember, Goliath was decapitated (1 Samuel 17:51). He died not a natural death, but a violent one.
Secondly, martyrs also died violent deaths. They earn our admiration. But I don't think people in general admire Goliath, perhaps with the exception of the Philistines.
Of course, God's way is not our ways; God's thought not our thoughts. We may not respect Goliath, just like the treatment lowly people received from the others. However, God may still love him!
Confucius did not touch upon the problem of death because death is unknowable. Rather, he preferred knowing more about life.
「未能事人，焉能事鬼？未知生，焉知死？」【論語‧先進】
Confucius represents the pragmatic worldview of Chinese. However, the problem of death continues to fascinate all cultures. For the Hebrews, God made man from dust. To dust man returned in death, just like any other beasts.
Man cannot abide in his pomp, he is like the beasts that perish (Psalm 49:12).
Thou turnest man back to the dust, and sayest, "Turn back, O children of men!" (Psalm 90:3)
The Hebrews went one step further. Death is the greatest equalizer. Be you wise or foolish, rich or poor, prince or pauper, you end up equalized in dust.
For of the wise man as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise man dies just like the fool! (Ecclesiastes 2:16)
With these meditations on death, man learns to be humble before God. Today, Goliath died in the hands of David. Somewhere in the future, Saul and David, both of you would end up in death as well. This was an inevitable and pessimistic conclusion. But when Jesus came, he turned the table around to bring us hope. Truly, death is a certainty. But God is not the God of the dead. He would not abandon us in Sheol to see corruption.
He is not God of the dead, but of the living; (Mark 12:27a)
Jesus' resurrection burst forth a ray of hope in humanity. In God's hand, the life of Goliath and all others changed into another state. At the end of time, Goliath will rise again together with Saul, David, Confucius and us all. Death is a necessity. Without death, the world would be overcrowded beyond sustainability.
「未能事人，焉能事鬼？未知生，焉知死？」【論語‧先進】
Confucius represents the pragmatic worldview of Chinese. However, the problem of death continues to fascinate all cultures. For the Hebrews, God made man from dust. To dust man returned in death, just like any other beasts.
Man cannot abide in his pomp, he is like the beasts that perish (Psalm 49:12).
Thou turnest man back to the dust, and sayest, "Turn back, O children of men!" (Psalm 90:3)
The Hebrews went one step further. Death is the greatest equalizer. Be you wise or foolish, rich or poor, prince or pauper, you end up equalized in dust.
For of the wise man as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise man dies just like the fool! (Ecclesiastes 2:16)
With these meditations on death, man learns to be humble before God. Today, Goliath died in the hands of David. Somewhere in the future, Saul and David, both of you would end up in death as well. This was an inevitable and pessimistic conclusion. But when Jesus came, he turned the table around to bring us hope. Truly, death is a certainty. But God is not the God of the dead. He would not abandon us in Sheol to see corruption.
He is not God of the dead, but of the living; (Mark 12:27a)
Jesus' resurrection burst forth a ray of hope in humanity. In God's hand, the life of Goliath and all others changed into another state. At the end of time, Goliath will rise again together with Saul, David, Confucius and us all. Death is a necessity. Without death, the world would be overcrowded beyond sustainability.
Dear Lord, allow us to lead a fulfilled life. When You call us to turn back, may we leave this world in satisfaction. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment