Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 17:20-47; Acts 26:24-27:8

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Wasn’t it enough that David slew the giant Goliath? Did he really have to cut off his head, too? Often, God’s acts of judgment seem extreme to us. It’s enough to turn a lot of people away from the Old Testament and even the Church. Sometimes, the blood and gore do seem extreme, but when it comes down to God’s enemies, He goes all the way to make sure that you are saved and protected from all evil. He leaves no stone unturned. God is almighty and powerful. God saves His people.

So often today, Bible stories like David and Goliath are twisted into turning you and me into the hero. They’ll say if we believe enough or trust God enough, He’ll make us strong to defeat our enemies, whatever “Goliath” in your life stands against you. No! Sure, David was revered after he defeated the giant. He became more and more popular with the people. His success grew. But David didn’t slay the giant Goliath for his own glory. He did it so that “all the earth would know that there is a God in Israel” (1 Samuel 17:46). After a small stone from a sling brought the giant down, David put the fear of God in the Philistines by leaving no doubt that their champion was dead by the hand of God. The Philistines fled.

God acts so that all may know that He is God. It was the same for the Israelites when God acted to bring them out of Egypt. The ten plagues, the drowning of Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea, all of it was so that Egypt and the nations would know that Yahweh was the one true God. Yahweh is mighty in power. Yahweh saves His people.

The blood and gore of the cross are gruesome, but God left no one in doubt that His only Son was dead. He was cut off from the land of the living (Isaiah 53:8). But so that all may know that He is the One True God, He raised His Son to life again, life imperishable. Not even death can stop the Lord from saving His people. Jesus has defeated death. He cut off its head.

Isn’t it enough that Jesus died and rose? Does He have to wipe out all of God’s enemies? Even the New Testament can get pretty gruesome when it comes to the final defeat of God’s enemies. Jesus treads the winepress and is covered in the blood of those who defied the living God. Remember: God acts so that all may know that He is the One True God. In Jesus, He acts for you. At His return, the victorious Christ brings the final defeat of sin, death, and the devil and renders them powerless, all for you so that you can “live under Him in His Kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness” (Small Catechism, Explanation of the Second Article). In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

The Lutheran Confessions play a vital role in the church—both centuries ago, and today. But, do they apply to the daily life of a layperson? Pastor Andy Wright offers a resounding “yes” in his book, Faithfully Formed. He quotes, summarizes, and synthesizes key teachings from the Confessions, revealing their relevance in the daily lives of ordinary people.