All posts tagged: David

El gran y oscuro secreto del Rey David

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English version: King David’s big, dark secret Había un gran y oscuro secreto en la vida de David que pocas personas son conscientes. No porque David trató de mantenerlo en secreto, sino porque muchos de nosotros simplemente no podemos conectar los puntos. Cuando estudiamos la vida de David, hay una serie de pasajes bíblicos que al principio parecen bastante desconcertantes. Uno de estos pasajes es 1 Samuel 16: 1-13. Dios acababa de rechazar a Saúl como rey de Israel y comisionó al profeta Samuel a ungir a uno de los hijos de Jessee de Belén como el siguiente rey (v 1). Samuel se acercó a los ancianos de Belén y organizó la reunión. Una vez que Jessee y sus hijos se habían reunido, Samuel rápidamente se dio cuenta de que ninguno de los muchachos que estaban delante de él era el que Dios había elegido. Perplejo, Samuel preguntó si había otros hijos y se le dijo que el más joven, David, estaba asistiendo el rebaño. Samuel ordenó que trajeran a David delante de él y …

Painting of David slaying Goliath with the giant's sword by Guillaume Courtois (1628-1679) Wikipedia

Shin or forehead and does it matter?

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First of all let me state categorically it doesn’t matter, but the discussion provides a unique twist on a favorite Bible story. In the English language we have many words that have more than one meaning take “fly” as an example. It can refer to an insect or “flying” through the air. “Bark” can refer to the outer layer of a tree, or the sound of a dog. In these cases, context means everything. In the Hebrew we can have the same thing happening. Take the story of the epic battle between David and Goliath. In the account found in 1 Samuel 17, we read that the Israeli army was faced off against the Philistines. The Philistines had a giant named Goliath. Standing over 9′ tall, each morning he would come out in full armor and parade in front of the Israelis, shouting for one of them to take him on in one-on-one battle. His challenge was all about fear and intimidation and it was working. No one was brave enough to challenge the Philistine …

Forgotten History: Bring Your Game

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March 6, 1955 is a day in Canadian history that most of us never heard of. In the heart of the cold war, the mighty Soviet Union aimed at world domination in all things, including sports. They invented “amateur” status for hockey players who were paid as military personnel, often as senior officers. These players were trained, fed and groomed in every way to own amateur hockey, thus proving that the Communist system was superior in all things. The system was not fair, but it was clear the Russians owned the world championship. Canada had a simple system, whoever won the Allan Cup national championship, got a trip to Europe for the worlds in Krefeld Germany. Penticton beat Sudbury in a seven game series, one of the best ever, and so a bunch of mill hands from nowhere, the Penticton Vs, crossed the ocean in 1955. 

Was Goliath uncovered at Gath?

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When a Philistine army invaded Judah, the Israeli army led by King Saul intercepted the Philistines at Socoh in Judah.  As the two armies faced each other there was the usual chest pounding. The Philistines sent out Goliath to challenge any Israeli soldier to one-on-one combat (1 Samuel 17). Goliath was a “champion” of the Philistines (v 4) and according to the Biblical record stood nearly 9′ 9″ and his body armour weighed 80 kg or about 160 pounds. He was there to intimidate his opponents. It’s what giants do best. Most liberal theologians discount the story of Goliath’s defeat by a young shepherd boy with a sling, as little more than a myth. However, Israeli archaeologist Dr. Aren Maeir — from Tel Aviv Bar-Ilan University — put these notions to rest when he announced finding Goliath in 2005. 

Painting of King David by Gerrit van Honthorst (1590 - 1656)

King David’s big, dark secret

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ESPAÑOL: El gran y oscuro secreto del Rey David There was a big, dark secret in David’s life that few people are aware of. It’s not that David tried to keep it secret, but many of us simply fail to connect the dots. When we study David’s life, there are a number of Biblical passages that at first read seem quite puzzling. One such passage is 1 Samuel 16:1-13. God had just rejected Saul as king of Israel and commissioned the prophet Samuel to anoint one of the sons of Jesse of Bethlehem as the next king (v 1). Samuel approached the elders of Bethlehem and arranged the meeting. Once Jesse and his sons had gathered, Samuel quickly realized none of the boys standing before him was the one God had chosen. Puzzled, Samuel asked if there were any other sons and was told the youngest, David, was attending the flock. Samuel ordered David brought before him and anointed the young shepherd boy as the next king of Israel. I was always curious as to why David …