I think most people were surprised at the announcement of Sarah Palin for the Republican nomination for Vice-president of the United States. The conservative were pleasantly surprised, while the opposition was caught totally off guard – not really expecting a woman as John McCain’s pick for that position.
As I listened to the flurry of accusations made against Sarah Palin, I thought about another individual that was considered totally unqualified for the position that he was called to fill. David was just a shepherd boy taking care of a small herd of sheep on the hillside. Samuel’s task was to anoint the new King of Israel. As the sons of Jesse paraded before Samuel, he gave them all a thumbs down, except for the last one. Yes, the older brothers were muscular, intelligent – ideal candidates for the new King of Israel. One even sat on the Senate Foreign Relations committee; all had a plethora of experience. David had very little experience and was not muscular at all or militarily trained. His job was to care for his father’s sheep, and he knew how to protect his sheep. He risked his life facing bears and lions to keep his sheep safe.
Now, according to the Democratic Party, Sarah Palin is just a poor choice. She lacks any real experience. And, the experience that she has accumulated is only experience in that small town mayor’s position in that city nobody can remember. Oh, and the governorship in that state that is way up in the north country – far, far away from all the substantive issues. But, she knows how to take care of her sheep – that equated to a high of 82% approval rate. She might even be able to take on a caribou bare handed. She could certainly field-dress it when she’s done.
Then I heard this clamor from the Washington elite. Before she can be considered, they demand that she put on the King’s armor: make those trips around the Sunday morning circuit so they can bless her with their approval – or disapproval. She certainly can’t be considered for Vice-president without the armor. But, the armor is too heavy and designed for those experienced muscular types. The armor would make it impossible for her to move, to defend herself, let alone defend her sheep. But as David did, and I hope she will, I hope she will throw off all the armor. She doesn’t need it for protection, performance of, or permission to perform her duties.
She has the task of slaying her Goliaths. David’s Goliath was a foul-mouthed, arrogant giant that everyone was afraid to fight because of his massive size and strength. Sarah Palin’s Goliath is the huge, arrogant, bureaucratic monster that is gripping America and has defied anyone to take him on.
David saw Goliath and asked who is “he (Goliath) that should defy the armies of the living God?” (1st Samuel 17:26). Perhaps those around David began to snicker. They looked at this young, scraggly boy who had never had any military training, and thought, Who does he think he is? He has no credibility. What has he accomplished?
Today, we have a new Goliath. There is much that is similar to David’s Goliath, mainly the arrogance that declares, “I am so big, so powerful; no one will defy me.” He threatens to punish anyone who tries, and grind them into the dust of the ground. Today’s Goliath is big government. Big government dictates to all of us many of our daily tasks. Big government is just as corrupt and foul-smelling as David’s Goliath. Big government thinks that they are so big, so powerful that no one can bring them down.
But, as David gathered five small round stones from a nearby brook, he was developing his strategy. He did not need or want the heavy armor. He didn’t need to visit the local gym to build-up his muscles. As he approached Goliath, he took one small stone, placed it in his sling-shot, and began whirling it over his head. Goliath came towards him, probably thinking that he would make quick work of this scrawny kid. David released the sling and the stone went flying, sinking deep within Goliath’s skull and down he came.
It’s now Sarah’s turn. She is facing her Goliath; her sling-shot beside her. She has selected her stones, but she needs more than five stones. David needed five because Goliath had four brothers that could come after David. Today’s Goliath has many more brothers than did David’s Goliath.
But, the one quality David had that made him great was his compassion for the sheep in his care, his compassion for the weak and needy of the house of Israel. David cared for and defended those that God cared for – those that were powerless to defend themselves. Sarah will face tremendous challenges. The pressure will be on her to give into, to become part of the bureaucracy. You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours. But, if she remains true to beliefs, as David did, then her Goliath will fall just as surely as the Goliath of old.