Title Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images
2021-0908 Wednesday. 1025 PM.
It's fantasy football season! I'm excited and, as of this past Sunday, finished all of the drafts for the leagues in which I participate. I've been playing in five leagues, with the same group of guys (and a couple of gals) for a number of years. There's no money involved. It's all for bragging rights and trash talk. Each season, fantasy football managers all around the world (I assume) put their draft picks where their faith is and take chances on players based on things not yet seen. This season, I've hooked most of my teams' metaphorical wagons to the metaphorical horse of SF Niners rookie RB, Trey Sermon, drafting him higher than necessary in most cases.
An unknown Greek writer penned: Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Letter to the Hebrews 11:1) Faith seems always to be a popular subject, and we humans have faith in all kinds of things not related to fantasy football or Trey Sermon. Coincidentally, I was asked to give a sermon at our church gathering this past Sunday, so I've penned some of my musings.. Moses has to be one of the most underrated historical figures of all time, even with Charlton Heston playing him on the silver screen. First of all, he's raised as royalty, receiving Egypt's best schooling and training. He hauls off and kills a dude, protecting his Hebrew countryman, then flees, becoming an outlaw. Later, he goes back to Egypt, wizard style, bearing the staff of Jehovah and wielding His power in the form of plagues. He goes toe to toe with Egypt's best sorcerers and ultimately leads several hundred-thousand Hebrews across a desert. I imagine him to have been a 7' 6", 285 lbs beast of a man, who later climbs mountains and hangs with Jehovah God for forty days. In Exodus 17, we see Moses tired, mad, bitter and fed up with his people's attitude. The Message, Exodus 17:1-7 Directed by GOD, the whole company of Israel moved on by stages from the Wilderness of Sin. They set camp at Rephidim. And there wasn’t a drop of water for the people to drink. The people took Moses to task: “Give us water to drink.” But Moses said, “Why pester me? Why are you testing GOD?” But the people were thirsty for water there. They complained to Moses, “Why did you take us from Egypt and drag us out here with our children and animals to die of thirst?” Moses cried out in prayer to GOD, “What can I do with these people? Any minute now they’ll kill me!” GOD said to Moses, “Go on out ahead of the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel. Take the staff you used to strike the Nile. And go. I’m going to be present before you there on the rock at Horeb. You are to strike the rock. Water will gush out of it and the people will drink.” Moses did what he said, with the elders of Israel right there watching. He named the place Massah (Testing-Place) and Meribah (Quarreling) because of the quarreling of the Israelites and because of their testing of GOD when they said, “Is GOD here with us, or not?”
In the throws of frustration, they're attacked: The Message, Exodus 17:8-9 Amalek came and fought Israel at Rephidim. Moses ordered Joshua: “Select some men for us and go out and fight Amalek. Tomorrow I will take my stand on top of the hill holding God’s staff.” I imagine having just seen the staff used to produce water, Joshua and his men had no issue with this plan. I also imagine Joshua, a formidable warrior, just took a handful of his best dudes and went to whoop ass. The Message, Exodus 17:10-13 Joshua did what Moses ordered in order to fight Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill. It turned out that whenever Moses raised his hands, Israel was winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, Amalek was winning. But Moses’ hands got tired. So they got a stone and set it under him. He sat on it and Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on each side. So his hands remained steady until the sun went down. Joshua defeated Amalek and its army in battle. I read part of a paper written by a Jewish professor somewhere that focused on Amalek cursed for attacking Israel. The Message, Exodus 17:14-16 GOD said to Moses, “Write this up as a reminder to Joshua, to keep it before him, because I will most certainly wipe the very memory of Amalek off the face of the Earth.” Moses built an altar and named it “GOD My Banner.” He said, Salute GOD’s rule! GOD at war with Amalek Always and forever! God's intention was to erase Amalek from the earth, but this professor cited various occurrences in which the Hebrew nation failed to follow Jehovah's command to wipe the nation out. He contended that many Jews today believe that their oppressors through the generations, from Haman, Antiochus, Titus, Tomás de Torquemada, to Hitler (just to highlight a few) are descendants of Amalek, whether metaphorically or in reality. Recurring attacks don't change who Jehovah is. Our disobedience or negligence don't change who Jehovah is. Sometimes, we require assistance to win the battles and when following our God, He protects, punishes and preserves us because of His covenant with Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, etc.. Trey Sermon may turn out to be a bust, but the Lord is our Banner in Whom we have faith. This is recognizing and admitting that I don't know best. This is bakesHere.
2021-0908 Wednesday. 1025 PM. ACQUIRE as NEEDED. Sports and other present tense takes.
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