Bonnyrigg Rose is the name of a soccer club in Bonnyrigg, Scotland. Among its past members is someone you may have heard of: Sean Connery, one of the more famous actors to play the role of James Bond. Just that fact tells us that this club has a long and proud heritage.
Bonnyrigg recently sent out an appeal to its fans for financial assistance. The organization overseeing soccer facilities such as the one at Bonnyrigg assessed the club a penalty for having an uneven gradient in its playing field. They have been given only a short time to submit a plan for making the necessary alterations, which have been estimated to cost more than $100,000.
“Playing on a level field” is an idiom in our society, suggesting that fairness in competition has been assured. If the field slopes badly, then one team will have to work harder to move the ball in the uphill direction. If the field is positioned poorly, one team may have to work against a blinding sun at certain times of the day. Playing fields should offer challenges equally to both teams competing.
Israel was often pitted against vastly superior armies in the Old Testament. Exodus 17 gives one example when Israel was confronted by the Amalekites. Amalek was a settled nation and had a trained army; Israel had just emerged from 400 years of slavery in Egypt and had no trained warriors on their side. How could Israel possibly triumph with such an uneven playing field?
Moses went to the top of a nearby hill with “the rod of God” in his hand. “And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed” (Exodus 17:11). When Moses’ arms grew weary, Aaron and Hur helped to hold his hands up. By the end of the day, the novice Israelite refugees had defeated the intimidating army.
Was the playing field leveled that day? Yes, and no. What appeared to be a huge disadvantage for Israel actually never was that. God had led them out of Egypt against the will of mighty Pharaoh, so eyes of faith would never have doubted the outcome with the Amalekites.
Psalm 27 is another example of how God intervenes for His people. David wrote of extreme circumstances in verse 3: an army encamped around him to wage war. What chance does one person stand against an army? Yet he concluded that verse by saying, “My heart shall not fear”. Why would David say something so outlandish? “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1).
That same confidence can be held by those who follow God’s Son today. Hebrews 13:5,6 renews that assurance for Christians in the 21st century. If we’re facing what seem to be unfairly sloped spiritual playing fields, just call to mind Moses’ uplifted hands. The God to whom Moses appealed is the One who assures us of His powerful help in challenging times.
Come to the light God offers! Study His word, the Bible. Worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24). Get in touch with us if you’d like to discuss these ideas further.
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Copyright, 2024, Timothy D. Hall