Yesterday was tax day. I found it an interesting coinicidence that our Life Journal reading included the chapter chronicaling David and Goliath in which one of the rewards for killing Goliath was not having to pay taxes any more. David the shepheard boy with a sling beats a nine foot tall giant who was outfitted like an armored car and no longer has to pay taxes, among other rewards he received. I wonder what people today would be willing to do in order to not have to pay taxes? In the local paper I often read articles questioning the legitimacy of injuries to police officers because while they are out on injury leave the laws of the Commonwealth allow them to collect their full salary tax-free. Apparantly some people have abused this benefit. There are others who will look for elaborate loop holes in laws, use off shore accounts, or simply register their car in another state in order to avoid paying taxes. I guess this antagonism towards taxes is a part of our nations DNA going back to the original Boston tea party. Look, as far as I am concerned I don't want to pay one cent more taxes than I am obligated to pay. But, often people's attitutde seems to be I'll pay enough taxes to keep me from going to jail. Perhaps we have seen this most vivedly in some of the recent presidential cabinet nominees.
Back to David. I don't think David went out against Goliath in order to avoid paying taxes, or for the great wealth and fame he would receive, or even for the king's daughter who he would receive in marriage as a reward. For many people today money, fame, and sex would be plenty of motivation for them to fight a giant or maybe ten giants; many today sacrifice so much more for so much less. The reason David fought the giant can be known for certain by the words he shouts to Goliath as he is going to meet him in battle, "Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel." The reason David fought the giant was to bring honor and glory to his God and to punish those who were openly mocking and defiling the living God.
With all the elaborate things we go through to avoid paying taxes, I can't help but wonder who today will go out and fight a giant in order to bring glory to God?
It seems today that people sacrifice so much (personal integrity, relationship with God, personal peace) for so little (wealth, fame, sex) I can't help but wonder if God is looking for a David who will risk it all for His name and reputation.
