Coaches in Biblical Times and Present Day
6/4/13
Nowhere in the Bible does it mention the word coach. It is not known if any sporting events took place back in the Old Testament times but one would gather that some type of fun activity had been invented during those times. Even though the specific term coach is not mentioned there were some people who did fill similar roles. However, the consequences that were at stake were of far greater importance than just winning or losing a game, these people guided groups in the spirit of their eternal lives.
A good portion of my life was spent being raised in Texas. I enjoyed my time there and I still considered it to be my home. Being raised in Texas and being a typical boy I naturally was expected to play some type of sport which I did. Football is king in this state and there really is no off season since the game is talked about, gone over, mapped out and scouted all year round. It does not matter if the 11 are lined up across the ball or not, the game lives on 24/7 and 365 days a year.
Coaching football in Texas is another side line sport to watch. Football coaches make piles of money walking the sidelines and teaching the boys the total game of football. A movie came out a while back that tried to explain some of the aspects of the Texas High School football game and how important it is to the lives of people in that state. Not only are there pressures on the players but the coaches as well. Each contestant of the game is under equal amounts of pressure at all times but for an additional step in the pressure situation, coaches are treated to another level.
In the movie that I mentioned above the team had lost an important game and in all capacities should have won the game but made many mistakes which eventually cost them the game. The team meeting did not go so well after the game was over and the coaches had their regular private meeting after the team meeting. The players went on their way to their respective post game rituals which were not in full swing because of their loss and performance, in other words the mood of the players reflected the mood of the town.
When the coach turned the corner into his neighborhood it seemed like any other normal evening but as soon as he pulled up to his house a huge surprise was waiting for him. His wife was sitting out on the steps leading up to their house. She was partially hidden from all of the For Sale signs that people had placed in their yard. There were dozens of them that dotted the yard. The message was clear and the point well documented with this one act by the residents of the town. The people understood that they had a good team and so did the coaches, but when the expectations of the town were not met, they took matters into their own hands.
To some people this act by the people of the town might have seemed funny and to an extent it was. But on the other hand it held a serious message in that some did not approve of how the coach handled the game, called the wrong plays, yelled at the wrong players, or anything else that those people could think of to justify their actions. Times became tougher when the parents and residents began to show up at the coach’s office and offer him advice of how to run his team. Both tensions and expectations were running high and it was about to come to a boiling point. And given this state of being within the town, how could anyone expect a coach to stay calm and quiet all the time.
Things began to turn around for the team and they finally became a team. Their hearts for the respect and protection of their town’s name came back to each one of them even though many adverse conditions popped up during the season. Injuries, racial tensions, university scouts, parents and city fathers and mothers all placed additional pressure on all participants. Yet, though all of these instances the team rallied around each other and played their hearts out until the final whistle blew which was in the State Final game.
The coach of that team was elected to serve the community as the head coach of the high school football team. He was chosen for this role and was expected to deliver great results starting with the first snap of the ball. The community believed that their team could do no wrong and that any let down or costly mistakes were solely the responsibility of the coach to which the towns people continually reminded him of this belief. When things did not go well, the people let the coach know about it and when the team was on a good times roll, al praises went in his direction. Ultimately the coach was responsible for guiding the team to a winning season, not pleasing the people of the community; however, the people of the community did not view this directive with the same initiative.
The Bible does give numerous accounts of coaches within its texts. These people are not coaches per say but they have the same type of job to complete and the outcomes of their actions do have similar consequences. These coaches however are placed in another plane in that they are chosen by God and not by the people. Yes, the people knew who they were and understood their positions within the community and the people also knew that these chosen few were ones that could try and direct God into moving in the direction that they wanted to believe in and not in God’s ways. Yes, these chosen people were prophets.
The teams represented were of a higher caliber of course for no actual game was being played but the way the people reacted to what God had to say to them probably did seem like a game when one studies the paths that the people chose to follow. As with the modern day coaches, prophets were liked in the beginning long before any type of serious differences took place. The people wanted the prophet to communicate with them and for him to relay their messages to God through Him. The expectations were high of course and it was evident that where humans were involved something would eventually arise that would differ from what God had ordained.
The prophets understood that their job would not be filled with all joy and that there would be times that the people within the community would not agree with the things that he conveyed to them from God. This is a human mannerism in which one does not agree with everything that a person in an authoritative position hands down, but would these people actually argue with God? Of course they would and it was not too long until they did just that and that is when it became very interesting for both the prophets and the people.
Coaching is not an easy job and it a position that one does not take lightly. Being called a prophet of God might seem to be a glamorous title to have, but as with any position it does have a price to pay. A prophet must keep in mind that people have a free will and choice to obey the laws that are handed down and the people must also remember that God makes these decisions based upon the hearts of His people to ward off the dangers that might be afflicted upon the people due to the choices that they make. God really does not have any problems with this scenario, but it is the people who react in such a manner that might cause harm to others.
Prophets are usually pictured as the ones who tell the people that they are doing wrong and that they should repent immediately. This is an unfair picture that is painted in that while that is one of the jobs that prophets have, that does not constitute their entire job description. Read about the lives of the prophets and study all of the things that they had to endure to get God’s message out to His people. Yes prophets told the people that what they were doing was wrong, but they also guided God’s people in victorious battles when necessary, presided over kingships and foreign affairs, provided methods of survival for the people during hard times and thousands of other examples.
Yet, it is the “thou shalt nots” that bring them their most famous reputations. Teaching the people the ways of God is not an easy task for it is not the way of the world to follow a path that goes against its ways. The prophet knows that with each new generation brings into light a new challenge to convey the laws of God to them. The prophet also knows that when the people turn in a direction that points their society away from God those worldly laws show their teeth when they are challenged. The prophet recognizes this and even though he has warned them about their ways, he had to allow them to make their own choices.
And the human response to disaster is quite funny to be honest but it is sad at the same time. Their responses are funny because a reader knows how they are going react when things go south because the reader is a human as well. And the reader can place herself / himself into that story and can imagine how they would react if those things happened to them. The responses are sad because when one reads these accounts the reader understands that people’s lives have been lost and the state of the entire nation or group of people has been destroyed and the people have to start over once again due to the choices that they made.
But here is the actual tricky part of a prophet’s job. It is his responsibility to convey the restoration message along with the message that it was the choices of the people that allowed these events to transpire upon them, all wrapped up at the same time. And as you can imagine humans do not like to hear that they were wrong while sitting in their own ashes. So, this is the time when prophets would become enemies of the state so to speak and many of them had to flee the area for their own safety. And as you will read not all of them would be lucky enough to escape only to find themselves in a well.
A prophet could easily listen to the will of the people and bless their actions accordingly but would effectively nullify his calling from God while completing this act. A prophet is not a popular person by any means and his job is not an easy one. God has to have human messengers in order to convey His message to His people. God is spirit and holy in all ways, humans are not. If one stops and thinks about it is the same principle that God used to allow Jesus to be born as a human. It is the only true way that God can honestly and justly provide answers to a dying race.
Prophets have a true message to relay to God’s people. Sometimes these messages are hard to swallow and others are filled with good news and joy. Whatever the message is, prophets are placed into precarious positions that stand out from the crowd if one cares to use this expression. God places prophets into each generational life to provide guidance when humans try and go their own ways. This placement does not come from a heavy handed God who wants to place His thumb on your head but from a loving creator who wishes only the best for your life.
In an age where self has become the center attraction it is difficult for us to see and acknowledge our mistakes. We tend to ignore what is right and do what is acceptable within our community. It is amazing how groups are determined to place ideas within our hearts and then expect others to comply with the newly accepted ways as normal. This is a serious breach in the truth and while it may feel good at the moment it can only bring up the rose colored glasses to our spiritual eyes and blind us from the truth of our choices. Always remember that with our choices comes consequences and the longer we choose to make bad choices the greater the consequences can be in our lives and for our nation.
We have the ability to curb these consequences and that is to return back to God and to submit our lives to Him once again. If we choose to do this then He has promised to protect us and to restore us back to the ways that our lives were meant to be. So when a prophet speaks from God try and not react to it just understand the meaning behind the message which being relayed to us. Believe me when I say that prophets struggle with messages that bring not so good news to people, the prophet does not enjoy this part of their calling but it is a necessary part that needs to be dispatched to the people. Also take note that when a prophet has good news that it does not mean to let our guard down for our enemy is still watching us and will take any opportunity that may com his way.
God does not wish to see His people run from Him in any manner. It is God’s desire to bless every nation according to His ways but in order for this to occur we as humans must return to Him. Let God restore our lands and heal our hearts with His divine guidance. Let it be our choice to choose His ways for not only our individual lives but for our nation as well. God loves each and one of us so much that He provides a way of escape when we make wrong choices all we have to do is to understand our mistakes, learn from them and then follow His wonderful example of restoration for complete healing.
DLB
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