Some parts of the body are less attractive than others. Not the early morning face that stares back at you in the mirror or another less attractive feature, but your thumb, which enables you to get a good grip on things, and your big toe, which puts a spring in your step. One thumb and one big toe will likely be stronger than the other, according to whether you are right-handed or left-handed.
Judges, chapter 1, verses 5-7 records God’s justice on a nasty king who, after capturing his enemies in battle, would chop off their thumbs and big toes. He made them live off scraps of food under his table. Unwanted scraps were tossed to conquered kings as they were to dogs (which were not pets back then but worthless strays, which survived by rummaging through garbage).
The name of the king of Bezek was Adoni-Bezek: “Lord of Lightning” or “Lord Flash”. He cut off the thumbs and big toes of captured kings, which rendered them incapable of grasping swords and of springing to their feet and into battle. Those small but important losses left them fumbling, flat-footed, humiliated and permanently dependent.
However, the king’s own life changed for the worse when Israel’s soldiers fought him, defeated him, and then chopped off his thumbs and toes. The king voiced the justice of his punishment in Judges 1:7. Lord Lightning’s tyrannic rule ended in a flash! He was taken to Jerusalem and there he died.
This underlines the importance of holding fast to — of getting a good grip on -the things we’ve been taught, which are listed in the Book of Hebrews as our “confidence and rejoicing” (3:6) and our confession (4:14). We need to tighten our grip on the “sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. We need to tighten our grip and so get a better hold on our beliefs! Imagine the folly of a soldier of old trying to wield his sword in battle with only his fingers.
A similar folly applies to a soldier who on call is unable to spring into action without a big toe; or an athlete who on the starting block hears “Ready!” Then “Set!” but on the call “GO!” has no spring in his or her start. Inconceivable!
So, get a grip on yourself, on your emotions, on your thoughts, on your attitude and your outlook! Tighten your hold on salvation by Grace Alone, Faith Alone, and Christ Alone. On Justification, and on The Apostles’ Doctrine;and on the imminent return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Fingers but no thumbs, small toes but no big toes would leave us at the mercy of those who are intent on throwing us scraps from their media bosses or compliant religious leaders. As my ex-squaddie in the UK would say” “I ain’t ‘avin’ none of it!” And so say all of us? If you agree, replace the question mark with an exclamation mark in the Comment below.