Shock and awe. A military term used to describe a strategy of overwhelming power and spectacular displays of force intending to paralyze the enemy and destroy it's will to fight. This strategy was used in Iraq and in the bombing of Bagdad.
These tactics and techniques were also prevalent in the Old Testament. When Moses was leading the Israelites out of Egypt they got to the Red Sea. Suddenly there were vast waters ahead of them and the enemy behind them. They were trapped, certain death awaiting them. Then God's power was seen. The waters separate and the Israelites cross the dry sea bed. As soon as they are across, the waters suddenly collapse on themselves and all of Pharaoh's men are killed. That was rapid dominance.
Joshua is on a campaign to conquer the Canaanites. He gets to Jericho and the gates are shut tight. The Lord tells him to have the priests and all the people march around Jericho for six days. On the seventh day the priests blow their trumpets, the people shout and the walls come crashing down. That was overwhelming force.
Samson, blinded and weak is taken by the Philistines to their pagan temple to be made sport of. He asks to rest against a pillar and they figure, why not, he's defeated. Can't see, no power. He prays and asks God to strengthen him one last time. He pushes against those pillars, the temple completely collapses and kills 3,000 in one fell swoop.
We forget that God is a God of shock and awe. A God of power and might. We tend to see Jesus as a meek and mild man, God as a kindly old man with a beard, the guy upstairs. Impotent and unable to do anything today. That is not the God that I know. The God I know is strong and powerful, yet also loving and full of mercy.
Shock and awe? The Pharisees and other religious leaders of the day were shocked that a man from Nazareth would claim to be the Son of God. The arrogance! The audacity. The delusion. The Saviour a carpenter, the simple son of Joseph and Mary! Inconceivable! But even they could not long deny what they were seeing, what they were hearing. They were perplexed and confounded by this man who spoke the truth in riddles and reached the people. Many healed. Miracles performed. The dead rising to live again. Even they could not deny that the people looked upon Jesus with awe.
And that is what led him to be arrested. He not only was seen as a threat by the local leaders, but also by Rome. He became an enemy of the state.
We also before we came to know Christ as our Lord and Saviour were also enemies. Colossians 1:21 says, "This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions." And Romans 5:10 says this, "For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, it is much more certain, having been reconciled, that we will be saved [from the consequences of sin] by His life [that is, we will be saved because Christ lives today]." (Amplified)
There! There is shock and awe. That instead of destroying us, God so loved us that He found a better way. That the only Son of God would give his life for ours. That He would willingly lay everything down and be raised up on that cross that our salvation might be purchased.
The enemy of our soul, Satan thinks that he has won. Jesus is dead on the cross. But he didn't count on Him rising up again! Jesus has paralyzed the enemy. That is shock and awe.
There was a song done by Carman back in the day called The Champion. It tells the story of the battle between Jesus and Satan in the form of a boxing match. They are in the middle of the bout, Satan comes with all he has. He strikes a blow to Jesus that he knows will be the knock out punch. No TKO for him, this will be complete and total annihilation. Satan thinks that he has won. As the song continues, Jesus goes down. Satan is waiting on the count, expecting to hear 1,2,3, etc. Instead he hears 10, 9, 8...he screams, wait! your counting all wrong!! Then the count hits one and Jesus rises again!!
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
That is shock and awe! This is overwhelming power! There is a spectacular display of force...the force of Love!
If you want to listen to that song by Carman here is the youtube link...
https://youtu.be/zygGyT_Uppw
These tactics and techniques were also prevalent in the Old Testament. When Moses was leading the Israelites out of Egypt they got to the Red Sea. Suddenly there were vast waters ahead of them and the enemy behind them. They were trapped, certain death awaiting them. Then God's power was seen. The waters separate and the Israelites cross the dry sea bed. As soon as they are across, the waters suddenly collapse on themselves and all of Pharaoh's men are killed. That was rapid dominance.
Joshua is on a campaign to conquer the Canaanites. He gets to Jericho and the gates are shut tight. The Lord tells him to have the priests and all the people march around Jericho for six days. On the seventh day the priests blow their trumpets, the people shout and the walls come crashing down. That was overwhelming force.
Samson, blinded and weak is taken by the Philistines to their pagan temple to be made sport of. He asks to rest against a pillar and they figure, why not, he's defeated. Can't see, no power. He prays and asks God to strengthen him one last time. He pushes against those pillars, the temple completely collapses and kills 3,000 in one fell swoop.
We forget that God is a God of shock and awe. A God of power and might. We tend to see Jesus as a meek and mild man, God as a kindly old man with a beard, the guy upstairs. Impotent and unable to do anything today. That is not the God that I know. The God I know is strong and powerful, yet also loving and full of mercy.
Shock and awe? The Pharisees and other religious leaders of the day were shocked that a man from Nazareth would claim to be the Son of God. The arrogance! The audacity. The delusion. The Saviour a carpenter, the simple son of Joseph and Mary! Inconceivable! But even they could not long deny what they were seeing, what they were hearing. They were perplexed and confounded by this man who spoke the truth in riddles and reached the people. Many healed. Miracles performed. The dead rising to live again. Even they could not deny that the people looked upon Jesus with awe.
And that is what led him to be arrested. He not only was seen as a threat by the local leaders, but also by Rome. He became an enemy of the state.
We also before we came to know Christ as our Lord and Saviour were also enemies. Colossians 1:21 says, "This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions." And Romans 5:10 says this, "For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, it is much more certain, having been reconciled, that we will be saved [from the consequences of sin] by His life [that is, we will be saved because Christ lives today]." (Amplified)
There! There is shock and awe. That instead of destroying us, God so loved us that He found a better way. That the only Son of God would give his life for ours. That He would willingly lay everything down and be raised up on that cross that our salvation might be purchased.
The enemy of our soul, Satan thinks that he has won. Jesus is dead on the cross. But he didn't count on Him rising up again! Jesus has paralyzed the enemy. That is shock and awe.
There was a song done by Carman back in the day called The Champion. It tells the story of the battle between Jesus and Satan in the form of a boxing match. They are in the middle of the bout, Satan comes with all he has. He strikes a blow to Jesus that he knows will be the knock out punch. No TKO for him, this will be complete and total annihilation. Satan thinks that he has won. As the song continues, Jesus goes down. Satan is waiting on the count, expecting to hear 1,2,3, etc. Instead he hears 10, 9, 8...he screams, wait! your counting all wrong!! Then the count hits one and Jesus rises again!!
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
That is shock and awe! This is overwhelming power! There is a spectacular display of force...the force of Love!
If you want to listen to that song by Carman here is the youtube link...
https://youtu.be/zygGyT_Uppw
