Introduction

‘Of Giants and Grasshoppers’ is a brand-new, indefinitely continuing weekly series right here on Oneway Purpose. Directed mostly at young men, but applicable to almost everybody’s life in one way or another, this series bites into some of the biggest cultural and spiritual issues that face young people today. Too many men are viewing themselves as grasshoppers. Too many men have lost their vision, their honor. I want to do my part in restoring manhood, not only to my own character but to the character of as many men I know. Let’s all do the same.

Giants and Grasshoppers?

Espionage is a dream job for a handful, and a terrifying occupation to the rest. Right now, I want you to put yourself in the place of one of the millions of Israelites and stand ready to hear the report of a small group of men who have just returned from spying out the Promised Land. I’m sure you’re excited. Here is the report: (From Numbers 13, ESV)

“We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this [a large cluster of grapes and fruit the spies had carried back] is its fruit. However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there.”

Then Caleb said,

“Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.”

Then the men who had gone up with him said,

“We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.”

So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying,

“The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.”

1 out of 12

I can just picture them there, 12 men start telling about the wonder and beauty of the fruitfulness of the land. And then 11 say ‘but’. But… However… the people in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there.

Caleb is standing there realizing that they’re about to launch into a negative campaign against taking over the land, so he interrupts them and says, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.”

But the rest of the men countered, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.”

For they are Stronger than We

Did you notice the reason they gave for not being able to overcome the land? Did you notice?! Since when was that ever a reason for failure? Since when did the Israelites have that attitude? What had happened? Is it possible that they had fallen into the same trap that we find ourselves in so often?

How many times have we whined, “But that’s impossible! Do you realize how big a job that is?!” Foremost, it lies in our character and our attitude towards danger and responsibility. Guys, listen carefully.

Recently, at a college in Montreal, some psychopath (I refuse to call him a man) male, walked up with a couple weapons and started shooting randomly at people. He started outside the college with one or two shots, wounding at least one person. Than he slowly walked into the building, through the front doors, down the hallway, (at this point police were already following him telling him to drop his gun), and into the cafeteria where he started shooting again for another 10 minutes while police organized themselves to take him. He ended up shooting himself finally, after he had killed one and critically wounded over a dozen.

What angered me most was not the police—it was that all the men ran when they saw him… and left the women to fend for themselves. Of the 19 men in that room, not a single one stayed to help the 14 women, There was not even one single man, one single hero. nobody who stood up to him. If even a few men in that room had tackled him, he would not have had the opportunity to do more than wound a couple people. He was using an automatic rifle, an extremely ineffective weapon at close range. But there were no heroes that day. Not even one.

I had a long time to think about how I would have acted if I was the 1 out of 19 in that situation. Would I have risked my life? As I began thinking about this I realized just why everybody ran, and just why nobody stayed. Everybody was ruled by fear—the same fear we all have.

Ruled by Fear

And so were the other 11 spies. They were afraid, and they gave that reason enough to not be able to conquer. Nobody but Caleb had any faith in God. Nobody was willing to risk themselves in obedience. It was the same story all over again in the Montreal shooting. Nobody was willing to risk their lives. One guy told the reporter, “I was there, and I thought, ‘I don’t want to get shot!’ so I ran for my life.”

Very reasonable decision. I must commend you, very wise. But your life was not the only one in question. If you were only watching out for your own skin, than that would have been just fine. But I’m afraid that today sir, you proved yourself a child.

That would have been entirely our same action, unless we were ruled by something other than fear. Like honor. Like principle. No hero will claim he was not afraid, he just knew had to do his duty.

Here again are a couple of the vows of Chivalry.

1. Thou shalt respect all weaknesses, and shalt constitute thyself the defender of them.
2. Thou shalt not recoil before thine enemy.
3. Thou shalt be everywhere and always the champion of the Right and the Good against Injustice and Evil.

We Seemed to Ourselves as Grasshoppers

Picture yourself. Now picture a grasshopper. Those are big giants aren’t they?

When we are ruled by fear, everything takes a different proportion. But now, what exactly did they say? “We seemed to ourselves as grasshoppers.” Do you get it? They were viewing themselves with one 1000th of the strength they should have been! Of course they would never be able to take over the land with that attitude!

Unless we as men realize that we are grossly underestimating our abilities and begin to live by a principle of honor that we vow never to break, we will never change this world. It’s a daunting task isn’t it? But like Caleb yesterday, we must face this task like men. In the strength of God, we are well able.

Men Wanted: Yesterday, Today, Forever

It’s time for a revival. Men, my generation, your generation will change this. We will show ourselves worthy of honor. We will be heroes. And if we never get the chance to singlehandedly fight with a gunman, we shall still always be continually ready to risk our life for the safety of another. On the value of our own life, we shall represent God fearing manhood. Daring Manhood.

But this attitude isn’t only about things that are heroic. I don’t want to leave this introduction on a note of surrealism, on the dreamy idealism of ‘being a hero’. Most of us will not have such a drastic opportunity, although we shall be prepared for it. Where we all will prove our ability is in every aspect of life around us. We will prove ourselves when we approach any duty with the attitude of Caleb, “We are well able.”

We will prove ourselves on many giants, all the giants in our life. From each test in school, to each test of character. Every time we feel incapable, every time we meet a giant in our life, let us remember: There are giants. But we are not grasshoppers.

We are well able.

This is only the beginning of this series, stay tuned for more next week!