Yahweh and the Underdog

As a young kid, I remember picking sports teams at recess where we had two captains, and the teams were selected - kid by kid - by the captains.  The most athletic went first, the most popular, then kids with other traits that were desired - the captain's close friends, the funny kid, and so on.  And then, the kids that no one really wanted - it was the bottom of the barrel - the kid with their finger up their nose, the kid with absolutely no coordination, the nobodies, the friendless.  They were taken "by default" based on whoever had the next turn in the team picks.  I remember being sad for these kids - how painful to be them.

It's interesting to me how from early on in Scripture, God shows this way of the world turned on its head.  He chose Israel - not the biggest, baddest, best athletes on the block - but in fact the smallest of all nations.  Israel was the underdog.  Deuteronomy 7:7 says, “The Lord did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations!"  He chose the little guys.  The runts.  The kids with their fingers up their noses.

And why does God do this?  He could have chosen anyone, any people group, that He wanted.  But imagine, you are picking a team for grade school dodge ball.  Instead of picking the most athletic first, the popular, the "cool" kids, you decide to choose the runt of the group, followed by the next runtiest kid, and so on.  Your team looks like losers.  Walks like losers.  They can't even decide on a team name together.  But then, with your leading, you are such a great team captain that your team rallies and destroys the other team.  You win, hands down.  The other team couldn't have stood a chance, but they had themselves winning before even walking onto the court.

This is exactly what God does.  He sets up a "team" that can only win by pointing back to Him.  Without God, this team of rag-tag kids couldn't win.  They could barely walk and talk.  And, here they are, His chosen people.  God's glory is reflected in who they become.  He leads them into battle and they are victorious.  Not because they had the best fighters - but because they had the best God.  The theme is prevalent throughout Scripture: David and Goliath - it wasn't by David's might that he triumphed, but by the grace of God; Gideon goes onto fight the Midianites, but before he does, he has this dialogue with God in Judges 6:
Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!”
 “But Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!”
 The Lord said to him, “I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man.”
Gideon was the underdog - he should have been the last pick, but God chose him.  

Slightly strange picture, I couldn't help but use.

And this continues, on into the New Testament.  Jesus doesn't pick the most scholarly, the most handsome, the most qualified.  He chooses fishermen, tax collectors, smelly dudes.  And Paul experiences this as well.  In 2 Corinthians, he lands on this theme.  Paul writes:
"So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.
Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

God working not just apart from our weaknesses, but in and through our weaknesses, reveals His incredible sovereignty and that He can triumph over anyone or anything not because of who we are, but because of who He is.

God loves the underdog because through our weakness, His power can be revealed.  So, like Paul, let us thank God for our weakness, and even boast in them - so that Christ can work through us.