God's Coaching #179

God's Coaching #179

Look out for giant, killer mosquitoes! That’s probably what players at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa were thinking. In the summer of 2010, a simple musical instrument made international headlines as big as the soccer being played. A small plastic horn called the vuvuzela created quite a controversy during the biggest sporting event in the world. Blown by itself, a vuvuzela sounds innocent enough. But when excited soccer fans blow thousands of vuvuzelas at once, they sound like a deafening swarm of insects.

Many South Africans felt the vuvuzela was a vital part of the first World Cup hosted on African soil, saying it represented the freedom and racial equality that South Africa had struggled for decades earlier. Others complained that the vuvuzela sounded like a dying goat. Many coaches and players called for vuvuzelas to be banned, and TV executives worried that people wouldn’t be able to hear the announcer’s voice because of the instruments. In the end, tournament officials allowed fans to blow vuvuzelas during games. Although their loud drone could distinctively be heard on TV, they weren’t loud enough to drown out the exciting action.

What’s the Score?

Thousands of years ago, horns and trumpets played an important part of life in ancient Israel. Various trumpet sounds were signals for the Israelites to gather at the tabernacle, to pack up their belongings for relocation, or to prepare for battle. The Israelites heard a piercing trumpet sound after receiving the Ten Commandments. Rams’ horns were used as priestly trumpets when the walls of Jericho fell. They were also blown to commemorate festivals and to hold the oil that anointed the head of a new king.

Even today, Christians wait in great anticipation for a special trumpet sound. In 1 Thessalonians 4, the Bible promises a future day when a great trumpet will blast to signal Christ’s return to earth. He will come in incredible majesty and power to gather all Christians and take them back to heaven to live with him forever. That’s a sound worth listening for!

On the Ball

The next time you hear a trumpet being played, remember the wonderful promise of Jesus’ future return.

Coach’s Comment

The Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17