Have you ever heard the phrase “your too big for your britches?” Have you ever wondered how that phrase came into public use? One of the non-fiction characters I learned about in history that caught my eye was Davy Crockett, you know, the king of the wild frontier. I can remember watching reruns of Fess Parker's portrayal of Davy Crockett, bedecked with coonskin cap and all. It's hard to decipher between fact and fiction when it comes to this folk hero. Crockett fought and died defending the Alamo. One thing we do know for sure is that he was a state delegate from the state of Tennessee in the U.S. House of Representatives. He's also credited with one of the most recognizable phrases of American tradition. It was first published in 1835 in An Account of Col. Crockett's Tour to the North and Down East.
Crockett said of the famous president, "I myself was one of the first to fire a gun under Andrew Jackson. I helped to give him all his glory. But I liked him well once: but when a man gets too big for his breeches, I say Good bye."
President Jackson wasn't the only one who has been too big for his breeches at times in their journey. In fact, that's precisely where the children of Israel found themselves in Joshua 8 and their cautionary tale should serve as a reminder to us all of the dangers of pride and presumption.
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