Thursday, September 18, 2008
Next Previous Today
A Giant Killer
In 1 Samuel 17, we read what has become a very familiar story, even to many who have never been to a church. It is the story of David and Goliath. And David has become the proverbial champion of the the little guy. It is important that our familiarity not cause us to miss the truth in the story.
The Philistines gathered their forces for war against the Israelites and Saul and his army went out to meet them. Each army was on a hill will a valley in between. A champion named Goliath came out from the Philistine camp. He was over nine feet tall and had a bronze helmet and armor that weighed about 125 pounds. His spear was like a weavers rod and its iron point weighed 15 pounds. He was like some kind of supernatural warrior from another world!
This unnatural giant of a man challenged the ranks of Israel to send out a man to fight with him. "If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us" (1 Samuel 17:9). Goliath went on to say, "This day I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other" (1 Samuel 17:10). What was the response of Saul, the king, and the army of Israel? They were dismayed and terrified! Fear. Anxiety.
And then, we read these words, "Now David" (1 Samuel 17:12). There was this young boy, the youngest of the eight sons of Jesse from Bethlehem. David's three oldest brothers were part of Saul's army, and it says that "the three oldest followed Saul" (1 Samuel 17:14). David went back and forth from Saul to tending sheep for his father.
Goliath issued his same challenge every morning and every evening for forty days. The reaction of the army of Israel was always the same or if anything, they grew worse. "When the Israelites saw the man, they all ran from him in great fear" (1 Samuel 17:24). Their fear had become great fear. And fear or any other negative emotion has a way of doing that. What we sow, we will reap, and it will only get larger with time!
Enter David. Sent to take some bread and cheese to his brothers and the commander of their unit. David went and left his supplies with the keeper of the supplies and then ran to the battle lines and greeted his brother. Enter Goliath. Shouting his usual defiance. And David heard it. But his reaction was different from all the rest. He said, "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?" (1 Samuel 17:26). Saul and the army had only seen things from their perspective. David views things from God's vantage point. And that makes all the difference.
David's brothers were angry that he was even there but David perseveres and says to Saul, "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him" (1 Samuel 17:32). Saul reminded David that he was only a boy. Goliath had called out a man. And there will always be those who tell us why we can't possibly do something. David said that he had killed lions and bears while tending sheep and this giant would be no different. Because David was so skilled? No. Because the Lord was so good. If it would happen at all, it would be because the Lord did something!
Saul then tried to put David in his armor. David refused. He took what he had. His slingshot. And he chose five smooth stones (although he only needed one!). And he went out to meet the giant. Goliath was expecting a seasoned warrior, a real man's man. He must have thought this was some kind of joke. David says,
"You come against me with sword and spear and javelin — the weapons of the world — but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will hand you over to me . . . and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give all of you into our hands" (1 Samuel 17:45-47).
The rest of the story is as they say, history. David slew Goliath. Israel triumphed. David triumphed. No, God triumphed. And God was able to do what he wanted to do all along because one little boy trusted in him.
Does it make any difference what the giant we are facing today is named? Are you taunted daily by what you are unable to overcome? Has our response been the same as the Israelite army of old? Dismay? Fear? We need to take our eyes off of what we can do and what we have to fight against our enemies. Yes, we take what we have. A sling. A few small stones. Whatever gifts and abilities God has given to us. In the hands of God, what we have is enough. We are not dependent on what we have but on the Lord Almighty. He is more than enough! The battle is the Lord's and he will give any and every giant we face into our hands if we will believe him and march out against it!
Next Previous Today | 
