And David said to the men who stood by him, \u201cWhat shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?\u201d
\n1 Samuel 17:26<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Perhaps no other Bible story has given rise to as many retellings, reimaginings, interpretations and applications as the story of David and Goliath. It is a powerful tale of an underdog overcoming impossible odds with nothing but a sling and a stone, and an unshakable faith in the living God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To be sure, this verse is one of my all-time favorites; I can hear David spitting the words with utter disdain and incredulity. I love the bold declaration of faith. But I wonder if we have romanticized the underdog to the point where the more powerful truths are lost?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you don’t remember the details, you can read in 1 Samuel 17. Let me highlight a few of the key points that I draw from the story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This was not David\u2019s fight<\/strong>. Israel had a king, Saul, who had proven himself a valiant warrior and had led the nation to many victories. Saul and the army were gathered for battle against the Philistines once more. David was not a soldier, not part of the army. He wasn\u2019t really supposed to be there. His father had sent him to bring supplies to his older brothers; he delivered them and his brothers told him to go home. He could<\/em> have walked away, without shame. No one expected anything more of David.<\/p>\n\n\n\n David was looking for a reward<\/strong>. Today many believe that we should do everything altruistically, but the Bible is clear that God rewards those who seek him (Heb 11:6). Jesus taught in depth about reward in Matthew 6. Some twist these promises into a \u201cprosperity gospel,\u201d dangling health, wealth, and prosperity before their followers; this is wrong. Nevertheless, the perversion of a truth does not change that truth. God offers rewards to His followers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n David walked up to greet his brothers about the time Goliath came out to taunt Israel and all the soldiers ran away and were talking about what the king had offered in reward to the man who defeated him: wealth, the king\u2019s daughter in marriage, and tax exemption for life to that man\u2019s family (1 Sam 17:25). This was enough to entice anyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Consider the offer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n In total, this would be quite a boon for the youngest of seven sons to bring home. All he had to do? Defeat a giant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n David viewed Goliath in proper perspective<\/strong>. It\u2019s not that David didn\u2019t understand that Goliath was a giant, skilled in war, impressive in stature and terrifying in power. It\u2019s more that David saw beyond that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When Saul tried to talk David out of a suicide mission, David explained his confidence. While keeping his father\u2019s sheep, he \u201cruled\u201d over them. He was responsible for leading them to pastures to feed, water to drink, and generally keeping them safe (see Psalm 23). He wasn\u2019t a thrill-seeker, taking on wild animals for kicks. Lions and bears were free to live their lives, just as long as they didn\u2019t try to eat David\u2019s sheep. When they did, he struck them down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n David saw Goliath as just another threat, but this time to God\u2019s flock. You can almost hear the contempt as he says,<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYour servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.\u201d David was passionate for God\u2019s glory<\/strong>. In the same breath as he reviles Goliath, you hear his voice swell with pride for \u201cthe armies of the living God.\u201d David spent countless boring hours in solitude, watching sheep graze. He used this time to meditate on the Law and sing songs of worship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He grew up listening to the stories of the Exodus, when God moved in power to deliver Israel out of Egypt; how He sustained them through their rebellion in the wilderness; and then in power He caused them to conquer the promised land. He\u2019d heard the stories of Deborah, Gideon, Samson, and the other judges; how each time Israel sinned and fell under oppression, God raised up an unlikely deliverer to rescue them and demonstrate His power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n David knew that God had chosen Israel as His special possession. He also knew that God is jealous. While He would not tolerate Israel\u2019s divided affections, neither would He suffer insult to His Name. Goliath may have thought he was defying Saul and Israel, but David knew that to defy Israel was to defy the God who called them. His heart burned with anger at this offense. If the lion and bear defied his<\/em> watch care, who was this outsider<\/em> to defy God\u2019s?<\/p>\n\n\n\n David was confident in God\u2019s ability<\/strong>. David didn\u2019t have an overinflated view of his military prowess. He stood no chance in a fair fight. However, he had no intention of fighting fair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And David said, \u201cThe Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.\u201d And Saul said to David, \u201cGo, and the Lord be with you!\u201d David knew that through God\u2019s power he could prevail over the giant. Just as this young man had no business killing lions and bears with his simple shepherd weapons, he was a fool to run up to this battle hardened giant, wielding a sling and a stone. Except for one thing: David knew that the hand of the Lord was upon him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Samuel had secretly anointed David as the next king of Israel. Perhaps when he killed lions and bears he had felt the Spirit of the Lord on him (as Samson did); we don\u2019t know. What we do know is that David walked in the assurance that God would accomplish his purposes. Eventually that purpose was for David to become king, but right now God wanted to defeat the Philistines to the glory of His Name (Ps 76:7).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The rest, as they say, is history. David struck down Goliath and cut off his head with his own massive sword. The army of Israel routed the Philistines and David\u2019s ascension began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What are the lessons we should take away from this story? There are some do\u2019s and some don\u2019ts that come to mind:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether you win or lose, live or die (Dan 3:15-18), exalt God above all things. And who knows? You just might see a giant fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
\n1 Samuel 17:36<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n1 Samuel 17:37<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n