In re-reading the story of David and Goliath, I noticed a few things that I had never paid attention to before and was reminded of several that had already been impressed upon me. There is so much to learn here that I will just hit a few high spots. As always, I will take liberties with adding capital H where I want to, using underlining, ad libbing at will, etc.
The first thing that hit me this time was in the very first verse of 1 Samuel 17 where we get the information that the Philistines were gathered in a particular area that belonged to Judah. How many times has our enemy encroached where he doesn't belong, in the lives of people who belong to God? We have all learned about the Holy Spirit being a gentleman, who doesn't force Himself on anyone but waits for an invitation. Satan has no such manners; he pushes his way in wherever he can.
In verses 4-7, there is a description of the Philistines' champion, Goliath, a giant of a man at about 9 feet, 9 inches tall who wore a bronze coat of mail weighing about 125 pounds. This enemy would shout the same message to the armies of Israel every day: "Why do you even bother coming out to line up for battle? You guys are nothing but the servants of Saul. If there's anyone amongst you who can defeat me, you will have all the Philistines as your servants, but if I kill your champion, you will be our servants."
I also found it interesting that the Israelite army continued day after day "going out to the fight and shouting for the battle" (verse 20). They were making all the right moves and the right noises. But for the past 40 days, morning and evening, they had heard Goliath yell this same message, and "Saul and all Israel...were dismayed and greatly afraid" and no one made a move. In our lives, we may be going through the motions that we think are required of us, but our enemy comes and yells derisively about our certain failure, our complete inadequacy, and we become "dismayed and greatly afraid" too.
Then David was sent by his father to check out how the battle was going, and he heard this challenge almost as soon as he arrived. He had a completely different response than all the others. He didn't see the men of Israel as just "servants of Saul" but they were "the armies of the living God" (verse 26). And, yes, Goliath was a Philistine and a giant, but so what? He was nothing more than an uncircumcised heathen who had no connection with, no promises from, no knowledge of and no covenant with this one true God. David knew that he had all those, as we also do today.
When he was presented to King Saul as one who was willing to go face the giant, his confident words were, "Don't let anyone's heart fail for fear of him; I'm your man; I'll go fight him." Saul's immediate reaction was discouraging: "You are not able" (verses32, 33). Again, how often do we hear that about ourselves...you are not able!
But David persisted. In minding his father's sheep, David had had the experience of killing both a lion and a bear when they came to attack the flock. He knew where his help had come from and where it would come from now: "The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." It often builds our faith to look back and "see what the Lord has done" in our lives.
Saul's armour and sword didn't work for David, didn't fit him, and he wasn't used to them. So he went with what he knew. He took his familiar sling, and chose 5 smooth stones. Those who attach significance to the numbers in the Bible will tell you that 5 is the number of grace. So David went with the grace of God. If you have Scriptures that have been your strength and foundation in the past, keep on using them. They are your familiar weapons. They don't get old and don't wear out. They are your "two-edged sword" and you can keep adding to your stock of weapons. And the grace of God is always sufficient for every day and every situation.
Again, David faced words of derision and discouragement as he ran out to meet the foe. Goliath looked at him with disdain. He promised to give David's flesh to "the birds of the air and the beasts of the field". He cursed David by his gods, which, of course, meant nothing since his gods were totally powerless. David knew that his God was the One who had power. Notice that David ran to meet him. No hesitation.
David's positive, confident words have always stirred me here. He is so absolutely sure of victory! "You come to me with a sword, with a spear and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day, the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all the assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's, and He will give you into our hands."
We all know that David did indeed kill the giant. There is such victory in speaking words of faith, words of confidence in the outcome even before it is evident.
So may I encourage you to stand up against the enemy who invades. He roars like a lion and seeks whom he may devour. Don't allow it. Don't let the roar make you "dismayed and greatly afraid". Recognize that you have a covenant with the ever-living, all-powerful God. You have seen Him do good things for you in the past, and He isn't about to fail you now. Though words of discouragement, derision and disdain reach your ears, don't let them into your heart. Stand on the promises that have never failed and won't fail now. And speak the end result you are believing for and not the mess you see right now. Use your sling and your 5 smooth stones of the grace Jesus bought and paid for and expect the victory. And your Goliath is definitely going to fall.
