Monday November 28, 2022
Do you remember as a child hearing and reading the story of David and Goliath from the Bible? Maybe you had a book at home and read it, or maybe you went to church and they told you the story of David and Goliath. How brave David was and even though it seemed impossible to take on this huge giant, little David who was but a boy killed that awful giant who threatened His people. All the grown men in the military were afraid of the giant Goliath, but David said I’ll take him on.
Battle Scene (1 Sam. 17:1-3) Goliath Challenges the Israelites
17 The Philistines now mustered their army for battle and camped between Socoh in Judah and Azekah at Ephes-dammim. 2 Saul countered by gathering his Israelite troops near the valley of Elah. 3 So the Philistines and Israelites faced each other on opposite hills, with the valley between them.
Have you ever been threatened by something that could destroy your life, your livelihood, your family, your health, and so on? Of course, in our life come challenges. Maybe not a full blown Goliath battle, but a battle we must face in life.
So first we must be able to envision what is going on with this young man named David, and this giant of a man Goliath. You have two mountains in play here. One is where the Israelites are, and the other is where the philistines are. They have come to battle. One size has ordinary size men, while the other side (intimidating has huge giants). However, only one, at this time is out there to take on whoever will come and fight him. There are no takers at first.
1 Samuel 17:4-11…4 Then Goliath, a Philistine champion from Gath, came out of the Philistine ranks to face the forces of Israel. He was over nine feet[a] tall! 5 He wore a bronze helmet, and his bronze coat of mail weighed 125 pounds.[b] 6 He also wore bronze leg armor, and he carried a bronze javelin on his shoulder. 7 The shaft of his spear was as heavy and thick as a weaver’s beam, tipped with an iron spearhead that weighed 15 pounds.[c] His armor bearer walked ahead of him carrying a shield.8 Goliath stood and shouted a taunt across to the Israelites. “Why are you all coming out to fight?” he called. “I am the Philistine champion, but you are only the servants of Saul. Choose one man to come down here and fight me! 9 If he kills me, then we will be your slaves. But if I kill him, you will be our slaves! 10 I defy the armies of Israel today! Send me a man who will fight me!” 11 When Saul and the Israelites heard this, they were terrified and deeply shaken.
Now think about that scene. It must have been terrifying to the army of Saul. No one wanted to go out there because to do so…they knew they most likely would not return. David had brothers who were in the army of Saul out there, and Jesse who was David’s dad sent him to the battle ground. Not to fight but to take some food out to his brothers on the battle field, and return back and tell them how they are doing. David was obedient and went as his Dad asked him to do.
Samuel 17:12-58 Now David was the son of a man named Jesse, an Ephrathite from Bethlehem in the land of Judah. Jesse was an old man at that time, and he had eight sons. 13 Jesse’s three oldest sons—Eliab, Abinadab, and Shimea[d]—had already joined Saul’s army to fight the Philistines. 14 David was the youngest son. David’s three oldest brothers stayed with Saul’s army, 15 but David went back and forth so he could help his father with the sheep in Bethlehem.16 For forty days, every morning and evening, the Philistine champion strutted in front of the Israelite army.17 One day Jesse said to David, “Take this basket[e] of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread, and carry them quickly to your brothers. 18 And give these ten cuts of cheese to their captain. See how your brothers are getting along, and bring back a report on how they are doing.[f]” 19 David’s brothers were with Saul and the Israelite army at the valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.20 So David left the sheep with another shepherd and set out early the next morning with the gifts, as Jesse had directed him. He arrived at the camp just as the Israelite army was leaving for the battlefield with shouts and battle cries. 21 Soon the Israelite and Philistine forces stood facing each other, army against army. 22 David left his things with the keeper of supplies and hurried out to the ranks to greet his brothers. 23 As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, came out from the Philistine ranks. Then David heard him shout his usual taunt to the army of Israel.24 As soon as the Israelite army saw him, they began to run away in fright. 25 “Have you seen the giant?” the men asked. “He comes out each day to defy Israel. The king has offered a huge reward to anyone who kills him. He will give that man one of his daughters for a wife, and the man’s entire family will be exempted from paying taxes!” 26 David asked the soldiers standing nearby, “What will a man get for killing this Philistine and ending his defiance of Israel? Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?” 27 And these men gave David the same reply. They said, “Yes, that is the reward for killing him.” 28 But when David’s oldest brother, Eliab, heard David talking to the men, he was angry. “What are you doing around here anyway?” he demanded. “What about those few sheep you’re supposed to be taking care of? I know about your pride and deceit. You just want to see the battle!” 29 “What have I done now?” David replied. “I was only asking a question!” 30 He walked over to some others and asked them the same thing and received the same answer. 31 Then David’s question was reported to King him!”33 “Don’t be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There’s no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You’re only a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.”34 But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, 35 I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. 36 I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! 37 The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!”Saul finally consented. “All right, go ahead,” he said. “And may the Lord be with you!”38 Then Saul gave David his own armor—a bronze helmet and a coat of mail. 39 David put it on, strapped the sword over it, and took a step or two to see what it was like, for he had never worn such things before.“ I can’t go in these,” he protested to Saul. “I’m not used to them.” So David took them off again. 40 He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd’s bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he started across the valley to fight the Philistine.41 Goliath walked out toward David with his shield bearer ahead of him, 42 sneering in contempt at this ruddy-faced boy. 43 “Am I a dog,” he roared at David, “that you come at me with a stick?” And he cursed David by the names of his gods. 44 “Come over here, and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and wild animals!” Goliath yelled.45 David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! 47 And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!” 48 As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him. 49 Reaching into his shepherd’s bag and taking out a stone, he hurled it with his sling and hit the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank in, and Goliath stumbled and fell face down on the ground.50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with only a sling and a stone, for he had no sword. 51 Then David ran over and pulled Goliath’s sword from its sheath. David used it to kill him and cut off his head. Israel Routs the Philistines When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they turned and ran. 52 Then the men of Israel and Judah gave a great shout of triumph and rushed after the Philistines, chasing them as far as Gath[g] and the gates of Ekron. The bodies of the dead and wounded Philistines were strewn all along the road from Shaaraim, as far as Gath and Ekron. 53 Then the Israelite army returned and plundered the deserted Philistine camp. 54 (David took the Philistine’s head to Jerusalem, but he stored the man’s armor in his own tent.) 55 As Saul watched David go out to fight the Philistine, he asked Abner, the commander of his army, “Abner, whose son is this young man?” “I really don’t know,” Abner declared. 56 “Well, find out who he is!” the king told him. 57 As soon as David returned from killing Goliath, Abner brought him to Saul with the Philistine’s head still in his hand. 58 “Tell me about your father, young man,” Saul said. And David replied, “His name is Jesse, and we live in Bethlehem.”
Okay, so why list all of the story regarding Daivd and Goliath. First it is an amazing story, and second it took this young man with courage who fought the giant and won. He did what the army of Saul was afraid to do. As the others in the army shivered in fear…in comes David, but a kid, to the very rescue of a nation. Well, we can be like a David as well. We might not have to face a physical giant, but our giants in life are just as real to us.
It is said that this Giant Goliath was a 9 ½ fee tall. I don’t know about you but I am short and he was big…and I would not want to fight him. In fact, Goliath was the champion warrior of the Philistine camp. Pretty impressive considering they were giants. Most likely he got that title of champion with the Philistines because he had taken on many and won.
Take another look at what Goliath was looking like to the army of Saul. We have a lot of physical equipment in our day to protect our soldiers as much as we can, but Goliath was covered with the best armor of the day. I don’t know about you but I can’t lift a 148 pounds of armor let alone put it on and even get up. It is said that Goliath had a shield that was carried by one of the Philistines and his spear weighed 17 pounds. 1 Samuel 17:8-11. Huge. I’d rather wear what our modern day military or swat teams wear to protect me, at least I could most likely stand up. Then I think of our modern day military and what and how much they have to carry into battle and still be able to fight. It’s crazy what they carry.
Well Goliath goes out and he challenges the Israelites. Goliath thought they would send out their biggest and best fighter. But what happened was that these men feared this giant. Some would call them cowards, but were they? They must have felt and known that they could not win, and if they went out it was curtains for them. No one wants to die, and I doubt anyone wanted to fight the champion of the giants.
Well, then little David shows up in the camp. What must he have thought when we heard this Goliath roaring and heard what he said. David might have been a boy, but he felt someone should go take care of Goliath.
David went and greeted his brothers, but then heard that Goliath came forth for the last 40 days…and told them to send someone to fight him.
The people tell Daivd that Saul has offered his daughter in marriage and wealth to anyone who can defeat Goliath. That must have been a very tempting offer to anyone in Saul’s army the thought to get rich and to marry the kings daughter. They also must have had some pretty big guys in Saul’s army as well (not giants but big)…yet they didn’t come forward.
David Volunteers to Fight Goliath Whoa! This little David offers to go and fight the giant Goliath. To most everyone that looked totally ridiculous. He wasn’t in the military, he took care of sheep, and he offered to take on the giant. He didn’t cower down at all. In fact David said that Goliath would end up like this lion and bear which he had taken on prior. David was actually saying that Goliath defied the armies of the living God.
Well David sees Saul and Saul wants to put his own armor on little David. But it was too much for David. It wouldn’t let him move around. David said no to the armor. David took his staff, a sling, and five smooth stones he had gathered from the brook in the Valley of Elah. What? A sling shot and 5 little stones. What would that do to the great and mighty Goliath? David goes to meet Goliath, and when Goliath saw David he must have thought this is some type of joke. Can you even imagine what the champion Goliath was thinking to himself for real.
David was not fighting for himself. David took on this job of killing Goliath and was actually fighting for the Lord. He was on Team God! He didn’t need to fear Goliath when God had his back. David looked around at how Israel was afraid to confront the giant Goliath. David could see how big and scary this giant was. David saw that no one else would deal with the giant, and David saw just how big Goliath was…But David knew that He was serving God and that however it would happen that God had David’s back in this. So he was the one who would confront the giant. David knew that Goliath had defied the army of God and the army of Saul and knew Goliath needed taken down.
David didn’t mosey on out to the battle field as some probably would have. David ran to the fight. Not everyone who fights battles runs onto a battle field in life. Some fight in different ways. We don’t all fight physical battles either. We have all kinds of battles in our lifetime. Some not so bad, but some can devastate us.
Story regarding Joseph in the Bible. Joseph stood his ground for the Lord against Potiphar’s wife who day after day tried to get Joseph to sleep with her. Joseph said, “How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God” (Gen. 39:9). Potiphar’s wife made up a story about Joseph and Joseph was arrested and tossed into prison for something he did not do. Joseph was punished for a while for a crime he had not committed. Yet he stood up for right over evil and won.
John the Baptist lost his life fighting for truth and morality while alive. Matthew 14
Peter & John in Acts 4 and 5 fought for the Lord even though the Sanhedrin warned them not to. They were persecuted for standing up but they still stood up.
So now we are to us. We need to fight for the Lord just like these great men of the past have done. We need to be a David when things are hard and we see no way out. When life looks glim and scary don’t back off, but stand your ground in the Lord. We, as others throughout times, have gone through great hardships (like Job for one) we still need to stand up and do right. Many throughout the Bible and even since that times have been stoned, tortured, imprisoned, and suffered death. Yet…they did what was right and they will have their reward in heaven. Life is just a speck (if even that) compared to eternity. The things we face in this life might feel like a weight we can’t possibly bear, but looking to what Jesus has offered us can get us through anything. We need to be like David who fought for the Lord — even when no one else would. He had God and he had five little stones he went into battle with. What do we have to fight with in our battle? We can pray and ask God to help us in some way, but also know this that God doesn’t always remove our battles. There are many He lets us go through. Even if we don’t always understand that God has a reason for everything, and He will still walk our path with us.
How do we do that? We put our trust in the Lord and we hang onto Him no matter what we hear or see in this life. Be willing to go the distance with God. I can tell you that, in my lifetime, I have had some really scary battles happen…but I can tell you that no matter what did happen…I could always trust in God to go the distance with me and to get me through the pain or whatever it was. To be honest, there were a few, that I questioned God as to why this was happening. Our God is amazing. He deeply loves us and even when we don’t understand it all God is right there with and for us to help us make it through the storms of life.
We need to trust God in every situation over whatever man tosses our way. God doesn’t lie, cheat, defraud, deceive, kill, slander or anything bad…we can trust Him. Mankind lets us down every day. Just look around at the world and what is going on. Evil is all around us. We all need to take on a David attitude and a love for the Lord attitude. We need to go to war with the enemy and be prepared. Pray, read the word, consult God, and never give up. Stand on God’s word no matter the situations in your life.
Think on this. David knew he was going to fight Goliath. He knew that God was with Him….yet, he still went into battle prepared. Maybe not in the same way someone today would, but he knew his limits and what he could work with. David still went and got some stones (what he knew to fight with). Now think on this as well… God was David’s armor bearer, yet David had to get prepared for battle. We all have a part to play in the battles of life. We do what we can with what we can. Next, we need to learn to put on the armor of God. Read Ephesians 6:13-17. Don’t go into battle without the armor of God on you. So what are some of the things you will need to fight?
The Goliaths of sin? The Goliaths of false doctrine? The Goliaths of indifference? What are you willing to be victorious about? There are many things we can stand up for that we see go against God’s ways.
This world is truly evil and devil is out in force. He will do whatever he can to destroy us, our family, our way of life, and wants us to doubt God and give up on God. Don’t do that.
There are also those things in life that hinder us, cause us pain as well in life. Marriage, kids, jobs, finances, health, and so on. They are worth fighting in a spiritual battle. We don’t have to go out and hurt people we can fight our battles with God on our side. Sometimes are battles in life might be physical…but never go into battle without God on your side. He knows how to open and close doors. He knows how to put people into our life and to remove those that need removed. Our God is great. We can make it into the promise land and we can stand on God’s word and do right in the process. You hang in there. You be the one not scared to fight the right battles of life. Take God’s word with you because in these last days you will need it more and more.
Now, may the Lord bless you, keep you, provide for your needs, heal your body, take care of your family, may your finances take care of your bills, may your friends be true friends, and may you know and trust Jesus more and more each day.
God bless you!