Bible Stories part 1: David and Goliath

Hello everyone.

I’ve decided to begin a new series where I share Bible stories from the Bible while exploring the deeper meanings found in these stories.

Many of us who grew up in church have heard many stories from the Bible, but as children we don’t always see all that God is trying to teach us from these stories. Revisiting these stories as adults gives us the opportunity to begin to perceive deeper lessons that God has embedded in them. For those who have never heard these Bible stories, you are cordially invited on this journey with us as well.

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The story of David and Goliath is found in 1 Samuel 17. In a nutshell, the Philistines and the Israelites were at war. The Philistines had a champion named Goliath who was extraordinary tall and who was also intimidating. He was challenging anyone to come and fight with him.

Some of the men who had gone to battle along with Saul, the king of Israel, were three sons of a man named Jesse. These sons’ names were Eliab, Abinadab, and Shammah. Jesse had more sons- the youngest of which was named David.

Jesse sent David to bring food for his brothers. During this visit, David witnessed Goliath challenging the men of Israel. The men of Israel were afraid of Goliath, and they fled at his approach. David, however, did not express fear. He was disturbed that Goliath should be reproaching God’s people, and he had courage that God could use him to defeat this foe of the nation.

Word came to Saul, the king of Israel, of David’s offer to confront Goliath, and Saul summoned for David. Initially, Saul warned David that he (David) would not be able to go against Goliath due to his youth and inexperience and Goliath being an experienced warrior from the time of his youth. But David shared how God had enabled him to defend sheep from both a lion and a bear (He killed both the lion and the bear) and expressed that the same God who gave him the ability to slay both of these animals would give him the ability to slay the Philistine.

Upon hearing this from David, Saul allowed David to go and answer Goliath’s challenge. Saul provided David with his own armor, but David ended up declining to use it, deciding instead to use the armor with which he was familiar: his faith in God and a sling that held stones in it.

When Goliath first saw David, he disdained him because he was so young, and because of his rudimentary weapon. But David was unfazed by this and carried himself with a boldness and confidence that was the result of his deep faith in God.

As unlikely as it would seem, David emerged conqueror, knocking Goliath down with stone and sling and decapitating him with his own (Goliath’s) sword.

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This account, simultaneously disturbing and inspiring, is an account that can provide us insights on how to successfully engage in spiritual warfare: something that everyone of us must engage in in our personal lives.

The truth is that God wants us to trust in His power and strength and not in our own power and strength.

“For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

That no flesh should glory in his presence.

But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 (KJV)

David was a youth. He was not an experienced warrior, but he had a personal experience with God. He had seen God help him deliver sheep from a lion and from a bear.

David would not fight in King Saul’s armor because “he had not proved it”. (1 Samuel 17:38-39) Could it be that one of the reasons why we are not victorious in battles in our individual spiritual lives is that we are fighting in other people’s armor? Are we relying on our pastors’ or other Christian people’s walks with God to sustain us in our own?

“Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.” Ezekiel 14:10 (KJV)

We cannot win battles in other people’s spiritual armor. We can glean encouragement and inspiration from the Christian walks of others, but in order to gain spiritual victories in our own lives, we must have our own, personal walks with God.

When we go to face the Goliaths in our lives (and each of us may know just what that Goliath is, and if not, we can ask God to show us), we may go, standing in confidence that God will fight for us.

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ…” 2 Corinthians 10:3-7 (KJV)

So, let us go forth, surrendering ourselves to God (confessing our sins as God reveals them to us and agreeing to live our lives in obedience to God, trusting that His ways are truly for our best good) and cooperating with God (obeying Him: studying His Word-the Bible, listening to His promptings on our hearts, and making the decisions that He guides us to make).

Weak as we are, vulnerable as we may feel, a humble stone and sling overshadowed by the power of God is a mighty weapon. Here is my appeal to each of us, (myself included) individually:

Bring your flickering faith, your doubt and your fears to Jesus. Tell Him all about them. Cling to Him and go forth with Him to fight the Goliaths in your life. Jesus can conquer the Goliaths of fear, pride, gossip, impatience, greed, malice, evil-surmising, lust etc. There is no Goliath too big for Him, and there is no flickering stone of faith so small that He cannot take hold of it and grow it into a strong faith. Bring your little ounces of faith, your small stones, and place them into the sling of your will. Say that you will trust and obey God. Then sling that little stone of faith-hard and far! Choose to believe God and choose to do what He asks you to do. Jesus will rise up and unite His strength with your weakness, and the Goliaths in your life will be defeated.

I’m preaching to myself as well as to anyone who will listen and honestly allow God to work in your life: I believe that God is going to give us victory over the Goliaths in our lives. The intimidating giants in our lives, the ones that rule us and keep us from living in the victory that Jesus has for us, will be defeated by the power of God.

If you are willing to allow God to overcome all of the Goliaths in your life too, I invite you to join me in prayer.

Dear Heavenly Father,

We come to You confessing our sins. We thank You that You have promised to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

We ask that You increase our faith and help us to trust in You. We ask that You give us victory over every sin in our lives. If you could help David to defeat Goliath with a stone and sling, there is nothing that needs defeating in our spiritual walks that You cannot defeat. Please give us the faith and the strength and the resolve to surrender all to You and to cooperate with You as You work in our lives.

We thank You that You hear and answer every prayer that is in accordance with Your will. (1 John 5:14)

Thank you, Lord.

In Jesus’ Name Amen