1 Samuel 17
The Philistines again march out to face Israel, this time in the land of Judah, not far from David’s home. A 9’ champion warrior named Goliath taunts the Israelites as the two armies were camped on differing sides of a valley. No Israeli soldier was bold enough to face this massive warrior, so for 40 days he came out and boasted defiance against Israel and our God. Behold, the boy David, from experience fighting bears and lions, feels confident in defeating this Philistine saying he is no different than the beasts he had fought before. One blow to the face with a stone launched by David’s sling takes down Goliath. He cuts off Goliath’s head with his own sword, the Philistines flee, and the Israelites chase them all the way back to the Philistine city of Gath.
One of the most renowned moments in the Bible, or at least in the Old Testament, comes in just 3 verses out of a 58 verse chapter. Especially for people with church backgrounds, this chapter has a tendency to expose a weakness in our ability to read the Bible and interpret scripture accurately. Why? As best stated by Matt Chandler back in 2012, we are not David, and our problems are not Goliath. So, instead of talking about how we read ourselves into the Bible, and how we want to be the hero (though this is a worthy conversation to have), let’s dive into David’s heart, and better yet, be refreshed by the goodness of God’s provision and faithfulness.
From reading Chapter 16, we know why God chooses David to be anointed as Saul’s successor, because God wants someone who is after His own heart. David immediately shows himself to be faithful through this chapter. He is serving his father and shepherding the flock diligently. When David gets to the battle lines, not to fight, but to bring food to his brothers, he hears Goliaths defiance and this is what frustrates him. Notice, by the time David finds himself in front of Goliath, he does not boast in the other beasts he had killed, nor his amazing accuracy with a sling, no. Instead…
“David Said to the Philistine: ‘You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, 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 I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel’” (v.45-47).
David’s primary concern is the name of God and His glory. His outpouring of the motivation held in his heart comes not as a threat but a promise fulfilled just a few moments later. If we are thinking about God’s promises for our lives, and the enemy’s attempts to thwart and distract and cause us to stray, there is a lot to learn for us here, especially when we consider Christ. Furthermore, Jesus is the greater David. If David’s conquering of Goliath is for God’s name to be made known, than how much more should we worship the Lord for His victory over the grave, something no one could, has, or will ever do again.
So, what do we do about all this? If we are going to put ourselves anywhere in the story, we are more like the Israelite soldiers than anything else. After David defeats Goliath, the Israelites rout the Philistines, slaying them and plundering their camp. Our battle now is not against flesh and blood of course, but of the soul. We go and spread the name of Jesus. Notice here, the motivation does not change. Its for God’s name to be made known and His grace to be gloried in (Eph. 3-6).
Questions to mediate on and consider:
Is your motivation God’s glory, or is it other, fleshly desires?
Know that Saul offered a hefty reward for any solider who went out and defeated goliath, but was not motivation enough for them nor will it be for us.
Does thinking about the implications of God’s grace spur you on to deeper faithfulness and share His victory with others?
