The story of David and Goliath begins with a giant problem. It wasn’t the 9ft Philistine; it was bigger than that. The Philistines were encamped in Israel’s land and had lived there for some time. During Saul’s reign they attempted to swallow up Israel–to defeat, annihilate, and take the land for their own. The people of Israel, sandwiched between their enemies, were in a constant state of territorial flux. The land next to the Mediterranean and on the other side of the Jordan had been possessed by the nations Joshua had warned Israel to drive out (Joshua 23:11-13ESV). The people of God were surrounded by their enemies, which is not surprising when one thinks about the godlessness within. They’d surrounded their souls by making marriages with those idolatrous people for years. Theirs was a long, sordid development of immorality that choked out their love for God. The Israelites claimed God as their king while they gradually refused to obey Him. The book of the Judges overflows with wrong step after wrong step in which God sends deliverer after deliverer to pull them out of their sinful mire. Their heart-sickness became the impetus that determined them to have a physical king. They refused to be God’s subjects, and so He gave them what they thought they wanted. He gave them Saul.
Saul depicts the state of Israel. He looked exactly like a king should look, but, inside, his heart wavered. His faithlessness caused him to cower both before the will of the people and when faced with the Philistine champion. In champion warfare, the losing opponent symbolizes the weakness of the nation and its king. Goliath’s challenge and his words mocked God, the true King of Israel. Goliath was telling God’s people, “Give me your finest warrior, and I will prove to you my king is greater than your King.” By doing nothing, Saul and his army revealed their true belief: they did not believe Jehovah could conquer the Philistines. Their hearts faltered when they had to rely on God to rescue them. To them, God was a stranger instead of the mighty King whose heavenly host would deliver them.
One young man saw God as He truly is to His people. David’s faith changed the entire course of a battle, and, later, the course of Israel’s history! God gave him many gifts–David was talented and skilled–but his finest achievement is found in the decision he made in his heart. At some point early in his life he chose to seek first what God wanted him to do. The trial with Goliath gives the reader her first glimpse of David’s absolute trust in God. When there was no man willing to confront the champion of the Philistines, David did what was right, regardless of the fear in the hearts surrounding him.
The tragic truth of David’s stand, though, is the lack of support he experienced when revealing his faithfulness to God. His own people actually attempted to deter him from doing what was right. This tragedy is seen in his brother’s disparaging remarks. Eliab became angry with David for standing with God and ridiculed his resolve among his peers by denouncing the intentions of David’s heart. To paraphrase, he says, “Why aren’t you with your piddlin’ little flock of sheep? I know your pride and your real motive is all about you; you just want to see what’s happening at the front (1 Samuel 17:28ESV).” Eliab shot arrows straight to David’s core. Sometimes it’s true that Christians are motivated by gain or prestige, and this is very wrong (1 Samuel 8:3; Acts 8:18-23; Titus 1:11ESV). And, yes, a believer is expected to examine her heart and question her true intent (2 Corinthians 13:5ESV). Am I doing this because of my pride? Is my heart really in it for me, not God? DO I have a piddlin’ little job, and I want make myself look better? Yet, these doubts should never deter a Christian woman from speaking what is right.
David wasn’t deterred from standing with God. David was flawed, but pride and conceit weren’t the motivations for his decision to fight for God. God knew that, and that’s why David’s words made it straight to Saul’s ears. Sadly, even the king of Israel, the one considered the shepherd of the people, tried to dissuade David from standing with God. He tells David, “You’re not able (1 Samuel 17:33ESV)” and “You’re too young, and [Goliath] is too well-trained (1 Samuel 17:33 paraphrased).” Who decides one’s ability to serve God? Certainly not a faithless leader. And when it comes to training and evenly-matched confrontations, it is evident throughout history recorded by God that a believer’s battles in life will not be “fair.” Far and away, there are too many examples of godly people in powerless and humbled circumstances whom God raised up to conquer the circumstances. And they win the battle. They win! For this reason perceived inability should never keep one from standing up when her obedience to God is challenged.
David responded to Saul’s doubts by recounting his life-endangering experiences–which were not related to champion warfare at all. David had wrestled with mighty animals. He had not been trained in military tactics, but he had been trained to trust in God to deliver him. David was a warrior on a different battlefield; he was battling godlessness. He was battling the heartsickness in his own brethren.
Saul didn’t see David’s true qualifications as God’s warrior, and this is exemplified when Saul arms David with his own kingly armor. Saul’s armor would only hamper David from his task, so David left it behind. He went out to meet Goliath without it. In the same way, when we fight for God, it requires the armor God gives us rather than the armor the world tells us we need to have. The world’s armor comes in all varieties. It is unfit armor; yet we let the world’s advice seep into our hearts, and it’s found in our actions. The world tells us that we need to be Hebrew or Greek scholars to defend the truth. Is that what is required by God to rightly handle the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15)? Yet, teachers begin their classes with disclaimers, such as, “I don’t have a PhD in (fill-in-the-blank).” What is a PhD? Could it be the world’s armor? It is something we’ve been told is necessary to serve the Lord and fight for the truth? There is nothing wrong with schools of study, but are we being convinced by Sauls to believe we aren’t able? I’m not well-trained. I need the armor of an esteemed university to be considered for this battle. What about a following? Do we need to cultivate our sisters’ esteem, seeking out the well-known names, to show ourselves approved unto God (2 Timothy 2:15)? O, my sister, I think this is not the armor God is holding out to us at all. He grants a greater strength than peer approval.
To rightly discern good from evil takes practice that God provides. If my sister thinks my stand for the truth is a means of self-gain or promotion, I must examine my heart with the intent to obey God. If my sister thinks I am not qualified, I mustn’t allow another’s doubts to quiet my mouth from speaking what God’s word teaches. The Adversary can use these doubts to convict the tender heart of a crime that hasn’t been committed and convince the believer to back down. When we face the giant of faithlessness among God’s people, when we see fear rise in place of courage in the eyes of our sisters when sin confronts them, then it is time to stand and say, “Don’t lose heart (1 Samuel 17:32). The Lord saves not with sword and spear (worldly defense). For the battle is the Lord‘s (1 Samuel 17:45).” God always wins. There is no giant that God won’t conquer when His children stand in the knowledge that He will triumph.
This was very encouraging to me. So glad I checked this site to see if there was something I had not read and found this.
I’m glad you checked it, too! I appreciate your uplifting comments!