David and Goliath

I would like to share with you a sermon from Doug Hamilton, preacher at the Junction City Church of Christ, Junction City, KS.

SR: … be imitators…, Hebrews 6:9-12 (ESV): …, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation. ¹⁰ For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. ¹¹ And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, ¹² so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

David and Goliath: Never Be Intimidated

By Doug Hamilton, Junction City Church of Christ, Junction City, KS
Doug Hamilton Video link

1 Samuel 17:1-3,: Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle; and they were gathered at Socoh which belongs to Judah, and they camped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. ² And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered, and camped in the valley of Elah, and drew up in battle array to encounter the Philistines. ³ And the Philistines stood on the mountain on one side while Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with the valley between them.

{SR - Like a gigantic natural stadium, DH ~ The two armies on the two mountains had a spectacular view of the valley field between them, where the Philistines and Israel gathered for battle.}

Life in this world can be intimidating

[This] was yet another Israeli standoff with the Philistines. On one side of the valley, the entire army of Israel and the opposing forces on the other. This practice of a [duelling] standoff is a common technique in ancient warfare with the intention of being intimidat[ing]. Sometimes it would last for weeks, with the hope that one of the armies would back down [without fighting].

Life for us down here on earth can also be intimidating, not necessarily with opposing earthly armies, but with spiritual forces in opposition to God.

2 Corinthians 10:3-4,: "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, ⁴ for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses."

[DH - We are in a spiritual war, Some days] it seems that we can look across the valley of life and see the enemies of God taunting & intimidating [us], while we’re just trying to make ends meet, [or deal with] personal health issues, [or inflation, or any number of different things]. Sometimes [Satan] just taunts us and [life] can be quite intimidating.

Goliath Intimidates the Army of Israel

1 Samuel 17:4-11,: Then a champion came out from the armies of the Philistines named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span [9.5 feet]. ⁵ And {he had} a bronze helmet on his head, and he was clothed with scale-armor [coat of mail (ESV)] which weighed five thousand shekels of bronze [125 lbs]. ⁶ {He} also {had} bronze greaves [shin armor] on his legs and a bronze javelin {slung} between his shoulders. ⁷ And the shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam [2-2.5" dia shaft], and the head of his spear {weighed} six hundred shekels of iron [15 lbs]; his shield-carrier also walked before him. ⁸ And he stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, and said to them, "Why do you come out to draw up in battle array? Am I not the Philistine and you servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves and let him come down to me. ⁹ "If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will become your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall become our servants and serve us." ¹⁰ Again the Philistine said, "I defy the ranks of Israel this day; give me a man that we may fight together." ¹¹ When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.

Do no be intimidated!

Goliath was an intimidating opponent. He was 9 1/2 feet tall {six cubits and a span, DH - You might be saying, "Well, wait a minute, people don’t grow that big. You can’t trust the Bible." Did you know that in Kirkuk, Iraq in 2012, archeologists found four graves side by side of skeletons 10 feet tall.}

[Goliath] boasted a bronze helmet atop his head [and] had over 125 pounds of armor on his body, arms and legs. The head of [his] spear weighed over 15 pounds!

{DH ~ Besides being tall he must have been muscular. To be able so wear all that armor and throw a spear who’s head weighed 15 pounds had to have some strength.}

This man would have been an intimidating force to anyone. He was committing emotional [warfare] against the people of God with his irreverent taunts.

Goliath tried to wear down the morale of God’s people

1 Samuel 17:12-16,: Now David was the son of the Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, whose name was Jesse, and he had eight sons. And Jesse was old in the days of Saul, advanced {in years} among men. ¹³ And the three older sons of Jesse had gone after Saul to the battle. And the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the [first-born], and the second to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. ¹⁴ And David was the youngest. Now the three oldest followed Saul, ¹⁵ but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s flock at Bethlehem. ¹⁶ And the Philistine came forward morning and evening for forty days, and took his stand.

For forty days, this giant would run his mouth in defiling the name of God. He was a prideful man, bent on terrorizing others. Nobody stood up against it, that is, until young David showed up.

David saw something and said something

1 Samuel 17:23-27,: As [David] was talking with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine from Gath named Goliath, was coming up from the army of the Philistines, and he spoke these same words; and David heard {them} ²⁴ When all the men of Israel saw the man, they fled from him and were greatly afraid. ²⁵ And the men of Israel said, "Have you seen this man who is coming up? Surely he is coming up to defy Israel. And it will be that the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father’s house free in Israel." ²⁶ Then David spoke to the men who were standing by him, saying, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine, and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God?" ²⁷ And the people answered him in accord with this word, saying, "Thus it will be done for the man who kills him."

David was not [intimidated by] Goliath’s terrorism tactics

David, who had not been present over the forty days taunting, was not intimidated by it a bit. “Who does this guy think that he is mouthing off about the living God?”

{DH - This is why we need to be very careful how much news we watch, how much media we take in, because it seeps in and it intimidates us. Newsflash: the world is horrible, get over it. The world is wicked, nasty, hateful. Don’t look at the TV and [then be surprised that we] become dismayed}

Paralyzing one into passiveness is one of the primary goals of the tormentors of the world.

{[And over time we become desensitized.] If they can get you to become passive in your Christianity, they win, that’s all you have to do[… nothing]. Just sit back in the shadows, be intimidated and shaking in your boots. Satan’s won at that point. Because Christ created us to [be] salt of the earth and [the] light of the world, [to be] proactive forces for His kingdom}

"You better not say that or you might hurt someone’s feelings." "You better not go against political-correctness or you will be silenced." "You better not say something or the world might not like you." We end up being passive through the deaths of a thousand cuts.

{That is not the freedom that Christ set us free for}

Stop being [intimidated] & desensitized!

[Even] David’s older brother was desensitized

He had been there for forty days, [fearful like the rest…] Oh man, what are we going to do? We can’t win this!

And here’s how he acted after David asks "what will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel" (vs26):

1 Samuel 17:28-30,

Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger burned against David and he said, "Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your insolence and the wickedness of your heart;…

DH: [Eliab] was belittling his younger brother David. That’s what a desensitized person does. You know behind every slight, when you say something persnickety about a brother or sister in Christ, when you do that… what does that say about you? It says you might be desensitized. That you may have taken you eyes off of what the goal and the prize [are]. That we’re all in this together. And nobody is better than anybody else and that we all must come to the,… SR:[unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God,… Eph 4:13]

Eliab continues in 1 Samuel 17:28ff: …for you have come down in order to see the battle."

Just shut up David, go tend the sheep David

²⁹ But David said, "What have I done now? Was it not just a question?"

So obviously there’s a pattern here of Eliab picking on his younger brother.

³⁰ Then [David] turned away from him to another and said the same thing; and the people answered the same thing as before.

That’s what you do to people who are desensitized. You say something and then you turn away, because if those who are desensitized start running the show everyone becomes desensitized. "A little leaven leavens the whole lump", 1 Corinthians 9:5. And the world is out there saying: "it’s scary, it’s scary, the sky is falling…" Not when you’re a Christian. The sky is going to roll back, but it’s not going to fall.

Eliab, the brother of David wanted him to give up and go home. If it were up to him, there would be no victory here. We ought also not allow the desensitized people among us to discourage us into inactivity. Do not be discouraged!

David relied on the proven-record of God

1 Samuel 17:31-37,: When the words which David spoke were heard, they told {them} to Saul, and he sent for him. ³² And David said to Saul, "Let no man’s heart fail on account of him;

{In David’s eyes, Goliath} might be big, but he’s going to fall hard… David says,

your servant will go and fight with this Philistine."

SR: Now, Saul was head and shoulders taller than other Israelites. The average height, according to the internet, of the people of that day was 5'5". If Saul was 6 1/2' he would be about 2/3 the height of Goliath, if he were 7-7.5' he would be about 3/4 the size of Goliath. Saul, the tallest Israelite, would be small compared to the giant. David is obviously even smaller. Is it any wonder then that Saul balks at the idea of David challenging Goliath?

³³ Then Saul said to David, "You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are {but} a youth while he has been a warrior from his youth."

Even Saul is desensitized. They forgot that they worship the living God. And we don’t fight our battles alone when we worship the living God.

³⁴ But David said to Saul, "Your servant was tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, ³⁵ I went out after him and attacked him, and rescued {it} from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized {him} by his beard and struck him and killed him. ³⁶ "Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God." ³⁷ And David said, "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."
And Saul said to David, "Go, and may the LORD be with you."

If anyone should have gone out to face the giant shouldn’t it have been Saul?. But Saul had a God problem. God’s Spirit had left him.

David did not base things on his opinion, but on the past-proven-track-record of [his] successes with God. We also need to see that God has saved us for a purpose and that purpose is not to be passive in our walk. Look at all that God has gotten us [already] in this life, from the moment we were born all the way until today.

Don’t give up on God, because He never gave up on you!

1 Samuel 17:38-40, Even Saul was desensitized

1 Samuel 17:38-40,: Then Saul clothed David with his garments and put a bronze helmet on his head, and he clothed him with armor. ³⁹ And David girded his sword over his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested {them.} So David said to Saul, "I cannot go with these, for I have not tested {them}" And David took them off.

Saul offers David the conventional thinking (of the time) on how to do battle, i.e. you wear this (heavy) gear and you do battle with sword & spear. David says, I can’t go with these, because I have not tested them. [They are not his tools, not his weapons.] David had already said God passed the test with me. I’ve seen what God can do, I know what God can do and God is not going to be defined. But this stuff, this isn’t tested with me. But what DID he do? In essence, he says, I’ll do battle with tools I’ve used & tested.

⁴⁰ And he took his stick in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd’s bag which he had, even in {his} pouch, and his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine.

Go back to the basics!

As Christians, we possess everything we need to face the giants of this life. You have the gospel. You have the Bible. You have each other. You have salvation. You have faith! Take the bully down.

David had a five-stone faith Have you ever wondered why David picked up five stones?

If David was a man of faith in God, why did he pick up five stones to kill Goliath the giant? If he truly believed in the power of God, he would have only needed one stone to do the job.

Are you going to miss two or three? God won’t guide your stone? Do you lack the confidence?

No he’s MORE confident
Perhaps this was because of the other four well-known [descendants] of the giant, (2 Sam 21:15-22 see below). As happens in contests your family gets behind you and Goliath had four other relatives that were there. They were:

Four [Descendants] of the Giant

Ishbi-benob -had a spear of bronze that weighed 7 1/2 pounds and a new sword
Saph -simply a descendent of the giant
Goliath Jr [or brother] -He also had a spear like a weavers beam. Killed by Elkannah
Six-fingers / Six-toes -killed by Jonathon the son of Shimei

David had five stones with the intent of taking down ALL FIVE GIANTS!!!!!
David didn’t have a 1 for 1 God, he was trusting in a 5 for 5 Father of heaven.

David stood up against Goliath

1 Samuel 17:45-47,: Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, a spear, and 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 taunted. ⁴⁶ "This day the LORD will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, ⁴⁷ and that all this assembly may know that the LORD does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the LORD’S and He will give you into our hands."

David was not intimidated and no coward.

1 Samuel 17:48-51,: Then it happened when the Philistine rose and came and drew near to meet David, that David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. ⁴⁹ And David put his hand into his bag and took from it a stone and slung {it} and struck the Philistine on his forehead. And the stone sank into his forehead, so that he fell on his face to the ground. ⁵⁰ Thus David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and he struck the Philistine and killed him; but there was no sword in David’s hand. ⁵¹ Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.

What an incredible moment for the nation of Israel, to see a god-fearing youth take out the greatest physical opponent they ever faced. The enemy saw their champion taken down and took off.

DH: This is such a powerful story that even in the secular world like in boxing, they say this is a David & Goliath match. You say to a secularized, non-Biblical individual, David & Goliath, they know what that is.

David may have been ruddy and fancy looking, but he was no coward. He went right out and confronted with confidence. As Christians, we need also to boldly face the giants who stand before us. We must do it, we’re expected to do that. The battle belongs to the Lord.

This should not have happened, only but for God.

Consideration
How many giants in our lives never fell because we refused to go onto the battle field? We sit up on the hill and say, Oh man, this is too tough, this is too tough. How many giants are tormenting us today because we refused to lift a finger, much less a stone? Pick up those stones of faith and be willing to toss them… And when those fears that you have and the tormenting comes, if you are belittled for you faith, if you’re taunted. There may be people here who may lose a job because of their faith. There might be people struggling with their health right now. There might be people struggling with all this inflation going on. Pick up the stone of faith put it in your sling knowing that the battle belongs to the Lord and throw it, let it fly through the air and let go where God guides it and it will drop that giant in his footsteps.

We have a song:

The Battle Belongs to the Lord
In heavenly armour we’ll enter the land,
The battle belongs to the Lord
No weapon that’s fashioned against us shall stand,
The battle belongs to the Lord

What do we do? Chorus
We sing glory, honour, Power and strength to the Lord
We sing glory, honour, Power and strength to the Lord