Welcome. Today we’re going to be talking about the story of David and Goliath. You may be familiar with this tale already, but it is important for us to repeat and remember the old stories since they still contain lessons for our lives. (2Ti 3:16) All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: we would do well to remember this!

We are going to be using the entire chapter of 1Samuel 17 as our study text, which is pretty long, so we’re not going to read it word for word. I recommend you take the time to do so for yourself, it won’t take but a few minutes to read it.

There are a great deal of lessons we can take from this story. There are many giant-sized obstacles in our lives that we have to overcome. This story also shows us that youth has a place in the kingdom of God.

We are going to look at the chapter in the light of the champion, the challenge, the consent, the conflict, and the conquest.

Let’s set the scene here. The armies of the Philistines are going to war against the armies of Israel. The two armies find themselves both stationed on hillsides, opposite of each other, with a small valley in between them. Having the high ground was an advantage, and neither side is willing to give up this advantage.

This brings us to Goliath of Gath. Goliath was a huge man. There are debates as to how big he was, with ranges being from 6’7” to over 9’ tall. No matter, it is clear that Goliath was a big ole boy to say the least. His armor is said to have weighed upwards of 160 lbs, and the head of his spear alone weighed nearly 20 lbs, and that’s not counting the weight of the shaft which was said to be as big as a weaver’s beam. So needless to say, Goliath was clearly a mountain of a man by any standards.

Goliath was a man of war, probably having had fought for most of his life. His age is not indicated in this chapter, but he is clearly a formidable warrior. This is evident through the fact that he marches down every day to the valley between the armies and challenges the Israelis to produce a single champion to duel with him. He would not have done this had he not been an experienced fighter.

Furthermore, in his challenges in the valley, he offers that his people will abide by the outcome of his single duel, saying that if he lost, they would withdraw. He would not have been allowed to make such a claim if he couldn’t back his words up. Even if they never intended to keep this bargain, the Philistines would not allow an inexperienced soldier to make it, lest their deception be revealed.

Goliath goes down into the valley every day, and shouts insults and challenges to the Israeli armies. There is no one in the Israeli armies that is willing to go face this monster so Goliath goes about unchecked for well over a month. The same would likely be true nowadays. Who would want to go up for a duel against a man as big as Goliath that had years of experience with his weapons in open warfare? Not many I would imagine.

So we have seen the champion, Goliath, and we’ve seen the challenge issued to the Israeli army, of which no one to this point will answer.

But that is about to change. There is a man named Jesse who has eight sons. Three of those sons are in the camp of the Israeli army, and his youngest son, who is named David, is tending the sheep. One day Jesse calls David, and asks him to deliver supplies, or what we might call a ‘care package’ to his brothers in the army that is camped out opposite of the Philistines. Jesse wants David to also get a feel for his brothers’ dispositions, and make sure they are all doing okay.

While David is with his brothers Goliath comes out and begins his nonsense. When David hears Goliath blaspheme God, he gets all kinds of angry and decides that someone has to teach this bully a lesson. He decided that the armies of the living God should not have to tolerate the horrible things that Goliath was saying. So as he’s commenting on this, his brother gets mad at him.

(1Sa 17:28) And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle. (1Sa 17:29) And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?

David repeats this to the men around him, shouting that they should not allow this man to speak against God like he was! David saw that it was a travesty and he’s not too happy about hearing someone blaspheming his God. David was all fired up even though his brother had discouraged him.

There is a lesson here for us. We can’t let others discourage us from doing what is right by the Lord. Many times, the greatest discouragement can come from our families, as they think they know us so well, and oftentimes are aware of flaws that others might not see. Family might not take you seriously because they know how ‘you really are’ or so they think. We have to be careful as to not allow this kind of thought to destroy us and limit our work for the Lord, and we also have to be careful to not be the person that refuses to give someone a chance.

This brings us to the consent. David is speaking all of his views around even over the objection of his brother, to the point that King Saul hears of it, and calls for David. When David comes to the king, he offers to go kill Goliath, and settle the matter for everyone, right there on the spot. But Saul does not believe in David at this time, seeing that he is naught but a young shepherd and not an experienced, trained man of war.

When Saul mentioned this to David, David tells Saul about how God had delivered him victorious against a lion and against a bear that had threatened his father’s flock. Because David was able to destroy such considerable predators, Saul is convinced to give him a chance to take on Goliath.

Saul then gives the young David a great honor by equipping him with the King’s own personal armor. There is a lesson here too. Saul assumed, as many of us would assume, that David needed to be as armored as his foe. This is not the case. David tells the King that he cannot wear his armor because he is not used to it, and that he would be better off with what he’s used to. David understood that he needed to play to his strengths and not try to match his opponent. We need to remember this. Play to what your strengths are, and know you do not have to match your opponent in every respect. Maybe you need to bob and weave, or maybe you are stronger in a straight up situation. Maybe you need to employ hit and fade tactics, or maybe divide and conquer is your thing. What I’m saying is, in your life as you deal with the world, play to what you’re good at and you will find it much easier to win the ‘battle’ of life.

Saul also tried to arm David with the royal sword as well, which David rejected also. We should be like David, having the wisdom to use what is tried and true, and not arm ourselves according to the world with the worldly-gimmicks that are out there.

So David has rejected these things, going with his regular coat, and arming himself with a sling, one that he was quite talented at using. Also take note here that a sling up against a man with a spear is considered a bit foolish. But David knew that his sling would be guided by God.

Now historically speaking, the sling was an effective weapon, but it would not be a wise choice for a one on one duel as was the situation with David and Goliath. To those that watched, David looked seriously outmatched.

So now we have David having obtained consent from King Saul to go out and end Goliath and his blaspheming ways. Instead of suiting up like a warrior, David went like a shepherd going to tend his herd. This brings us to the conflict.

To anyone looking at this match, David is just not only going to lose, he’s going to be ripped to shreds. Here is a man in no armor, holding a shepherd’s staff and a goat hair sling standing against a fully armed and armored, battle hardened warrior.

Goliath himself saw this as well, and was enraged by the fact that the Israelis sent a boy with a rod out to face him instead of sending their fiercest warrior. This relates to our common world today as there are many that look at the young and despise what they are doing. The older groups can fall into a ‘Goliath mindset’ where they hold back the young as the youth strive forward doing God’s work.

If you are a young person in this situation, I urge you to consider (1Ti 4:12) Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

Goliath looked at David and thought that David was equipped to do nothing more than maybe kill a dog, and surely was not armed to take on a warrior such as himself. Goliath then takes a moment to taunt David declaring “Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field” (verse 44).

(1Sa 17:45) Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. (1Sa 17:46) This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

Let’s break down David’s speech. David said that while Goliath may be coming into the fight with all his weapons and such, David is entering the battle with the Lord behind him, who Goliath had been blaspheming for over a month straight. He then says that God will have him win the fight, and that he would chop off Goliath’s head before it was said and done. Then he would slay his fellows up on the hill so that all may know that the Lord is God.

If I would have been Goliath, I might have been unnerved by this a little bit, considering that David was truly unafraid in a situation where any other man would have ran away in fear a long time ago, or not even had the courage to come forward, as the rest of the men of the Israeli army hadn’t. Here was lightly armed and unarmored David claiming that he was going to take Goliath’s head.

Take note here, David said that he was going to win because God was with him, that the Lord was going to deliver Goliath into his hands, and not by his own strength. David is crediting God with the victory he is about to win, and is not claiming that it is his skills at warfare that carries the day since Goliath clearly is the more experienced warrior. Instead David relies on the Lord.

This is an important lesson for us today. We need to rely on the Lord to slay our giants, to get through our daily lives even! If we go at our problems with the faith David had, God will see that our giants topple to us as Goliath did to David. (1Co 15:57) But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

(Rom 8:37) Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. What wonderful promises the Bible has for us!

Let’s take a moment to consider what David didn’t say. He didn’t brag of his battle prowess. He didn’t puff himself up and say he was the be-all end-all. No, David wasn’t concerned with himself, instead he was concerned with God and was angry because God was being blasphemed by Goliath. He wasn’t concerned with himself, or his abilities, but instead was concerned for the God of Israel, of whom he glorified.

David said that through the Lord he was going to slay Goliath. We would all do well to remember how David spoke and glorify God for what we are able to do through Him. (1Co 15:10) But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. It’s God who works through me, not by my own power, but only by the grace of God. Remember that the next time you open your mouth to brag about what you have done.

Now we have the conquest. Right before the battle began, David gets some smooth rocks from the stream in the valley and puts them in his bag. When the battle begins, David runs forward with no hesitation or fear for he knew that the Lord was with him.

This should be our attitude when facing the ‘enemies’ of today. We should not hesitate but run headlong, knowing the Lord goes with us. (Pro 28:1) The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion. How bold are you? (1Co 16:13) Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. Quit like men means to be strong. I actually made a shirt that says “The Faith Is Strong In This One -1Co 16:13” on it. This is a great verse to remember. We need to be strong and bold just like David was.

Now David, as he’s charging at Goliath, takes out a stone and uses his slingshot to fling it at Goliath. David was a dead-eyed shot, so the stone struck Goliath right in the forehead with such force that it actually lodged into his skull. Goliath obviously crumples to the ground from the blow and David rushes forward, draws Goliath’s sword, and chops his head off, just like he said he would.

David had a great trust in the Lord, and if we have the same, we won’t lose either. We’ll be able to overcome and triumph for the glory of God. (Pro 3:5) Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. This can be a terribly difficult thing to do, but once we do it, we’ll realize just how much more better off we are.

The Philistines were in utter shock and awe as they watched David lift Goliath’s head in victory. Coming out of their shock they began to flee, now afraid to face Israel and their God that helped a mere boy overcome their greatest champion.

With his defeat over Goliath, and the ensuing retreat of the Philistine army, David began to build a reputation for himself, whether he realized it or not. We should be working on a reputation for ourselves, and we should be mindful of just what kind of reputation it is. We should strive to be known as servants to the Most High God. We should be sure to be known to be faithful and not build a reputation of being hypocritical.

(Pro 22:1) A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold. (Ecc 7:1a) A good name is better than precious ointment.

Now what did David do? He fought God’s battle, in God’s way, to God’s honor and glory. Just as David did, we should do also, going forth in our lives, living them in God’s way to God’s honor and glory. That will bring us closer to the Lord, and just like David, we will be blessed for it.

(Mat 10:22) And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. Not only did the Philistine army and Goliath have disdain for David, remember his own brother did too. Don’t get discouraged by those that hate you because it is a blessing to us if we endure to the end, as Jesus tells us here.

(Rom 8:31) What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? Take comfort in this fact that if God is with you, even the biggest problem will fall before you if you give it over to God.

But also be like David in the fact that you do not glory yourself when you are seeking the Lord to be with you. (1Pe 5:6) Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. If you go running around yelling that “God’s gonna get you sucka!” and “God made me the greatest!” or something similar, don’t be surprised when God doesn’t help you because you are not glorifying Him properly, but instead you are magnifying yourself.

No, we have to do what God wants done, the way He wants it done, and glorify Him for it. That’s the way things work. David knew this, and that’s why Goliath fell.

Keep these things in mind. Go through life keeping in mind the lessons that David demonstrated for us and you will find that giant problems will fall easily. Until next time, God bless.

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