David and Goliath 1 Samuel 17
Here’s the scene: The Philistine army positioned themselves to battle with Israel. Both armies faced each other across the valley of Elah.
The Philistine army had a particularly large man named Goliath. The NIV Bible states him as being nine feet. This is definitely tall, but not unheard of. In Hebrew translation, Goliath measured six cubits and a span, which is between 8.5 – 9 feet. Ancient Greek and Roman writers have documented men being seven cubits.
Trivia side note: Per the Guinness Book of World Records, The tallest man living is Sultan Kösen (b.10 December 1982) who measured 8 ft. 3 in. in Ankara, Turkey, on 08 February 2011. (Did you catch that? He’s in Turkey…)
Goliath was fully decked in army battle gear, with a bronze helmet, armor, and a javelin. It must have been an incredible sight. He yelled to the Israelites, taunting them to choose their best fighter to battle with him. Certainly, this was meant to terrorize and strike fear into the hearts of the Israelites.
1 Samuel 17: 11 “On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.”
Yep. Told ya.
Goliath had them where he wanted them; focusing on him and not on God. Making them second-guess their skills and abilities before the battle even started.
How often to we defeat ourselves before going into our own battles?
What are our spiritual ‘Goliaths’?
In the Life Application Bible, there is a side note that says King Saul was the tallest of the Israelites (1 Samuel 9:2) and that was probably most worried because he would have been the best physical match for Goliath.
It also notes that a common war strategy was to have just the two strongest warriors battle it out instead of the whole army. The winner of the fight was the winner of the battle. This saved a bunch of bloodshed and other resources.
Enter David, the youngest of the eight sons of Jesse, from Bethlehem. Jesse’s three oldest boys had followed Saul to battle. David shuttled between his palace duties (playing music for Saul) and tending to his father’s sheep.
1 Samuel 17:16 “For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand.”
Forty days? Really? Day after day, Goliath taunted and mocked the Israelites, verbally assaulting their courage and tearing down their resolve.
Geographically, this location of battle was in a valley. Both camps were located on the surrounding mountains/hills/high walls (whatever translation you have…), you get the picture. Battle strategy shows that the first group to rush into the valley to ascend the opposing mountain/hill/high wall would be at the disadvantage. So, both sides were waiting for the other to attack.
Per his father’s request, David brought food to the Israelite army. He went up to the battle lines to see his brothers and witnessed the taunts from Goliath. He also witnessed the fearful response of the Israelite army. (1 Samuel 17:24)
David overheard men in the army say that Saul has made an offer that anyone who kills Goliath will obtain great wealth, the king’s daughter in marriage, and his family will be exempt from future taxes.
David responded by saying, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
While others were focusing on the danger of facing a giant, David was angry that some mortal man was defying God and God’s army.
Same scenario; different perspective.
After a few harsh words from one of his brothers, David decides to fight Goliath. Saul questioned his abilities, but David responded how he had killed animals defending his flock.
David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” David felt prepared for the battle ahead. He trusted God to continue to equip him. We need to do the same when we enter our battles. You might have heard the sayings,
“God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called.”
and…
“God never gives more than you can handle.”
Regardless of the criticism he received from others, David had to do what was right and pleasing to God; the only opinion that truly matters.
Saul gave David his armor… the KING’S armor. The best made!! But David would not wear it. First of all, it did not physically fit, and David was not used to wearing it. Saul was still focusing on the matters of man, but David was focused on the matters of God.
(Oh, I just read a commentary that compared the coat of physical armor to the coat of spiritual armor. It’s good! I want to delve into this deeper some other time, but for now, here it is. This is from Blue Letter Bible/ Commentaries/ David Guzik):
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David did not face Goliath unarmed. He had much better armor than Saul’s. Saul had a bronze helmet, but David had the helmet of salvation (Ephesians 6:17). Saul had a coat of mail, but David had a breastplate of righteousness (Ephesians 6:14). Saul had a sword, but David had the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17). David had the whole armor of God! (Ephesians 6:11).
That same armor was available to Saul. At one time he had it. But now, Saul only trusted in man’s armor. That’s why David is going out to face Goliath, and Saul is giving advice from the sideline.
Sadly, many people would say the same about the armor of God: I cannot walk with these, because I have not tested them. Are you more used to the weapons and armor of the flesh, or the weapons and armor of the Spirit? “Press some people to their exercise of prayer, or any other piece of the armour of God, and they must say, if they say truly, as here, I cannot do withal, for I have not been accustomed to it.” (Trapp)
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David went to the stream and picked up five smooth stones and placed them in his pouch.
Adam Clarke (1760 or 1762–1832) was a British Methodist theologian and biblical scholar. He said (regarding the stones): “Had they been rough or angular, they would not have easily passed through the air, and their asperities would, in the course of their passage, have given them a false direction. Had they not been smooth, they could not have been readily despatched from the sling.”
I was reading a devotional by Susan Gregory (the Daniel Fast). It was through this devotional that led me to delve deeper into 1 Samuel 17. She decided to pick her five smooth stones to help in her battle she was in at the time. These “stones” were Bible scriptures. She proclaimed them her weapons, and memorized them. They focused on faith, God’s provision, and her position with Christ.
Looking at my current battle, I need to decide, what are my five smooth stones?
What are yours?
David joined Goliath on the battlefield. Goliath was ticked off that a boy felt he could come against him. Goliath said,
“Am I a dog, that you come against me with sticks?”
(Interesting side note from commentary by David Guzik: When Goliath asked, “Am I a dog?” it was worse than it sounds. The Hebrew word for dog (kaleb) is used in passages like Deuteronomy 23:18 for male homosexual prostitutes.)
David replies, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with 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 defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.”1 Samuel 17:45-47
Just imagine this scene: Goliath and David! Giant warrior versus teenager! The Israelites trembling in fear while the Philistine army probably laughing so hard, they might have wet their armor!
As both men advanced toward each other, David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth. 1 Samuel 17:49
Some have a hard time believing this to be accurate. Yet, in today’s world, how much time do we spend honing our craft of slinging stones? Think about it. David, a shepherd, spending hours a day, every day, out in the fields. Do you think he just sat idly by watching his sheep graze? What teen do you know wouldn’t love the idea of slinging rocks, or shooting arrows, or practicing with some other weapon of choice?
When the Philistines witnessed this, they turned and ran.
Game over.
The worship song for today: This video by ‘7eventh Time Down’ is a bit rockin’ for some personal tastes, but the music and lyrics ‘Alive in You‘ captures exactly what I imagine was the way David felt as he entered the battlefield to fight Goliath. Can you see this is the battle cry for the modern- day David?