The Fate of a Nation

The story of David and Goliath is familiar to most Christians. It is one of the first stories from the bible that children will learn while in Sunday School. It is an epic battle, a classic underdog story where the good guy prevails against all odds. The battle alone stands on its own as a fantastic testimony to the favor and power of God at work in a believer's life. 

I was reading the story again a few days ago and was struck by the other awesome part of the story. First, let's recap the events in order. Starting in chapter 17 of 1 Samuel we read:

"Now the Philistines gathered their armies together to battle, and were gathered at Sochoh, which belongs to Judah; they encamped between Sochoh and Azekah, in Ephes Dammim. And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and they encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in battle array against the Philistines. The Philistines stood on a mountain on one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, with a valley between them."

The great face-off begins.

 "And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. He had a bronze helmet on his head, and hewas armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. And he had bronze armor on his legs and a bronze javelin between his shoulders. Now the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his iron spearhead weighed six hundred shekels; and a shield-bearer went before him."

Goliath was a big guy, about 9 feet and 9 inches tall. His coat of mail weighed about 125 pounds on its own and the spearhead weighed about 15  pounds. It is safe to assume he was a very intimidating figure. He begins to taunt the men of Israel saying,

"Why have you come out to line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” And the Philistine said, “I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.”

Goliath wants to fight one-on-one, kingdom against kingdom. Winner takes all. 

Saul and his army, being led by sight and allowing fear to dictate, were very afraid. The taunting went on for forty days. It was after forty days that David is sent on an errand by his father. He is to take supplies to his brothers and the army and also send back word of how his brothers are doing. He obeys his father and delivers the goods. 

While David is there he hears Goliath and his words spoken against Israel. All the men around him become afraid. David asked them, "What shall 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 defy the armies of the living God?”

David doesn't ask what happens if they lose the battle. He only wants to know what is to be done for the winner whom he rightly assumes would be one of Israel's men. The men answered him and news traveled quickly to King Saul about what David had said. 

"Now when the words which David spoke were heard, they reported them to Saul; and he sent for him. Then David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”

And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.”

But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.” Moreover 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 the Lord be with you!” 

David's confidence did not waver. I wonder what must have shown on David's face that day when he stood before the king. He was young, most likely still a teenager, yet he was able to persuade the king of Israel to let him fight. This was a winner-takes-all battle and the fate of a nation had just been placed in the untrained hands of a young shepherd. The story continues,

"So Saul clothed David with his armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail. David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” So David took them off."

David did not get a crash course in how to be a soldier. The armor didn't fit and he knew enough to know that the armor would be a hindrance, even though it was created for protection. He took it off and chose to go as himself. His confidence still did not waver. 

"Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine."

The battle was upon him and his weapon of choice was his sling and a few stones. He may not have know how to wield a sword but his sling was already battle tested. He went into the battle armed with what he knew how to use. 

"So the Philistine came, and began drawing near to David, and the man who bore the shield went before him. And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was only a youth, ruddy and good-looking. So the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”

Goliath was offended. His taunting continued with contempt. David was unaffected. 

"Then David said to the Philistine, “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 theLord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.”

As David looked at his adversary he prophecied his victory and Goliath's defeat. His confidence did not waver. His confidence was not in himself, rather it was in the Lord. 

"So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. Then 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. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. Butthere was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it."

"And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. Now the men of Israel and Judah arose and shouted, and pursued the Philistines as far as the entrance of the valley and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell along the road to Shaaraim, even as far as Gath and Ekron. Then the children of Israel returned from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their tents. David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent."

" When Saul saw David going out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this youth?” And Abner said, “As your soul lives, O king, I do not know.” So the king said, “Inquire whose son this young man is.”

How interesting that the king didn't even know which family David belonged to. He was just some kid who was confident in His God, brought before the king and given free reign to fight Israel's battle. It almost seemed like an afterthought that the king even thought to ask who he belonged to. 

"Then, as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. And Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?”"

"So David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”"

What I found so amazing is how David was entrusted with the fate of a nation. He started out his day delivering cheese and bread to his brothers, soldiers in the king's army. He ends up in front of the king because of the confidence he showed in his Lord. He didn't wake up that day intending to go to battle. He was simply obeying his earthly father when he delivered the goods to his brothers.

Even though one of his brothers scolded him and questioned his motives David seemed to have had selective hearing. He did not even respond to his brother's accusation. 

His confident words were relayed to the king. It is just as likely that if David had been degrading the king, his strategies or anything, then that news would have traveled to the king as well. Our words are important. His words gained him an audience with the king.

He was not intimidated in front of King Saul. David remained true to himself and even his limitations. He knew the armor was not meant for him. His faith in God was so certain and so real that it impacted Saul. David's confidence in God was contagious. Saul had been dismayed and fearful, but he became willing to let David fight. 

David went and he won. He took the only weapon he was trained to use. That was all he needed. God went before Him and that was truly his greatest weapon. His words to Goliath indeed became prophetic as Goliath fell and Israel prevailed. David knew he was going to win before he even knew he was going to fight. That is awesome. 

May we be found to be so obedient to our Heavenly Father as David was to his earthly father. When we get within range of a battle may we have true and confident knowledge that the battle is already won, even before we know we may be the ones going in to fight. David stood in the gap for a nation that day. We are called to do the same. We may be the only one willing to go into spiritual battle for those we see in need. 

We may be scolded and have our motives questioned by those closest to us. May we also have selective hearing and only answer to that which which seeks to edify. 

When we find our words have gained us an audience with the most unlikely of people may we always be true to who we are and know our own limitations. Go into battle with the weapons you have been trained to use. Speak to your adversary with a propecy of victory. 

David was a willing vessel that brought honor to his father, to his God and to his nation. May we be as willing as he.