In the I Samuel chapter seventeen, we read the all-too-familiar story of David and Goliath. However, because it is so familiar, we have a tendence to somewhat glaze over the account and miss some very significant points, assuming that we already know what the narrative has to say. Over the next few days, I am going to invite you to dig a little deeper into the story and discover some vital principles when you face your own giants – whether they be medial, financial, relational, spiritual, or in any other area of your life.
One of the first things that jumps off the page when I read the record of David’s encounter with Goliath is his identity. Notice all the ways that the Israelite army is identified throughout the narrative: the men of Israel (verses 2, 19, 24, 25), Israel (verses 3, 11, 21, 25), the armies of Israel (verses 8, 10), the servants of Saul (verse 8), the host (verse 20), the army (verse 22), the people (verses 27, 30), the assembly (verse 47) the men of Israel and of Judah (verse 52), and the children of Israel (verse 53). Yet, David had a totally different identity that no one else related to – the armies of the living God. (verses 26, 36) David was the only person in the Valley of Elah who saw himself from a spiritual perspective rather than. The physical standpoint that everyone else adopted. His understanding that the battle was not on a human plain totally changed the “playing field.” The men who saw themselves from a human point of view were looking up at the tall giant. David, on the other hand, looking down from God’s viewpoint, saw Goliath as a little speck on the ground.
Remember that this encounter came right after David was anointed to be the next king of the nation. Because he understood the destiny that God had for him, David realized that he could not be killed or disabled in the battle.
It is vitally important that we learn to identify ourselves with the reality we have in Christ rather than the image of the limitations imposed upon us by identifying with our human nature. Therefore, the first question to ask when facing a giant is “Who am I?”
To help address that first question, I have complied a list of biblical answers must be ingrained into our hearts so that we never react like a member of the army of Saul when we are actually warriors in the army of the living God.
I am faithful. (Ephesians 1:1)
I am justified. (Romans 5:1)
I am God’s child. (John 1:12)
I am a saint. (Ephesians 1:18)
I am secure. (Ephesians 2:20)
I am His disciple. (John 13:15)
I am redeemed. (Ephesians 1:8)
I am dead to sin. (Romans 1:12)
I am chosen. (Ephesians 1:4, 11)
I am Christ’s friend. (John 15:15)
I am victorious. (I Corinthians 15:57)
I am alive with Christ. (Ephesians 2:5)
I am raised with Christ. (Ephesians 2:6)
I am holy and blameless. (Ephesians 1:4)
I am adopted as His child. (Ephesians 1:5)
I am God’s coworker. (II Corinthians 6:1)
I am a citizen of heaven. (Philippians 3:20)
I am God’s workmanship. (Ephesians 2:10)
I am sealed by the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 1:13)
I am forgiven. (Ephesians 1:8, Colossians 1:14)
I am in Him. (Ephesians 1:7, I Corinthians 1:30)
I am hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:3)
I am a personal witness of Jesus Christ. (Acts 1:8)
I am a dwelling for the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 2:22)
I am a member of God’s household. (Ephesians 2:19)
I am given God’s glorious grace. (Ephesians 1:5, 1:8)
I am a member of Christ’s Body. (I Corinthians 12:27)
I am seated with Christ in the heavens. (Ephesians 2:6)
I am blessed with all spiritual blessings. (Ephesians 1:3)
I am a holy temple. (Ephesians 2:21, I Corinthians 6:19)
I am the salt and the light of the earth. (Matthew 5:13-14)
I am a minister of reconciliation. (II Corinthians 5:17-20)
In Ephesians 1:16, Paul gave a powerful statement by saying that God has made us accepted in the beloved, using a Greek word that only appears twice in the New Testament – here and in Luke 1:28, Gabriel’s greeting to the Virgin Mary, Thou that art highly favoured. Putting the two passages together, we can understand that “accepted” does not simply mean that we are tolerated by God but that he has especially picked out us out in the same way that God chose Mary out of all the women in Israel to bear His Son. Additionally, we must remember that the penalty for a woman who was found guilty of fornication was that she was to be stoned to death, but, even more dramatic, this execution was to take place at the door of her own father’s house. (Deuteronomy 22:21) God protected Mary from this humiliation and punishment because she was accepted and favored, and He’ll do the same for us because we are also accepted and favored.
In Ephesians 2:19, Paul makes a further statement about who we are when he says that we are fellowcitizens with the saints. To grasp what he was trying to communicate, we must think about his arrest as it is recorded in Acts 22:24-26 in which he appealed to his citizenship to save himself from being scourged. I can only imagine how the soldier whose teethe were clinched as he gripped the whip and braced his arm to lash the whip across Paul’s back must have dropped his jaw and lost his hold on the whip when he heard the words “Roman citizen.” We must also realize that we are citizens and that we have rights and privileges that no giant has the authority to override.
One other statement from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians tells us that we are God’s workmanship (verse 2:10) – a Greek word that can be translated as “masterpiece.” In the same way that the Mona Lisa is protected by armed guards and a field of laser beams that set off alarms and activate a protective gate if they are broken, God has angels encamped around us to protect and defend us against any giant that would plan to harm or hinder us in any way. (Psalm 34:7)
The second question that we should ask when facing giants is, “Where am I going?”
Although the narrative in I Samuel chapter seventeen doesn’t actually mention the fact that David had been anointed as the next king of Israel in the previous chapter, it seems logical that the second event must be seen light of the previous one. I often like to preface my teaching with a disclaimer when I am going to extrapolate on points that are not explicit in the scripture, “I wasn’t there; so, I can’t prove it. But, you weren’t there; so, you can’t disprove it.” Since I wasn’t inside David’s mind, I can’t prove what was going on, but I have a pretty good idea that he was thinking that he was destined for the throne, not a grave. With that kind of assurance, he could see the end of the battle before it even began. He knew that there could only be one outcome – that he was going to win!
When we ask ourselves where we are going in life, we have to realize that God has good plans for us (Jeremiah 29:11) and that He has been working on these plans since before He even created the world (Ephesians 1:4). We also have to remember that He does intend to let up on these plans until He sees them to completion. (Philippians 1:6) When we are fully convinced of these truths (Romans 4:21), we can stand up against every giant, knowing that we are going to come out on top (James 1:2-5). Of course, we have to realize that this does not mean that we’ll not have challenges and struggles in the process, but what it does mean is that, if we keep our focus on heaven going to, we will barely notice hell going through. Paul described it this way, Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. (II Corinthians 4:17) Please remember that his light affliction included imprisonments, beatings, shipwrecks, and almost every other king of torture and deprivation. (II Corinthians 11:23-28) Because he knew that he was going to heaven that that he was to glorify Christ along the way, Paul could face every giant that came his way. And we can too!
The third question that we must ask when challenged by a giant is, “Why am I here?” When he left his father’s sheep in the care of one of the household servants, David though that he was going to Elah simply to deliver supplies to the troops and gain a little news about his brothers’ welfare to bring back to their father. Little did he know that he was actually going to the battlefield to change the course of history and set a course for his own destiny.
When the young shepherd witnessed the entire army – including his three older brothers – cower before Goliath’s challenge, he asked if there was not an incentive for the brave soldier who would step forward and take the dare. Three times (verses 25, 27, 30) he was given the same answer – that there was a purse to be won, the king’s daughter (along with the privileges of being part of the royal family) to be given, and tax exemption to be awarded. To all these benefits, David asked the question, Is there not a cause? (verse 29) Money, marriage, privilege, nor tax benefits were enough to motivate David to fight Goliath, but there was a cause that inspired him to take up the challenge – that God had been defied! (verse 26)
We must ask ourselves why we find ourselves in challenging situations and realize that the struggle we are having is always bigger than yourselves. For example, the financial problems that plague us are not limited to our lack of funds but are the result of a defiance of the Savior who for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich (II Corinthians 8:9), our physical ailments are not just about our aches, pains, diseases, an disabilities but are an affront to the One who took stripes upon His body that we might be healed (Isaiah 53:5, I Peter 2:24), and our bondage to sin and evil habits is not just about our human faults and trespasses but are a outrageous insult to the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29)
When we see that the situations we face are for a much bigger purpose than simply enduring them, we realize that our victory is a demonstration of God’s sovereignty.
“How am I going to win?” is the next logical question to ask once we recognize the bigger picture and understand the gravity of the outcome.
In the same breath that he told us that why he found himself present at the Valley of Elah, David gave us a clue as to how it was that he was going to take on the threatening giant. When he pinpointed the cause as the defiance of God, David identified the culprit as an uncircumcised Philistine. (verses 26, 36) Circumcision was the sign of being in covenant with God. (Genesis 17:10-11) Since Goliath was not circumcised, he had no promises from God as a foundation for his actions. David, on the other hand, was circumcised; so, he had the five books of the Pentateuch filled with covenant promises from God.
Again, I have to invoke my disclaimer, “I wasn’t there; so, I can’t prove it”; however, I can’t help but imagine David standing before Goliath with the covenant promises spinning around in his head like Bob Barker’s Wheel of Fortune. When it finally came to rest, the indicator was pointing to Deuteronomy 28:7, The Lord shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways. In the most unusual battle of all of military history, an army of thousands had decided to have only one soldier represent the entire force. When David looked at the multitude that could be attacking for every angle and realized that there was only one soldier from one direction, he realized that God had given him a promise that he would be defeated and that he would flee seven ways. David then theorized that if cut off his head and fed his carcass to the birds and wild beasts that the head going up while the body fell down would be the first two ways and that the animals pulling the flesh apart to the north, south, east, and west would be four more ways. The final direction fulfilling the seven in the covenant would be a bird flying straight up with a bite in his beak.
All the promises in the Book are yours. Claim them!
Once we have asked how we are to win, we must follow with the next logical question, “What is my source?” Again, we find the answer in the confrontation between David and Goliath. When we think of the battle, we always seem to focus on David’s sling and the five smooth stones that he picked up out of the brook; however, there is another implement that David took with him to the fight – his shepherd’s staff. (verses 40, 43)
Notice that the story in I Samuel actually focuses on the stick in David’s hand in that it was only the stick, not the sling or stones, that Goliath noticed as the shepherd boy approached. (verse 43) Having mentioned the stick, Goliath then proceeded to curse David in the name of his pagan gods. David’s response was that even though the Philistine came against him with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, he was coming against the giant with the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel. Then for good measure, he added that it was the God whom Goliath had defied. In looking at the juxtaposition set up in the conversation between the antagonist and the protagonist, it seems obvious that David perceived the stick in his hand to be symbolic of the power of God just as Moses had realized that his staff demonstrated the authority of God in his conflict with his foe. The stick in David’s hand was his connection to the supernatural power of God needed to guide his sling and hurl his projectile to its target.
Even as an adolescent, David had an awareness of the power of identifying with the name of the Lord – an awareness that made him unique among the warriors of Israel. Whereas everyone else identified with the name of the king and nation, David proclaimed the name of his God – a name that he would not use in vain; instead, it was the name that he knew would invoke victory as the Lord defended His reputation. David would later express what must have been in his heart that day when he penned the words of Psalm 20:7, Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
It was not only the Philistine in the Valley of Elah who “met his Waterloo” at the name of the Lord, but also every giant throughout history has learned to fear the authoritative power of the name of the Lord. In Acts chapters four and five, the first Christians were imprisoned for preaching the gospel. When they were brought to trial, they were offered what might have been the original plea bargain in that they were to be released if they would agree to never preach in “this name” again. (Acts 4:17) There was no concern about their preaching, healing, or doing any other sort of ministry – as long as they didn’t use the name of Jesus in the process. The “Goliath”s throughout history have feared the name that is above every name (Philippians 2:9) because they knew that, at that name, they must bow down powerless (Philippians 2:10). The wise Solomon wrote of his revelation concerning the authority of the name of God with the words, The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. (Proverbs 18:10) He may have been taking a cue from his father David who had opened his twentieth psalm with the words, The name of the God of Jacob defend thee.
The term he used for “defend” could easily have been translated, “set thee on high.” Thinking back on the methods of warfare at the time that these men wrote, the relationship among the terms “tower,” “set on high,” and “defend” is obvious. Since the weapons in use were spears, arrows, and swords, the person on the high ground had all the advantage. Standing at the bottom of a tower aiming up with a bow and arrow or a spear could be more destructive to oneself than to his enemy since gravity would be pulling down on the arrow or spear. Eventually, everything that went up would come down – possibly striking the one who sent it up. Our position of defense in the strong tower of the name of the Lord ensures that no weapon formed against us will prosper. (Isaiah 54:17)
Not only will our enemies’ weapons prove ineffective against us, they may even prove to be their own undoing as was the case with Haman’s gallows that was built for Mordecai (Esther 8:7), the pit that the culprit dug to ensnare his neighbor but fell into himself (Proverbs 26:27), and even Goliath’s own sword that was used to cut off his head (I Samuel 17:51). On the other hand, the person at the top of the tower had gravity’s force working for him rather than against him. Any projectile he hurled at the enemy would accelerate with the force of gravity, rendering it much more powerful as it impacted its target. So it is when believers use the name of the Lord. He adds His powerful authority to any energy we have exerted so that the impact is infinitely more forceful than we could ever initiate on our own. In ever challenge of life God has provide a name for that specific giant. Surely, this message is what David had in mind when he penned the words, Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4)
Jehovah Shalom, The Lord Is Peace (Judges 6:24)
Jehovah Elohim, The Eternal Creator (Genesis 2:4)
Jehovah Sabaoth, The Lord of Hosts (I Samuel 1:3)
Jehovah El Elyon, The Lord Most High (Psalm 7:17)
Jehovah Rapha, The Lord Who Heals (Exodus 15:26)
Jehovah Raah, The Lord is My Shepherd (Psalm 23:1)
Jehovah Nissi, The Lord is My Banner (Exodus 17:15)
Jehovah Jireh, The Lord Who Provides (Genesis 22:14)
Jehovah Shammah, The Lord Who is There (Ezekiel 48:35)
Jehovah Tsidkenu, The Lord is My Worthiness (Jeremiah 23:6)
Of course, the most powerful divine name of all – Jesus, the name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11)
The final question to ask is “When am I to act?” To answer this question, we need to consider two words that are often confused and actually used interchangeable even though they have significantly different meanings – patience and longsuffering.
In Ephesians 4:2, Paul spoke of the purpose of longsuffering in the church – that of forbearing one another in love. Having already explained in Romans 2:4 and 9:22 that God manifests longsuffering for the purpose of bringing men to salvation, Paul now draws the logical conclusion that longsuffering in the Body of Christ is for the same purpose – to bring our fellow believers to their full salvation. Through patiently working through their errors, immaturity, failures, and even deliberate rebellion, we lovingly hold them in the Body of Christ so that they can develop into strong believers. Paul demonstrated to us that longsuffering is not pampering the errant or enabling them to continue in their failures. His approach – that we would today label as “tough love” – may initially seem radical, but it actually mirrors the approach of our heavenly Father who will allow the prodigal to go to the pigpen yet love him through the whole process. Timothy had a personal opportunity to witness this sort of longsuffering in Paul’s dealings with the Corinthian believers. It is amazing how much of his epistles to this congregation is dedicated to the waywardness of the church and the actual hostility that they developed against the apostle in the process. Yet, as Paul addressed and corrected them for their error and attitude, the underlying love that he had for them is evident in his longsuffering acceptance of them as his beloved – howbeit, rebellious – sons (I Corinthians 4:14-15) and the fact that he is perpetually thankful to God for them (I Corinthians 1:4). Yet in all this effort to deal graciously with them, Paul was adamant that he would not renege on his position of their fault (I Corinthians 5:3) and that he would not back down on the necessity for the guilty ones to be dealt with (II Corinthians 13:2).
In looking at longsuffering, we saw that the apostle saw this quality mainly in relationship to our ministry to others; however, it seems that he was more focused on the development of the individual believer when he spoke of patience. Notice how he attributed patience as a major role in the development of a godly character in Romans 5:3-5, And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Interestingly enough, Paul also equated patience with miracles as a characteristic that qualified him for apostleship, Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds. (II Corinthians 12:12) In essence, patience is that quality that allows us to let God have the time to work in us and bring us to the place where His character and power can flow through us.
The narrative of Paul’s encounter with the damsel in Philippi who was possessed with a spirit of divination (Acts 16:16-18) makes it very clear that the demoniac followed Paul and his companions for many days crying out that they were servants of the most high God. It is also clear that this practice grieved the apostle. Had he acted on the first day that the fortuneteller started following him, the deliverance would have been for his own sake – to stop her from annoying and embarrassing him. However, when he had possessed his own soul through patience (Luke 21:19), he was able to set her free because he cared about how she was being tormented, rather than how she was tormenting him. Patience allowed the apostle to do a beneficial work in the girl’s life; otherwise, he would have done a miracle that would have had only limited true benefit. When God had done all that needed to be done in the heart and life of the apostle through this difficult experience, Paul turned to the girl and through the authority birthed out of his patience – with one simple sentence – set the girl free and totally changed her whole life!
In Acts 16:6, the Holy Spirit forbade Paul to preach the word in Asia – an unusual directive since Jesus had commanded that His followers to go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. (Mark 16:15) Yet, when we follow the sequence of events we see that this was only a temporary delay in that he later returned to Asia and had the incredible result that by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. (Acts 19:10) In I Chronicles 12:32, we read of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do. They, like Paul under the Holy Spirit’s direction knew when was the right time to act and were able to direct the nation correctly. When we are led by the Holy Spirit and are able to discern when to let longsuffering and patience have their perfect work, we will – like Paul – see incredible results when do take action
Let’s get back to the story of David and Goliath as we conclude our consideration of when is the time to act. David made a clear declaration to his giant, 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 carcases 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. (verse 46) When it was the proper time – after any necessary longsuffering and patience had done what needed to be done in the lives of all involved – David made a determinate resolve and took aggressive action. He did not waiver on his mission of taking out the giant.
As Mordecai instructed Esther, If thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? (Esther 4:14), we must realize that the “ball is in our court” and we must “strike while the iron is hot.”