This is such a well-known story, isn’t it? How many of us have dreamed of one day being a giant slayer like David? Last Sunday’s message was the third episode in our portion of 1st Samuel (16-20), where we see the rise of David’s popularity and the contrast between Saul’s disobedient leadership and David’s obedient faithfulness as the Lord’s Anointed.
Chapter 17 begins near the Valley of Elah, where the Philistine and Israelite armies stood on opposing mountains with a valley between them. As we know, the Philistine champion named Goliath from Gath, a massive warrior over nine feet tall, came out to defy the armies of Israel and challenge them to send a warrior to fight him. Goliath was a monster of a man whose bronze chest mail alone weighed about 56 kgs, and Saul and his army were so afraid that no one dared challenge him. No one, that is, until a young shepherd boy from Bethlehem came on the scene.
We all know that the Spirit of the Lord was upon David, but we also asked the question: what was it that David understood that made him so bold and prepared to take on this great champion? The text reveals that David understood that Goliath was not just his enemy, but an enemy of God, for he had the audacity to defy the “armies of the living God” (v26 & v36). This is what gave David the confidence that God would give him the victory. David was not about his own agenda for glory or wealth, or even defending himself; David’s key concern was about defending God’s reputation.
This raises a vital question for each of us. When we go out to battle, the first question we must answer is: whose side are we on? Is the battle we are engaging in about us, or is it about the Lord? As Paul said to Timothy in 2 Tim 2:3–4: Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.
In other words, while we know that God has the power to do anything He likes, we are reminded that the story of David and Goliath doesn’t mean: “we can do anything we want because God is on our side”; But rather, “we can do anything that God wants because we are on His side.”
In our own lives, we will surely encounter “giants”— whether they are financial, physical, or spiritual powers far stronger than we can resist alone. We can face these modern giants by surrendering our own agendas and relying on God’s proven record of deliverance. Just as David drew confidence from how the Lord delivered him from the lion and the bear (1 Sam 17:34-37), we too can trust in God’s faithfulness, drawing confidence from His Word. Let us be encouraged that God delights in achieving the impossible through those who are truly committed to His honour and cause. When we seek to please the One who enlisted us, we find that the battle is truly the Lord’s.
The Lord be with you,
Rev Glenn Paddison