A man named Goliath, from the city of Gath, came out from the Philistine camp to challenge the Israelites. He was over nine feet tall and wore bronze armor that weighed about 125 pounds and a bronze helmet. His legs were also protected by bronze armor, and he carried a bronze javelin slung over his shoulder. His spear was as thick as the bar on a weaver’s loom, and its iron head weighed about fifteen pounds.
How similar this is to those who many years earlier saw the obstacles facing the Israelites in taking the country of Canaan (Numbers 13:30-33). If I describe the obstacles before me with this much detail, chances are I’m not focusing on what truly matters. Help me Lord to look beyond what I see to a God who can do all things for me (Jeremiah 32:17)?
Goliath stood and shouted at the Israelites, “What are you doing there, lined up for battle? I am a Philistine, you slaves of Saul! Choose one of your men to fight me. If he wins and kills me, we will be your slaves; but if I win and kill him, you will be our slaves. Here and now I challenge the Israelite army. I dare you to pick someone to fight me!” When Saul and his men heard this, they were terrified.
How similar this is to those who many years later had to endure the taunting from the king of Assyria at the time of King Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:17-37). Adversaries will always be there – even disguised as a lowly servant girl (Matthew 26:69-72). We can never foresee where the attack will come from. The best we can do is to prepare ourselves to see such as an opportunity for God to demonstrate who he is for us (1 Samuel 17:45-47).
David… ran to the battle line, went to his brothers, and asked how they were getting along. As he was talking with them, Goliath came forward and challenged the Israelites as he had done before. And David heard him.
Fatal – for Goliath… Hezekiah pleaded with God (2 Kings 19:14-19) and God heard him (2 Kings 19:35-37) – as will be the case with David here (1 Samuel 17:48-51). Have you heard me, Father? How long (Habakkuk 2:3)?
When the Israelites saw Goliath, they ran away in terror. “Look at him!” they said to each other.
Who was David looking at? [See above 😊]
“Listen to his challenge! King Saul has promised to give a big reward to the man who kills him; the king will also give him his daughter to marry and will not require his father’s family to pay taxes.”
This sounds so much like Belshazzar hiding his fear behind the gifts he could give to make a problem go away (Daniel 5:13-16). Am I only interested in making a problem go away – or am I seizing the opportunity to truly experience God as the source of my deliverance?
David asked the men who were near him, “…who is this heathen Philistine to defy the army of the living God?”
Which “army of the living God” is David looking at (Joshua 5:13-15; Revelation 19:11-16)? The parallel planes of existence are truly a mystery (2 Kings 6:15-17). Open my eyes, Lord!
Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard David talking to the men. He became angry with David and said, “What are you doing here? Who is taking care of those sheep of yours out there in the wilderness? You smart aleck, you! You just came to watch the fighting!”
Jesus lived the same reality many years later (John 7:2-5; Matthew 13:53-58). May I not look for approval from others nor be discouraged by their opposition.