1 & 2 Samuel Series - Toppling Giants
Reading: 1 Samuel 17:1a,4-11;19-23;32-49
The statue of David by Michelangelo is perhaps the most famous statue in the entire world.
About a decade ago, Jo and I went backpacking together and we went to Florence.
We visited the statue of David.
I remember there were signs everywhere saying, “no photography.” However, I thought to myself – “I’ve flown all the way across the world to see things like this, what do they mean no photography!”
Jo and I were determined to get something on film.
But we also wanted to appear at least to make an effort to look like we were following the rules.
So, Jo and I attempted to take some footage whilst peeking the lens of the camera out from underneath her coat.
This is the excellent result *(PPT video).
Despite our terrible smuggled footage from – what struck me is just how imposing and impressive Michelangelo’s David really is. It is over 5 metres tall and weighs roughly six tonnes.
Michelangelo captures a confident, strong, and victorious looking David, with a sling draped over his shoulder as if to say, “Yeah I can take down Goliath, no big deal.”
David is presented as the archetypal hero.
In fact, this is how we tend to read the story.
The story of David and Goliath is so well known – arguably the most widely known story from the Bible – that we can very easily make assumptions that we know exactly what it is about.
Over history there has been a variety of interpretations of this story.
But there are some major trends:
We tend to read the story in three ways:
1) A story of an underdog.
2) A moral story about a young hero and courage.
3) We place ourselves in David’s shoes. Goliath then becomes whatever struggle we are facing, and David is an encouragement that we can overcome.
There are elements of truth in all these readings. David was much smaller than Goliath and didn’t have armour. He wasn’t trained for battle in the same way. In many ways, he was an underdog.
David also showed bravery to step up and fight Goliath.
And yes, the story of David battling Goliath might inspire and give us courage for obstacles we face in our lives.
But none of these aspects are the main point of the story. In focusing on these we can obscure the main point.
This whole showdown is a story about God rescuing the Israelites, through a flawed but faithful young man. This story is a story of God’s faithfulness.
To read the story otherwise is to read the story as an atheist – all that stands before us is a little guy vs a big guy, and the encouragement from witnessing the little guy win.
But this story is so much more, so let’s take some time to look closely at it together and see just how rich, and just how powerful it is.
Context in the series of 1 & 2 Samuel
We are currently reading through 1 and 2 Samuel together and looking at various stories together on Sundays.
Last week we read about David being anointed as King. Here we meet David again. He is not on the throne yet, but rather has been quietly anointed by Samuel as the true king of Israel.
Saul still occupies the throne.
Yet Saul has been rejected by God as King. Saul has turned his back on God and the people of Israel have found themselves in a precarious position.
The scene of today’s story is set in the Valley of Elah. (modern pic PPT)
The Valley of Elah sits between the coastal plain along the Mediterranean sea and the hill country of Judah where the ancient cities of Bethlehem and Jerusalem were located.
Control of this valley would give the Philistines access to the hill country and these cities, which would be very bad news for the Israelites.
And so, the Philistines have come up from the coast to this Valley to wage war on the Israelites.
What we find in 1 Samuel 17 is that the armies are both camped out – one on each side of the valley. They are in a kind of face off, where it is dangerous for either of them to expose themselves in the valley by coming down from their position.
So, the Philistines send out a champion. The literal rendering of this word translated into English as champion is “a man in between.” The idea is that rather than shedding lots of blood on either side by engaging in full combat between each other, that each side sends out a representative for their army to fight the battle.
And so, the Philistines send out Goliath.
This is where it all begins.
The story then moves in three major parts that we will explore and unpack.
THREE MOVEMENTS:
1) The threat (verses 1-11)
2) An unexpected twist (12-30)
3) David’s Victory - (32-49)[1] Spoiler alert!
The first part of the story is the THE THREAT (verses 1-11)
The story outlines in detail for us the imposing and menacing reality of Goliath.
He was tall and powerful with a massive stature. 9 foot 9 or so. He was dressed in heavy armour made from bronze. He holds a massive spear and has a javelin slung behind him. All the details in the story are there for a reason – they want to make the point that here Goliath is fierce. He would be an impressive sight – his form casting a long shadow before him and his bronze armour gleaming in the midday sun.
This threat stands before Israel and it is clear that the people are cowering before him. Day after day Goliath walks into the valley taunting God’s people – demanding that they come out to fight.
The people are terrified.
Remember, earlier in the story of Samuel the people asked for a king to go out and fight their battles. They wanted national security and a king to stand up for them.
Yet their King Saul is missing in action.
Surely, he should be the champion of his people. Tall and a renowned warrior, where is he? Conspicuously behind the line of battle is where we find him.
And so, there is a stalemate, and this great threat to the people is knocking at their door. The fear is palpable.
During this time, do we see the people inquire in prayer or call out to God?
Do we see Saul do this?
The missing detail of prayer is a devastating critique of Saul’s leadership. At no point does Saul seem to cry out to God and ask that he delivers the people.
What we see in the story is that there is a deeper threat for the people of Israel. There is a deeper concern even more troubling than Goliath.
The concern is that the people have forgotten that God could deliver them. This was the worry when they asked for a king in the first place – that they would turn away from trusting God. Here they are in a stalemate and there is no mention of petitioning the God who had rescued them time and time again.
John Woodhouse puts the situation clearly. He says:
“Even more dangerous (than Goliath) was the multifaceted, constantly present temptation to forget or forsake the Lord and to follow other gods. Israel feared the enemies they could see with their eyes. But the greatest threat to their security could not be seen in that way. As we begin to follow the most famous story in the book of 1 Samuel, we do well to notice that it began with a fearful and visible threat to the people of Israel.”[2]
Things aren’t looking good for the people.
But then, as so often in the story of Scripture, there is an unexpected twist.
AN UNEXPECTED TWIST (verses 12-30)
David comes to deliver the ancient equivalent of club sandwiches and cheese rolls and he gets caught up in the action.
David hears the words of Goliath as he taunts the Israelite army.
And he is deeply moved.
David can’t believe what is going on.
David considers the words of Goliath not only a taunt toward the army but as insulting toward Israel’s God.
As far as David is concerned this has now become a theological battle. This is about more than just the reputation of Israel, this has become about the honour and name of Israel’s God.
And so, David steps forward to do something.
He goes to Saul to demand that he can fight.
Saul offers him armour, but David refuses.
As a shepherd, David has fought lions and bears to protect his sheep. As far as he is concerned, with his insults toward God, Goliath is like another wild beast. So, David goes to battle.
DAVID’S VICTORY: (v32-49)
David comes forward to engage in battle and as he meets Goliath in the Valley, Goliath is insulted.
He probably expected someone a little bigger, at least someone wearing armour. In his eyes, it’s as if Israel are making no effort.
Goliath continues with his cursing and insulting.
The words that David replies with are very telling. He says this:
“You come to me with a sword and 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. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47 and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hand.”
David doesn’t trust in the weapons in his hand.
This isn’t what gives David confidence. Although it turns out he is very good with a sling.
What gives David confidence is God.
It is God who has rescued the people before and David trusts that God will do it again.
The people have faced other giants – like Pharaoh and his armies. David knows this.
While Israel are cowering in fear, while Saul is AWOL, David stands before Goliath and articulates his faith that God will deliver the people from his enemies.
David’s faith has two major themes:
1) David says “Fear not” In verse 32, he says “Let’ no man’s heart fail because of him” (Goliath).
2) The “battle is the Lord’s.” The reason David can say “do not fear” is because he trust that God will win the battle.
David’s faith harks back to the stories of Egypt when Moses is called to lead the people and God delivers them from Pharaoh’s armies.
In Exodus 14 we hear this story:
10 When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord. 11 They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt?...
13 And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”
David draws on these themes of the story of Israel – Fear not. God is with you. God will fight for you.
What happens next is no surprise to us. But it would have been a surprise to the people of Israel at the time.
David with his sling, sends a blow that knocks Goliath down, and he kills Goliath, leaving the Philistines in awe. They flee in response and the Israelites win the battle that day over their enemies.
David’s victory is stunning.
And as we read this from a Christian perspective we can see that it points us forward to another victory won by God.
Goliath has struck fear into the hearts of the Israelites. They are at a loss with no one to save them. David steps up, represents them and does battle with the giant.
Graeme Goldsworthy speaks about the battle saying:
It is a saving event in which the chosen mediator wins the victory, while the ordinary people stand by until they can share in the fruits of the saviours’ victory. Preparation is thus made for the gospel events in which God's Christ (Anointed One) wins the victory over sin and death on behalf of his people."[3]
We, like the people of Israel find ourselves facing an enemy that we cannot conquer.
Death is the ultimate enemy that we face. It is the universal goliath that waits at the bottom of the valley for each of us.
St Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 addresses what Jesus has done for us in his death on the cross and his resurrection.
Paul says:
“21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive…
…25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”
Paul in this chapter says that the “sting of death is sin” (56). Death is the ultimate consequence of our rejection of God, our sin, our living on our own terms and in our own way.
Life comes through connection with our Creator. The gift is given by Him. Death comes through our rejection of our Creator in our sinning.
The irresistible lure of sin means we each find ourselves in this predicament. Like the Israelites facing an enemy we know we can’t defeat.
Yet, we have hope. Because like David going out to battle, Christ marches out boldly before our greatest enemy and does battle in his death and resurrection, breaking the power of sin and death over us. This is what the Bible teaches us.
As we gather for worship this morning what I invite us to reflect on is this:
Are we confident in the victory that Jesus Christ has won on our behalf?
Do we have a deep and profound hope because of it?
Reflecting on what Jesus has done, Paul writing to the church in Rome exhorts them to have courage and hope.
In Romans 8 Paul says: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (31) and
The point is this – when we put our trust in and faith in Jesus Christ, we share in his victory.
What a beautiful truth that is for us to live from this day.
May we know deep in our hearts that God goes to battle for us.
The story of David is about so much more than a young hero facing a giant. It is about a God who fights for his people.
[1] This structure is based on the structure given by the following commentary: John Woodhouse, 1 Samuel: Looking for a Leader.
[2] John Woodhouse, 1 Samuel: Looking for a Leader.
[3] Graeme Goldsworthy, “Gospel and Kingdom”