Warrior. Poet. King. Pt. 1 David and Goliath
Warrior. Poet. King
Pt. 1 David and Goliath
David is possibly one of the best shadows of Christ
we have in the Old Testament. Throughout his story you will notice that this
was a well-rounded man. He was a strong, valiant, warrior. He was a gentle,
graceful poet. And he was a noble, just king. He is the kind of person that we
would all want to be like. In fact, to this day, Jews will still use him as a
reference point when they talk about their kings and presidents to this day.
They’d say, “King Jehoshaphat is great, but he was no David.”
His entire life is so spectacular that we’re going
to spend a few articles on it. It’s a story of conspiracy, war, adultery,
bravery, beauty, and nobility. Those characteristics are often best seen in his
relationships with other individuals like Saul, Jonathan, Bathsheba, and his
Mighty Men. So we’re going to do a study
on the different relationships David had, and how they reflect the Gospel to
us.
His story begins with an unexpected visit from a
prophet. Samuel shows up at David’s house and tells the family that David is
destined to be a king! This is the making of a great fantasy novel, right? Then
the prophet leaves the family for all of them to just dwell on what he
announced. It was very long after this that David started getting some
notoriety. Perhaps the one event that launched David into the spot light of the
kingdom is the most famous part of David’s life; when he fought Goliath. So
let’s talk about that historical moment with a new lens.
The Setting
There’s a stand-off between two armies. The
Philistines are on one side of the valley. Israelites on the other side. I want
you to place yourself in the shoes of the soldiers. Sleeping every night
thinking you could go to battle the next morning. Cooking every meal as if it
was your last. Constantly listening for the sound of the enemy. And then David
shows up to see this strange moment. He was bringing food to his soldier
brothers. But he got curious. Why was nobody fighting? Why was everybody just
camped out? So, he starts asking around.
It turns out there’s this Philistine giant who’s
laid out a challenge. If anyone beats him then they win the whole battle!
Pretty simple, right? This was actually a typical Philistine tactic. It allowed
the Philistines to decrease the loss of their own soldiers, while also laying
claim on more of the enemy’s soldiers. It was a win-win for them. Especially
because of who their champion was.
It’s hard for us to imagine what Goliath looked
like, even with a description in the Bible, because we’ve never seen anybody
quite like him! The tallest man on record is Robert Wadlow who lived in the
early 1900’s. He stood at 8’11”. That’s crazy tall! But even when you look at
his picture, you wouldn’t think of him as a soldier. Goliath was 9’9”! In
addition to his height, he was strong. His spear is described to be like a
beam. He had one man designated to carry his shield. This dude was bred for
war!
Now contrast this giant killing machine with
teenaged, shepherd boy David, who was probably about 5’7”( that’s the average
height for a 15 year old.) It’s no contest! My money is on the giant spear!
So David hears and sees all of this. And in his
typical teenage boy wisdom asks, “Why isn’t anyone taking this guy on?” So he
then offers to combat the giant soldier. Can you imagine? Some farm boy, basically
estranged from his family and all of society, shows up with cheese and bread,
and says, “Hey, I’ll fight that giant!”
Of course, anybody would be skeptical. But
everybody is also desperate, including the king. He’s unexpected and unlikely.
They don’t think he can pull this off. So David explains just who he is.
“Listen, I’ve fought off a bear and a lion with my bear hands. I’ve been
fighting for sheep. I stand for those who can’t stand for themselves. I’m a
protector, a fighter, a warrior.” And the King, at the shock of every around,
agrees to let David fight for them.
David, an unlikely shepherd, who seemed unqualified
to fight this giant, stands in the place of every soldier.
The Climax
As King Saul and the whole army waits in
anticipation, David goes out to a stream and finds five smooth stones. And you
have to wonder, is David regretting this whole thing? Does he have any doubt
about God actually getting him through this? If David fails, the Philistines
will take over Israel! And David will go down in history as the failure who
plunged Israel back into slavery.
Nonetheless, he confronts the giant and delivers an
awesome monologue. You have to read this. I Samuel 17:41-47 Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield
bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. 42 He looked David over
and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome,
and he despised him. 43 He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with
sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 “Come here,” he said,
“and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals!”
45 David
said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin,
but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies
of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my
hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will
give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals,
and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those
gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves;
for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”
And then he does exactly what he said he would do.
He kills the giant with a supernaturally accurate stone, and beheads him with
his own sword. That might be the most boss thing you read in the Old Testament!
So David, the unlikely hero, slays the undefeatable giant! And all of the
Israelites enjoyed the victory.
The Point
Remember, David is a shadow of Christ. The unlikely
hero who stood in the place of all of mankind to defeat an enemy that seemed
impossible to defeat. Who are we in this story? The soldiers shaking in our
armor. The cowardly King Saul. The skeptical older brothers. We are unable, and
maybe unwilling, to face our own giants. We avoid the confrontation.
Goliath then represents an enemy that we can’t
defeat: sin. We are
soldiers literally living in fear of our enemy. We desperately need a savior.
We need our own David to step up.
David goes out, and crushes the enemies head. This is not fulfilling any prophecy, but it is
actually reaffirming a prophecy made about Jesus. Remember, in the story about
Adam and Eve God tells Eve that her offspring would crush the head of the
serpent? David doesn’t fulfill it, but reaffirms it. He is a picture of what
Jesus Christ would later do. David stood alone in the place of all of his
people. Just as Jesus stood alone in the place of all of mankind.
So what is your Goliath? Is it an addiction? Do you
have a stronghold in your life? Is your Goliath a giant of fear? A giant of
jealousy? Anger? Lonliness? The lesson for you is this: you can’t defeat
your giant on your own. You’re not David. You need a hero. And your hero
has already come! He crushed the enemies head!
At this point, your giant is already defeated! You
don’t have to fight FOR your victory. You can now fight FROM your victory. Remember,
the Israelite army jumped to their feet and chased the Philistines out of their
country! So rise up, soldier! Give chase to your defeated enemy. Your giant
is a beheaded corpse. You are not a slave to your sin. You are not a victim of
Satan’s temptations. You are on the winning side. Enjoy the victory that has
been won for you!
