David & Goliath And Some Giant-slaying Faith

Based On 1 Samuel 17

David And Goliath Background 

When God’s people entered the Promised Land, God commanded them to drive out all the inhabitants. If the Israelites didn’t, God told them that they would continually cause problems for the new nation. Unfortunately, they didn’t listen. The Philistines were one such group that remained in the Promised Land. They were a crafty people who possessed the latest weaponry and tactics. Time after time they would attack Israel and generally were just a big pain in the butt.

During one battle in particular, the Philistines gathered their army on a hill and Israel’s army, led by King Saul, faced them on the opposite hill, the Valley of Elah between them. King Saul’s army was pumped up and ready to fight. But then those tricky Philistines had a surprise. From out of their ranks emerged a giant named Goliath. He wasn’t just some tall geek. He was a monster, a battle-tested killing machine. He dared the Israelites to send out their champion to fight against him and cursed them and God.

8 Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves and let him come down to me.
9 If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us. –
1 Samuel 17:8-9 <AMP>

“Send out your champion!” cried Goliath. “If he is able to kill me, we will be your servants. But if I am victorious, you will be our servants.”

As you can imagine, seeing this giant standing on the battlefield made just about everyone in the Israelite camp wet their britches. They had no warrior that had the size or strength to fight against Goliath. And to make matters worse, every morning and evening for forty straight days, he repeated his challenge.

And then one day a shepherd boy named David arrived in the camp. His father had sent him to check on his brothers who were fighting with King Saul’s army. As he approached the frontline, he heard Goliath’s taunts.

“Why are you so afraid?” shouted Goliath. “If your god is stronger than my god Dagon, surely you will defeat me.”

26 And David said to the men standing by him, What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?
27 And the [men] told him, Thus shall it be done for the man who kills him. —
1 Samuel 17:26-27 <AMP>

As he searched for his brothers, he overheard some of the soldiers talking about Goliath.

“What will happen to the man that kills Goliath?” asked David.

“The man who kills him will receive King Saul’s daughter as a wife and receive great riches,” said one.

“And his family will live tax free,” added another.

Just as the soldiers finished telling David all that King Saul would do, David’s brother Eliab approached him.

“Why are you here? Who did you leave the sheep with?” asked Eliab. “You’re just here to see the battle aren’t you?”

“No, I overheard the soldiers talking and wanted to know what would happen to the man who killed Goliath,” said David. “And besides, our father sent me to check on you.”

King Saul heard about David’s questions and immediately sent for him.

“Let no man be afraid my King,” said David. “I will go and fight this Philistine.”

“But you are just a boy,” said the king. “Goliath has been a warrior from his youth.”

“While I kept my father’s sheep, lions and bears would attack. I killed them with my own hands. And I will do the same to Goliath since he has cursed the army of the living God,” said David. “God gave me victory over the lion and the bear. And I will be victorious over this Philistine as well.”

“Go. The Lord be with you,” said the king.

King Saul gave David his armor and his sword, but it was too heavy for David to wear.

“I cannot use your armor or your weapons,” said David. “I must wear the clothes and use the weapons that I used to protect my sheep.”

36 Your servant killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God!
37 David said, The Lord Who delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Go, and the Lord be with you! —
1 Samuel 17:36-37 <AMP>

David went to the nearby creek and chose five smooth stones. He placed them in his shepherd’s bag and headed toward the frontline.

With his sling in his hand, David approached Goliath.

When Goliath saw the little shepherd approach he was very angry.

“How dare you insult me!” shouted Goliath. “Am I a dog that you send a shepherd with a staff to fight against me? Come here little boy, and I will feed your body to the birds and the wild animals.”

“You fight with a sword and a spear, but I fight in the name of the Lord God who you have defied,” said David. “The Lord will give me the victory over you. I will remove your head and feed your body and the bodies of your whole army to the birds and the wild animals today. And everyone will know that this battle belongs to God and He has promised us this victory!”

The two ran towards each other, Goliath with his spear in his hand and David with his sling. David pulled a stone from his pouch and placed it in the sling. With a quick flick of his wrist, he launched the stone towards Goliath. Even though Goliath was covered with heavy armor, the small stone hit Goliath between his eyes, where it sunk in deep.

Goliath staggered and fell forward on his face with a great big thud. Quickly, David pulled out Goliath’s sword and cut off his head. He lifted it up so that both armies could see it. The Israelite army shouted out in joy and chased after the Philistines who were already running away in panic.

45 Then said David to the Philistine, You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the ranks of Israel, Whom you have defied.
46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will smite you and cut off your head. And I will give the corpses of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
47 And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.
— 1 Samuel 17:45-47 <AMP>

There was a great celebration in Israel that day. And from that day forward, David served in Saul’s army and was victorious in all that he did.

When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 
And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people,
And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them; 
For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you. -- Deuteronomy 20:2-4 <KJV>

David Speaks To The Mountain (Goliath)

As David prepared for battle with Goliath, his confidence was correctly placed on God giving him the victory. He had proven this in encounters with lions and bears, so he rightly believed it would be the same with the Philistine warrior, although quite a bit larger. In the natural, it seemed preposterous that a shepherd could defeat a soldier, especially one who was a giant and battle-tested. But that is exactly what he did, by the words of his mouth. This is exactly what Jesus explained to His disciples who witnessed the tree wither in Mark 11.

22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. 23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. -- Mark 11:22-23 <KJV>

What did David say?

“You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 Today the LORD will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! 47 And everyone assembled here will know that the LORD rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the LORD’s battle, and he will give you to us! -- 1 Samuel 17:45-47 <NLT>

David “spoke to the mountain” and it fell down face first. Goliath, although a seemingly impregnable warrior, was hit between the eyes with a stone. Being covered with armor, and a shield bearer in front, there were very few exposed areas. God made sure that David’s rock hit hard enough and at the very spot needed to bring Goliath down. And David did not have to use the remaining four stones. Everything happened according to David’s confession.

Why Did David Grab 5 Stones

Among them lived the remaining five giants that occupied the Promised Land. Joshua, Caleb, and the Israelites had destroyed all the others, from Hebron, Debir, Anab, and all the mountains of Judah and Israel. (Joshua 11:21-22) The five that remained were Philistine champions, Goliath, and his four brothers. (1 Samuel 17:40), (2 Samuel 21:19-22), (1 Chronicles 20:5-8) By choosing 5 stones, David was both being prepared, and demonstrating tremendous faith that all of Israel’s enemies would be destroyed.

How Tall Was Goliath

Goliath truly was a giant. The Bible describes him as being 6 cubits and a span in height. Which in modern terms has been defined as somewhere between 10 and 13 feet tall! He was a massive man, related genetically to the Nephilim, the giants killed in Noah’s flood. It was another attempt by satan to stop the coming of Christ. He was a warrior from his youth. And if you didn’t know that he was evil, the Bible marks him emphatically with the number ‘6’ the human number. He was 6 cubits tall, his spearhead weighed 600 shekels of iron. And he had no regard for the army of Saul, or God. The sight of this madman cursing Israel and God was terrifying. The average soldier in Saul’s army likely was half the size of Goliath. No soldier dared to even approach Goliath knowing that they could not even make contact without first being struck by Goliath’s long reach. And Goliath was protected from most projectiles by a shield-bearer, who stood before him.

 

Some Things To Think About

Why was David Victorious?

  • Goliath cursed David – Which meant that there was a curse on Goliath – (Genesis 12:1-3 & 27:28-30)
  • Goliath used his own strength and skill – David relied on the strength and wisdom of God – (Deuteronomy 20:4)
  • Goliath lived under the curse – David was living under God’s covenant protection. – (Deuteronomy 28)
  • Goliath thought he would win – David knew he was already victorious – He had faith in God’s Word – (Deuteronomy 28:7)
  • Goliath was armed with a spear, sword and shield – David was armed with a sling, some rocks and the Word of God spoken from his heart. – (1 Samuel 17:45-47)

When Goliath walked onto the battlefield, fear filled the entire Israelite camp. At that very moment, they were already beaten. God had told them that they should never be afraid of any enemy. As long as they were faithful to God’s Word, nobody could beat them. Any one of those soldiers could have been Israel’s champion that day if they had simply had the faith to believe and act on God’s Word. Fortunately for Israel, there was at least one person, David, who had the faith to believe that God would give him the victory. Don’t let fear rob you of any victories. Stand on God’s Word and you will always win.

David had proved that God’s Word was true in encounters with lions and bears while he was protecting his father’s sheep. Armed with a proven confidence in God, Goliath didn’t stand a chance. David may have used a sling and a rock, but it was his giant-slaying faith that ultimately gave him the victory. Are you building your faith so you will be prepared to defeat the giants that you will face in life?

 

And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. -- Genesis 12:3 <KJV>

Faith Building Exercise

Faith comes by continually hearing God’s Word. When you confess (speak) God’s Word out loud you are planting God’s incorruptible seed in your heart (spirit). In time, God’s Word will take root in your spirit (heart) and produce a plentiful harvest of all God’s blessings and promises in your life.

Confess these out loud every day until you believe them in your spirit. They will build your faith. Look up these verses and read them as they appear in your Bible. You can always trust God’s Word because He cannot lie.

I am not afraid. I stand firm and see the deliverance of the Lord everyday. The Lord fights for me. I hold my peace and remain at rest.
(Exodus 14:13-14)

I am blessed in the city and in the country. I am blessed coming in and going out. Enemies who rise up against me are already defeated.
(Deuteronomy 28:3, 6-7)

God gives me victory wherever I go.
(2 Samuel 8:6)

God is my protection and strength.
(Psalm 46:1; Philippians 4:13)

My help comes from the Lord. He will protect me night and day. He has my back at all times. He will guard my life wherever I go today, tomorrow and for evermore.
(Psalm 121)

I wait on the Lord and He gives me strength.
(Isaiah 40:31)

God is my strength and my invincible army. He enables me to conquer everything.
(Habakkuk 3:19)

I am filled with mountain moving faith.
(Mark 11:23)

God is for me, who can be against me?
(Romans 8:31)

The Lord delivers me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom.
(2 Timothy 4:18)

 

 

Image Source: David And Goliath – Sweet Publishing / FreeBibleimages.org

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