David versus Goliath. Who doesn’t know this story? Who can’t benefit from the trial David faced, and how he conquered it to God’s glory? If you think your insignificance keeps you from being victorious in a tough situation, think again. If you feel powerless when evil is staring you down, think again. If you don’t believe you have the skill and training to successfully deal with a devilish opponent, think again. If you feel like you are in a no-win situation with no way out, think again. Better yet: read, study, and apply the story of David’s encounter with the giant to learn how to seize victory so that God will get the glory.
Learning from David, some 3,000 years after the fact, starts with understanding the contextual setting. Chapter sixteen focuses on how God removed His Spirit from King Saul and placed it on David to empower him as Israel’s new king. The chapter closes with David’s harp-playing ability being used by God to strategically position him in Saul’s presence, bringing the ailing king comfort through the soft, melodic playing. The expectation of David’s rise to regal power is in the air between chapters 16 and 17. What will happen? How will David, the shepherd, replace Saul, the warrior-king?
Chapter 17 begins to open up God’s precise providential plan. What will it entail? A whole lot of contrasts: A giant warrior versus a teenage shepherd boy; heavy weaponry versus a shepherd’s staff and slingshot; arrogance versus humility; self-reliance versus God-reliance; a pagan god versus the living God; mocking defiance versus courageous determination; raw power versus divine power; and a fearless people versus a fearful people. By using these contrasts, the author builds the tension of his story to a crescendo starting in verse 32. His method effectively conveys his point that David is Israel’s rightful king, as evidenced by his actions. He faces the contrasts with faith and courage in the God who is with Him and lives to seize a victory no one saw coming. Likewise, your life is marked by both negative and positive contrasts. The question naturally arises: Will you, like David, trust in God to guide you to victory despite the negative contrasts stacked against you? And beyond this, when God gives a victory, will you use the situation to direct praise to Him, not you?
With these opening thoughts in mind, we are now prepared to dive into the story of all stories. It’s a long passage, so we will methodically work our way through its inspired sections to isolate its core message for us today, a message God doesn’t just want us to understand but to live out on the battlefield called life.
The Conflict (1 Sam. 17: 1-10)
Despite the fact God had decimated the Philistines years earlier when they brought His Ark of the Covenant to their land, and despite the victories God gave Israel through Samuel, and later through the courage of King Saul’s son, Jonathan, the Philistines would not stop their blood-thirsty and power-hungry ways to rid the world of the Israelites while seizing their coveted land. The battle listed here illustrates this sad, sordid truth; however, it serves to introduce us to Israel’s next king, who would be a warrior and victor over their enemies in ways future kings could learn from.
1 Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle; and they were gathered at Socoh which belongs to Judah, and they camped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. 2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered, and camped in the valley of Elah, and drew up in battle array to encounter the Philistines. 3 And the Philistines stood on the mountain on one side while Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with the valley between them. (1 Sam. 17)
I’ve often been in this small, seemingly insignificant, quiet, lovely valley. Israel’s troops camped on the northern hills, and the Philistines dug in on the southern hills. They could easily see and hear each other with only a few hundred yards separating them. Militarily, the face-off site couldn’t have been more strategic for armies trained in hand-to-hand combat.
Occasionally, in ancient times, armies that stared each other down would propose having two of their most feared and skilled warriors fight to the death to avoid mass casualties. To the victor would belong the spoils. The Philistines took this combat strategy to a new level with a warrior like no one had ever seen. His name? Goliath.
4 Then a champion came out from the armies of the Philistines named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. 5 And he had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was clothed with scale-armor which weighed five thousand shekels of bronze. 6 He also had bronze greaves on his legs and a bronze javelin slung between his shoulders. 7 And the shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and the head of his spear weighed six hundred shekels of iron; his shield-carrier also walked before him. (1 Sam. 17)
Who would want to fight a menacing military machine of this stature? Everything about Goliath from Gath smacked of gargantuan size. He stood a whopping nine feet, nine inches tall. His body armor, designed to guard his mid-section from arrows, javelins, spears, and sword thrusts, weighed 125 pounds. Just his spear topped out at 15 pounds. Our Navy Seals love the portable M60 machine gun. It is 23 pounds of sheer firepower; however, they don’t throw it at the enemy. Imagine trying to throw a 15-pound spear accurately. Good luck hitting anything. Goliath appeared invincible. The poor soldier who had to carry his massive shield in front of him heightened that sense of invincibility.
Using psy-ops to their advantage, the Philistine commanders sent their best warrior out to the edge of the potential battlefield to taunt and mock the Israelite army under King Saul’s command.
8 And he stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, and said to them, “Why do you come out to draw up in battle array? Am I not the Philistine and you 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 become your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall become our servants and serve us.” 10 Again the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day; give me a man that we may fight together.”(1 Samuel 17)
As we will learn, Goliath did this for forty days, two times a day. Imagine if you were the soldier who had to drag his shield out onto the battlefield in the morning and evening forty times. I’m sure this man was chomping at the bit for Israel to send out their best warrior to end the madness.
Unfortunately for Goliath, he suffered the same vision problem the Israelites struggled with: he looked at the external, not the internal; he considered the physical, not the spiritual. He saw Israel as just another army, not the army of the living God. So, he did what arrogant giants do: he mocked and taunted God’s people. Perhaps you are well-acquainted with Goliath because you face him at work, at the Pentagon, in your battalion, in the next cubicle over from yours, in your marriage, or with an ex-husband or wife. Be not dismayed by him. He may mock and taunt you, but he’s mocking and taunting the living God who is your Father as a saint, and that is not optimal for him, as we shall see.
How did Israel respond to the likes of Goliath? Not well.
The Chickens (1 Sam. 17:11-24)
This next historical section is framed by similar statements underscoring the fear within the ranks of Israel’s army. From a literary standpoint, this is called inclusio. Like a bow on a package, it draws attention to something. Here that something is the fear that gripped the soldiers under Saul’s command:
11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.
24 When all the men of Israel saw the man, they fled from him and were greatly afraid. (1 Sam. 17)
Israel’s soldiers not only trembled in their tunics when they saw Goliath but also ran away from him. How embarrassing. And King Saul, the tallest man in Israel, also cowered because he never once stepped out on the battlefield to engage this godless giant. All of them had conveniently forgotten the Lord’s promises to them through great, godly men like Moses and Joshua who had stared down a few Goliath-types in their day:
It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. (Deut. 31:8)
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Josh. 1:9)
Have you forgotten the Lord’s word as you stand toe to toe with your Goliath? If so, confess your sin and ask the Lord to empower you with His Word so you will be faithful and not fearful.
Sandwiched between these two poles of fear, the author introduces us to Israel’s true king and warrior, who was sovereignly suited to take down this menacing, mean man.
12 Now David was the son of the Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, whose name was Jesse, and he had eight sons. And Jesse was old in the days of Saul, advanced in years among men. 13 And the three older sons of Jesse had gone after Saul to the battle. And the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the first-born, and the second to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. 14 And David was the youngest. Now the three oldest followed Saul, 15 but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s flock at Bethlehem. 16 And the Philistine came forward morning and evening for forty days, and took his stand. (1 Sam. 17)
During the forty days that Goliath mocked and challenged Israel’s feckless, fearful warriors twice a day, David just happened to have the seemingly mundane job of bringing rations to his three brothers who served in Saul’s army. We don’t know how many times David made this trip, but it wasn’t an easy one, as he had to descend some 14 miles, hauling heavy food, to reach his brothers, and then ascend back up the hills to Bethlehem, which was located northeast of the Valley of Elah. Take a moment to reflect: Never underestimate the value of your mundane job. God might be positioning you to do something courageous to push back evil. So, stay frosty, as they say, and full of faith in your Lord who is with you.
On the fortieth day of this Philistine psy-ops, Jesse, David’s father, ‘just happened’ to send David on another MRE run.
17 Then Jesse said to David his son, “Take now for your brothers an ephah of this roasted grain and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to your brothers. 18 “Bring also these ten cuts of cheese to the commander of their thousand, and look into the welfare of your brothers, and bring back news of them. 19 “For Saul and they and all the men of Israel are in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.” 20 So David arose early in the morning and left the flock with a keeper and took the supplies and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the circle of the camp while the army was going out in battle array shouting the war cry. (1 Sam. 17)
Please don’t overlook the fact that David left a faithful shepherd in charge of his father’s sheep. This, coupled with his obedience to his father’s wishes, reveals much about his character. Unlike King Saul, David was loyal to the core and faithful to the sheep entrusted to him.
David ‘just happened’ to get to the camp when the Israelite troops gave their “formidable and fearsome” war cry. WhooooAhhhh. Yeah right. How did that fare when, for forty days, they ran for cover when Goliath’s heavy body shook the earth as he came out to mock and taunt them?
Hearing the commotion and realizing something significant was occurring, or about to happen, David couldn’t wait to get in on the action:
21 And Israel and the Philistines drew up in battle array, army against army. 22 Then David left his baggage in the care of the baggage keeper, and ran to the battle line and entered in order to greet his brothers. 23 As he was talking with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine from Gath named Goliath, was coming up from the army of the Philistines, and he spoke these exact words; and David heard them. (1 Sam. 17)
Whereas Israelite soldiers typically ran from the battlefield, David ran to it. Again, this is another small indication of why he was qualified to be Israel’s king, not Saul. It’s also a sign of how God sometimes providentially places us in tumultuous situations designed to determine whether we will flee or fight the battle before us. If you are running away, I think it’s time to stop and return to where you came from, and then ask God for guidance on combating evil while also bringing Him glory.
No sooner did David arrive on the battleline to greet his three older brothers than Goliath did his daily ritual of mocking and taunting the Israelite army with his big, booming voice. And you think David ‘just happened’ to be there? Think again. God had David right where He wanted him. God has you right where He wants you, too. So, stop physically and emotionally shakin’ and start emotionally and spiritually bakin.’
This is precisely what David did, as we learn in the following historical panel:
The Challenge (1 Sam. 17:25-31)
Instead of using his height and garnering some much-needed faith to engage Goliath courageously, King Saul motivated one of his soldiers to do the dangerous dirty work by promising him riches and a bride from his regal line. Funny how no one took up the challenge. But they all knew what someone would receive if they somehow defeated this muscular, menacing military ‘machine’ named Goliath.
25 And the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who is coming up? Surely he is coming up to defy Israel. And it will be that the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father’s house free in Israel.” 26 Then David spoke to the men who were standing by him, saying, “What will 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 taunt the armies of the living God?” 27 And the people answered him in accord with this word, saying, “Thus it will be done for the man who kills him.” (1 Sam. 17)
This exchange reveals more reasons why David was Israel’s rightful king. He didn’t see a giant. He saw a nasty Philistine soldier who mocked God’s army and God himself. For David, Goliath represented a small obstacle that could lead to an excellent opportunity for advancement, not in terms of his wealth and power, but in God’s glory. What a viewpoint. Do you share it right now? You should.
Hearing his little brother speak with such bravado was just too much for Jesse’s oldest son, Eliab:
28 Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger burned against David and he said, “Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your insolence and the wickedness of your heart; for you have come down in order to see the battle.” (1 Sam. 17)
Don’t be shocked when you are opposed for desiring to engage evil in the name of God. Don’t be shocked at who might oppose you. Don’t be shocked when they level false charges against you, despite the fact that those charges against your character don’t match hard reality. Often, opposition will come from those closest to you, who should know better, such as family or other respected individuals. It’s tragic, but true, just as Jesus warned us: “A man’s foes shall be they of his own household” (Matt. 10:36). You’ve heard their cocky, condescending voices before: Who are you to think you can take on the school board by yourself to safeguard children from sexually explicit books? Who are you to believe you can be a whistleblower and that anyone will care about your words? Who are you to think you can remove the corruption from the organization or department you work for? Who are you to believe you can make an appreciable impact on the sex trafficking of children? Who are you to think you can make a positive net gain with your drunk or drugged-out husband? Who are you, . . . well, you can fill in the blank, I’m convinced.
David was no sheep. He was a shepherd, and as such, he defended himself before his jealous brother:
29 But David said, “What have I done now? Was it not just a question?” 30 Then he turned away from him to another and said the same thing; and the people answered the same thing as before. 31 When the words which David spoke were heard, they told them to Saul, and he sent for him. (1 Sam. 17)
When you are falsely accused, you don’t have to remain silent. Sometimes it is wise to stay quiet, but at other times, wisdom calls you to speak up and hold the accuser accountable. David did. Perhaps it’s time for you to follow suit.
The passage closes by informing us that David’s courageous words ‘just happened’ to be repeated to King Saul. Look for God to do the same with you. Who you are, what you believe in, the morals you hold and articulate, the character you evidence in word and deed, will get around to the people God knows need to hear it. And when they hear of your bravery, look for a door of opportunity to open for you to go after Goliath. That’s what happened in David’s young life.
The Champion (1 Sam. 17:32-51)
Once in King Saul’s presence, David wastes no time speaking like a king:
32 And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail on account of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” (1 Sam. 17)
David just did what Saul should have done. Encourage the troops and take definitive action yourself. Note that David merely calls his formidable foe a Philistine when he offers to defeat Goliath. David didn’t see a giant. He saw a man, and because he was a man, he had weaknesses and vulnerabilities. What insight and courage. What’s your perspective as you have a stalemate with your Goliath? May David’s perspective be yours, for this sets you up for victory.
Saul responded with limited spiritual vision.
33 Then Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are but a youth while he has been a warrior from his youth.” (1 Sam. 17)
Saul’s “You” David is emphatic in Hebrew, while “He” Goliath emphatically states that there is a vast difference, in Saul’s mind, between the youthful David and the seasoned warrior Goliath who has been a fearsome warrior since his youth. Saul sees the scrimmage as a total mismatch, and it’s not in David’s favor. Saul’s eyes focused on the outer, not the inner; on the physical and not the spiritual. His appraisal couldn’t have been more misguided.
David, conversely, focused on the inner, rather than the outer, on the spiritual, rather than the physical. So, he educated King Saul about why his perspective would lead him to victory over the likes of Goliath:
34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant was tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went out after him and attacked him, and rescued it from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized him by his beard and struck him and killed him. 36 “Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God.” 37 And David said, “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” (1 Sam. 17)
David argues from the lesser to the greater. Since he had already taken out a lion and a bear with God’s assistance to save a helpless little sheep, he could easily take out this big beast named Goliath. Can you even begin to comprehend David’s bravery? Would you grab a lion or a bear by their ‘beard’ to save one lamb from its powerful paws? You’d only do it if you were psycho, or full of faith and courage in God’s empowerment. David was full of the latter. He knew that God showed up to help any saint who dared to step out in faith to take on a formidable foe of good and righteousness.
David’s refreshing courage and passionate faith moved salty old Saul:
And Saul said to David, “Go, and may the LORD be with you.” (1 Sam. 17)
Finally, Saul said something spiritual! What he failed to realize, however, was that God already was with David, but not with him.
In classic carnal fashion, Saul resorted to preparing David for the battle of his life by focusing on the physical rather than the spiritual, on the outer rather than the inner. Like many, Saul was a slow spiritual learner, and because of this, God didn’t use him extensively. Look at how, all too quickly, Saul sought to give armor to a young man who had already taken out a massive, menacing lion and bear without any armor. Also, Saul may have possessed an ulterior motive here. How so? At this time, the ancients believed that if you wore the armor of another, you possessed the essence of his power. If you achieved victory, then he also got in on the so-called action.[1] With this, Saul made his calculated move:
38 Then Saul clothed David with his garments and put a bronze helmet on his head, and he clothed him with armor. 39 And David girded his sword over his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. So David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.” And David took them off. (1 Sam. 17)
I’m sure David, who had to be much shorter and physically smaller and lighter than the older Saul, must have looked funny in all the ill-fitting armor. Watching the teenager attempt to walk and move while entrapped in all that heavy metal gear must have been amusing. So, what did David do? He got back into his street clothes, as it were. He knew he didn’t need earthly armor to fight this foe when He had the armor of the Word of the living God.
What did he need for weaponry?
40 And he took his stick in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd’s bag which he had, even in his pouch, and his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine. (1 Sam. 17)
All he needed was a shepherd’s trusty staff, five smooth circular stones from a local river bed, and a time-tested slingshot. Believe me, the river bed is still in the Valley of Elah, and stones are everywhere. Once adequately prepared for how he wanted to fight, David headed out onto the battleline.
Quickly, the big brute, Goliath, saw his easy prey. Highly offended at the likes of David, he started mocking and taunting him. Again, Goliath made a calculated, tactical mistake. He looked on the outside, not the inside, and he looked at his false, dead god (whom Israel’s God had defeated when they placed His Ark before the god Dagon) and not the true, living God. =
41 Then the Philistine came on and approached David, with the shield-bearer in front of him. 42 When the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth, and ruddy, with a handsome appearance. 43 And the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. (1 Sam. 17)
Apparently, Goliath just saw David’s shepherd’s staff. I’m sure the sight of it ticked him off, after all, he stood there with all his heavy weaponry, massive spear, sword, and shield, and all David appeared to have as a weapon was a wooden staff. Are you kidding me? he must have thought. Arrogantly, he bellowed:
44 The Philistine also said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field.” (1 Sam. 17)
He got that wrong, didn’t he? In a few minutes, his dead body would provide food for a whole flock of hungry buzzards. Talk about irony. Goliath, obviously, had no clue regarding the timeless divine principle that pride does go before a fall (Prov. 16:18).
Within the following few verses, we encounter the theological heart of the passage. Staring down Goliath, David courageously exclaimed:
45 Then David said 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 armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. 46 “This day the LORD will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and 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 does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the LORD’s and He will give you into our hands.” (1 Sam. 17)
David informs the godless Goliath that he’s about to be educated in the ways of the living God he has mocked and taunted. “You” Goliath and “I David are emphatic Hebrew pronouns designed to drive home that each man has weapons from two different realms. David places his faith, not in heavy weaponry, but in the living God he knows can empower him, based on past experiences, to deal with one more big, ominous beast. David also gives Goliath a wake-up call, reminding him that the battle will not unfold as planned. He will be food for the birds, not David. Finally, David provides the central motif of the passage: an uncommon foe calls for uncommon faith in the living God, who gives victories and receives the glory. You should read that again, especially if you are going up against a Goliath.
With all the tough talk over, Goliath sprang into action to quickly eliminate this puny teenager.
48 Then it happened when the Philistine rose and came and drew near to meet David, that David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. (1 Sam. 17)
Like David did with the lion and bear, he ran toward the pernicious predator, not away from it. The following few verses move quickly to tell us how this unflinching teen with great faith in God did the impossible:
49 And David put his hand into his bag and took from it a stone and slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead. And the stone sank into his forehead, so that he fell on his face to the ground. 50 Thus David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and he struck the Philistine and killed him; but there was no sword in David’s hand. 51 Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. (1 Sam. 17)
Scientists estimate that a slingshot like this could hurl a stone at 150 miles per hour. When he saw it, Goliath underestimated David’s weapon of choice, and David had one chance in a million to sink that stone into Goliath’s massive skull. I wonder who guided that stone? God did. God will guide the stone you use, be what it may, to engage the big beast you face. Your stone might be a good, clear, concise logical argument, or some cold, hard facts. Either way, God will guide your stone to its target, and when He does, may you and others give Him the glory for the victory no one saw coming.
In an instant, Goliath, a massive target, did a loud face-plant in the dirt, just like his god, Dagon, had done years before when exposed to God’s holy Ark (1 Sam. 5). How ironic. Mighty and massive Dagon fell before a simple wooden ark overlaid with gold, and mighty and massive Goliath fell before a teenager with a slingshot. It demonstrates God’s power in the face of evil. He can, and will, use various means to overpower the wicked and wickedness.
In the classical Middle Eastern form of what to do to your enemy after you have defeated them, David took Goliath’s sword and beheaded him. Again, you can’t miss the irony. The sword meant for David is used by David on its owner, Goliath.
How did David’s courage, which was founded on a deep faith in God, impact the people? His courage became their courage:
The Charge (1 Sam. 17:52-58)
The fearful became the fearless because of the faith of one young man, David:
52 And the men of Israel and Judah arose and shouted and pursued the Philistines as far as the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the slain Philistines lay along the way to Shaaraim, even to Gath and Ekron. 53 And the sons of Israel returned from chasing the Philistines and plundered their camps. 54 Then David took the Philistine’s head and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his weapons in his tent. (1 Sam. 17)
How ironic. The Philistines, who had marched toward the Israelite forces in the Valley of Elah from towns like Gath and Ekron, now ran away from the Israelite troops as they tried to reach the safety of their fortresses. Not many of them made it, and this reality underscored the power of Israel’s God and their new king, David.
David now stands as a model for God’s saints who face big brutes like Goliath. From him, we learn this truth, worth restating: a seemingly formidable foe calls for faith in the living God, who empowers His people to be victorious while giving Him glory. So, what about you? Do you believe God has your back despite the size of the Goliath looming before you? Will you courageously move out to take on the evil staring you down? Most importantly, when victory comes your way and the giant plants a proverbial face in the dirt, will you give God the glory without taking any for yourself?
[1] Johnson Pedersen, Israel: Its Life and Culture, Vol. I-II (London: Oxford, 1926), 302-303.
