David and Goliath - a few thoughts

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Yesterday morning, we looked at the story of David & Goliath from 1 Samuel 17. It's one of those stories that is so well-known that we often miss the point of it. Here are a few quick thoughts.

1. You can never find safety in human strength or wisdom.

One of the key characters in the story is Saul. After all, Saul was the king the people wanted because he was so impressive. He was a head taller than anyone else (1 Sam 10:23) and was a great military leader. The people thought they would be safe with him as their king.

But the problem with trusting in human strength or wisdom is that there is always someone stronger, someone wiser or cleverer or more beautiful. Or in this case, taller.

Saul was a head taller than any of the Israelites; he was the impressive soldier who should have fought as the people's champion. But he was used to trusting in his size, in his armour and weapons, and 1 Samuel makes the point that in all those categories the new Philistine champion Goliath was even more impressive.

It's the same with us. Do we trust in our wits? What if someone cleverer comes along? In our ability to blag? What if we're up against someone better at it? In our money? What if we're opposed by someone with better resources?

We can never find true safety, or security, or a sense of value, if we try to base them in our own abilities. And for the people of Israel, who wanted a king who looked impressive, Goliath spelt disaster.

2. God Conquers through Weakness rather than Strength

It wasn't the biggest or strongest Israelite who faced Goliath; it was quite possibly the smallest and weakest on the battlefield. David wasn't old enough to go to war – he was only there to deliver some cheese. He wasn't even the biggest or the most impressive in his family (1 Sam 16:7). In fact, people's response on seeing him was a lot closer to "isn't he cute" than "what a great soldier"! (1 Sam 16:12).

But the boy David was God's chosen rescuer for his people. Why? Because God looked at his heart, not his outward appearance, and what God saw in David's heart was complete trust in him, trust that wasn't afraid of looking stupid as a boy faced up to a giant.

David himself tells us how to understand the scene with Goliath, in 1 Sam 17:47. "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."

God does not rescue us because of our strength or by our strength, or wisdom, or attractiveness, or ability to blag, or good deeds. He rescues us by his strength, which is made perfect in weakness.

And we need a rescuer. Our opponents – guilt, sin and death is even more impressive than Goliath. No-one can ever escape from them by our own abilities. But the battle is the Lord's, and he wins. Not by armies or battles, but by an ordinary-looking man doing what seems most foolish – suffering and dying. By the weakness and foolishness of Christ, God has defeated the biggest enemies of all.

May we have confidence in the victory of great David's greater Son, the Lamb who was slain for us, our saviour Jesus Christ!
God bless,

John

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