I started a study into the life of King David yesterday, starting in 1 Samuel 16. This morning, I read chapter 17, which contains the famous account of David's battle with Goliath.
Most everyone is familiar with the story of David and Goliath, at least to some extent, but for those who aren't, a brief recap. At this point in history, the ancient kingdom of Israel was at war with the kingdoms of the Philistines. The Philistines had just invaded and camped their army near an Israelite town. The army of Israel had likewise camped nearby and both armies prepared to do battle. However, at this point Goliath--a Philistine champion--came forward and challenged anyone in Israel to single combat to determine the outcome of the war. Not surprisingly, Goliath didn't have any takers. According the the Bible, he was a trained warrior from his youth and stood over nine feet tall. He was armored all in bronze (with his coat of mail alone weighing 125 pounds) and armed with a sword and a gigantic spear with an iron head (which was especially intimidating since this took place in the late Bronze Age, when iron was the toughest metal known to mankind). Not surprisingly, everyone in Israel was afraid of him and none of them dared enter single combat with him.
At least, until David came. David was not a soldier at this point, or even king. He was just a shepherd running an errand for his dad. Yet he happened upon the scene when Goliath was making his boastful challenge to the Israelite army and he volunteered to take on the giant. Since David was not a trained soldier, he was unable to go out in armor against Goliath so he instead faced him in his everyday clothes, armed only with his shepherd's staff and a sling with five smooth stones. He went out to meet Goliath looking like a kid with a derringer going out to fight an Abrams tank. Goliath laughed at the sight of him...and then stopped laughing abruptly as David's sling-stone found his unarmored forehead and fatally concussed him. The gigantic warrior toppled at the shepherd boy's feet and the rest is history.
What I found interesting in my reading, though, was where each of the characters looked for strength. Goliath clearly found his source of strength in himself--and why wouldn't he? The man was the flesh-tone equivalent of the Hulk! He could have taken any man in Israel in single combat, and probably have defeated several at once as well. In his challenge, he shouts, "I defy the armies of Israel this day," and clearly he thinks he's strong enough to do it.
The Israelites, similarly, were looking for strength in themselves and each other. Though they were no where near as strong as Goliath, they looked to their own resources for strength for that was--seemingly--all they had. They even used this attitude to evaluate David when he volunteered to fight the giant, saying to him, "You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth." They compared what strength they could find in themselves to the evident strength of Goliath and found themselves wanting--and thus dared not to oppose the giant.
But David is different. Though he is nowhere near as strong as Goliath, and he is fully aware of this fact, he does not shirk from confronting him. In the face of Goliath's incredible power, Israel quails but David remains confident. His confidence is not foolish bravado any more than his victory is dumb luck. His confidence and his victory come from his source of strength--which is greater than that of Goliath. In verse 45, David reveals where he finds his strength when he answers Goliath's challenge by saying, "You come at 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." David does not look in himself for his source of strength. He does not gauge his skill, fortitude, and experience against that of his opponent. Rather, he looks to God has his source of strength. He is confident that God will give him the victory because he believes that God will fight the battle through him--and God is far more powerful than the Philistine. Goliath may be six feet tall, but God's vastness cannot be contained by any physical dimensions. Goliath may be wearing enough armor to stop a bronze arrow or a sword cut, but God can stop a storm with one word and no weapon ever made is capable of harming Him. Goliath may have the latest and greatest in iron-tipped spears, but God has the ability to unleash hail, lightning, disease, earthquakes, world-drowning floods, and firey apocalypses beyond human imagination at will. Against such an opponent, Goliath doesn't stand a chance, and David knows it.
But what about us, as Christians in our daily lives and particularly in our trials. Where do we find our strength? When we face temptations or challenges or stressful situations, where are we looking for our source of power? By what means do we measure our chances of success?
I have to say in my own life that, too often, I find myself looking for strength where the Israelites looked. I compare the allurements of lust to my own willpower, and whatever checks and fail-safes I may have put in place (like an accountability partners). Right now, that's a recipe for disaster: as I only have one accountability partner right now who hasn't held me accountable in months and my exhausted willpower is so often no more match for an alluring clip from the web than an Israelite soldier was for Goliath. When under stress, I compare my work-pace and quality against the demands of an assignment and its deadline. This, of course, increases my stress as I try to work like a dog to make up the difference--or else give up in despair. When looking at my finances, I compare my meager income to my current and (rapidly mounting) future expenses--which explains why I generally avoid thinking about my finances. All around in my life I face challenges that are too big for me, at least, when I look at my own strength.
I want to be more like David, who looked not at his own strength for the battle, but counted on God. God is not swayed by lust or pornography, since He created the forms and desires these crudely twist and emulate. God is not stressed out by the demands of my work: in seven days He created the entire universe--and He took one of them off. He owns all the wealth in the world--and owns the world, too--and He is not afraid of my financial burden, which is puny by comparison.
Now, this is not to say that I can or should just slack off and wait for God to do everything. This is not the way David found his strength. He did not sit back in the camp and wait for God to strike Goliath down with a bolt of lightning while he watched. Instead, he engaged the giant, counting on God's strength to work through him and win the victory. So also, I must face my struggles personally and engage them, but not through a trust in my own devices. Instead, I must attack my problems with the courage and boldness that comes with the knowledge that Jesus has already overcome them.
Most everyone is familiar with the story of David and Goliath, at least to some extent, but for those who aren't, a brief recap. At this point in history, the ancient kingdom of Israel was at war with the kingdoms of the Philistines. The Philistines had just invaded and camped their army near an Israelite town. The army of Israel had likewise camped nearby and both armies prepared to do battle. However, at this point Goliath--a Philistine champion--came forward and challenged anyone in Israel to single combat to determine the outcome of the war. Not surprisingly, Goliath didn't have any takers. According the the Bible, he was a trained warrior from his youth and stood over nine feet tall. He was armored all in bronze (with his coat of mail alone weighing 125 pounds) and armed with a sword and a gigantic spear with an iron head (which was especially intimidating since this took place in the late Bronze Age, when iron was the toughest metal known to mankind). Not surprisingly, everyone in Israel was afraid of him and none of them dared enter single combat with him.
At least, until David came. David was not a soldier at this point, or even king. He was just a shepherd running an errand for his dad. Yet he happened upon the scene when Goliath was making his boastful challenge to the Israelite army and he volunteered to take on the giant. Since David was not a trained soldier, he was unable to go out in armor against Goliath so he instead faced him in his everyday clothes, armed only with his shepherd's staff and a sling with five smooth stones. He went out to meet Goliath looking like a kid with a derringer going out to fight an Abrams tank. Goliath laughed at the sight of him...and then stopped laughing abruptly as David's sling-stone found his unarmored forehead and fatally concussed him. The gigantic warrior toppled at the shepherd boy's feet and the rest is history.
What I found interesting in my reading, though, was where each of the characters looked for strength. Goliath clearly found his source of strength in himself--and why wouldn't he? The man was the flesh-tone equivalent of the Hulk! He could have taken any man in Israel in single combat, and probably have defeated several at once as well. In his challenge, he shouts, "I defy the armies of Israel this day," and clearly he thinks he's strong enough to do it.
The Israelites, similarly, were looking for strength in themselves and each other. Though they were no where near as strong as Goliath, they looked to their own resources for strength for that was--seemingly--all they had. They even used this attitude to evaluate David when he volunteered to fight the giant, saying to him, "You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth." They compared what strength they could find in themselves to the evident strength of Goliath and found themselves wanting--and thus dared not to oppose the giant.
But David is different. Though he is nowhere near as strong as Goliath, and he is fully aware of this fact, he does not shirk from confronting him. In the face of Goliath's incredible power, Israel quails but David remains confident. His confidence is not foolish bravado any more than his victory is dumb luck. His confidence and his victory come from his source of strength--which is greater than that of Goliath. In verse 45, David reveals where he finds his strength when he answers Goliath's challenge by saying, "You come at 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." David does not look in himself for his source of strength. He does not gauge his skill, fortitude, and experience against that of his opponent. Rather, he looks to God has his source of strength. He is confident that God will give him the victory because he believes that God will fight the battle through him--and God is far more powerful than the Philistine. Goliath may be six feet tall, but God's vastness cannot be contained by any physical dimensions. Goliath may be wearing enough armor to stop a bronze arrow or a sword cut, but God can stop a storm with one word and no weapon ever made is capable of harming Him. Goliath may have the latest and greatest in iron-tipped spears, but God has the ability to unleash hail, lightning, disease, earthquakes, world-drowning floods, and firey apocalypses beyond human imagination at will. Against such an opponent, Goliath doesn't stand a chance, and David knows it.
But what about us, as Christians in our daily lives and particularly in our trials. Where do we find our strength? When we face temptations or challenges or stressful situations, where are we looking for our source of power? By what means do we measure our chances of success?
I have to say in my own life that, too often, I find myself looking for strength where the Israelites looked. I compare the allurements of lust to my own willpower, and whatever checks and fail-safes I may have put in place (like an accountability partners). Right now, that's a recipe for disaster: as I only have one accountability partner right now who hasn't held me accountable in months and my exhausted willpower is so often no more match for an alluring clip from the web than an Israelite soldier was for Goliath. When under stress, I compare my work-pace and quality against the demands of an assignment and its deadline. This, of course, increases my stress as I try to work like a dog to make up the difference--or else give up in despair. When looking at my finances, I compare my meager income to my current and (rapidly mounting) future expenses--which explains why I generally avoid thinking about my finances. All around in my life I face challenges that are too big for me, at least, when I look at my own strength.
I want to be more like David, who looked not at his own strength for the battle, but counted on God. God is not swayed by lust or pornography, since He created the forms and desires these crudely twist and emulate. God is not stressed out by the demands of my work: in seven days He created the entire universe--and He took one of them off. He owns all the wealth in the world--and owns the world, too--and He is not afraid of my financial burden, which is puny by comparison.
Now, this is not to say that I can or should just slack off and wait for God to do everything. This is not the way David found his strength. He did not sit back in the camp and wait for God to strike Goliath down with a bolt of lightning while he watched. Instead, he engaged the giant, counting on God's strength to work through him and win the victory. So also, I must face my struggles personally and engage them, but not through a trust in my own devices. Instead, I must attack my problems with the courage and boldness that comes with the knowledge that Jesus has already overcome them.
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