Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
When we find ourselves up against an impossible situation, opposed by a formidable enemy, some people refer to that as a ‘David and Goliath’ situation. That phrase is also used in business or athletics or even politics when an underdog faces an opponent everyone assumes will ‘win big’!
So today, let’s step into that famous story and seek to understand it in a fresh way as we put ourselves in the Elah Valley in Israel about the year 1020bc.
Yesterday I left you watching young David playing his harp for King Saul in those times when Saul would find himself in a foul, angry mood, with a heavy spiritual darkness upon him. (1 Samuel 16:14-23) Saul had also asked David to join his armor bearers which meant David might be called up to accompany Saul into battle.
It appears we have another time gap between the end of 1 Samuel 16 and the beginning of 1 Samuel 17, perhaps a gap of even several years of time. (1 Samuel 17:12) David, it appears, had been permitted to return home to Bethlehem and rejoin his family. We presume David returned to the shepherd fields caring for his father Jesse’s flocks. In those days Israel did not have a standing army but rather you might consider all the men of fighting age to be in the ‘reserves’ as many are in Israel today.
That means they were living normal lives, doing their jobs with their families but they understood that if Israel came under attack the King might call on Israelite men of that particular region to come and quickly form an army to defend their Israelite towns from attack. We saw that in 1 Samuel 11 and the defense of the town of Jabesh Gilead, remember?
As 1 Samuel 17 opens, it appears the vicious Philistines were gathering their forces preparing to attack Israel, as they had done several times in the past. My friends, then as now, the people of Israel were surrounded north, east and south by peoples who wanted their land and wanted to destroy the nation of Israel.
This gathering of Philistines was very similar to how Russian troops were assembling on the border with Ukraine exactly two years ago at this time. You’ll remember the world watched and repeatedly the leadership of Russia denied they had any aggression planned against the people of Ukraine. But then suddenly, on February 24, 2022, the world was stunned as tanks and thousands of armed troops stormed across the border and attacked the cities and towns of the people of Ukraine.
That war has now continued for almost 2 years with the destruction of many towns and villages; the deaths of many thousands of people; the wounding of many thousands more; and the displacement of millions of people who are now refugees in neighboring countries.
King Saul had heard reports of this assembly of Philistines, evidently, he sent out word to call up his reservist army who lived in that region. As was typical in those days, these two armies set up camp on two opposing hillsides with the large valley of Elah in between them.
I’ve been to that place and it’s easy to see why these two armies, coming from opposite directions, would set up their camp on these two hillsides and position watchmen high on the hills to watch very closely any movements in the enemy camp. Suddenly one morning a giant of a man, standing 9 feet tall and with a huge coat of armor, came out into that valley and began shouting threats and insults to the Israelite camp. That famous giant’s name was Goliath and the description given to us in 1 Samuel 17:4-11 is frightening to anyone who reads it, even today.
Of course, the Israelite men were terrified, and it shouldn’t be difficult for us to imagine how fear swept through and nearly paralyzed the Israelite camp.
It would have been bad enough if this giant Goliath came out only once or twice, but the record tells us it became a daily spectacle continuing for 40 days!! With each additional day the fear and near paralysis of the Israelite soldiers increased; and the confidence and swagger of the Philistine army also increased.
Saul knew the growing animosity between them could not simmer indefinitely. Eventually the Philistine army would attack and when they did, they’d attack with a confident vengeance, and they would be attacking a fearful Israelite camp with many of the Israelite men probably ready to run for their lives. We should assume the Philistines army was well armed and their warriors well trained with their weaponry, whereas the Israelite army were reservists, many of whom had an aversion to warfare but were mobilized to defend their towns and families.
Finally, we should understand the vicious reputation of the Philistines was very similar to the reputation of Hamas or Hezbollah or ISIS or Boko Haram or Houthi rebels of our day. Can you feel the tension in the Elah Valley? It should be quite easy for us to walk through the Israelite camp listening to the frightened men, watching angry, violent, vulgar Goliath screaming to the Israelites.
The record tells us that back in quiet little Bethlehem life was fairly normal except that many of their older, courageous men had responded to Saul’s call and they were away from their homes, camped on that hillside, frightened by a threatening giant and the huge Philistine army behind him.
Three of Jesse’s oldest sons were among those Israelite soldiers fearing for their lives. Evidently Jesse sent his youngest son David off to visit his soldier brothers, bringing them food supplies and then return home to Bethlehem with news from the Elah Valley battlefield, which was only about 20 miles straight west of Bethlehem.
On one of these visits to his brothers, young David apparently arrived just as Goliath the giant was coming out from the Philistine camp shouting his vulgar challenge to the Israelite men. The record says: “David reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions… Israel and the Philistines were drawing up the battle lines facing each other. David ran to the battle line and greeted his brothers. As he was talking with them Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from the Philistine lines and shouted his usual defiance, and young David heard it… The Israelites ran from the giant in great fear… David asked the men standing near him, ‘What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (1 Samuel 17:20-26)
Look at those Israelite men trembling in fear and the Philistine warriors shouting, raising their spears, ready to attack! Look at young David standing tall and courageously asking these penetrating questions. It’s normal to ask what reward would be given to the man who risks his life to battle this giant, but do you see the second question David asked, my friends? It’s far more important than the first question. It causes me to wonder… was anyone else asking this question? Was anyone else offended by the vulgarity of this Philistine cursing the God of Israel?
There it is my friends; do you see it? Remember the Holy Spirit of God had come upon young David when Samuel anointed him with oil as God’s chosen man to be the future king of Israel. With this question, the Holy Spirit of God is stirring deeply in young David’s heart and the Spirit is raising up a righteous anger against the vile evil of Goliath and all he represented.
David was far more concerned about the reputation of the God of Israel than he was either about his own safety or any reward a soldier may receive by defeating Goliath. So, let’s pause right here and evaluate how this scene reflects the world you and I live in today? Who is standing up against the vile wickedness in every segment of society that rejects God, opposes God, defiles God, blasphemes God? How do you respond when you see a wicked Goliath coming against you in the strength of wickedness?
Here’s a Hebrew song I found calling upon God for His mighty help. I wonder if young David had a song like this rising up in his soul as the Holy Spirit of God began to shape a strategy and courage in David calling him to step forward to confront this evil? Let’s worship and I’ll meet you right back here tomorrow on the battlefield of the Elah Valley to see what God did that day!
Today’s Scripture: 1 Samuel 17:1-26.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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