“David and Goliath”

1 Samuel 17:1-11, 19-23, 32-50

August 13, 2006

Their origin was unknown, but it is believed that they came from somewhere in Canaan through the Aegean basin. Regardless of their origins, the Philistines were a powerful force. Through their conquests for land, the Philistines had destroyed numerous civilizations, destroyed numerous cities, and killed thousands of people.

In 1190 B.C., early in the recorded history of the Philistines, they initially set out to conquer Egypt, but they were soundly defeated by the Egyptian armies of Rameses III, and the Philistines were forced to reside in the coastal towns of Gaze, Ashkelon, and Ashdod, in what is known today as Palestine. From there, they set their eyes upon Israel.

In 1150 B.C., the Philistines had once again amassed a powerful force. They drove out their Egyptian overlords, and for the next 150 years the Philistines were the most powerful force in the region. They had once again become a fighting machine. In fact, they had become so powerful, that they were able to push deep into the southern area of Israel uprooting several southern tribes of Israel, who had to flee to the north to escape the onslaught of the dreaded Philistine army.

Throughout the early books of the Old Testament, the exploits and reputation of the Philistines is well known and well feared. They were the dreaded enemies of Israel. Exodus tells how when God delivered the Israelites from the Egyptians, that God decided not to send them through the land of the Philistines in fear that if the Israelites found themselves engaged in battle, that they would want to return to Egypt, so God sent them the long way around through the desert.

In Judges, we hear the story of Sampson, who was able to subdue the Philistines over and over again because of his great strength. But when the secret of Sampson’s strength was discovered, and he was betrayed by Delilah, the Philistines captured Sampson, gouged out his eyes, and carried him off, and tied him to the pillars of the temple of their god Dagon. Even though Sampson’s strength would come back to him, all he could do against the Philistines was push the pillars down that supported the temple killing three thousand Philistines and himself.

1 Samuel tells us how the Philistines and the Israelites were in constant conflict, and how over and over again the Philistines defeated the Israelites, even capturing the ark of the covenant and returning it to their own land. Throughout 1 Samuel, this ongoing battle continues to rage, until Saul is made king. Through Saul’s leadership the tables were turned, and the Israelites began to defeat the Philistines in great numbers, the ark was returned, and for a while it looked as if Israel had once again gained an advantage over their fierce enemy. But Saul had sinned against God, and had not done what God had commanded. Saul was to completely destroy the Philistines, but instead, Saul let them go back to their homeland, and went to build a monument to himself.

The Philistines grew once again into a force to be reckoned with, and they continued to relentlessly attack Israel. Eventually, the leadership of Saul began to wither as he continued to bask in his own glory. He was no longer considered a king who could be trusted to protect Israel, and he lost the loyalty of his armies. In a poignant verse in 1 Samuel 14, Scripture gives us the legacy of Saul’s kingship in regards to the Philistines, “There was hard fighting against the Philistines all the days of Saul.” Saul and his three sons would eventually die on the battlefield fighting the Philistines, but Saul was not killed by the Philistines, he would take his own life with his own sword – a fitting ending to an inept king.

But where Saul had failed, another one would not fail – David. David, the youngest of eight brothers, the shepherd boy from the fields, God’s anointed new king, would prove his worth and his courage and most importantly his faith against the very same enemy that would eventually claim the life of Saul. And so there on the rolling hills that make up the narrow and open Elah Valley, about 15 miles southwest of Bethlehem, the armies of Israel find themselves engaged with the armies of the Philistines. Saul’s mandate was to protect Israel from the Philistines, precisely what he is unable to do, and for 40 days, the armies battle back and forth in small skirmishes probing the defenses of their opponent as they wait for the right moment to attack. And soon that day comes.

With the Israelites on the southern hills and the Philistines on the northern hills over looking the Valley, the armies come together for the great battle. From both sides, thousands of infantry spill from their encampments and line the valley floor, hundreds of chariots roll into position, archers take up their posts among the cover of the trees on the hills overlooking the valley, and the cavalry take up their flanking positions. The stage is set for one of the greatest battles in Scripture.

With the two armies poised for battle, suddenly out of the ranks of the Philistines comes a giant of a man – Goliath. His size is enormous. Standing nearly 9 feet 9 inches tall, is a powerful symbol of the Philistine army. He wears a helmet of bronze on his head, and he is armed with a coat of mail, which weighs nearly 90 pounds. He wears bronze armor on his legs, and he carries a bronze javelin on his shoulders. The shaft of his spear was the size of a weaver’s beam, with the head of the spear alone weighing nearly 15 pounds. His appearance alone makes the Israelites tremble in fear, for he indeed was armed better than the writer of Ephesians could have imagined. Then, completely self-assured in his own size and ability, Goliath begins to us his own form psychological warfare, Goliath shouts his words of intimidation toward the Israelites. Like a schoolyard bully, who entices and chides the weaker kids, Goliath calls toward the Israelites to send out their best warrior to fight with him as representatives of their opposing sides – the winning army taking the spoils and the land, and the losing army becoming the other’s servants.

Goliath’s words bring the Israelites to the point of dismay and great fear. They are unable to move or even think. How in the world can Israel defeat an enemy such as this? Who among the ranks of Israel has the courage and the bravery to face a giant such as Goliath? Who has enough faith in God to believe that God will deliver the Israelites from the hands of the Philistines? Only one person – David, the young shepherd boy, God’s anointed new king.

But David is not even there. He is at home tending sheep away from the front lines. As the events continue to transpire, David arrives to the Israelite encampment brining fresh supplies to the troops, and he overhears Goliath’s intimidating words, but David is not impressed. Intrigued by the notion that whoever kills the Philistine will be honored in Israel, David boldly makes his way to the front, unintimidated and unafraid of the boasting giant, unlike Saul and the other Israelites.

And where Saul and the Israelites were unable to respond, David speaks the words of one who is truly faithful, “Who is this Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God? And with this statement, David claims what Saul and the other Israelites were unable to claim, that God was not an irrelevant factor in the battle, that the God of Israel was indeed in the midst of their conflict, an active participant in their lives, a living God that cannot ever be underestimated or overlooked.

And so armed only with a sling and some stones, and his faith in the living God, the living God who had delivered him from the paws of lions and bears, David walks to the front lines and confronts Goliath face to face. He tells Goliath that he comes in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, whom Goliath has defied. And then in no uncertain terms, David tells Goliath exactly what he will do – “this very day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down…so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.”

And then, as the giant Philistine starts toward David, David does the unimaginable – he starts running full speed through the front lines out into the open field between the two armies toward Goliath. As he ran, David put his hand in his bag, took out a stone, loaded it in his sling, and slung it at Goliath striking Goliath in the forehead. The stone sank in deep, and the great giant, the great giant armored from head to toe, with the full compliment of battlefield weapons at his disposal, fell face down on the ground dead, killed by a seemingly unprotected, unarmed, defenseless shepherd boy with nothing more than a sling, a stone, and the faith in the powerful, faithful, living God of Israel.

This story of David and Goliath is a powerful reminder that God is not an absentee God, but a living power and presence at work in the lives of the faithful. David, unlike Saul and the Israelites, saw that this was the time, not for dismay or fear, but for witness to the God in whom they believed. David knew with all the confidence of faith that the same God who had delivered Israel from the Egyptians, and who had personally delivered him from the paws of the lions and bears, would most certainly deliver him from this Philistine giant and therefore the massive, powerful Philistine army that opposed them. This young, shepherd boy showed the Israelites what it meant to be faithful and in doing so, he began to fill the void left by Saul.

Through his words and actions, David showed the Israelites that there was indeed one who could be trusted to protect their homeland, one who could be trusted to deliver them from the hands of their greatest enemies, one who could be counted upon the act in the midst of their chaos and confusion their lives, one, who was not a boy in his youth and future king, but one whose name is Yahweh, the God of Israel, the God of creation, who alone is faithful and righteous, who alone saves.

This story of David and Goliath is a reminder to all of us that we do not face the giants of our lives alone either. Too many times, when we are confronted by the giants of our lives, we too become paralyzed to inaction, immobilized, unsure, fearful, and intimated by the shear size of our opponent. We wonder who will be able to save us. We wonder who can stand up to the giants in front of us. We wonder if all hope is lost and whether or not we will survive the day. David was able to confront Goliath because he knew that he was not alone, he knew that he had a powerful and mighty ally with him. Saul said David was too small to fight. Saul said David needed the weapons and armor of war in order to win. The other Israelite soldiers told David to be quiet and go back to his place. Goliath chided David for his size and apparent weakness. But David said, “No.” David said, “I have all I need, because I have the living God with me. I have one who is mightier than myself on this field of battle, and the living God who has delivered me before, will deliver me again for the whole world to see.”

With the defeat of Goliath and Philistines, David begins to embody the characteristics of kingship – young, handsome, charismatic, talented, a brave warrior, a faithful servant, a defender of God and of Israel. Soon after this encounter with Goliath at the Elah Valley, David will become king, and he will be the envy of all those who love him and who hate him, and he will become the Savior of God’s people, a savior who will be tested, and who will have to be reminded that his greatness is always subservient to the greatness of God. Amen.