We know that Israel faced giants at the edge of the Promised Land [What Are The Giants Saying To You?]
Centuries later, they were facing giants again. Maybe the very descendants of the first giants, I don't know.
You know the story. It is one of the most widely-known stories in the Bible...even most non-believers know it. You can read it in 1 Samuel 17.
Saul was king of Israel, and was camped with his army in the valley of Elah, where the Philistines had gathered their armies for battle.
Get the picture...the Bible says the Philistines stood on the mountain on one side of the valley and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side.
Every day the Philistines' champion, a giant named Goliath, came out and challenged Israel to send someone out to fight him. And the Word says 'When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.'
And every time he came out to taunt them, the Israelite army '...fled from him and were greatly afraid.' [1 Samuel 17:24]
Hmmm...
Enter David
Now David was the youngest son of Jesse, and had already been anointed King of Israel by the prophet Samuel [I Samuel 16]. Saul knew him, because the Spirit of the Lord had already departed from him, and an evil spirit was terrorizing him. David had been recommended to him as a musician, and he had played for Saul to sooth and calm him. I don't think Saul realized that David had already been selected to replace him, not yet, anyway.
Now David was the youngest son of Jesse, and had already been anointed King of Israel by the prophet Samuel [I Samuel 16]. Saul knew him, because the Spirit of the Lord had already departed from him, and an evil spirit was terrorizing him. David had been recommended to him as a musician, and he had played for Saul to sooth and calm him. I don't think Saul realized that David had already been selected to replace him, not yet, anyway.
David's three older brothers were at the battle, and his father sent him up to the camp with provisions. He arrived to see Goliath challenging Israel, and heard what he said to the Israelites.
I love what happened next.
'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."
First, he wants to know what he'll get if he defeats the giant. He's ALREADY THINKING VICTORY! Then we see why—when he called Goliath an 'uncircumcised Philistine' he's thinking COVENANT! Only those in covenant with God in the nation of Israel were circumcised—it was the mark of the covenant!
He's thinking of God's promises for protection and deliverance—and remember, he's been tending sheep, writing psalms inspired by God. Psalms like 'Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.' [Psalm 23:4] And he had used his covenant to kill lions and bears when they had attacked his flock [v. 34-37].
Of course, his oldest brother got mad at him and accused him of being insolent and wicked! But David just turned away and asked the same question of somebody else...what will I get? He just ignored him.
In David's mind, this un-covenanted Philistine had no right to taunt the armies of the Living God, and I'm sure he wondered what the heck the rest of these people were thinking.
Saul tried to talk him out of it, too, stating the obvious—you're too young, he's been a warrior from his youth, he's really big, etc. But David's just not listening to reason...
'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 Samuel 17:37]
So, Saul finally gave him permission to go. Either David's anointing convinced him, or he figured 'what the heck,' I can't say. He did try to get David to wear his armor, but David refused.
He took the weapons he trusted in—his covenant with God, his staff, his sling and five smooth stones.
And remember, Goliath was suited up in full armor.
'He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was clothed with scale-armor which weighed five thousand shekels of bronze. He also had bronze greaves on his legs and a bronze javelin slung between his shoulders. 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 Samuel 17:5-7]
Now, I don't know what any of that stuff is, but it sounds heavy and scary. Sort of like one of the evil Transformers...and here stands David, dressed in his shepherd's clothes, armed with a stick and a slingshot!
Calling the end from the beginning
Of course, Goliath started shooting his mouth off, because no one had ever stopped him before. He was a big, fat, bully boy, and standing before him was this teenager, dressed and equipped as a shepherd.
Of course, Goliath started shooting his mouth off, because no one had ever stopped him before. He was a big, fat, bully boy, and standing before him was this teenager, dressed and equipped as a shepherd.
'When the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth, and ruddy, with a handsome appearance.'The Philistine said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
But then it was David's turn!
'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 LOFD OF HOSTS, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted."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, 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.'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 Samuel 17:45-48]
I love it! He decreed the end from the beginning, and then he RAN to the battle! Why? Because he trusted in God and in his covenant! He didn't hope God would deliver him, he KNEW it! So much for preachers telling us that calling the end from the beginning is not for us.
Yes, natural man has some power in his mouth—remember the tower of Babel. But the mouth backed by covenant with Almighty God is always going to win! Somehow Goliath knew that his words meant something, but he had NO COVENANT WITH GOD!
You know the rest of the story. David felled Goliath with a stone from his sling, then used Goliath's own sword to cut his head off! The Philistines turned tail and fled, and the Israelites chased them off and plundered their camps. [That's another article, for another time...hallelujah!]
Moral of the Story
That's great, but what does it mean for me, today?
That's great, but what does it mean for me, today?
Satan always places giants at the edge of the Promised Land. They take different forms in the natural realm, but he's always behind whatever it is.
And we know that they talk to us, all day, every day. 'You can't do this, you'll never be able to do this, there's no way, it's impossible, God won't help you this time, blah blah, woof woof.' Geez, I hate that guy.
And we've got two options.
We can do what Israel did the first time [read Numbers 13] and believe the lie. As a matter of fact, that's exactly what the Israelite armies were doing this time...believing the lie and shaking in their boots. And if David hadn't shown up, they'd be there still!
But he did show up! And he used his covenant with God to defeat the giant, just like Joshua and Caleb finally defeated the giants of Canaan. They held fast to their original confession..."We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it." [Numbers 13:30]
It's up to us. We have a better covenant, with better promises, sealed in the Blood of Jesus!!
We can believe the lies or we can tell the giants exactly what's what.
Once again, it's up to us.
