If we've learned anything about the Bible at all, either as children or as adults, we know the story of David and Goliath. As children, and even later as adults, we were probably awed by the sheer size and seeming invulnerability of Goliath.

According to the Scripture written in I Samuel 17, Goliath was definitely big - a giant among men. He was a champion among the Philistines. That means he could beat any man among the Philistines, for that matter any man who had ever challenged him, and we can deduce that he had probably been challenged by the biggest and the best warriors anywhere around Philistine because the Philistines were very confident he could beat any Israelite who dared to come up against him.

Goliath stood six cubits and a span high. According to my good old Webster's Dictionary, a cubit is 18" to 22", and a span is about 9". That adds up to about 9' 9" at the shortest.

Also Goliath had on a brass helmet and a coat of very heavy mail. He had brass leg protection and a brass chest plate between his shoulders. The man was a walking tank.

Besides all that, he had a very long spear with a huge iron spear's head. He also had a sword, which he didn't even bother to draw from its sheath, he was so well protected, not only by his size and armor, but by his training and the shield bearer who went in front of him holding up his shield.

Goliath must have been truly awesome to behold, standing there on the hillside, taunting the Israelite armies. He had no doubt whatever that he could easily destroy anyone foolish enough to take up his challenge. And the Philistine army with him must have been delighted to laugh at and mock the Israelite army and their God who the Israelites had praised before, telling stories of how their God had brought them out of Egypt, through the wilderness, and into the land of Canaan, giving them victory after victory over all of the people who had inhabited Canaan at that time.

You can almost imagine the Philistines enjoying their certain victory to come, probably yelling across the valley at the Israelites, "Where's your God now? Can he save you from our champion?" Things got so bad, Goliath offered to let the victory of the battle come down to a contest between him and any man the Israelite army chose to go against him. The deal was that if the Israelite won the battle, the Philistines would become servants of Israel, but if Goliath won the battle, the Israelites would become the servants of the Philistines. Try to imagine the consternation among the Israelites as they asked each other, "Any volunteers?"

This was the atmosphere in the valley of Elah that day. Terror looking helplessly into the face of certain victory. The fate of the nation of Israel hung on the outcome of a contest between the biggest, most well armed man anyone had ever seen and a soldier of the Israelite army, who so far hadn't had the courage to come forward during the entire 40 day standoff. Not even Saul, the king of the Israelites, who was reported to be 7 feet tall, would accept the challenge - even for the honor and freedom of his countrymen.

Then someone steps forward from the ranks of the Israelite army. Goliath must have been tempted to laugh. This is the champion of the Israelite army? What Goliath saw must have seemed a ridiculous sight. Here was a very small young man, a boy really, dressed not in armor, or even in the clothing of a soldier, but in the common dress of a mere shepherd. The boy had no helmet, no coat of mail, no sword, no spear, no leg protection, no breastplate, no shield. Actually, he was almost too pretty to be a boy!

But forty days had passed and Goliath was probably impatient to get the battle over with and get to the business of enslaving and ransacking the Israelites so he and the rest of the Philistine army could get on to their next battle. He probably just decided to kill the kid much like we might decide to step on a bug and finish the business. So he stepped forward and in true champion-like fashion began the battle with words as usual.

"Am I a dog, that you come at me with staves?" and he cursed David by his gods.

He continued, saying, "Come to me and I will give thy flesh to the fowls of the air and to the beasts of the field." (I Sam 17:43-44)

A gambling person who didn't know the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, would be stupid not to go out and get a loan, mortgage the house and sell the car to put his money on the big guy. According to logic and worldly reason, the only way the contest could end would be a squashed kid and a huge Philistine who would have been embarrassed and annoyed that the Israelites would have insulted him by offering up such a puny challenger.

But you and I have the advantage of knowing how God does things.

God had a man build an huge ship in the middle of the desert to prepare for a flood in a place where no one had ever seen rain.

God chose a 100 year old man with a 90 year old, barren wife to start a nation.

God took a young boy, sold into slavery in Egypt, to be chosen as the Pharaoh's favorite, so that he might save his people.

God chose a man who couldn't speak well to talk a pharaoh of Egypt into letting his people go.

All of these things and more were the legacy of the Israelite army. The King, Saul, and all his soldiers knew these things and yet they were frightened by a big man in a lot of armor. They had let the sight and the words of a godless man move them from their knowledge and belief in their God, who had already proved himself willing and able to make substance out of hope and cause the impossible to become not only possible but certain.

But on that day, in the valley of Elah, a young boy named David didn't let the sight of a big man in heavy armor bother him at all. So many stories are told extolling David's bravery and courage in standing up against such a terrible monster. But David knew God. God had already trained him in the art of monster bashing by giving him victories over a lion and a bear. As the youngest son in his family, David had been subjected to the scorn and contempt of his older brothers all his life. The words of a person who didn't even know God meant nothing to an Israeli Shepherd.

Like Abraham, David didn't think of his own body, not its size or youth or strength. Like Noah, David knew he had been prepared by God, not attending to the words of the unbelieving, knowing he had already been given the victory by God. Like Joseph, David knew God had already given him favor because of his trust in God. Like Moses, David knew God had given him the tools of victory, a rock and a staff and the ability to use them.

Knowing all this, David spoke these words of Faith to Goliath. (I Sam. 17:45-47)

"You come at me with a sword and a spear and a shield; but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, whom you have defied."

He added these words from his heart, "This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand and I will kill you and take your head from you. I will give the bodies of the hosts of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel"

As additional words of insult, he continued, "And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saves not with the sword and the spear, for the battle is the Lord's and He will give you into our hands."

Then David, running toward Goliath, took a stone and slung it and hit Goliath in the forehead so hard, he died on the spot and fell face down on the earth.

Every day, we each have to face our own Goliaths. Perhaps we're facing an insurmountable debt, or terminal illness. Sometimes our Goliath may take human form, such as a supervisor or customer who looks at us with contempt, even speaking words of derision about us. Many times, our Goliath is our own fear, holding us hostage, afraid to make decisions or start off in a different direction.

We can choose how we deal with Goliath. We can wander around in circles, wondering how we're going to handle the problem. We can bluster and rant and rave and blow a lot of hot air in his direction. We can stand behind everybody else and demand that someone come forward to handle the situation. We can get angry at someone else smaller and less able than we are. We can get busy doing something else.

Or we can step out, dressed not in the ill-fitting armor of a coward, but dressed in the armor of God, with truth belted around us, our hearts protected by righteousness, our feet covered by the gospel of peace, with a helmet of salvation on our heads. We can hold in one hand the shield of faith and in the other, the sword of the spirit. Then we can run toward the enemy declaring the name of Jesus who is the Lord of Hosts and slinging the rock of Jesus at his head. (Eph. 6:13-17)

Because we know God, that Rock never misses. No matter how big the enemy is, no matter how well he is armored, no matter how well his head is protected, that rock, which we know as Jesus Christ hits the enemy a killing blow every time and the enemy falls face down on the earth. We just have to be willing and ready to use what God has given us.

Poor Goliath - he never had a chance.

By the power of the Holy Spirit and to the Glory of God

Merrellee Moore - 3/8/99

Make a decision today to make Jesus the Lord of your life. Prepare yourself by reading and learning the Word of God, the Bible. Come against the enemy of your life, Satan, in the name of Jesus. Defeat your enemies, the army of Satan, and know that the victory is God's.

For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world; and this is the victory that overcometh the world; our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world? but he that believes that Jesus is the son of God. (I John 5:4-5)
 
 

Additional biographical information on Merrellee:  My ICQ # 13629499. I am Christian. Married 30 years to Dan. One daughter, Danielle who is married to Todd. One Granddaughter, DeLanie. Dan and I live in Arizona but we're originally from New Mexico. All our family is in New Mexico. I enjoy Bible Study with my husband and working on my web site which includes several essays based on my Bible Studies. I also love knitting and crochet and reading.