Theological Commentary: Click Here
David and
Goliath is one of the premier stories of the Old Testament, especially for
young people. I can’t begin to tell you
how many young people find courage in this story. After all, when you are young, what’s not to
appreciate about this brave young man who goes off and conquers the big tall status
quo? There’s much to love in this
underdog story.
That being
said, let’s make sure that we understand some of the main points here. First of all, notice that David isn’t doing
this for his own glory. This is not
about David and his fame. This is about,
as David puts it, an “uncircumcised Gentile” coming up against God. This isn’t about David, this is about
God! David is living into God’s calling
for him. That’s vitally important for
understanding David’s motivation and righteousness.
Second, pay
attention to the results of this battle.
First of all, the Philistines don’t live up to their word. When Goliath is slain, they run. They don’t serve the Hebrew people like they
promised. They run away. They aren’t people of their word; they are
people who threaten and intimidate and then run when called out. Essentially, they are bullies and living out every
bit of the role. However, when they run
they leave everything behind. The Hebrew
people are free to plunder their camp when they return from pursuing the
Philistines.
Most important,
though, is to note where David places his faith. David doesn’t place his faith in Saul’s
armor. Neither does he place his faith
in his own power. I love David’s great
statement of faith. “The Lord who
delivered me from the paws of the lion and the bear will deliver me from this
Philistine.” David is willing to follow
God and place himself into harm’s way because he knows that God is more than
capable of delivering him. That’s the
greatest part of this whole story.
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