February 27, 2014
Today’s reading from Encounter with God

Facing Your Goliath

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Opening Prayer

Lord Jesus, Your miracle for me is Your trust and constant forgiveness. May my wellspring of joy never run dry.

Read 1 SAMUEL 17:1-27

[1] Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Sokoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Sokoh and Azekah. [2] Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines. [3] The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them. [4] A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. His height was six cubits and a span. [5] He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels; [6] on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. [7] His spear shaft was like a weaver’s rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels. His shield bearer went ahead of him. [8] Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. [9] If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.” [10] Then the Philistine said, “This day I defy the armies of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other.” [11] On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified. [12] Now David was the son of an Ephrathite named Jesse, who was from Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons, and in Saul’s time he was very old. [13] Jesse’s three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war: The firstborn was Eliab; the second, Abinadab; and the third, Shammah. [14] David was the youngest. The three oldest followed Saul, [15] but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s sheep at Bethlehem. [16] For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand. [17] Now Jesse said to his son David, “Take this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp. [18] Take along these ten cheeses to the commander of their unit. See how your brothers are and bring back some assurance from them. [19] They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.” [20] Early in the morning David left the flock in the care of a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had directed. He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry. [21] Israel and the Philistines were drawing up their lines facing each other. [22] David left his things with the keeper of supplies, ran to the battle lines and asked his brothers how they were. [23] As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it. [24] Whenever the Israelites saw the man, they all fled from him in great fear. [25] Now the Israelites had been saying, “Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his family from taxes in Israel.” [26] 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?” [27] They repeated to him what they had been saying and told him, “This is what will be done for the man who kills him.”

Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright &copy 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.&reg Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Reflect

“The biblical narrative is not primarily a story about human courage and effort; instead, it is about the awesome power of a life built around bold faith in the Lord” (Robert D. Bergen).

The demoralized king and his army needed a young upstart who would tell it like it is: “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (26). And so “David” against “Goliath” has become an image of the small taking on the big, of God being on the side of the little person. A young woman I know recently found courage to tackle a major hurdle by thinking of herself as a “David” against an enormous “Goliath.” The biblical story is very vivid with its details of the taunts of the Philistine champion, the rewards offered by Saul, the fear of the fighters and the errand to the battlefield by the shepherd boy. But the key is the combination of courage and trust that David displays. Perhaps this is why God chose him. When you respond to a challenge you don’t know where it will lead you.

As I read the story again, I can’t help wondering whether David realized how different his response was to everyone else’s. He clearly thought someone should be taking up the challenge. Leadership has always meant being a little bit out in front of others, of seeing the issue clearly, and of being courageous to act. Yet leadership also incorporates the idea of inspiring others to pull together towards a common goal. While David was the solo hero on this day, the real test of God’s call on his life will be when he leads Israel both in taking full possession of the land and in encouraging his people to worship the one true God. Here in the taunts of the “uncircumcised Philistine” David clearly identifies “cognitive dissonance” between the current situation and the ideal God had given them of being a godly nation. This will energize his leadership in the future, too.

Apply

Has God called you to lead in the community, the church or your workplace? Do you trust him for wisdom, courage and the willingness to be different?

Closing prayer

Father, when I consider this story of David, I feel like a devout coward. I need the awesome power from You that David had.

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