We all know the story of David and Goliath, and even if we don't know the real story, we have same version of it that most folks do.
David vs. Goliath has become a by-word, symbolic of a one-sided contest pitting a weak protagonist against a vastly superior force.
Maybe so, and there's no point in me trying to rewrite the modern lexicon, but maybe this contest wasn't exactly what everyone seems to think it was. Let's look at it and see for ourselves.
Now don't worry,? I am not going to de-construct David. I just think there is more to this than we think we know.
The Gathering Storm
The chapter opens with a statement that the Philistines had gathered their army at Socoth which is almost directly west of Jerusalem half way to the
Text: 1 Samuel 17: 1 - 49
We all know the story of David and Goliath, and even if we don't know the real story, we have same version of it that most folks do.
David vs. Goliath has become a by-word, symbolic of a one-sided contest pitting a weak protagonist against a vastly superior force.
Maybe so, and there's no point in me trying to rewrite the modern lexicon, but maybe this contest wasn't exactly what everyone seems to think it was. Let's look at it and see for ourselves.
Now don't worry,? I am not going to de-construct David. I just think there is more to this than we think we know.
The Gathering Storm
The chapter opens with a statement that the Philistines had gathered their army at Socoth which is almost directly west of Jerusalem half way to the
The Philistines were more advanced technically than
Stalemate
The two armies were stalemated, facing each other across the valley. This had gone on for over a month. Fighting with arrows, spears and hand to hand. Owning the hilltop was a strategic advantage neither was willing to give up, waiting for the other army to make the first move. For either to attack would have been much like what happened in WWI, when the British and Canadian forces faced the Germans across no-man's land. Leaving the security of the trench and heading past the barbed wire was an invitation to be slaughtered as millions were at places like The Somme and Ypres.
We can understand why neither Saul nor the Philistines wanted to make the first move.
There are worse things in life than being at a standstill. At least at a standstill we have the opportunity of thinking about what we are going to do next. The problem arises when we see a standstill as a defeat and stop listening and looking. A time out in life may be one of God's best gifts to you, depending on what you do with it.
Enter Goliath
For Saul and the army of
A good part of that is because of Goliath.
Now what you need to know about Goliath is that he was very large, and had a big mouth.
The Bible tells us he is over 8 feet tall, which is big by any standard. And he is outfitted in very impressive equipment!
I used to own a 12 foot fiberglass run-about that I used for salmon fishing. My daughter and I would set out from the marina, never heading very far from safety. Then we would be passed by the guys in their 30 foot cabin cruisers with every kind of fishing gear you could imagine. I would dodge their wake as best I could and we'd troll our by-now, pretty insignificant looking fishing gear. I remember feeling pretty good about my boat when I hooked up the trailer and pulled out of the driveway, but by the time it was in salt water, among the really big boats, it was pretty puny.
This fellow Goliath has a helmet and a coat of armor including metal shin pads that together weighed over a hundred pounds. He had a spear that is the size of a weaver's shaft. The head of the spear is said to weigh around 15 pounds alone. He has an armor bearer who carried his shield for him. Now that was a very bad move on his part as we will see later, but tells us a bit about this Philistine. He is an arrogant show-off.
Indecision Time
Goliath came out from the Philistine camp shouting insults at Saul and his army and daring them to come out and fight. He did this day after day, but no one came out to fight.
So far, so good.
But not in Saul's eyes or his army's eyes. When they saw and heard Goliath they were 'dismayed and terrified?.
The problem here as I see it is not that Goliath is such a fearsome warrior, but that Saul permits Goliath to dictate the terms.
So Goliath challenged them??.so what?
Maybe Goliath is offending Saul's ego. Remember Saul was made king because he is a head taller than anyone else. Now he is not so big.
Be careful of where you put your ego. If you allow it to be offended, it might just get you into trouble.
Saul had choices.
He could have ignored the loud mouth, or mocked him right back.
He might have tried to set an ambush for Goliath. Goliath came out toward them daily for forty days.
David developed into a very fine military tactician and used ruse and ambush quite effectively.
Saul allows Goliath to set the agenda and in doing so, he and his army are demoralized. Early in Jesus' ministry, Satan tried to set the terms of engagement.
'so you're the messiah?..prove it!
You say God is so loving and all powerful? (Still one of Satan's favorite taunts)
Ok'show how loving, and turn the stones into bread.
Show how all-powerful and throw yourself off the temple.
Or, here's a better deal??forget those notions and I can make it easy for you.?
Jesus? response was to refuse the bait. Satan would not set the terms. The Word of God sets the terms, period. good
Who is defining the issues in your life? Is it the noisiest problem, or have you settled your priorities?
Is There a Hero Hiding in Your House?
Saul chose to listen to Goliath and to give him credibility. He didn't need to. Goliath couldn't defeat them on his own. In fact, his own son Jonathan had some impressive military credentials. But who ever thinks their own family are heroes? Too bad Saul didn't.
Here's a thought?..is there a hero hiding in your house?
Is someone on your household giving leadership on where to focus your attention?
Take Jesus? example and let God's Word set the agenda.
Enter David
David's father, Jesse calls him from looking after sheep. He is to be sent to his 3 eldest brothers serving with Saul.
Find out how they are and to bring food to them.
He hasn't been asked to go fight. He was the still 'the kid? and no one would ever have confused him with a hero.
Besides someone had to stay home and help Jesse look after things around the farm.
Do you remember the opening sequence in Saving Private Ryan? A woman has three sons in the
Maybe Jesse thought the same.
David does as he is told, but when the armies go out to insult each other across the valley, David abandons what he brought and goes to see what's going on. What he sees and hears is Goliath cursing the armies of God.
At least to David, Goliath is insulting God's honor. I wonder if Saul saw it that way. Or did he see it as his honor that was at stake?
Maybe if he had seen it as God's honor at stake, it might have altered how he looked at Goliath.
By now, Saul's army has been well programmed by this bully.
They say ?Look at him!? and terrify themselves at the thought of this monster.
Saul is at least thinking of some kind of strategy and has offered a reward for Goliath--preferably dead.
The one who kills Goliath will be given a huge reward and get to marry the princess Michal.
As it turns out Michal is not that great a wife, but no one knows that at this point.
David Throws the Gauntlet
David is curious and begins asking questions?
Notice how David chooses to speak about Goliath compared to how the others speak about him.
David asks?."Who is this uncircumcised Philistine??
There is no awe in David's manner. Goliath is just another ignorant loud-mouth.
It's subtle, but even how you speak about an issue or problem either makes it more ominous or less.
It really is about where you choose to direct your attention.
When Moses sent spies to the Promised Land, ten of them came back with stories about giants too fearsome to fight. Caleb and Joshua saw them too, but focused on what God could do through them.
It is subtle, but where you direct your attention and even how you choose to characterize an issue can be very powerful. This is what faith is about. You can focus on the obstacles or you can focus on what you know about God, and that makes all the difference.
Eliab, David's eldest brother sees his kid brother and gives him a dressing down.
?What are you doing here, and who's looking after the sheep? You are so conceited! I bet you are just here to watch the battle!?
David: ?What did I do? Can't I even speak??
The kid did have a bit of an attitude didn't he?.....Can't I even speak?
As soon as Eliab is out of sight, David starts asking again?.and eventually Saul hears about it and sends for him.
Imagine?..a teen-age shepherd boy speaking to a king and saying?
Don't let your army be discouraged. I will look after this fellow.
You can hear David's words to Saul as his brother Eliab heard them?.as pure conceit, or you can hear it as youthful faith.
Saul reminds him that he is a young shepherd boy, but Goliath is a trained fighting man. None of this means a thing to David?again you can hear this as great faith or a typical adolescent.
Personally, I don't think you have to separate those categories. The time I spend with young people at our church camps and elsewhere have taught me that youth is a time of life when heroic faith blooms easily. It may not be accompanied with mature wisdom if left on its own, but in the history of the world it has often been a young person inspired by a noble idea who has dared to do what an older and wiser person would not.
The challenge for adults is to foster that faith and offer a wisdom that does not thwart it.
The Bigger They Are, the Better Target Practice They Make.
David answers. He tells Saul how he has taken on a bear and lion who tried to get after the sheep. With God's help, he managed to kill both. With God's help again, Goliath is just target practice.
I have never hunted big game, and have no intention of doing so. But I know enough about both black bears and
If you shoot at a bear, you better kill him quickly or wound him badly.
I don't know so much about lions, but I bet when throwing stones from a sling, you don't get second chances.
Compared to a bear or lion, Goliath would be a great target. All that armor just slowed him down.
Maybe Goliath isn't the monster he first appears.
I did a bit of research about shepherds and slings.
1. We know David took five smooth stones. I used to imagine them as looking much like a rock you would use to skip across a pond. Wrong!
Archaeologists have uncovered stones used in slings. They are more or less round and about the size of a billiard ball or tennis ball.
2. This is how the sling was used:
There were two ways to use it.
One?an underhand motion like a fastball pitcher, or
two?an overhand throw like a baseball pitcher.
Using the overhand delivery, the thrower stood at a 60 degree angle and used the entire body as a lever, legs, waist, shoulder, arm and finally wrist like an uncoiling spring. The length of cord on the sling was then used to whip the stone and impart a high velocity before the cord was releases over head. The stone would fly parallel to the ground to its target.
How fast would it fly?
Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners has a gun of an arm and recently threw out a runner from deep right field. At Safeco field in
A document giving instructions to Roman armies instructed archers to practice from a distance of 300 yards. But sling throwers were to practice from 400 yards.
In baseball, a pitcher's fastball is usually in the 90's miles per hour.
For a rock to cover 400 yards, it had to come out of the sling moving faster than that.
Remember the missile coming at you is a rock the size of a tennis ball.
Imagine the Big Unit--Randy Johnson throwing rocks the size of tennis balls at your head!
Now imagine him using a sling to put even more velocity on it!
In the book of Judges, among the warriors of
David is a teen age boy out herding sheep. He has no radio; no Game-boy and herding sheep is not exactly non stop action. So what does he do to amuse himself?
What would you do?
I think I might practice with my sling.
Can I hit that rock? How many times in a row?
He is confident enough of himself that Goliath produces no fear or panic at all.
?Who is that uncircumcised Philistine anyway??
Dead Duck Walking
David selects 5 smooth stones. Irregular stones will not fly straight.
He comes out to meet Goliath who is infuriated by this lack of respect.
Am I a dog, that you come to fight me with sticks?
And remember the shield bearer? He is out in front of Goliath.
That is the one piece of armor he coulduse now, but apparently he is so disdainful of David, he neglects it.
Pride is going to be Goliath's downfall.
This is a classic case of underestimating your opponent.
Some David! Some Goliath!
As Goliath hollers on about the mother of all battles, David rushes up and takes a stone in his sling.
Goliath's armor is now an impediment as it makes him less mobile.
David isn't interested in Goliath's shins, and there is enough exposed face and forehead to make a good target.
David probably uses his forward momentum the way a major league pitcher does and as his body uncoils in the follow-through, he releases the stone.
Goliath probably didn't expect the delivery and likely never saw it coming until it was too late.
The fact of the matter is that Goliath really never had a chance.
This was a 'david vs. Goliath? event, but it was Goliath who was over-matched.
Oh yes, Goliath was formidable fighting close in. In a melee or hand to hand, Goliath was
a fearsome enemy.
Even his spear would only be good at close range.
David on the other hand could pick Goliath off before he got close enough to use his weapons.
And David was mobile.
Goliath was not.
He was a sitting duck.
A dead duck.
A dead duck walking
Rockin? Goliath
A rock the size of a tennis ball smashes into Goliath's exposed skull at some terrific velocity and cracks it like an egg-shell. The Bible says it actually sinks into his forehead.
Goliath is dead when he hits the ground, but David rushes in, seizes Goliath's sword and with one WHACK chops off his head. What's the point in doing that?
Remember before the last installment of the
The military people were talking about 'shock and Awe?.
The idea is to overwhelm your opponent with fear.
This is what Goliath has been doing.
It's what the Scots did with their bagpipes.
David standing over Goliath's body holding his head up by his hair produces shock in the Philistines who turned and ran and it produced awe in the army of
Let's Rethink David vs. Goliath
Maybe this wasn't such a one sided contest after all?.or maybe it was David who had the advantage going in.
David gave God the glory, knowing it was the Lord who gave him the ability to do what he did.
But David was an awesome fighter, even at his age.
He was such an efficient fighter that years later as king, he wants to build a temple, but God says:
No, you have shed too much blood. Someone else will build it.
We learn some important lessons when we are facing our own fears.
* When you think the issue is about YOU, fear has a toehold.
* When you allow your fears to set the agenda you are in trouble.
* When you can focus on God and the resources God has given you,
your fears become manageable.
* It helps is someone can redirect the focus off the problem and onto
some solutions.
What is your biggest fear? A doctor's diagnosis? Losing your job? Feeling unloved, or not feeling significant? Those are all big issues. But don't let what might happen, chase you around. You have a whole lot more resources available to you than you think. God has put them in your hands. Use them. Don't let your fears push you around. You are powerful.
Goliath never had a chance.
Have courage, and enjoy the day that God has given to us.
Amen
Harold McNabb
West Shore Presbyterian Church