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One stone and a Giant falls Giants still fall with a right placed rock (the Word). Jer. 23:29 " Is not My word like a fire?" says the LORD, "And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces ?” Ps. 18:31 “ who is God, except the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God” 2 Sam. 22:32 1 Sam 17:1 begins by telling us “Now the Philistines gathered their armies together to battle, v.4 And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. Decked in heavy armor from head to toes, he was huge v:7 the “staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and his iron spearhead weighed six hundred shekel (which makes it 12 plus pounds) The challenge went out V:8-9 “Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” V,10-11 “I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together." When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid .” V.16 he did this for 40 days. They looked at the outward appearance and were intimidated by his size. When David heard what was taking place he went to the battlefield. His own brothers mocked him for leaving the sheep and coming to the battle (1 Sam. 17:28), Little David came forward for the challenge. David could not wear the king’s armor, it was too heavy for him, he had to be able to move and fight the way he was trained. Goliath was large but not quick. The giant mocked David as he came out with no armor and only a sling. 1 Sam 17: 31-36 David words of willingness were brought to Saul, who said you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth." David explained while keeping his father's sheep, he took out lions and bears “ this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God." David explained to King Saul, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." And Saul said to David, "Go, and the LORD be with you! (1 Sam 17:37) 1 Sam 17:40 “he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand.
1 Sam 17:43 the Philistine cursed David by his gods .David responds, telling the giant how he will be delivered into his hand v. 47 This is done so that we know “the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD's, and He will give you into our hands.” 1 Sam 17:45-46 David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you.” Though young, David was very capable, he told Saul he took out lions and bears and would take out this blasphemer. V.50 “So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and with one shot struck the Philistine and killed him.” He lands the stone in his forehead and the giant fell. V:51 He “took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him ” V:52 what pursues is confidence that the Lord is with the Israel “the men of Israel and Judah arose and shouted, and pursued the Philistines ” As Paul said to Timothy do not let anyone despise your youth. Why 5 smooth stones, the smoothness was for accuracy. The other 4 stones were there for just in case one was not enough (sorry about the brother’s story everyone tells). David did not know that only one stone would fall the giant. David prepared himself for anything to take place. What if the Philistines attacked him after he killed Goliath? How would he have defended himself? David was simply being prepared when he took the four additional stones. David was anointed to be king, so he knew he would live (in the same way Isaac when he was offered on the altar by Abraham, he knew God had to fulfill his promise, so he had that confidence. Some speculate that David chose five smooth stones because Goliath had four brothers, and David was readying himself to dispatch all five giants. This theory is based on 2 Samuel 21:15–22. That passage lists four very large Philistines who were related to Goliath in some way: Ishbi-benob, Saph, Goliath, and an unnamed giant with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot. The account of 1 Samuel 17 does not suggest that David knew about Goliath’s brothers or that he believed he would have to fight the whole family. What we know for sure is that David and his men faced four other giants, somehow related to Goliath, in later battles. “These four were born to the giant in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants” (2 Samuel 21:22). 2 Sam 21:18-22:1 “ Now it happened afterward that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob. Then Sibbechai the Hushathite killed Saph, who was one of the sons of the giant. Again there was war at Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam. Yet again there was war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number; and he also was born to the giant. So when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea, David's brother, killed him. These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.” (This account is repeated in 1 Chron. 20:4-21) The enemy may have more physically, what they lack is what the Spirit gives. The son wants to avenge the father and meets the same fate. Goliath of the Philistines in some ways was like the Devil, who taunts God, an accuser of the servants of God; and the Philistines were relentless in their opposition of God and his people, like angels of Satan. There is a parallel in some events of the Philistines that allude to aspects of Satan and his demonic angels. (1 Samuel 17:4, 10, 26, 45; Proverbs 27:11; Ephesians 6:11, 12; Revelation 12:9, 10) We all have giants to face individually and as a Church. The pastors can see the obvious large enemy (Goliath) that challenge us on the outside but at the same time we cannot neglect the sneaky smaller ones that enter and are on the inside that do damage, it is “ the little foxes that spoil the vines” (Song 2:15; Ezek. 13:4) There are different types of goliaths. Some that boast by visions and experiences of the supernatural this is his forte and his doctrine is bringing damage to the church, not health. It is our faith that is tested by fire. 1 Peter 1:7: “ that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire.” Are you being challenged by a goliath? Are you ready to go into the valley, in the field of battle to face him? His talk is big, it’s all about himself, his strength. He mocks, belittles but when you face him in faith, even with only a small stone in the right place, he goes down. Christ is the one rock we can use in faith to slay our giants. We do this by presenting the Word of truth. Explaining it to those in opposition so they understand what they are doing and are held accountable for their actions. The future has a day when the son of David (the Messiah), will remove all the world’s goliath’s in the Valley of Jehosaphat, by the word of his mouth. |
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