How Big Is Your Giant?

Title: How Big Is Your Giant?

Text: I Samuel 17:8-11

How do you kill a giant? How do you handle a problem that is so big, you cannot see beyond it? A problem that is so stubborn that it just will not go away? Day after day, as you look at that problem, it is like the devil himself is standing there taunting you, telling you how impossible your situation is. There are some of us that see a giant in our life and we are intimidated by it. Others of us see a giant and look at it as a challenge that we can overcome. While others of us run at that giant with full force, then get a little wary of that big thing in our lives and decide in the middle of it to run back into our little hiding spot.

For most of us, the devil, or that giant in our life, has not taken us down, but the problem is that we are not taking it down either. This can go on for weeks, months and sometimes even years. We face giants in our life and we just can’t seem to overcome it.

In I Samuel 17, the army of Israel faced that very situation. They had come to fight the army of the Philistines in the valley of Elah. Listen to the story:

I Samuel 17:2-4; “And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and they encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in battle array against the Philistines. 3 The Philistines stood on a mountain on one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, with a valley between them. 4 And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.”

The children of Israel were facing a giant! The Bible says he was six cubits and a span. That is equivalent to 9 feet 6 inches tall. That is a foot and a half higher than the ceiling in most buildings. The weight of his coat was 5,000 shekels of brass. This is equivalent to 500 pounds of clothing. This man was very big and very well equipped.

I Samuel 17:8-11; “Then he stood and cried out to the armies of Israel, and said to them, "Why have you come out to line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. 9 "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." 10 And the Philistine said, "I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together." 11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.”

The Bible says that the Israelites were dismayed. The word dismayed means that they had lost courage. In their own eyes they were defeated. Why? It goes back to what we talked about last week. They were focusing on the wrong person. Drop down to 22:

I Samuel 17:22-25; “And David left his supplies in the hand of the supply keeper, ran to the army, and came and greeted his brothers. 23 Then as he talked with them, there was the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, coming up from the armies of the Philistines; and he spoke according to the same words. So David heard them. 24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid. 25 So the men of Israel said, "Have you seen this man who has come up?”

Where were the soldiers of Israel looking? They were looking at the giant. After all, a guy that is taller than your ceiling, wearing 500 pounds of clothing might have been just a little bit intimidating. These Israelites were focusing on Goliath, the giant, but a little shepherd boy comes on the scene with a different perspective. David had been sent by his father, Jesse, to take some food to his brothers who were soldiers and to get a report from their commanding officer.

The soldiers of Israel hear Goliath and the Bible says that they were DREADFULLY AFRAID! They were not just afraid, they were dreadfully afraid. The Bible also says in verse 23 that David hears the words that Goliath is speaking. David’s response to these words are MUCH different than the soldiers response. Listen:

The soldiers response: I Samuel 17:24; “And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid. 25 So the men of Israel said, "Have you seen this man who has come up?”