Out On A Limb For God

We all know well the story of David and Goliath; it’s one we grew up with from Sunday School. It’s a story which catches a popular vein. It’s the story of the underdog winning, winning against the seeming odds. We probably all have some feeling for the underdog, say in a sporting event, and enjoy seeing the supposed champion of champions knocked off his pedestal, though woe-betide any foot-balling minnow who should triumph against the odds against England in the World Cup!

We join the story as it were in verse 32, but let’s just remind ourselves and set the scene. Goliath is a Philistine giant, he’s over 9 feet tall, he has a massive suit or chain-mail armour, and a spear of mind-blowing size. He had come out against the Israelites with a challenge. “If anyone can defeat me one-to-one, we will be your servants, but if I win, you will be our servants” To the Israelites and to Saul, their king, this looked like a lose-lose situation. What hope had any of their warriors against such a one as Goliath?

David on the other hand when Goliath’s challenge comes to his idea had had other thoughts.

In verse 26: And David said to the men who stood by him, "What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?"

Then in verse 32: And David said to Saul, "Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine."

Clearly, David saw the challenge of Goliath from a very different perspective

to the rest of the Israelites, differently from the King. The key to David’s

understanding of the situation lies in those words: “For who is this

uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?"

David saw everything from God’s perspective and not from that of human

understanding; of human wisdom. Humanly, yes, David had no hope against

such a mighty warrior. Yet David knew a truth that only the great men of God

in the Old Testament had known: “The battle is the Lord’s”. God would not let

his Name or his people to suffer such humiliation- though he did at a later

time when they turned their back on their God. But the first lesson that

would draw from this morning’s reading is that, because he trusted in his

God, David would be true to himself. We see this when Saul, concerned at

David’s seeming idiocy tries to provide him with some protection In verse 38

we read: Then Saul clothed David with his armour. He put a helmet of bronze

on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail.

Can you imagine David, five foot nothing going out clanking in a suit of

armour ten sizes too big and let and hindered. No: David knew his skill with

sling and stone. It may sound a small thing, but are we always true to

ourselves; true to the person God has made us, with the skills he has given

us. Let us not insult God by thinking someone else’s skills will see us in better

stead!

The second lesson there is to learn- and in a sense it’s an obvious one once

we sit back and think of the situation is that David was prepared to go out on

a limb for God. As he walked out to meet Goliath, did no shudder of fear or

doubt not go through him. He was going where no one else had dared to go.

The whole future of the Israelites hinged on this. Yet again he trusted his God

so much he would stick his neck right out. Let’s be honest with ourselves;

How ready are we to thus stick our necks out?

The third issue is the one of David vs. Goliath.

R T Kendall, minister of Westminster Chapel in London sees in this

encounter an illustration of our encounters with the Devil.

Look if you will at verse 43: And the Philistine said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

Goliath sneered at David. Inwardly he hated David and thus his scorn. He

tries to put the blame on David- “So, you think I’m just a dog, do you?” And

then he gives his game away by cursing David. He tries to make David feel

inferior. If someone tries to make you feel inferior, or that you are giving them

a raw deal- so long as you aren’t, then know the tactics of your enemy. The

Devil hates all Christians, he will try every trick in his book to put us off.