Facing Your Giants
1 Samuel 17:40-51
A slender, young, beardless boy knelt beside the brook. He was picking his weapon to face his giant. He could have spent the time staring at his reflection, probably tanned skin from those days in the field with his fathers’ flocks. Hair bleached by the sun, handsome young man who makes the Hebrew maidens sigh. However, he was there not to examine himself, but to find his weapon. Smooth stones that lay flat in his sling. Stones that he has used to crash the head of a bear and a lion, now would be used to fell his giant
His giant was over 9 feet tall, he had armor weighing over a 100 lbs and he was covered from head to toe. His giant is undefeated. He is the leader of the gang of Philistines who come to claim more turf, do-rags, barbed wire tattoos, and bloodthirsty hoodlums with a lust for more.
A few years ago, I was at a WCW wrestling event. We took Matt there for his tenth birthday, he wanted to meet Hulk Hogan, and Matt actually got on TV with the Hulkster. During the evening another wrestler came out, a real tough guy who came from the UFC. He boasted that no one wanted to fight him; he challenged anyone in the locker room to come out. Since no one did, he then said he would pick a fight with a fan. He came out of the ring and headed toward the fans. My back was to him, as I was tending to Matt, suddenly Matt’s eyes got very big. I stood up and turned to see this bully snarling at me, he feigned a punch and I did not flinch. Now before you think that was macho bravado, let me set the record straight, the only reason I was not scared was that I knew he could not touch me. The bully then went to the other side, found a kid with a soda, took the soda from the kid, took a sip and then handed it back to the kid. The kid then threw the soda in the face of the bully. One of the announcers ran over to protect the kid who was his son. Even though this was a set up, the lesson is there; sometimes we have to stand up to the bully.
David was just a boy; he left his father’s sheep to bring bread and supplies to his brothers in the Army. He hears the taunt of the bully Goliath; he decides to answer it himself. What odds would you give this kid? How about the kid facing the wrestler? Probably better odds than you would give yourself facing your Goliath.
David’s Goliath had over 100 lbs of armor; he had a javelin that was probably longer than he was. His sword was probably about 6 ft in length; his shield would be big enough to hide you and me standing up. Solid build, very muscular, strong, bold and cocky is Goliath. Much like our giant, except our giant might have different weapons:
Unemployment, sexual abuse, depression/health, bills, grades, alcohol, drugs, pornography, tobacco, our past, our future, you get the picture.
He becomes the last thing we think about at night, the first thought of the day. He dominates our day, infiltrates our joy, he stalks and boasts day and night.
Goliath’s family is an ancient enemy of Israel. Joshua drove out his ancestors earlier, Samson killed some of them, and he is from Gath. His ancestors were to Israel what pirates were to England’s Navy. As the Israelites looked at him, they probably said; “My dad fought his dad, my grandfather fought his grandfather.” No wonder they were frightened, the fight will never end.
We have similar giants. We have heard the phrase “like father, like son.” Maybe we heard “she is just like her mother.” That is not always bad, but what if the father was a workaholic? What if Mom has been divorced a few times? What if the parents were alcoholics or drug abusers? It seems we are still fighting the same giants our parents and grandparents did. Will the fight ever end?
One writer described Goliath as a bully tougher than a cheap steak, more snarling than twin pit bulls, he stalks you during the day and he torments your nights. The question is;
Is he all you see? Is his voice all you hear?
Listen to the first words of David when he sees Goliath (1 Sam 17:26)
"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?"
David shows up discussing God. No one else does in the whole time Goliath was boasting. To see the answer we have to look past the problem (Patch Adams).
37 The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine."
He then tells Goliath how GOD was going to deliver him to his hand and what GOD, through him was going to do with his carcass.
Most of us see this as a story of David vs. Goliath, it is NOT. It is a story of God focus vs. Self Focus.
David has a degree in GOD. He sees the giant, but he sees God more.
1SA 17:45 David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
Goliath sees one army, scared, cowering on the hilltop. David sees ARMIES, he sees allies of Angels, Saints, and the forces of Nature at God’s disposal. David saw God who could stop the sun, knock down walls, and pelt the Philistines with fire and hail. David knew that God would do whatever needed to be done. He might not have known it would be a rock, but why not?
A few years ago, Disney put out a remake movie “Angels in the Outfield.” In one scene as the pitcher is getting ready to pitch, an angel comes in behind him. As he releases the ball, the Angel moves his arms to speed up and guide the ball (whoosh). I imagine that is what happened behind David that day in the valley.
David came running and swinging his slingshot. As he sent the rock sailing, I believe God guided it with deadly force to that sweet spot in Goliath’s forehead. It was the only place Goliath had no armor. That rock became the first armor-piercing projectile.
Today we have that same rock. That Rock is still an armor-piercing projectile. It will break through the armor of our Giant. It will knock down our giant like it knocked down death. It will move our giant like it moved that stone. We need to charge our giant with this rock; we need to take on our giant with a GOD SATURATED SOUL.
We might read David’s story and be wowed at how God used him. Remember David was human like you and I are. In good moments, there was no one better, and in the bad moments there was no one worse.
Stared down Goliath Ogled Bathsheba
Defied God mockers joined them in the wilderness
Eagle Scout Chumming with Outcasts
Lead Armies Could not manage his own family
God Hungry Bloodthirsty
One God Eight wives
What did God see in him? He saw him for his best and forgave the rest. David, more than anything else, had an unchangeable belief in the faithful and forgiving nature of God. He was a man who lived with great zest. He sinned many times, but he was quick to confess and repent. His confessions were from the heart and his repentance was genuine. David never took God’s forgiveness lightly.
Four times in twenty verses, David turns his thoughts to God
V26 and 36: The armies of the living God
V45 The Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel
V46 The Lord will deliver you in to my hand…that the world may know that there is a God in Israel.
How likely are we to describe our day? Are we likely to describe the power of God 4x as much as the demands of our day? In this event, I count 9 references to God and two to Goliath. The references to Goliath are not very flattering. Uncircumcised Gentile, a disgrace to Israel. No question about Goliath’s skill, armor, size, David gives little thought about this giant.
Focus on our giants and we stumble, focus on GOD and our Giants fall.
Give ourselves over to God, let Him direct our steps and knock our Giant down.
