Killing Giants
1 Samuel 17
No matter how long you’ve been a Christian or how much faith you possess, you will still have opposition in your life. You can be the nicest, sweetest, gentlest, kindest and most caring individual the world has ever seen, and there will still be somebody the next block over who doesn’t like you because your hair is the wrong color or your nose is too long or you are too tall or too smart or have too much money or not enough money or your voice is irritating or you smell different than they do. Not bad. Just different. Or a thousand other stupid reasons.
Then there are the people who don’t like you not because of anything you have done, they just don’t like anybody. Another set of people are not really against you, they are just for themselves. They cannot see past their current wants and desires to see your need or your pain. They see themselves as the sun and everyone else must revolve around them. For the most part you can ignore them. Unless of course you must work with them, then you do your best to show them there is only one Son and they are not Him!
Then there are people and situations that we will all face because life is full of sin and can be maddeningly unfair. There are bad situations you will encounter that are not of your own making, fights you will get involved in that never involved you, and situations you must face in spite of your best efforts to stay peaceful and true to God. This is what happens in the life of David as he encounters the giant Goliath. The war between the Philistines and the Israelites had been going on long before David was born. He didn’t start it. He didn’t know much about it. He didn’t know they had a giant of a man on their side. But still the circumstances turned so that David found himself in the midst of a battle he didn’t start, but he was about to finish.
Every single person here will face giants. The question before us this morning is not if we are going to face giants, but what we are going to do when the giants show up. Fortunately for us, David teaches us some great lessons about what we can expect and the things we can do when giant opposition enters our life. Are you ready to start killing giants? Let’s start reading 1 Sam. 17:1-11.
As countries sometimes do, the Philistines came to battle the Israelite troops. They stood opposite one another one opposing hills with the Valley of Elah in between. Depending on your translation, Goliath was between 7’0” and 9’9”. In other words, he was huge. For one man to come out and challenge another was not unusual in those days. But no one in Israel was willing to take the challenge, including Saul, who also stood head and shoulders above everyone else and should have led the battle. Because we will all face giants in our life of one type or another, I want to give you six key points to help you not only face your giants but kill them in the process. How many of you have a few giants in your life that could use some killin’? Okay. Let’s start.
Read 1 Sam. 17:12-27.
1. There will be preparation. Before you face giants, there will be a time of preparation. God doesn’t lead you where He hasn’t prepared you. After serving Saul as a harp player, David returned to his regular job of tending the family sheep. It was here, as we will see later, that David’s initial preparations came when he faced bears and lions while protecting the sheep. His father gave him a little job that was worthy of his age and experience and he showed himself faithful. This is what Jesus was referring to when He said, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!” (Matt. 25:23). Then when Goliath came along, David had the experience that told him slinging a rock at a giant wasn’t any different than slinging one at a lion or any other animal. In fact in some way it was easier because the target was bigger! And just as Jesus said, they celebrated together.
Now, most of the time your preparation takes place when you are alone, in the desert or away from the crowd. It takes place when you’ve spent time with God, learning His character and His ways. It takes place in little ways when God says, “Sit and learn. Observe how this is done. Clean this room. Watch this child. See that need in My Kingdom and quietly fulfill it.” The preparation of God using you in big ways is seen in the way you take care of the little things. The details you use to sweep a room or clean a toilet is a good indication of the details you use when you work with God’s people.
There are lots of nice Christians who are praying for nice things. They are praying they have a home of their own because they are tired of renting. But then you look at the way they’ve treated their rental and you know they aren’t ready for a home. Why would God work to provide a house for people who trash the place they are renting? Others pray for a new car, but the car they are driving is a mess. I’ve seen Christians given little jobs at work, like sweeping or washing a window. But because they think those jobs are beneath them they do a shoddy job and call it good enough, hoping they won’t get asked again. But if Jesus Himself were to examine their window they know they’ve fallen short.
How are you responding to the place of preparation God has brought you to? Do not think that God has forgotten that you are out doing menial jobs where no one can see you. God knew David was in the desert. God knew that David was practicing his skills with a club and a sling. God knew that David was using every bit of his strength and character to do the job he was given as if God Himself was watching his every move, because He was. God watches how you sweep a floor, clean a house and mow the lawn. These are all preparations for bigger things, for when the Goliaths show up you are now ready, for as I already said, God prepares you for where He leads you. Are you submitting to His preparation, or are you whining that you don’t get to do what you want to do? Just as a coach does not send his or her team out on the field or the court without adequate preparation for the conflict ahead, God doesn’t ask us to face things He hasn’t given us time to prepare for. Are you showing up for practice? Are you listening to God?
Question: Can you sense God’s preparation in your life? What is He preparing you to do?
2. There will be giants. Name some giant attitudes and situations we all face in life (fear, worry, questions, testing, temptation, debt, tragedy, addiction, anger, rejection, failure). And these giants like to do a lot of shouting. Goliath said, “Am I a dog that you come at me a stick?” (vs. 43). What are your giants saying? (You are not qualified for that job. You are not good enough. You can’t pay your bills. You can’t save your marriage. You are losing your kids. Your life is a mistake).
Let’s look at a Scripture. “No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it” 1 Cor. 10:13 (MSG). The word “temptation” can refer to being tempted to do something wrong or contrary to God’s will (Gal. 6:1; James 1:13). It can also refer to a testing, such as a testing to discover the genuineness of one’s faith. When we are tested, God promises to provide a way of escape for us, if only we depend on Him. For David, the way of escape was to face the giant and move forward towards Goliath, for in a moment we’ll read “As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him” (vs. 48). Sometimes you have to run towards your giants in order to slay them.
If you are in badly in debt, you must face the fact you owe more money that you can pay on a monthly basis. You cannot throw away the late notices that come in the mail or ignore the phone calls. You have to find ways to quit spending. You have to come up with a budget and work the budget. You have to know where every dime goes and you have to make sacrifices. You have to face your giant and you have to move towards it to gain victory. When you are in debt, or addicted to something, or physically hurting, don’t just tell me “I’m blessed” when I ask you how you are. We both know there is a giant across the valley that is throwing a huge shadow into your life. You must face the giant and move forward with the tools God has prepared for you.
Read 1 Sam. 17:28-31
3. There will be distractions. We often think that the distractions that come to us as a Christian come to us through the world. But that’s not always true. When the world says it is okay to have a spouse for two years and move on, we see that lie and distraction from God’s truth for what it is. When the world says it is okay to lie a little and cheat a little because that is the only way to advance and make more money, it is easy to say “No” because we’ve read in Rev. 21:18 that says liars do not make it to heaven. It isn’t the big sins that trip most people up, but the little ones that we don’t see coming. I’ve never tripped over a boulder. But I have hit the ground by tripping over a small rock I didn’t see or expect.
This is what David’s oldest brother is – he’s a distraction that has the potential to trip David up and cause him to miss God’s will. And reading about Eliab’s reaction to David tells us why David was anointed and the eldest brother was rejected. But David knows who to fight and who to ignore, so he turns away from his brother and continues to question and assess the situation.
Now listen closely. If we are not careful, we can spend most of our time arguing with and fighting members of our own family – both our natural family and the family of God. But when you know what you’ve been called to do, you don’t let distractions stop you from fulfilling God’s calling. Prov. 4:25-27 in The Message says, “Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all sideshow distractions. Watch your step, and the road will stretch out smooth before you. Look neither right nor left; leave evil in the dust.” That is what David did. He kept his eyes on God, didn’t get distracted by his brother, didn’t look around eventually killed the giant who was his true enemy.
Question: What are some of the distractions you’re facing today?
Read 1 Sam. 17:32-39
4. There will be advice. Because Saul wasn’t willing to face the giant, he was probably just a bit relieved that, after forty days of taunting, somebody was willing to face Goliath. But since Saul lacked the faith and character to do what was really his job to do, which is to lead the Israelites against the opposing enemy, he let a teenager step in. But Saul made a crucial mistake that many of you have faced – he wanted David to be just like him. He tried to get David to wear his armor, to dress like him, walk like him, be just like him without actually being him. Now, wouldn’t you think if the armor was that good Saul would have worn it himself and stepped out to face Goliath? Saul’s advice to David was to be like Saul. God’s advice to David and to us is to remember what God did to prepare you.
I’ve faced a lot of Saul’s who wanted me to be a mini version of themselves. Because they didn’t know any other way and weren’t willing to consider that others could accomplish the same thing in a completely different way, they tried to make me behave and think and act like them. But I am not like anybody else. I am me. And you are you. Be very wary of anyone who tells you to “follow my ways if you want to be victorious.” True, Paul did say, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1), but the emphasis is following Paul in the way Paul followed Christ with all his heart and soul in order to serve others, not so people could be mini versions of Paul. Paul was interested in creating disciples of Christ, not disciples of Paul.
Of course, not all the advice you receive with be negative. Prov. 15:22 says, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” We need to make sure that our advisors, even when they are Christians, are helping us to make the right decisions for what God is preparing us to do, even if that means doing what they are afraid to do.
I had a Christian caution me against marrying Barbara. Now, they weren’t against Barbara but were cautious about anyone getting married since they were in a bad marriage. They are now in their third marriage. Their advice was more a reflection of their fear than of where God was leading me. Saul’s advice to have David wear his armor was an indication of his fear. So seek advice, but be wary of any advice that wants to make you a mini version of the counselor instead of a fully dedicated follower of Christ.
Question: Can you name some advice you had to decline because it wasn’t for you?
Read 1 Sam. 17:40-47
5. There will be decisions. When Goliath saw David he was “sneering a contempt for this ruddy-faced boy” (vs. 42). The Message says Goliath “took one look down on him and sneered—a mere youngster, apple-cheeked and peach-fuzzed.” And David at this time was probably 15 -17 years old. First David’s brother Eliab taunted him, then Saul tried to discourage him and now Goliath sneers at him. Regarding this reception by David’s family, David’s leader and David’s enemy, A.W. Pink writes, “The one who (by grace) is walking by faith must not expect to be popular with men. . . But true faith is neither chilled by a cold reception nor cooled by outward difficulties: it looks away from both, unto Him with who it has to do. If God be ‘for us’ (Rom. 8:31), it matters not who be against us.”
When God has called us to follow Him we will have to make decisions in the face of many who will oppose us. We must decide to ignore people who judge the motives of our heart as Eliab did. We must decide to say “No” to leaders whose fear would have us be just like them. We must continue forward when the enemy tries to tell us our faith is futile and we’re too small to win the war. But David already decided before he stepped out and gathered his stones that God had prepared him to defeat any enemy who would defy the living God.
Have you made the decision that to follow God no matter what people say? Have you decided to spend time with God, honing your skills and practicing your gifts so that when the time comes, and it will, you will be ready to kill your giants? Phil. 2:12-13 says, “Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” When you give your salvation a good work out then God works in you to act according to His good purposes and not according to the purposes of others. But you must make a decision to follow the ways of God at all costs – even if it means you disappoint some and baffle others.
Read 1 Sam. 17:48-58
6. There will be victory. When you put all these ingredients together – your preparation, facing the reality of your giants, choosing Godly advice and deciding to take action with the gifts God has trained you to use, then victory, with God’s help, is yours. You will find that when everyone else thought it was impossible, you were able to overcome and win.
As Goliath came towards David, verse 48 tells us that David “quickly ran out to meet him.” When you have giants in your life, it is best to meet them quickly and head on. You cannot run around your fears and problems and hope they will go away. No amount of prayer will suffice when action is called for. We can pray and fast for victory until we are skeletons from lack of food, but remember: There is no victory without a battle.
About this time someone will say, “But this is the LORD’S battle!” And I say yes, it is. We just read that in verse 47. But the Lord uses people to win the battle. He prepared a young man after his own heart. He kept him alone and in the desert to learn the ways of God, to hone his skills and increase his faith. And when the time came David used the faith and the skills given to him by God to kill a giant that threatened his family and his nation. Are you ready to kill some giants? And if not, are you now ready to start being prepared? If so then you can say to your giants what David said to his, “Today the LORD will conquer you” (verse 46).
Question: Can you name some recent victories you and God accomplished?
