The True Underdog
Scriptures: 1 Samuel 17; Judges 20:16
Introduction
The title of my message this morning is “The True Underdog.” I normally do not speak on our youth Sundays so this morning I want to take this opportunity and do something a little different – I want to tell the youth a story. It’s a familiar story that has been retold throughout the years and it’s the story of David and Goliath. This story is so popular that even today when a small, weak person or company goes up against a larger person or company the conflict is often described as “David versus Goliath.” I want to start with the understanding that there truly was an underdog in the short fight between David and Goliath; but it was not the one that we have always chosen. This morning I will show you scripturally that it was not David who was the underdog but Goliath. To understand this story, let me tell what an “underdog” is by definition. Webster’s dictionary define underdog as “the person or team that is losing or is expected to lose. One who is underprivileged.” Keep this definition in mind as I tell you the story of David and Goliath and then at the end I will ask you to decide for yourself if David was truly the underdog.
David and Goliath – The Real Story
In our story today there are two primary individuals that I will tell you about. The first is David. Many years ago David was the eight and youngest son of his father Jesse. What we know about David from chapter sixteen is that he had red hair and beautiful eyes. David’s first job was tending his father’s sheep. During this time of watching his father’s sheep, David spent time playing his shepherd’s flute, writing songs and developing his skills as a slinger. His first recorded exploits were his encounters with a lion and bear when they had attacked his sheep. He mentions that with his own unaided hands he killed them both. David was an Israelite who knew and worshipped the one true God. Goliath, on the other hand, was a champion fighter of the Philistine army. Now in order to be a champion fighter he had to have been an excellent fighter. Added to his fighting skills were his overall size and strength. According to 1 Samuel 17:4, Goliath was six cubits (a cubit is approximately 18 inches) and a span (approximately 9 in) tall; or nine feet, nine inches tall. He was evidently extremely strong as his bronze armor weighed 125 pounds and he carried a giant sized spear. There was a reason that Goliath was their champion.
So it came to pass that the Philistine army had gathered against Saul and the men of Israel. Both armies were on opposing mountains, the Philistines on the southern ridge of Elah and the Israelites on the northern ridge with the valley separating them. This left both armies looking across the valley at each other with neither one being willing to enter the valley first and give the other an advantage. In order for one side to attack the other, they would have to descend down their hill and then make a suicidal climb up their enemy’s hill to attack. So each side just waited. After some days had passed, the Philistines had enough. They sent their champion, their greatest warrior, Goliath down into the valley to resolve the deadlock. As Goliath faced the Israelites, he cried out to them to send someone to fight against him. If that man killed him, the Philistines would become their servants. If he killed the Israelites representative, then the Israelites would become their servants. As the Israelites heard this not one man moved. They were afraid. They saw a giant of a man who was a champion of war and they did not see how any of them could defeat him. They understood that if they fought this man and lost, all of the Israelites and their families would go into captivity. Not one man desired to be the man that led a nation into captivity so they all remained still. Goliath came out and made his challenge and took his stand twice a day for forty days and still no Israelite came out to fight him.
One day during this time, as the Lord would have it, Jesse called to David and asked him to take food to his three brothers and their captains who were fighting in Saul’s army. Upon his arrival in the camp of Israel, David heard the challenge of Goliath. David was mad when he heard the challenge and the fact that no one from the Israelite’s side answered him. David asked, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should taunt the armies of the living God.” David saw Goliath’s actions as an attack against God’s army, not Saul’s. David asked what would be done for the man who kills Goliath and when he hears the answer, he volunteers to go fight Goliath. His three brothers were not in support of this yet neither volunteered to take his place. When they brought David to Saul, Saul questioned him about his ability to go out there and fight. David explained how he had already killed a bear and a lion with the aid of God. Saul was convinced to let him go. Saul offered David his armor but David rejected them because he had not “tested” them. In other words, David could not fight with equipment that was unfamiliar to him. All David needed was his sling, one rock, although he chose five smooth stones, and his shepherd’s staff. With those five stones in his bag, his sling and staff in his hand, David went out to face Goliath.
David was almost 20 years old when he walked down that mountain to the valley to face Goliath. He had never fought in a war. He had never killed a man. He had no armor, no sword, no spear and no experience. Based on what everyone saw David was the underdog. David was the weakling. Even his brothers stood by and let David approach Goliath when they would not. Not one of the men of the Israelites’ army thought David had a chance although they probably appreciated his courage. When Goliath saw David coming towards him he was offended. He was angry that the Israelites thought so little of him as a champion fighter that they would send a kid out to fight him. Remember, if David lost all of the Israelites would go into slavery. From Goliath viewpoint, seeing David come down to fight him was a statement to their belief about his being a champion. He saw a shepherd, a boy from one of the lowliest of all professions, coming to fight him. In his mind none of the champions of Israel thought he was worthy enough to come out and fight him and to shut him up and prove how utterly worthless he really was they sent the most inexperienced and youngest person available. He was totally offended by David’s presence. What he did not know was that the Israelites were terrified of him and David was the best champion they had. Goliath and all of the Philistine army thought David was the underdog and this would be an easy win.
Now here is the question – was David truly the underdog? By Webster’s dictionary definition of the underdog being “the person or team that is losing or is expected to lose, one who is underprivileged” in the minds of everyone watching this event unfold, he was! Clearly David did not see himself as the underdog so let me tell you why. Remember I told you that David’s first job was guarding his father’s sheep? David had plenty of time to do other things while accomplishing this task. He had a lot of time alone so he practiced his flute, wrote songs and became a slinger. A slinger was someone who could throw a stone through a sling. We have seen the modern day “sling shots” but these are not what David used. David’s sling was made of two leather straps/rope attached to a pouch in the center. One of the ropes would attach to the wrist or hand while the other would remain free to cast the stone. What is surprising is that a good slinger could hurl a stone as far and as accurately as a good archer. Experiments have demonstrated that a stone/missile would leave a sling in excess of 60 miles per hour. Roman texts recommended archery target practice at about 200 yards but a slinger could hurl their stones about twice that distance, 440 yard. Just for your reference, a football field is 120 yards end to end. As far as accuracy goes, one ancient writer noted that the best slingers would wound not only the heads of their enemies, but any part of the face that they aimed at. Paintings from medieval times show slingers hitting birds in midflight. Irish slingers were said to be able to hit a coin from as far away as they could see it. In Judges 20:16 it says “Out of all these people 700 choice men were left-handed; each could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.” This is who David was – he was a slinger.
Goliath came out to meet David fully dressed in body armor. He had everything he needed for hand to hand combat. His helmet covered his head and actually had a piece that came down the center of his face and covered his nose. David came into battle with a sling and a stone and in the name of the Lord. David told Goliath that the Lord would deliver him into his hands. When Goliath ran towards David, David did not retreat. David stood his ground, loaded a stone in the sling, and then ran to meet Goliath on the battle field. While both were running, David released the stone and the stone struck its target. Goliath’s head was moving as both of them were moving towards each other and David hit that moving target! When Goliath fell unconscious, David finished him off just as he said he would. The battle was won miraculously! When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they did not surrender and go into slavery as they had agreed to, they fled. When the Israelites saw them fleeing, they chased after them. There was a celebration that day!
Conclusion
Was David the underdog? I do not believe that David was the underdog for two primary reasons. If you remember nothing else from this story, remember these two reasons why David was not the underdog as we have always thought of him and why you are not the underdog in your situation.
#1. David believed in himself. David was the only one who knew that he could defeat Goliath. He believed in himself. He knew how deadly he was with a sling because he had been practicing. He knew what he could do even when others doubted him – he knew! David did not let his family members or others talk him out of facing Goliath because he understood that he had five chances of killing Goliath before Goliath ever got close to him (he only need one though.) David knew something about himself that no one else knew and he refused to cancel out what he knew about himself and replace it with what others thought about him. You too must believe in yourself and your capabilities. You may not have the support of others, but if you believe in yourself and your capabilities, you are not the underdog. You only become the underdog when you think and believe you are.
#2. David believed in and trusted God. When David heard Goliath speak and challenge the Israelite army, he was offended. Goliath was challenging God’s army. How dare he do this! When David approached Goliath he told him plainly that God would deliver him into his hands. David believed God and trusted Him! Although the thousands of Israelites standing on the sideline did not have this faith in God, David knew. He did not doubt what God would do through him if he believed. I want you know to know that when you believe God and trust Him, you are never the underdog! The Bible says “….If God is for us, who is against us.” If God is for you, the world can be against you and you still will not be the underdog! You must know who and whose you are in the Lord! Please understand this:
You may not wear the best clothes – but that does not make you weak or the underdog!
Your grades may not be the best in school, but that does not make you weak or the underdog!
You may not live in the best neighborhood and your parents might not make the most money – but that does not make you weak or the underdog!
You might not attend the best school - but that does not make you weak or the underdog!
Your teachers might have given up on you and others might focus on your failures - but that does not make you weak or the underdog!
By all measurement David should have been the underdog. If measured by what others saw of and within him, David would still be considered the underdog. Only God and David knew that he was not. The same applies to you. If you believe that you are the underdog, then you are! If you believe that you are weak, then you are! If you do not have Jesus in your life, you are the underdog but that can change today!
If you are ready to stop being the underdog, accept Christ into your life and then begin to see yourself as He sees you. If you have already accepted Christ, do not shape your image of yourself by the negative opinions that others may have of you or some of your negative experiences you have had in your young life. Believe that you are capable of doing great things and you will do great things. As you begin another school year, know that it’s up to you. Remember that the Lord resides within you and if He is for you it really does not matter who are against you – you will never be the underdog!
May God bless and keep you is my prayer. Until next time, “The Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up His countenance on you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
