Have you ever been in front of a camera when the flash went off and you were blinded for a moment? This is the way some problems hit us. We are blinded by the problems that seem overwhelming to such a degree that we don’t know what to do. We can’t see anything. We can’t see past the problem or the challenge because it is so overwhelming in our lives.
It happens to all of us at one time or another. It is very normal, even for people that go to church. The essence of the matter is, what do we do after we are blinded by the problem? What do you do when you get hit by a problem? How do you overcome this? How do you overcome when something hits you so hard with such a swift power that you are utterly blinded by it? How do you overcome it?
One of the best known stories in the Bible has to be David and Goliath, but what makes this story so amazing? Is it that everyone likes the underdog? Is it the wonder of seeing a young boy take on a giant and living? Is it hoping that if David could beat the giant then we can beat the big evil…corporation…government…state that stands in our way? Is it the need to hope in something more than ourselves? This morning I want to do some unpacking of one the best known story, this story that I’m sure most of you could tell me in your sleep and I want to look at what made David so different than all the other men on this battlefield.
In the Broadway musical, The Scarlet Pimpernel, the 18th century (fictional) hero encourages his followers by reminding them of David vs. Goliath. The song goes:
"David walked into the valley
With a stone clutched in his hand
He was only a boy
But he knew someone must take a stand
There will always be a valley
Always mountains one must scale
There will always be perilous waters
Which someone must sail."
In the lyrics I just quoted, although they unfortunately emphasize David as a boy instead of as the teenager or young man he was, the words tie the ancient text together with the challenge that the heroes faced. More than that, the lyric says that there are always challenges or obstacles that we must face. Do you ever feel overwhelmed? Do you ever think that everything is stacked against you? Do you ever think there is no way out? Do you ever feel like life is full of "no win" situations? That’s the way everyone on Israel’s side of the battlefield in the Valley of Elah felt—-everyone except for David.
If you have your Bibles with you today please turn with me to 1 Samuel 17
Read 17:1-4
Goliath … was six cubits and a span. See NIV text note. A cubit was the distance from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger, and a span was the distance from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the smallest finger of a hand fully spread. There was considerable variation in the precise lengths of cubits and spans in antiquity, but by any standard Goliath would have been over nine feet tall.
Read vs 5—Five Thousand Shekels of bronze would weigh around 126 lbs
Read 6-30
David, who is a shepherd also had a different job at this time, Look over to 16:14-23
So David would normally travel back and forth to Saul and his sheep. To Saul because not only did he play soothing music for Saul, but he is also Saul’s armor bearer. Notice David’s reputation in verse 18
1. Skillful in playing an instrument—the Harp
2. A Mighty man of Valor, a Man of war—not remember he is still young, but that did not change his reputation. While David was not a part of the fighting force of Israel, David’s courage was wel known.
3. Prudent of Speech—The NLT says he had good judgment—there is wisdom in him even though he is young
4. He is good looking—I’m not sure why that one mattered so much, but we know he is good looking. Kind of like what I heard from one of the teacher’s aids about the new principal…she put it something like, now I’m married and this isn’t me talking, but I’ve heard he is good looking with an athletic build—why would the Bible put this in there, well it talks about the creditability of this testimony. Does God care what you look like—yes he made you and loves you how he made you, does man care—people talk and this servant was sharing what he or she heard of David. While all these things are good, there is one more attribute…the best is saved for last.
5. The Lord is with him
This is before David ever faced Saul. And so at the beginning of the story, we find David traveling the 6 hour walk from the Bethlehem countryside—wear the sheep are and Saul’s encampment to play for Saul and be his armorbearer. He is not present with the armies of Saul constantly and apparently he had missed Goliath’s 40 days of blasphemy in all of his duties.
This particular trip Jessie sent David food for his brothers who are in the encampment and David arrives just as the armies are lining up—probably walking most of the night. He hears the shouts of the armies as the psych themselves up and prepare for war—then he hears something he cannot believe…he hears this Philistin—the pagan call out a command. Notice in verse 8 he does not call them Israel which means 'God Contended', 'Wrestles with God', or 'Triumphant with God' rather he calls them servants of Saul. Who was the mighty warrior that should have gone out and fight the second Giolath challenged them? That should have been Saul. When Saul was crowned King, he is described in 1 Sam 9:2 head and shoulders taller than everyone, who else in all of Jerusalem should fight this giant, than the King, the tallest man in Israel, but he did not. He is not even on the front lines when David hears this.
We know that David knows Saul and is his armor bearer. That means he was to go down and stand by Saul while he fights, but Saul sees a giant that cannot be moved.
As we continue reading, I want you to look at this list of attributes of David, and see how many still make sense when I finish
Vs 31-37
I don’t know about you, but after reading this it would seem that number 2 is grossly underestimated and # 3 is grossly over estimated. While yes, David shows how he is a might man of valor, it would not seem like he is showing prudence of speech by volunteering to go and fight the giant. Saul was supposed to do this, but he steps aside and lets his armor bearer do this. If you were important enough to have an armor bearer, history tells us then you should be a mighty warrior yourself for the armor bearer was there to carry your load, your armor, shield and or other weapons so that you can reserve your strength for the battle and the Kind’s job was to lead the charge, but Saul is afraid. This giant is too big for him to move, so what made David different from every other man of Israel on the battle field that day? To answer that we need to look back at chapter 16
Read 11-13
David is about 15 years old at this time. The Spirit of the Lord accompanies the anointing by Samuel. From that moment God begins to equip David and direct the details of his life, though it will be some years before he ascends the throne.
The Spirit of the Lord is with him, that was not only just a reputation, but a fact. He has the anointing of the Lord and walks with the Spirit of the Lord upon him, so when he looks out at Goliath he doesn’t seen a giant, he sees a dog defiling the Lord and knows that with the Lord by his side, just like he fought a lion and a bear, David knows that God can and will defeat this giant.
How are you looking at your giants? Do you see them through the eyes of the Lord?
Faith to move mountains is not about the size of the mountain, or the individual of Faith, rather Faith to move mountains depends on the size of your God. Have you ever heard the saying, don’t make a mountain out of a mole hill? I think this is really key for how we picture our mountains, our giants. David saw Goliath as nothing more than a beast that must be put to down because of how it was defiling to the Lord. He saw Goliath as the mole hill he was. A nuisance, but when compared with God, nothing really, while everyone around them saw Goliath—this 9 foot plus giant as a mountain, here to destroy their hopes and dreams. They forgot whose they were and therefore forgot who they are.
Church we are children of the most high God. The reason it only takes the faith of a mustard seed to move a mountain is because compared to our God, it is nothing but a molehill, after all, he created all the mountains with one sentence on one day and moving one out or way is something easy for him to do. That is why David knew he could face the giant.
What should you do when you face a giant? The Same things as David
1. Trust in the Lord—Remember His faithfulness
David went through and reminded not only himself of how God had been with him in the past, but he told it to Saul as well. Look the Lord was with me when a bear stole a lamb from the flock and I chased the bear, struck it and took it out of its mouth. I’m not sure about you, but without some sort of fire arm, maybe even 2 I’m not chasing after a bear…and even then It would not be my first instinct, but David goes chasing the bear and rescues the lamb and he also takes down lion. David knew the Holy Spirit and was filled with him and he knew that with God, nothing was impossible.
2. Do not fear opposition even when it seems stronger or better supported
Logic would have told David that even if the warrior Saul did not want to go against the Giant then he shouldn’t. Everyone was content in cowering and allowing the giant to rant and rave. They had listened to him for 40 days and no one spoke up or challenged him. It wasn’t that these men were cowards, the Bible goes on to talk about other men in the armies and calls them might men of valor as well, so why weren’t they willing to fight? They feared what they saw through the eyes of men, and were not able to see things through the eyes of the Lord.
3. Be confident that God can use what you have at hand to overcome any obstacles you face
Vs 37-54
"David walked into the valley
With a stone clutched in his hand
He was only a boy
But he knew someone must take a stand
There will always be a valley
Always mountains one must scale
There will always be perilous waters
Which someone must sail."
There are always mountains that must be moved, Do you ever feel overwhelmed? Do you ever think that everything is stacked against you? Do you ever think there is no way out? Do you ever feel like life is full of "no win" situations? That’s the way everyone on Israel’s side of the battlefield in the Valley of Elah felt—-everyone except for David because David saw things with the help of the Holy Spirit, anointed with power ready to say to this mountain move!
(Altar Music)
A custom of the one of the numerous tribes of natives in New Guinea is told. At certain times they have rituals, songs, and dances. They work themselves up into a frenzy and the ritual culminates in what are called “the murder songs,” in which they shout before God the names of the people they wish to kill. When the natives became Christian, they retained these customs and that ritual, However, in the murder songs, they no longer shouted the names of the people they hated, but the names of the sins they hated, and called on God to destroy them. This morning, let’s cry out the murder songs for the giants in our life. (next slide) is that giant unforgiveness, hopelessness, rejection, failure, pride ,criticism, fear, public opinion, feelings of worthlessness, carelessness? Like David, look at your giant, come at your gain in the name of the lord of hosts, the God of the Armies of Israel, come at your Giant in the name of our Lord Jesus, knowing that it is just mole hill that must be moved, because YOU are a child of God…
Isaiah 41: 10-13 “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ “Behold, all those who were incensed against you Shall be ashamed and disgraced; They shall be as nothing, And those who strive with you shall perish. You shall seek them and not find them— Those who contended with you. Those who war against you Shall be as nothing, As a nonexistent thing.”
??Isaiah? ?41:10-12? ?NKJV??????
As we close this morning, name your giant, and give it over to God charge it fearlessness and name it so that God may destroy it.
“Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.”
??Psalms? ?55:22? ?NKJV??????
