( When I gave this message, Holy Spirit took over this basic text and gave several powerful connections which really grabbed the congregation, I pray God will do he same for you. The actual scripture read was using lectionary Year B - June 22nd)
Got Rocks?
So to paraphrase this long scripture, The two armies come together, and in that time, they put up their camps and each day went out and yelled insults at each other.
If the Philistines were really that strong why did they not just attack after a few days. I believe it is because they figured out that the real art of war is physic out your opponent. Take the biggest and meanest looking guy on your side and let him boldly walk up and down the lines challenging the other side to a one on one battle. Goliath is said to be about 9 feet 9 inches tall. He has the best body armor, helmet and shield. It is estimated his spear alone weighs 30 pounds.
He is the ultimate in intimidation and he hits the Israelites where it hurts. Send a man out here to settle this…..
Ok it is a guy thing, but if you are challenged to be a man and your fears take over and you won’t or can’t respond. You have already lost. Goliath was at least 3 feet and probably nearly 4 feet taller than any of the tallest Israelite men. When the challenges came they were not blind. They could see that it was impossible to fight this man. Not even the king would take the challenge.
As a church today do you think that we are like the army in this lesson? Do we look at the challenges of the world and fear that we can’t match up. I believe we do. I am not just saying that you are affected by what is out there, because I am affected and fear failing also.
The world is so big, so anti-church, so well equipped to intimidate, with the newest toys and tools and even Laws. It is too easy to plainly see failure if we try.
When David arrives on an errand, he finds his brothers and then twice daily challenge starts. David is just a dumb kid, and he gets upset that that un -civilized, person that does not know God would challenge God’s people.
David can’t see that it is obvious that no one there can win. - He is not a trained warrior, he is a Shepard, a poet and musician. But he is willing to volunteer to take on this heathen. Word gets back to the king (Saul) and he calls him in and I would imaging him rolling his eyes, You are just an inexperienced boy, You just won’t be able to do it, you aren’t trained and don’t even have the weapons.
Too often we in the church look at ourselves and say the same thing. We let our view of ourselves and of our friends do the talking. And we really listen to people we know and trust. And we all too often agree with each other that we just can’t do it… we can’t deal with the problems because we are not trained and equipped. But David, was just not able to accept Good, well thought out advice.
He told the King of his experiences in dealing with wild beast and how he had overcome the powerful deadly creatures and that he saw no difference in dealing with a human beast.
For some reason the king decides to let him try. He offers him armor and weapons but David realizes that it is not for him. He knows that if he is to be successful he has to be him self. He has to be mobile and flexible. He can’t put on earthly armor he must put on the armor of God.
When you put your faith in God, accept his protection and guidance, it is not restrictive, it is natural and allows you the freedom to be yourself and to act on new ways to get things done.
David goes out to meet the enemy, using just what he knows. What he knows is that God is the one that will fight the fight, God is the one that will provide the answers and the strength. David has his staff, picks up 5 stones from the creek bed and carries his sling. No sward, no explosives or machine guns, just himself and his normal tools, and for David a normal tool included knowing God.
David has an individual faith in God and what He can and will do. For David to face danger possibly was more normal for him than us. But he was the only one there willing to do it.
I believe life back then was harder in many ways. Over two thousand years lots of things got easier. In my opinion as daily lives got easier … we think we control much ourselves and don’t notice needing God. Don’t get me wrong, I like easy, but, we take personal credit for decisions and choice and leave God out of it we are missing something.
David knew and understood his dependence on God and was comfortable with knowing that God was faithful.
Probably no one witnessing this fight expected it to last long. Even Saul and David’s brothers expected a couple of quick moves and it would all be over. They probably imagined this experienced warrior would not even work up a sweat in disposing of a Shepard boy.
But did they have just a little hope? Did the Israelites send a boy to do a man’s battle with some faith?
Of all the Israelites watching from the hillside I wonder what they were feeling as they watched an unarmed boy going out to do something they would not even consider doing.
Well they were right, both sides, the battle was brief.
But I believe that everyone except David and God were surprised by the outcome. Everyone was shocked, the two moved toward each other and Goliath never got a chance to swing his sword. From a distance all they could see was the forward motion, a little arm motion and Goliath falling face first on the ground.
No fancy foot work or daring moves. A simple straightforward action and it was all over.
For the philistines it was an unbelievable blow that broke their army. The destruction of the symbol of power. For the Israelites is was the unmistakable reminder that their God was with them. It reminded them that because of their God they would be successful in all things that God directed.
As individual, what is it that David had that let him face this problem?
What is it that would give David a faith in God that would let him face the biggest meanest man that anyone in that day had ever seen?
Do you think it had anything to do with the time David had as a Shepard, time to talk with God, time to depend on God?
David is described as being a man after God’s on heart. To me that means that he really wanted to understand God and what he wanted from and for his people. It meant that David spent time focused on his relationship with God and he leaned to trust God.
Folks, As Christians our world has many Goliaths. As people in this church, we have our own sets of enemies right here in this community. There are challenges calling us to come out to be involved.
I believe that we all too plainly see the challenges, we let our inability to win suppress who is on our side. We forget that we are only called to act in any situation with what we have available. Perhaps it is 5 round stones, maybe it is in effectively using our van, or perhaps the pocket change that we add to our offering will be the one stone God uses to bring down the obstacles and make a change in the community around us.
This story of David is a reminder that we are in God’s army. We are to do something against his enemies. Not on our own but with him. If we don’t act he will still get the job done. But he will have to bring in someone new, someone that will depend on him.
God can and will us is we learn to depend on him. If we learn not to fear what we see, if we understand that HE is the one doing the Work and fighting the battle.
All Glory be to God!
