1 Samuel 17:45-47 (NKJV) 45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47 Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’S, and He will give you into our hands.”
As we study the importance of covenant in God’s dealings with man, we have been looking at the practical application of being covenant minded in dealing with life. We can see this play out in the story of the battle between David and Goliath. He was a man about 9 feet tall with the strength and power to match his height. The Israelites knew that there was no one among them who could defeat him. Into this situation comes a young man, probably about 18 years old. He was not a trained soldier, but a shepherd sent to bring provisions for his brothers.
He wonders why there should be a stalemate. He asks why they are allowing this “uncircumcised philistine” to mock the army of God. He goes to the king and tells him that he will fight the giant. He tells the king that God has given him victory over lions and bears and this “uncircumcised philistine” will be no different. His use of this term for Goliath is pointing to the fact that Goliath has no covenant with God. David does.
When David comes out to fight Goliath, he is insulted. David has no sword or shield. He only has the shepherds staff and a sling. Goliath tells David, “I am going to feed you to the beasts of the fields and the birds of the air. Today’s scripture is David’s response. First, he points out that Goliath comes with natural weapons. These weapons are formidable. David could not possibly be victorious against them. In fact, David was offered the same type of weapons by Saul, but he refused them. He was not familiar with them, and they were likely too big to fit him.
We will often be confronted with things we have no hope of handling in our natural ability, understanding or resources. If we focus on that, we will be defeated before we start. David’s focus was not on what he did not have, nor on what he could not do. He tells Goliath what he did have. “I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.” David did not take out his 5 stones and tell Goliath, “This is what I am going to kill you with.” Instead, he points to his Covenant Partner.
David says, “Goliath, your weapons are no match for the God of Israel. You have defied him and now you will reap the consequences!” David’s mind is filled with the reality of his covenant agreement. According to the covenant, God will fight for Isreal. God will be their defender and their strength. Just as the chariots of Egypt were no match for the God of the Covenant, Goliath will be no match for Him either. Just as the armies of the Amorites were defeated by Joshua, even though the Israelites were slaves not soldiers, Goliath would fall before God as well. Just as Jericho fell without a real fight when the Army of Israel shouted in victory, Goliath will fall before the words that came out of Davids mouth, declaring that the same God would give Goliath into his hands.
How could David face such an insurmountable situation with confidence when the whole Israelite army and its King were hiding in fear? David knew that his covenant partner would not fail him. How and when did he come to a place of such faith? Was it when he defeated the lion or the bear? He defeated them because he had already come to that depth of faith in the covenant. He developed faith in his covenant partner during the time he spent with the sheep. In those hours he sang to the Lord, meditated on his word and fellowshipped with him. God spoke to him, as we know from the many psalms David wrote, most during the years leading up to his encounter with Goliath. He knew that he could not lose because of the faithfulness of his Covenant partner. He believed because he knew the God of the covenant.
He did not stop speaking after he told Goliath how he would defeat him. He went on to say that he would not only do to Goliath what Goliath threatened to do to him, but that he would also take Goliath’s head from his body. How could he be so bold. How could he promise such a thing. He knew his God and he knew the covenant he had with him. He says why he will do it as well. Not to make a name for himself. Not to get the reward Saul had promised and not to come into the power God had already said he would have. His motivation is only one thing. “So that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And so that “all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’S, and He will give you into our hands.”
Not only does he want the philistines to know that there is a “God in Israel” who is not a bystander, but he also wants the people of God to know that the Lord is involved and will fight for them. We have a “better covenant based on better promises.” Nevertheless, it is still a covenant that will give us victory over the giants we face in life. Most of the time it is not easy. We will usually lack the power and resources to overcome what we may face. Some of the things we deal with have nothing to do with physical strength or resources. They may involve sickness in our bodies, trouble in our minds or strife in relationships. If we spend time building faith in our covenant as David did his, we can face the challenges of life with the same confidence as David.
Let us look at how David’s battle with his Giant turned out. First, we see that David did not try to sneak up on Goliath. He did not hide behind cover until he was close enough to fire a rock from his sling. There was actually no possibility of defeating Goliath with a slingshot no matter how close he was. Goliath’s armor would have protected him from any remotely viable shot. David was not depending on his skill or the power of his weapons. He was depending on God! David ran to the battle. He held nothing back. In doing so he was exposed to the weapons of the enemy. He had no shield and no armor. He did have an ally in God almighty.
Many times in my life I have faced impossible odds. In those times, I realized I had nothing to lose by being bold. If I tried to hide, the outcome would not be changed. Instead, I did bold things that most thought were impossible. Again and again I have seen God undertake for me, my church and my family. In those times we saw God do wonderful things. Usually not what we thought he would do, but in ways we could not imagine we won victories for God.
As David ran to the battle, he put the stone in the sling and began to twirl it over his head. He was running. That meant he did not have a stable firing platform. Even if he stopped to release his stone, he would have been out of breath, stressed by being in the open and so filled with adrenalin that accuracy would have been impossible. Even so, the stone found the only place that could have done any damage to Goliath. It struck him where the helmet provided no protection, his forehead. I do not think that was because of David’s skill. I believe an angel of God or some other manifestation of His power cause that stone to do greater damage than it could possibly have done.
David came to Goliath, took his own sword and cut off his head just as he said he would do. It was not due to anything but the power of God and David’s faith in the covenant Israel had with him. What battle are you facing? Spend time with God in his Word, in prayer and in praise and worship. Remember how God has moved in your past and trust him with your future. Run to the battle however God reveals that to you. You are no different than David. God can and will win the victory!
For Audio Messages, search “Practical Wisdom from the Word of God” or Bill Kiefer on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also click the link to the left “Practical Wisdom Podcast.”
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