How do we defeat the “Goliaths” in our lives? How does God provide for us in our times of trouble. In fact, how do our times of trouble provide for us???
Pastor Jim explored these questions during his sermon on September 13, 2015. This is the second of a two part series looking at the familiar account of David and Goliath.
Click the below “Play” button to start listening to the recording, then scroll down and follow along…
The scripture reading was from 1 Samuel 17… Click the below drop down box to “open up God’s Word”…
David vs. Goliath
1 Sam 17:31-50
31 Then David’s question was reported to King Saul, and the king sent for him.
32 “Don’t worry about this Philistine,” David told Saul. “I’ll go fight him!”
33 “Don’t be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There’s no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You’re only a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.”
34 But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God!
37 The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” Saul finally consented. “All right, go ahead,” he said. “And may the Lord be with you!”
38 Then Saul gave David his own armor—a bronze helmet and a coat of mail. 39 David put it on, strapped the sword over it, and took a step or two to see what it was like, for he had never worn such things before. “I can’t go in these,” he protested to Saul. “I’m not used to them.” So David took them off again.
40 He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd’s bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he started across the valley to fight the Philistine. 41 Goliath walked out toward David with his shield bearer ahead of him, 42 sneering in contempt at this ruddy-faced boy. 43 “Am I a dog,” he roared at David, “that you come at me with a stick?” And he cursed David by the names of his gods. 44 “Come over here, and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and wild animals!” Goliath yelled. 45 David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! 47 And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!”
48 As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him. 49 Reaching into his shepherd’s bag and taking out a stone, he hurled it with his sling and hit the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank in, and Goliath stumbled and fell face down on the ground. 50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with only a sling and a stone, for he had no sword.
Stones
The stones that David took from the brook have several lesson for us…
Five Stones
Why did David grab five stones? Was this a lack of faith somehow; with God on your side, wouldn’t one stone be enough?
Goliath had 4 brothers, and tradition suggests that David slew them as well, but that’s speculation at best. Personally, I think he chose five stones in case one didn’t work, he might make use of another.
While David certainly exercised his faith in God and was trusting God’s provision, yet he still did all that he could be be as humanly prepared as possible.
We need to Respond to life; not React.
Five SMOOTH Stones
Not only did David grab five stones, the stones he grabbed were selected for the job. These Stones had been prepared; on one level by nature, but certainly on another level by God for this specific purpose.
Luke 21:15
For I {Jesus} will give you the right words and such wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to reply or refute you!
Why Smooth?
If these stones were not smooth, they could not have been easily picked from the bad for quick use.- Smooth stones would go most freely out of the sling. And so they would go with more force and certainty, directly to the mark which he aimed at.
Notice how God works even in the smallest detail.
Why Clean?
The brook had purified them. We can make the analogy to spiritual sanctification. God can’t use us unless we’re “clean”:
Psalm 139:23-24
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
And on a more practical level, clean stones will not get stuck in the sling. They won’t be hindered in flight by dirt and debris. Otherwise the stones might have been slowed down in flight and caused to fall short of their target.
To become a giant slayer, we must be smooth, spotless, and whole. We must come to the battle with Christ, not with our own man-made “armor.” We have to have the courage to put that “armor” away and to trust in God only.
The Shepherd’s Bag
God provides for all of our daily needs. A stone in “God’s Pouch” becomes something supernatural. Notice that it says that David put the stones in THE shepherd’s bag, not in HIS shepherd’s bag.
A shepherd’s bag carried provisions while keeping the sheep in the open country. It appears that this refers to the kind of small beg that shepherds would carry with them generally made of dried skin. When he leaves home to go and tend the sheep, the shepherd will put into it some bread, cheese, dried fruit, and maybe some olives or figs to meet his needs for the day.
It was into this bag that David placed the five smooth stones when he went to battle with the giant. The bag carried the things he would need for his “battle.”
But… the Good Shepherd also carries our daily needs and provision for this life AND for the life to come.
Psalm 46:1-2
God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea.
Years after this battle (and after many other battles), David would write these words…
Psalm 62:7-8
My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge.
It wasn’t only this battle with Goliath. Throughout his life, David’s faith was tested but it remained strong. He continued to trust the Lord whenever difficulties came…
Psalm 9:9
The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
But so many times, we don’t depend on God’s promises. Instead, we “hedge our bets.” We have our own ideas of what we should do, and then we ask God to bless them after we do what we think we should do! Instead, we need to turn to God and understand His will BEFORE we act on our own. God chooses the stone HE wants us to use. God gives us the victory.
What do we put in our “bag”? How can we know what “stone” we will need to take out our Goliath? We need to respond to the battles, but we must do so relying on the Good Shepherd (John 10) and His provision.
Notice that there is no reference that David looked into the bag. He was running with his focus on Goliath and his trust in God… not in his ability to select the right stone. He trusted that God would place in his hand the things he needed at the very moment he needed it.
Conclusion
David’s faith in God caused him to look at the giant from a different perspectibe. Goliath was mearly a mortal man defying an all powerful God. David looked at the battle from God’s point of view.
If we look at our “giant problems” and imposible situations from God’s perspective, we realize that God will fight for us and with us. When we put things in proper perspective, we see more clearly and we can fight more effectively.
When the giant threatened David, he didn’t stop or even waver. Everyone else cowered in fear, but David ran to the battle. He knew that action needed to be taken. David did the right thing in spite of discouraging insults and fearful threats.
Only God’s opinion mattered to David.
David trusted completely in God to defeat his giant. What giants do we have in our lives that we’re trying to defeat on our own? What stones will God give you to face this battle?
Quiz Time!
As you reflect on what you’ve just heard/read, give this quiz a try. If you don’t understand an answer (or if you disagree with the “correct” answer, post a comment)…
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