We’re doing a short series on courage, entitled Fearless: Possessing a Lionhearted Righteousness. It’s based off of Proverbs 28:1: “The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion” (Proverbs 28:1). Open your Bible to 1 Samuel 17 and bookmark Genesis 12.
The Story of David and Goliath
The story of David and Goliath is one of the greatest children's stories in the history of literature. It is not only the first full-blown story we read about David, but the one that most people know about and remember. David and Goliath is an epic battle and though it occurred 3,000 years ago, it remains a cultural metaphor even to this day. If you know anything at all about David, you know the story of Goliath. The truth of the matter is there are going to be times in your life when we face a threat or a problem or a challenge that is far bigger than we are. Our story is set back in time some 3,000 years ago in the ancient land of Israel. The battle of David and Goliath happens around fifteen miles outside of Bethlehem.
Think with me about the significance of David for a moment. He is the first person named in the New Testament after Jesus Christ and he is the last person named in the New Testament except for Jesus Christ. More verses in God's Word are devoted to King David than to any other person mentioned with the exception of Jesus Christ. David is born around 1040 B.C. and this is David’s coming out party, if you will. David had already been privately anointed the next king over Israel.
Turn your attention to the battle for a moment. Our story begins with these ominous words: “Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle” (1 Samuel 17:1a). The Philistines and the Israelites were great enemies. They came, and they camped on both sides of a valley … the Israelites on one hill, the Philistines on the other hill. They set up their battle lines. A wadi, or dry riverbed, separated the two armies as they stared at one another across the ravine. In the middle, of course, was no-man’s land, the danger zone, or the valley of death. No one dared to move for attacking meant crossing the valley only to make a suicidal climb uphill fighting the enemy when he is on the high ground.
Contrasting David vs. Goliath with me. What grabs us about this story is the contrast between the two doing battle. Goliath is large and David is small. In the middle of this no man’s land emerges Goliath, who is 9’9” feet tall. The young David is described as having red tinted-hair and beautiful eyes (1 Samuel 16:12). Goliath is an experienced warrior while David is but nineteen years of age. David is even the youngest of his brothers (1 Samuel 17:14). You were not eligible for the military until twenty ears of age so young David didn’t qualify (Numbers 1:3). David’s purpose was not even to do battle when he came to the frontlines. Instead, his dad sent him to food to his brothers serving in battle, include cheese and bread (1 Samuel 17:17-18).
Look at Goliath’s armor. As big as Goliath was, you wonder why he even needed armor (1 Samuel 17:5). In front of David is a giant who has a helmet of bronze and armor that weight more than 125 pounds on his chest. This was an elaborate tunic that served to protect him against blows to his body and it was made up of overlapping bronze fishlike scales. This armor not only covered his chest but extended to his knees as well. David saw three weapons of warfare on Goliath: curved sword, a javelin, and a spear (1 Samuel 17:45). The spear would be his first weapon of choice was the spear which the Bible describes as “The shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam” (1 Samuel 7:7a), meaning it probably had a mechanism of a cord and weights which increased its accuracy in battle. This spear weighed in at over fifteen pounds and the Israelites soldiers felt this weapon could pierce any of their armor. To boot, he even had a shield-bearer going before him.
But not only see his armor but listen to Goliath’s taunt. Goliath is recorded as saying 33 words in our story. “As he stepped into the valley between the two armies, his words dripped with insolence: He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, ‘Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.’ 10 And the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together.’” (1 Samuel 17:8-10)
What Goliath did was a common occurrence in warfare in the Ancient Near East. Oftentimes the armies would choose representatives to go one-on-one and whoever won the one-on-one contest would give victory to the entire army. Goliath issues this challenge every morning and every evening for forty days (1 Samuel 17:16).
Note carefully that fear seized everyone The fear of Goliath was palpable: “When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid” (1 Samuel 17:11). And again later on in verse 24: “All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were much afraid” (1 Samuel 17:24). For forty days, not a man could be found. The king wouldn’t fight. The generals wouldn’t fight. The commanders wouldn’t fight. The soldiers wouldn’t fight. They were all paralyzed by fear.
The Battle
After a few moments, David surveys the scene: “And David said to the men who stood by him, ‘What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God;’” (1 Samuel 17:26)? David took only a staff and slingshot with him (1 Samuel 17:40). The moment giant Goliath sees David, we are told he has disdain for the young teenager (1 Samuel 17:41). He even made fun of David’s weapons!
Focus on the slingshot for a minute. Now, to deliver a stone on target from a slingshot took a lot of skill. When a slingshot was in experienced hands, the sling was a devastating weapon. 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 the Old Testament book of Judges, it says this: “Among all these were 700 chosen men who were left-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss” (Judges 20:16). One ballistics expert with the Israeli Defense Forces, recently did a series of calculations showing that a typical-size stone hurled by an expert slinger at a distance of approximately forty yards would have hit Goliath’s head with a velocity of more than 111 feet per second. This is more than enough to penetrate his skull and render him unconscious or dead. David takes a sling shot and a stone and sends a divinely guided missile. The story ends: “So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David. 51 Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled” (1 Samuel 17:50-51). David goes on to marry the king’s daughter and his family is now free from paying “tribute.”
Three Take-Aways
Notice there are three figures here. Sometimes we miss that. There’s Saul and the missing courage. There’s Goliath and the counterfeit courage. There’s David and the true courage. Saul and the missing courage. Goliath and the counterfeit courage. David and true courage.
1. Display Courageous Character
The big thing here is character and Saul’s lack of it. The nation of Israel wanted a king so “that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles” (1 Samuel 8:20). Saul is Exhibit A for Missing Courage. In fact, King Saul was the tallest of all of Israel (1 Samuel 9:2b). The Bible notes that Saul has the armory and the height but what he was missing was the faith. And of all things, he is the king: “When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid” (1 Samuel 17:11). When no one else would face Goliath, inexperience, little David volunteers. Again, here King Saul says to David: “Go, and the LORD be with you” (1 Samuel 17:37b)! There’s this amusing account of Saul giving David his armor and David trying it on. Like a small boy trying to wear his father’s shoes, it’s obvious that Saul’s gear won’t work. Saul had what everyone said he needed to have to face the giant, yet he lacked faith.
2. Rely on Courageous Faith
We live in an infinitely more secure and safe environment than our ancestors did. Even though we live, in many ways, in the safest possible world that’s ever existed, all indications are we are still quite anxious and fearful. In fact, we are more anxious; we are more fraught with fears. We have more trouble facing life than even our ancestors did. Yes, many of us struggle a great deal with fear. Yet, real courage rests on faith.
May I let you in on a little secret? This fight was fixed. Goliath never had a chance, because I want you to get this down in your heart. David did not kill Goliath for God. God killed Goliath through David.
When most people read this text and most people speak on this text, usually the lessons go like this: Goliath represents your great fears, and David represents how you should handle those fears – Go fight at your fears. Let’s read about Hercules and Odysseus and Beowulf and King Arthur. Let’s read about all these courageous people, and then through emulation and inspiration, let’s be like them. So, the moral of the story is be like David for the bigger they come, they harder they fall. That’s how most people approach this famous story. For the next few moments how this approach to the story in your mind, for I want you to see counterfeit courage and contrast it with real courage.
2.1 Counterfeit Courage
The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field” (1 Samuel 17:44). In fact, Goliath’s confidence is bolstered by three things: he has Brute Strength, he is High Tech, and Goliath has Self-Esteem.
Goliath has high tech where David has only low tech for David has a staff and he has a sling. Goliath, on the other hand, has the latest scale armor, bronze greaves. He has the whole thing. Bronze, which was really, really high tech. Lastly, Goliath has incredible self-esteem. Why? Because Goliath’s courage, which is counterfeit courage came from his high tech gear but mostly from his tremendous size. He looked at himself with a great deal of confidence
2.2 Real Courage
But in contrast to counterfeit courage, real courage doesn’t come from looking at outside appearances. Instead, real courage rests on faith. Let me show you.
What is Courage? “And David said to Saul, ‘Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine’” (1 Samuel 17:32). Goliath made a critical mistake. Goliath thought the battle was only between Israel and Philistines. What Goliath hadn’t counted on was this – he was fighting not against Israel but against Israel’s God. David knew what everyone else didn’t – the battle was between God and His enemies.
Our problem is that we forget what we ought to remember and remember what we ought to forget. Your mind has a hard drive just like a computer. When you erase from the hard drive of your memory what God has done for you in the past you will doubt what God will do for you in the present.
“For the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hand” (1 Samuel 17:47b). Write down these five words somewhere in your notes or in your Bible - The battle is the Lord’s. Again, David had a totally different perspective from everyone else. David was not fighting for God; God was fighting for David. David was not fighting God's battle; God was fighting David’s battle. We’ve seen Saul’s missing courage. There’s Goliath’s counterfeit courage. Now, here’s David’ true courage.
3. Leave a Courageous Legacy
One of the most fascinating things in the pages of the Bible is how many times a believer will receive courage when the Holy Spirit comes. For example, in the Old Testament, when one of the judges, we’re told the Spirit of God came down on Othniel, and he defeated the king of Syria. The Spirit of God came down, made him bold. He defeated the king. Then there’s the story of the Midianites attacking, and we’re told the Spirit of God came down on Gideon. The first thing he did was he blew the trumpet, and he got the people together to fight the Midianites. We’re told when a lion attacked Samson, it says the Spirit of God came down on him, and he tore the lion. Then in Acts 4, the authorities come and threaten the disciples and say, “If you preach the gospel, you’ll be killed or put in prison.” They go, and they pray. We’re told the Spirit of God came down on them, and the place where they were meeting was shaken, and they were filled with boldness.
“And the Philistine said to David, ‘Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?’ And the Philistine cursed David by his gods’” (1 Samuel 17:43). David remembered what everyone else forgot: “Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:1-3). David realized that Goliath had committed a capital offense when insulted and blasphemed God.
One with God is a majority. God gives His power to the weak in order that His power is praised.
Closing
The courage to be baptized – look at the communication card and check the box that says “I want to be baptized.” Some of you need the courage to give next week.
