David`s Goliath was fought in faith
Whenever I hear David and Goliath, the funny answer provided by Tom Sawyer when he is asked for the names of the first two disciples come to trifle.
The lives and messages of the early prophets are constituted in the books of Samuel and Kings. The first book of Samuel, chapter 17 details the victory of David over Goliath and the Philistines. The David and Goliath incident leads to the wrath of King Saul over David who becomes King of Israel eventually in God`s time.
The Philistines gathered their armies and stood on one hill with the Israelites on the other. The champion of the Philistines — Goliath, came and called for a single combat. And it went on for 40 days and the Israelites were helpless.
When Jesse asked for David to meet his three brothers at the army camp, David comes to know of Goliath and listens to his call for a single combat. David then meets King Saul and asks for himself to go in combat. When King Saul asks how he can, David replies that he had killed a lion and a bear while tending to his fathers flocks.
David never ran away at the sight of a lion or a bear instead he chose to seize it by the hair and kill it. He never had hesitancy over victory. David knew that victory is ours and we just have to take it. Doubt or indecision are not the traits of a faithful Christian. King Saul had the finest war armor, the best weaponry of the times yet he chose to stay back for 40 days afraid of Goliath. If King Saul had chosen to fight Goliath by faith the battle would have been over on day 1. Rather King Saul was afraid and feared his enemies. God never wants his children to fear anyone.
In Isaiah 43:1 God says “Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.” (King James Version).
When David asks to King Saul to let him go and fight Goliath, Saul asks him to wear his own armor and tunic. David tries them and removes them as it is not fitting on him. David goes with his staff that he uses to tend to his flocks and his catapult.
The war the Israelites were fighting was the responsibility of King Saul and his army. It was their duty to protect their people. The Israelites were loyal to their King. The exclusive duty of the King was to protect his people. David had no relevance to the war or the King. The people did not expect or want David or anyone else to fight the Philistines. They wanted King Saul to lead them.
David was at the army camp at the behest of his father Jesse to take assurance from his three brothers who had followed King Saul into the war. And when David saw Goliath challenge the Israelites and curse our God he took it upon himself to protect his people. The spirit of God in David made him to tend to his people as he tended to his flocks when the lion or the bear appeared.
David was just an Israelite who took care of his fathers flocks. His duty lay with the flocks. He just had to be an onlooker at the Israelite-Philistine war. He could have laughed at the timidity of King Saul and his army. He could have just given the ephah of roasted grain and ten loaves of bread to his brothers and left back home to tend to his fathers flocks. David did what frightened and petrified others because to David his flock were the Israelites.
The inchoate thoughts of David was that if my God can and if my God will then I can too by God in me. This singular and remarkable thought led David to enter King Saul`s tent and take permission to combat Goliath. David never waited to think through possibilities. David never thought what if or but. David went to fight for his people as God does for his people. David never hesitated nor did he ever think or say that it was not his duty nor responsibility.
David could have called his brothers and ran away with them and then after returning home, Jesse and his sons and their flocks could have left Israel fearing the King. Instead, David chose to be the leader and the conqueror God wanted him to be and chose to combat Goliath.
Goliath looked at David who looked meek and had a slingshot. When David flung the slingshot and made Goliath fall the Israelites were filled with courage and went on to plunder the Philistines camp and take their riches.
This fight of David records the immense faith David had on God and he was sure of the victory. The fight was between Israel and Philistines but God made use of David in this battle of faith. King Saul thought that Goliath was mighty but David thought and believed that God is the one and only almighty.
Faith alone fuels courage, audacity, braveness and determination.
Sometimes circumstances lead us to show how miraculous our God is but we hesitate to act. God`s faith is to accomplish in courage. Even before the battle was begun God gave the Philistines into the hands of the Israelites through David. We are to conquer by faith and to subjugate those against us. Arise now for through God you can and you will. Be the David and fight every Goliath around you through Jesus Christ.
Christian writings by Austin Ben
