1 Samuel 17:4-7 - A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. He was over nine feet tall. He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels; on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. His spear shaft was like a weaver’s rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels. His shield bearer went ahead of him.
There was a means of settling a dispute by sending one man from each army to settle the dispute for the entire group. And that’s what the Philistines are attempting. The thing is, they’ve got this Giant on their team. This guy would clean up in the WWE! He’d be a beast on the court in the NBA even today. HE was 9’9”. His armor alone weighed 156 pounds. The tip of his spear weighed 18 pounds alone. This guy was scary, and the fear showed throughout the army of Israel. 1Samuel 17:8-9 - 8 Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, "Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us." Basically, The Israelites were given one choice. Don’t line up for battle, let’s settle this Man to Man…Hand to Hand. Let’s spare all the bloodshed and let’s make this to where only one man dies.
Goliath would come out every morning for 40 days and make this same proclamation. And every day Saul and the Israelites would cower in fear because they had no one that could stand up to him. The Israelites had forgotten that the same God who was with them when they crossed the Red sea, who was with them when they defeated Jericho, who was with them time and time and time again, is the same God who is with them now. Then on the 40th day here comes David. He is a mere Shepard, and his only job was to bring rations out to his brothers that were soldiers. David looks fear in the eyes and sees something different than the rest of the tribe. He sees a greater purpose more than his personal safety. David comes in as an outsider and sees things a little more clearly than those who were standing there.
David tells the soldiers, "have you guys forgotten what we are really fighting for? Have you forgotten that God said he would never leave our side? Goliath is not defying you as an army, he’s defying God himself! He then tells King Saul that he will fight Goliath. The King tells him there is no way you can fight him, your just a boy and he has been fighting since his youth. Have you ever had someone tell you that you wouldn't be able to accomplish something? Did you respond like David? David said, Oh really, you don't think I can do this? I've killed a lion and a bear with my own hands. See David realized what all the rest of the soldiers didn't: that he could do anything, because God was in his corner.
So the King puts armor on him and gives him a sword. But all of those things were cumbersome and he throws them off. He took his sling and five stones with him to battle this Giant. He knew the battle had been won before he ever stepped foot onto the field. So in 1 Samuel 17:41-47, David steps out onto the field. Goliath and the Philistine army laugh as though this is a joke. He tells David he will cut him down with his sword and curses God. David filled with the strength of Christ simply tells him, "Ha good story Bro." Not really but you get the point. He says with the power of God behind me I will easily defeat you and cut off your head. And just like that, with one stone in between Goliath's eyes, the Giant is defeated.
I Samuel 17 is a true zero to hero story where the little guy gets the victory because he stepped up with the courage and faith that God provided. A truly unlikely hero. How do we face the Giants in our lives?
1: Rely on God’s Power, Not Your Own.( Ephesians 6:10-11)
2: Be Sure You are fighting for the right reasons( Ephesians 6:12)
3: Prepare Yourself For Battle( Ephesians 6:13-18).
What does Fear do to us? It paralyzes us…Keeps us from moving. What are your Giants? What are the things that cause you to reel in fear and forget that God is with you? Remember, the command "Fear Not" is stated 366 times in scripture! God is serious about that because he knows what it does to us. He gives us a daily reminder, even one for the leap years. God is with you, don't fear, he will defeat all your Giants!
