David and Goliath: The Fall of the Giant

To the young shepherd, David the taunting of Goliath was in front of an offense against God, but no one else in the camp seem to care for all intents and purposes to everyone of those soldiers in the camp of Israel this was in no win situation and who wants to get involved in a cause you can't possibly win that day in Israel there is only one person who was willing to do it in the stand in the gap for the cause of God, standing up for an unpopular cause can be uncomfortable, even dangerous, is it really worth risking reputation safety likelihood to speak up in stand in the gap for young David. There was no choice. This is perhaps one of the most famous stories in the Bible we read of his children and inspired us but that we also need to see how it challenges us is Dr. RC scroll from his series on the life of David as we continue now with our study of the life of David, the great we come now to the battle say to the arena of David's greatest moment in military conflict. The contest between David and Goliath. We looked in our last session at the 80 times that Goliath came and taunted the soldiers of the Army of Israel challenging them to send the champion out to fight against him and we recall that David still young boy is sent by his father Jesse to the front lines to find out how his brothers are doing and to deliver them. Their lunch and when he talks to his brothers suddenly Goliath appeared and makes his defiant challenge. A fresh and when David hears this. He's astonished he's outraged he's confused he's disillusioned he can understand why his brothers and the soldiers of Israel are allowing this to take place.

And when he asked the question, his older brothers don't want to listen to this kind of criticism from this little squirt and soak.

They become furious with him and they say to him, why do you come down here why you left the sheep in the wilderness. I know your pride in the instance of your heart for you just come down to see the battle.

David said what have I done I would because you said. I think it's better to sit now. What did I do what I done.

Now it's obvious that they've had these kinds of confrontations earlier in the history of their relationship. What I done now, is there not a cause, is there not a cause sometimes there are real causes. Sometimes we manufacture causes. Sometimes we dream of causes that are not the cause of God. I remember Luther struggle with the diet of worms.

When he poured his soul in prayer the night before that final tribunal and with his face on the floor. Luther cried out these words. Oh God.

The cause is divine and I am thine. In the next day the Reformation began. For Luther it was a magnificent Obsession.

It was a cause for which he could not retreat or back down. Not every issue should become a cause.

But what David is saying to his brothers on this occasion is K this is not one of those petty problems.

One of those small stirrings of disagreement, the honor of God is at stake here is this not because what a challenge to his brothers.

Then he turned from him toward another and said the same thing. And these people answered him just as the first ones nobody wanted to get involved in this cause. For all intents and purposes to everyone of those soldiers in the camp of Israel this was in no win situation and who wants to go on a fool's errand. Who wants to get involved in a cause you can't possibly win that day in Israel. As far as I can read in the text. There is only one person who was willing to do it in the stand in the gap for the cause of God on the word switch. David spoke were heard, they reported in the solemn, he sent for him. David said to Saul about Goliath left no man's heart fail because of him to hear what this young man to say he saying okay the hearts of your troops have melted because of this Philistine champion king. Don't let this happen. Don't let the hearts of your men fail because of him, your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.

You have to wonder what's going on in Saul's mind when he hears this young man say I'll go self-selected. Poor Miss guided young man full of visions of grandeur filled with idealism. I can remember when I was a new Christian, and I was still young man and I would get into discussions with older people and they would say to me, well, you're just too young. You don't understand these things after you get older you will find out and I just was so frustrated by that and and one time I said to one of these men.

I said I am young but I'm not stupid.

Don't make me wait 30 years to find out why I should be thinking differently.

Tell me now share your wisdom with me. I promise I can understand it. If you give me a cogent argument. While no you just have to wait this kind of knowledge only comes from experience. I did not understand that now I do when I was 21 years old. I have nothing to lose.

I didn't have a job I did have a family to support binary money. I care about rocking the boat. It seems like our courage diminishes proportionately to our assets at the moment. Whatever we regard those assets to be had.

I I said when I was 21 years old. I will never be like that when I'm 50 and I were talking, my own son just while you get it said that I MY cell life. Well, who I heard that story before. I used to be on the other end of it, but that's the way we tend to be. Saul said to David know this is really to Saul's credit Saul could have made mincemeat out of David and said okay. At least will have someone or will send somebody out there to fight all send this kid to be eaten alive by Goliath. At least they can go back to the fullest things and say we wouldn't fight.

Saul said to David, you're not able to go against this for listing to fight with him, for you are youth and he is a man of war from his use. David said to Saul, your servant used to keep his father's sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock. I went out afterward and struck up and delivered the land from its mouth.

And when it arose against me.

I caught it by its beard and struck and killed your servant has killed both the lion and the bear and this uncircumcised Philistine will be just like one of them saying has defied the armies of the living again. Saul has to be amused Davison so you should hear I can do it. I can remember time that my sheep were attacked by a bear and a lion and and I went out and I killed the bear and I killed the line. Saul's leg yes you are, you did. You maybe screamed and they ran and now this story has grown in epic proportions in the retail you don't think that Saul believed that David is so enthusiastic and on her. Maybe Saul did believe and say white women. David is one thing to kill a bear is a kill line when talking about bears and lions were talking about accomplished military gladiator who was a giant whose spirit is bigger than you are. You have two chances slim and none. You can't do it.

Moreover David said the Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear. He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine. Do you hear David's argument.

First, he argues from his own track record of his own accomplishments of his own achievements of his own strengths from his own qualifications and so says no you can't do it now.

Do you see how the argument shifts for David says so okay, maybe I can't but what about God.

Can the Lord take care of Goliath. I don't want to go fight Goliath in my own strength.

I want to go and fight him in the strength of the Lord because somehow I believe that God can and will destroy this enemy. Now what this all say now what is his response. I think is significant how Saul's response suddenly changes. Saul said to David, this is verse 37 chapter 17. The first Saul said to David, go in the Lord be with you. So sorry, David. If you want to try try it.

The supreme test of my face. But if you really mean this. If you're really serious about. I'll let you go. And may God go with you and by the way, before you go take care that you are properly armed and protected. And so Saul clothed David with his armor and put a bronze helmet on his head. He also clothed him with the coat of mail. David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them.

And David said to so I cannot walk with these five not tested them and so David took them off ever seen the little girl in the house, play dress-up and mom is gone and mom is a high heel shoes or you see the little boys my grandson. He'll try to walk around in my shoes and I'll try to put on my pants or my coat and it's one of the cutest but funniest sites that you can ever imagine. And that's how I envision David on this occasion as this young David and Saul, 6 foot six and Saul is looking to protect David Sosa's Camaro put my arm on the chest plate goes all the articles. There's no way to enforce all his armor and David dedicating the movie selling around these made completely immobile by all of this armor salt is trying to protect him, but he's made David a sitting duck and so David takes off this armor verse 40 says he took his staff in his hand and he chose for himself. Five smooth stones from the brook.

These are not little tiny pebbles.

These are polished solid stones on the granite there what they are, but if you seen them, they still can be found in the water. Use of Israel there almost the size of a baseball's move and round. Unbelievable projectiles when placed in a leather sling that is slung around and by rotational force when it's released that stone will fly out of the sling at an incredible speed like a huge punk and ball shot out of the bore of a rifle and so David goes for his own ammunition for his own weapon.

He goes to the brook and chooses for himself.

Five smooth stones and puts them in a shepherd's bag in a pouch which he had in his sling was in his hand. I love that sentence is sling was in his he was ready and he drew near to the Philistine, and so the Philistine came and began drawing near to David and the man who bore the shield went before and you see the picture across this valley comes Goliath with his weapons held high and his shield bear marching before him, with his huge steel to protect Goliath from the champion that Israel is sending forth, and when the Philistine looked about and saw David. He disdained him free was only a youth ruddy and good-looking and so the Philistine said to David, and my dog that you would come after me with sticks and the Philistine cursed David by his gods and the Philistine said the David come to me and I will give your flesh to the birds of the year and the beast of the field today in professional sports. We see athletes engaged in activities he never would've seen 20 years ago in the sports field. It's called talking trash taunting each other insulting each other, tormenting each other and this is what's going on now in this titanic struggle. Goliath comes out marches into the arena.

He has his shield bear before Emily looks up and here's this kid coming without any armor without a bow without a spear without a sword.

Goliath is incensed by this. This is absolutely insulting to him. What are you doing you coming after me with a stick.

This is a dog you sent and he starts to cursed David and the Jewish people by the Philistine God's is as you come on and I'm going to give your flesh to the birds. Then David said to Goliath, you come to me with a sword, and with the 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. 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 year in the wild beast of the earth that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel and then all this assembly will know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear for the battle is the Lord's and he will give you in our hands every night before he led his troops in the battle Stonewall Jackson used to lead his men in prayer. They had prepared for the battle. They had set their strategies they had trained. They had been conditioned. They had gone through their drills and all the rest, but in the final moments when the final moment came, Jackson said to his men. The battle is ours, but the outcome is go, and David comes out here and he listens to these insults from Goliath and he said God with your spirit and your sword in your javelin. I don't have any of those things. All I have is God and you tell me you're gonna feed my flesh to the birds into the animals of the field. No Goliath. This day you die, I'm going to have your head and I'm going to do this in the name of the Lord God of Israel. So let's stop talking and get down to it, so it was in the Philistine arose and came and drew near to me, David.

The David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.

I love it. It wasn't backing up tentative frightened cowering at the presence of the drives he runs into the battle. He can't wait to get in the battle to meet Goliath face to face. David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and he slung at and struck the Philistine in his four head so that the stone sank into his four head and he fell on his face to the earth.

And so David prevailed over the Philistine with the sling and the stone and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore he ran, and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him and cut off his wonder if David could barely lift the sword but he takes Goliath sword and cuts Goliath's head from Goliath's body in front of everybody.

And when the Philistines saw that there champion was dead. They fled in the men of Israel and Judah rose and shouted and pursued the Philistines as far as the entrance of the Valley into the gates of Akron then it will go to the fullest. Things fell along the road, even as far as gas and so on. Then the children of Israel returned from chasing the Philistines and they plundered their but David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem and he put his armor in his tent.

The Lord God fought for Israel. On that day you come with the spear I come in the name of the lower this is an alleged. This is in the fairytale.

This is sober history of perhaps the most valiant man in all of the Old Testament, who alone had not just current thinks to go up against the same on standing up for the honor of God. Despite overwhelming odds. The story of David and Goliath calls is to consider how we could do the same in our day stay with us here on Renewing Your Mind as Dr. Strohl returned with a final thought in just a moment. This saga is one of the best-known stories in the Bible, but we don't want our knowledge to stop their week. Want to know why the story is there, how it connects with the rest of Scripture. That's why were making available our resource offer today. It's Dr. Strohl series – the glory of 57 part study exploring the themes and events of the Bible. It's a special edition set that provides an additional disc containing the study guide for the series to request duster glory. When you go to Renewing Your Mind.org work when you call us at 800-435-4343.

Later ministries we are committed to the historic Christian faith that we will not change in changing times. Instead, we draw strength from the authority of the Bible. Our aim is for you as Christians to live with conviction so that we can stand firm against the challenges of the day and through your support were able to reach millions of people with the unvarnished truth of God's word were grateful and now, as promised, here's RC with a final thought in our corm diode thought for today.

Let me ask you about the causes with which you are involved and to which you are committed. It's a very dangerous thing to be involved in a call and the danger is not just with what might happen to us by being involved in the cause in terms of defeat shame or embarrassment or whatever. It's also very dangerous. If we are involved in the wrong cause that's why David shows remarkable and uncanny wisdom when he speaks to his brother and he distinguishes between lesser causes and greater cause we are not to be given to megalomania where we have such huge egos that we feel that everything that we stand for, or believe in is an occasion for a death struggle.

It takes wisdom to discern between a problem that requires forbearance and a problem that requires stay there was any doubt about this one. And so David says when it is clear that there is a cause at stake. Then there is no option available to the Christian you must enlist in the costs.

You can do no other. If you will be faithful to the living God.

Goliath defeat was a morale booster for the nation of Israel. No doubt, but the fame it brought David also kindled jealousy in a whole new set of problems for RC will talk about that next Saturday on Renewing Your Mind and I hope you'll join us