TEXT: I Samuel 17

SUBJECT: David and Goliath

The story of David and Goliath is the preacher's best dream and his worst nightmare. It is a dream because the stakes are high, the figures are compelling, and the end is unexpected. No matter how often one reads the story, he is still gripped by its drama. Preachers dream of this kind of sermon.

But he must beware lest it turn into a nightmare. How? Because David is so valient in the story, he often becomes the preacher's focus. The sermon becomes David-centered rather than Christ-centered. Thus, we must look beyond the young man's daring to the true story that lay behind it.

The conflict between David and Goliath involves more than two men or two armies or two nations. It is a battle between good and evil, between light and darkness, between Christ and Satan. The Lord Jesus is the Redeemer of Israel; it is He who is in David, inspiring the young man to his incredible feat of courage. And it is Satan who is behind the Philistine. His god goes by the name of "Dagon". But who is he? He is a manifestation of "the god of this world" (cf. I Corinthians 10:20). The visible combatants, therefore, are David and Goliath. But the true battle is fought between the Lord and Satan.

Observe the reality of evil. Plato defined evil as "a lack of good". In his thinking it is nothing in itself. Therefore, he thought, if we can but teach a man virture, virtuous he will be. But the Philistines are not a non-entity; they are more than non-Jews; they are a very real nation bent on the destruction of God's People. They're as real as you and I. And in Goliath we find more than "a lack of good"; he is not just ignorant or misdirected; he is positively evil. Notice his profession, "a man of war from his youth". There is nothing wrong with soldiering, of course. But the Philistine armies were not formed for defensive purposes. They were agents of imperialism. Goliath's goal was not to keep Israel from displacing his nation, but to conquer another people, occupy their land, and strip them of their wealth and dignity. Satan, therefore, is real. He is not an angel lacking in knowledge and holiness, but a Fallen Angel--created sinless, but rebelling against it, and becoming the enemy of all good--and our Lord's chief adversary. The very name, "Satan" means "enemy"--someone who opposes.

Note, too, the gargantuan size of evil. Goliath is about nine feet, six inches tall. He's wearing a coat of mail weighing 150 pounds, his spearhead is 16 pound. Evil is monstrous in size. This is often denied; the basic goodness of man is hailed; progress is sure to save us from the ghastly evils of the past. The "Spanish Inquisition" can never be repeated. Yet Hitler killed more in 13 years than the Church did in a thousand. Science will save us from devastiting disease. The "Black Death" is impossible. But the knowledge of germs can also be used for germ warfare. And has been. Nuclear technology will save cancer patients, but has also created The Bomb, capable of killing tens of millions in 30 minutes. Evil is immense and universal. Why? Because it is orchestrated by "the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now energizes the sons of disobedience".

Evil's bravado is also conspicuous. Goliath is a bad man...with an attitude. He's not content fighting the Israelites, he must taunt them and mock their God. No curse is too great for him; no blasphemy too brazen. This we see in Romans 1: "They not only do these things, but approve of those who do them". "Approve" is much too weak: "Cheer them on!" is the idea. "They glory in their shame". We see this daily: Sexual misconduct is not just practiced, but flaunted. The Lord's Name is not uttered under the breath, but shouted from the rooftop. Learned men prove their learning by laughing at the Bible and the faith. Why? Because Satan is arrogant! He's not willing to be in the background pulling the strings. He must be center-stage; all must worship Him--in whatever form he takes.

Evil is terrifying. The soldiers of Israel were not cowards. They had earlier fought the ferocious Philistines, and beat them. But now, the Philistine haul out their "secret weapon"--Goliath of Gath! He is to them what the Atomic Bomb was to America in 1945. As powerful and tenacious as the Japanese Imperial Army was, it had no answer to the A-Bomb. Satan is no feeble foe; he is clever, determined, and hell-bent on the destruction of Christ's people.

Evil's definition, therefore is clear: opposition to God. Goliath's beef with Israel is--at its heart--religious. He defied--not Israel, Saul, or David so much--but "God", v.45.

Arrayed against Satan and his champion is God, "The battle is the Lord's" David says.

What a strange way He chooses to fight the battle. He doesn't use Saul, the tallest man in Israel to cut down Gath's Giant. He doesn't call Abner to the job, though he's the commander of Israel's army--and a man of valor. He doesn't choose Jonathan, though he had just single-handed slain twenty Philistine soldiers.

He chooses a shepherd. A young man without military training and no idea how to wear armor or swing a sword. Why would He make such an odd choice? So that "no flesh could glory in His sight, but that all would glory in the Lord". He makes sure that no one hails David as Israel's Savior, but all acknowledge Him alone.

The shepherd cum soldier is remarkably aggresive. Why? Because God doesn't react--He acts. It is He who takes the initiative. In the Garden, it is He who cries, "Adam, where are you?" In the Incarnation, it is He who visits us in Jesus Christ. It is He who comes to "seek and to save that which is lost". At the end, it is not we who "go to heaven", but He who comes to earth for His people.

The shepherd cuts down the Giant in an unexpected way. Goliath's training had prepared him for conventional warfare. He knew how to shield himself against a spear, how to block a sword, how to duck an arrow. But David doesn't attack with the expected weapons. He spins a slingshot and cuts loose with a smooth stone. The Giant has no defense; the rock sinks into his skull. The Philistine captain is no more.

The Lord Jesus launched an unexpected attack on Satan and his minions. He will vanquish them--not with "sword, spear, and shield", but with a cross--not their crosses, but His! What a strategy! Death, hell, and the grave are destroyed by death, hell, and the grave.

The same is true of His people. They live by dying; they conquer by being defeated; they win honors by becoming "the laughingstock of the world".