1 Samuel 17

1 Samuel 17

Probably one of the most famous stories in the Bible is the story about David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17. This story is one of the favorites for kids. I remember when I was a kid, we always loved hearing the stories about the great miracles that God did such as parting the Red Sea, Jonah in the belly of the whale, Daniel in the lion’s den, the fiery furnace, and this story as well. These stories capture the imaginations of kids, and they believe it with all their heart. As we grow older, we sometimes lose that awe and wonder and are not as captivated by these stories, but the story about David and Goliath is truly amazing. The opening verses go into great detail about how powerful Goliath is. It describes how tall he is, how much weight of armor he is carrying, and how powerful and strong he is. It also shows the influence he had on others, for he was defiantly the leader of this group of Philistines, and his presence frightened Israel (including Saul). Overall, Goliath was a frightening presence, and Israel’s odds were slim to none that anyone in their nation could actually face him and expect victory.


However, David had great faith and he knew that if God permitted, he could defeat Goliath. He understood that it would not be his own strength, but God working through him. If you remember from 1 Samuel 16, David was the youngest of his brothers. When Samuel went to Jesse’s house to find and anoint the next king of Israel, he was looking at David’s older brothers to choose from, not even considering the small boy David. Yet God had chosen David, the least likely of all, to be the next king. God did not consider David’s size or youth, He looked at David’s heart, and knew that he was a boy who would follow Him. Now, on the battle field with his brothers, David was a lot like Jonathan. He saw the giant Goliath and understood the odds. He knew that it looked grim, but he also knew that God was with him. He could not stand the fact that Goliath was speaking out against his God, and he asked Saul to allow to him to go to battle against Goliath. Saul was not so sure about it, but David reminded him of all he had accomplished before, killing lions and bears. God had given him the strength in the past to earn victory over those wild animals, and David knew that God could do it again.

When David got ready to head out to battle, after Saul finally agreed, Saul tried to prepare him by giving him the best armor and weapons. David, however, did not have any experience with those things for he had never served in the army of the Israelites. Instead of going with all that extra protection, he took himself, his staff, and five stones into battle. The odds were already against David, but without the proper protection, the situation really seemed hopeless. Yet once again, we see a great contrast in human expectations and God’s power. Although it did not seem humanly possible for David to even stand a chance in battle, with God’s help he knew he could defeat Goliath. God does not need our human strength. He blesses some people with that gift and does use it at times, but ultimately God needs a willing heart. If we are willing to stand up for what is right and stand up for God, He can use anyone and anything. Think about David. God used a small child, who was defenseless, who was greatly outnumbered, and yet he had more faith than any of the men of Israel. As a result God gave David victory over Goliath, and Israel was once again delivered from the Philistines.

Matt