Slaying Giants Sometimes

Sometimes we draw the wrong lessons from Old Testament stories, such as the account of David killing Goliath. Who hasn’t heard a sermon or song about killing your giants?

Sometimes we draw the wrong lessons from Old Testament stories

Yet is it really true that if you 1) obey your parents (1 Sam. 17:15), 2) see that there is a cause (1 Sam. 17:29), 3) learn from past victories (1 Sam. 17:37), 4) refuse to trust in human methods (1 Sam. 17:39), 5) pick up five smooth stones (1 Sam. 17:40), 6) declare the victory for the glory of God (1 Sam. 17:46), and 7) go forward without second-guessing your decision (1 Sam. 17:48), that you will always defeat the gigantuous problems in your life?

The Purpose of this Story

God did not provide a record of this moment in Israel’s history to offer a timeless, fool-proof guide for how Christians can “conquer the giants in our lives” (like mean bosses, bad health, physical illness, bullies at school, financial woes, and secular humanism). In fact, David tells us the purpose of this story in his own words: “that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel” (1 Sam. 17:46).

God did not provide a record of this moment in Israel’s history to offer a timeless, fool-proof guide for how Christians can “conquer the giants in our lives”

You see, Israelbadly wanted a king, but God had said ‘no.’ They stubbornly insisted anyway, soGod permitted them to choose a man named Saul as their king. Like Israel ingeneral, Saul refused to follow God’s commands. In response to his rebellion, Godrejected his kingship and chose David instead.

When you readthe book of Judges and the beginning of 1 Samuel, then you might get theimpression that God was abandoning Israel. After all, the nation was pushinghim away and going their own way (Judg 17:6).

But even arebellious nation, a cowardly king, a frightened army, and an imposing giantcould not threaten God’s faithfulness to his people. Despite Israel’s failuresand all that was against them, God would still raise up David as king overIsrael, through whom he would provide the Messiah he had promised from thebeginning (Gen 3:15).

Drawing Lessons Carefully

Is this the only lesson to learn from this account? Certainly not. But as you draw biblical insights, be careful not to arrive at wrong conclusions.

For instance, ifDavid’s defeat of Goliath provides you with a template for defeating your own giantstoday? A mean boss, bad health, physical illness, a bully at school, financialwoes, family problems, or secular humanism?

And what arethe conditions for defeating these giants? Obeying your parents, seeing thatthere is a cause, learning from past victories, refusing to trust in humanmethods, picking up five smooth stones, declaring victory for the glory of God,and going forward without second-guessing your decision?

Many of these“conditions” are instructive because they encourage appropriate, biblicalbehavior in our lives. David obeyed his parents, and so should you. You shouldapply the lessons of faith from earlier, smaller experiences to later, larger challengesthat come your way, and so on.

Even so, and even if you meet all the “conditions” you can find in this true story, it is not always the will of God for his children to defeat their giants in at the present time.

It is not always the will of God for his children to defeat their giants in at the present time.

Meeting the Conditions but Failing Anyway

Many people in history have met these “conditions,” yet died in battle anyway. Did God forget or fail them? Did they fail due to hidden flaws? David certainly had his own foibles! Did they fail because they somehow exercised faith weaker than David’s?

Ultimately, theseare the wrong questions to ask because God does not always intend for hischildren to defeat their giants as David did. Do you agree?

Consider Daniel’sthree friends who were thrown into a fiery furnace alive. When these godly men facedthis terrifying circumstance, they refused to dishonor the LORD. They resolvedto do what was right, even when everyone else capitulated. They made thischoice knowing that God might even permit them to die and not be delivered (Dan.3:18).

The summary of faithful believers throughout history reveals a similar perspective (Heb 11:32-40). Like them, some of us face the enemy’s sword and escape, while others are slain. In both cases, however, we do this “through faith.” We conquer through faith and we take our losses by faith.

The true story of David and Goliath teaches you some very important lessons about God’s work in the world. But one lesson this story does not teach is how to always defeat all the giants you face in life today.

Nothing can stop the advance of God’s kingdom, even when the majority are opposing him or cowering in fear.

Whether youkill the giants, or the giant kills you, you can go forward in confidence knowingthat you will triumph in the end, even if it means on the other side of death andsuffering. Nothing can stop the advance of God’s kingdom, even when the majorityare opposing him or cowering in fear.

When David killedGoliath, there was a God in Israel, and that same God is at work in the worldtoday.