What is your DAVID and GOLIATH?

Do you ever have those days (or months) when it seems like everything you do encounters opposition? It is like everything is going against you?

The Bible address matters like these. One real-life story, in particular, is found in the book of First Samuel, chapter seventeen. It is about the battle between a huge man, described as a giant Goliath and a small boy named David.

(There are those who say this did not really happen, but it did happen and the details and outcome are so significant that it has been preserved over the last 2,800 years, serving us several invaluable object lessons for living an effective and victorious life.)

While reading this account in 1^st Samuel, imagine with me if you will, that the

(1) Philistines in this story are the disappointments, trials, troubles, hurts, besetting problems, illnesses and failures that one may face in life.

(2) Saul and the men of Israel and Judah represent you and your position in life.

(3) David, son of Jesse, represents a type of Christ, our Hope.

1 Samuel 17:1, Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle. And they were gathered at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. Verse 2. And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered, and encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in line of battle against the Philistines. Verse 3. And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with a valley between them.

Samuel 17:4. And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span (9 feet 6 inches tall). Verse 5. He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze (121.25 pounds). Verse 6. And he had bronze armor on his legs, and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders. Verse 7 The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron (14.5 pounds). And his shield-bearer went before him. Verse 8. He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. Verse 9. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” Verse 10. And the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together.”

Verse 11. When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.

Verse 12. Now David was the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, named Jesse, who had eight sons. In the days of Saul, the man was already old and advanced in years.

 Verse 16. For forty days the Philistine came forward and took his stand, morning and evening.

Verse 24. All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were much afraid.

Verse 26. And David said to the men who stood by him, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

Verse 32. And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 33. And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.”

 Verse 40. Then David took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the brook and put them in his shepherd’s pouch. His sling was in his hand, and he approached the Philistine.

Verse 41. And the Philistine moved forward and came near to David, with his shield-bearer in front of him. Verse 42. And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance. Verse 43. And the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. Verse 44. The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field.”

Verse 45. Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a 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. Verse 46. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, Verse 47. and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hand.”

Verse 48. When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. Verse 49. And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.

Verse 50. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him.

NOTE: This is a real event which also makes for a great metaphor. A metaphor  representing the ‘giants and what appears to be overwhelming threats and troubles’ we may face in our lives. This actual event from the Bible gives us a monumental truth which, when applied, gives us the identical stupendous results in our individual lives. Once again, re-read this story with the 

• Philistines in this story as representing the disappointments, trials, troubles, hurts, besetting problems, illnesses and failures that you may face in life..

• Saul and the men of Israel representing you and your position(s) in life.
  

• David, son of Jesse, representing a type of Christ, your Hope and salvation in life.

RECAP:

1. Now the ‘Philistines’ gathered their armies for battle, which are those disappointments, trials, troubles, hurts, besetting problems, illnesses and failures you may face in life.
   1. They gathered at Socoh, which belongs to Judah. Notice that they are encroaching into your life, into your spaces and areas.
2. And Saul and the men of Israel, which are our lives and our positions in life, were gathered, and encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in line of battle against the Philistines. We can’t escape these dangers and threats, and we must face off with them.
3. And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with a valley between them.
4. And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath which are those disappointments, trials, troubles, hurts, besetting problems, illnesses and failures you may face in life.
   1. whose height was six cubits and a span (9 feet 6 inches tall), and they tower over us and over our lives. He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze (121.25 pounds). And he had bronze armor on his legs, and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders. The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron (14.5 pounds). And his shield-bearer went before him, and all our eyes see is defeat even before we begin, and it brings fear and terror.
   2. He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, am I not all of your disappointments, your trials, troubles, hurts, besetting problems, illnesses and failures you may face in life?
5. and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” And the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together.” I taunt you. I threaten you.
   
   1. When Saul and all Israel, which is your position and place in life, heard these words of the Philistine, you are dismayed and greatly afraid.
   2. For forty days, (with judgments, testing and trials, which will lead to a spiritual truth and a significant change to come forth for Israel), the Philistine comes forward, with all disappointments, trials, troubles, hurts, besetting problems, illnesses and failures he would have you face, and took his stand, morning and evening.
6. Then David, representing a type of Christ, your Hope and your future, SAID to the men who stood by him, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” David SPEAKS God’s Words which are also our Words.
   1. And David representing a type of Christ, your Hope and your future, said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine”  who is bringing disappointments, trials, troubles, hurts, besetting problems, illnesses and failures.
   2. Then David took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones, (which in the Hebrew means ‘to build, to fortify, to rebuild’), from the brook and put them in his shepherd’s pouch. His sling was in his hand, and he approached the Philistine.
   3. And the Philistine bringing disappointments, trials, troubles, hurts, besetting problems, illnesses and failures moved forward and came near to David, with his shield-bearer in front of him. And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance. And the Philistine spouting disappointments, trials, troubles, hurts, besetting problems, illnesses and failures said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field.”
   4. Then David, son of Jesse, representing our type of Christ, our Hope and your future, said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a 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 down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hand.”
   5. When the Philistine bringing disappointments, trials, troubles, hurts, besetting problems, illnesses and failures arose and came and drew near to meet David who represents a type of Christ and our Hope and future,
   6. David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine who was bringing disappointments, trials, troubles, hurts, besetting problems, illnesses and failures.
   7. And David, representing a type of Christ, our Hope and our future, put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.
   8. So, David, our type of Christ, our Hope, our future and our victory, prevailed over the Philistine’s disappointments, trials, troubles, hurts, besetting problems, illnesses and failures with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him.

The Philistine’s methods are always taunting threats, weapons of flesh and blood, and the appearance of imposing physical strength.

David’s methods (Christ’s methods) are always the Word of God delivered “into the forehead – ‘between the eyes’, so to speak.

When we are faced with the besetting troubles of the Philistines in life, we must say the words of David, (who was and is a type of Christ), “For who is this uncircumcised Philistine of disappointment, trials, troubles, hurts, besetting problems, illnesses and failures, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

“You (disappointment, trials, troubles, hurts, besetting problems, illnesses and failures) come at me with a sword and with a 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 down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines of disappointments, trials, troubles, hurts, besetting problems, illnesses and failures this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into my hand.”

Hear it. Speak it. Do it, and live!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

Please note: the results represented in these verses seem to be immediate, but in reality, they are the culmination of long-standing circumstances. So it may be in your life. Your rescue and salvation may occur immediately or it may take considerable time for the results to be manifest. But do not lose heart or turn away. It will come to pass!