Where Does My Help Come From?
1 Samuel 17
In his sermon “Big God, Little God” John Ortberg said:
Many years ago I was walking in Newport Beach, a beach in Southern California, with two friends. Two of us were on staff together at a church, and one was an elder at the same church. We walked past a bar where a fight had been going on inside. The fight had spilled out into the street, just like in an old western. Several guys were beating up on another guy, and he was bleeding from the forehead. We knew we had to do something, so we went over to break up the fight. … I don’t think we were very intimidating. All we did was walk over and say, “Hey, you guys, cut that out!” It didn’t do much good.
Then all of a sudden they looked at us with fear in their eyes. The guys who had been beating up on the one guy stopped and started to slink away. I didn’t know why until we turned and looked behind us. Out of the bar had come the biggest man I think I’ve ever seen. He was something like six feet, seven inches, maybe 300 pounds, maybe 2 percent body fat. Just huge. We called him “Bubba” (not to his face, but afterwards, when we talked about him).
Bubba didn’t say a word. He just stood there and flexed. You could tell he was hoping they would try and have a go at him. All of a sudden my attitude was transformed, and I said to those guys, “You better not let us catch you coming around here again!” I was a different person because I had great, big Bubba. I was ready to confront with resolve and firmness. I was released from anxiety and fear. I was filled with boldness and confidence. I was ready to help somebody that needed helping. I was ready to serve where serving was required. Why? Because I had a great, big Bubba. I was convinced that I was not alone. I was safe.
If I were convinced that Bubba were with me 24 hours a day, I would have a fundamentally different approach to my life. If I knew Bubba was behind me all day long, you wouldn’t want to mess with me. But he’s not. I can’t count on Bubba.
Again and again, the writers of Scripture pose this question for us: How big is your God? Again and again we are reminded that One who is greater than Bubba has come, and you don’t have to wonder whether or not he’ll show up. He’s always there. You don’t have to be afraid. You don’t have to live your life in hiding. You have a great, big God, and he’s called you to do something, so get on with it![i]
As we continue our summer series on the life of David from the Old Testament, we come to what is probably the most well-known passage in the Bible. It’s the story of a young David’s confrontation with the giant Philistine warrior Goliath. Not only is this story perhaps the most well-known story in the Bible, it’s among the classics in world literature. It is the archetype for story after story and movie upon movie featuring an underdog who, against all odds and with grit and determination, defeats the stronger, faster, larger, and better equipped foe. And who hasn’t heard a sports commentator use the “David and Goliath” analogy when an unexpected team makes a run in a tournament or unexpectedly wins a big game on national tv. Kind of like when Appalachian State beat Michigan in football IN THE BIG HOUSE. Sorry, just had to put that in there.
But if all we see in this story is the power of grit and determination and believing in yourself, we’ve missed the entire point. In fact, this story isn’t about believing in yourself and having grit and determination at all. It’s about seeing things as God sees them, and trusting him when he asks us to do something that no one thinks we have the capacity to carry out. But before we turn to this passage, let me set the stage.
Samuel has just anointed the unlikely David, 8th son of Jesse, a man who lived near Bethlehem, as the next king of Israel, the one who would replace King Saul, whom God had rejected. David HAS been anointed king, but the only ones who know that are God and Samuel. God’s anointing for kingship now rests on David, but even David isn’t aware of that. And Saul still sits on the throne as Israel’s first king.
Not only has David been anointed the next king, he’s been brought into the royal court BY SAUL to be one of his minstrels. He’d heard of David’s ability as a musician, and he sought David out to serve as one of his minstrels. David’s ability to play a stringed instrument called the lyre proved to be very comforting to Saul when he was troubled, anxious, or depressed. So David has begun spending some time in Saul’s court playing for him, and occasionally returning home to continue helping his father by watching his flocks of sheep out in the wilderness.
As this was happening, the Philistine army moved into the Valley of Elah, a valley that served as a sort of natural gateway between Philistine territory and Israelite territory. And they were now encroaching on Israelite territory, trying to push the Israelites back. So Saul raised up Israel’s men of fighting age and ability and went into the Valley of Elah and set up camp there. In order to secure their current border and keep the Philistines from taking the land God had given them, it was absolutely critical that they hold the valley.
Now, turn with me to 1 Samuel 17, starting with Vv. 1-10. As the Philistine and Israelite armies prepare for battle, one of the Philistine infantrymen, a man named Goliath, comes out to challenge Israel’s best fighter to single combat, winner take all. If Goliath wins, all of Israel becomes slaves to the Philistines. If Israel’s champion wins, the Philistine people become slaves to Israel. His logic was simple: why all the bloodshed. Let’s decide the whole thing through single combat, our best against your best. It wasn’t unheard of for something like that to happen. Although typically neither side honored the agreement once one side’s champion won. They typically fought a bloody battle anyway.
The problem for Israel was the nature of the challenger, the Philistine warrior Goliath. The writer goes to great pains to describe him in detail. He wants to emphasize the absolute absurdity of taking on Goliath in single combat, and the hopelessness of Israel’s situation.
Because truth be told, the Philistines were a highly civilized people with a well-trained army and organized army and modern weaponry for the time. The fledgling Israelite army had definitely won some significant battles, sometimes in more traditional fashion, sometimes using some more unusual tactics as God instructed. But they weren’t as well trained and as organized, and their weaponry wasn’t “modernized.” So from a human perspective, their chances weren’t exactly great anyway.
And then, with the armies camped opposite one another, this Goliath comes out twice a day for 40 days and makes his challenge. One of you come and fight me, winner take all. The problem was that not only was Goliath a well-trained, experienced warrior, he was basically a human tank, before tanks were a thing. He stood roughly 9’9” tall. Now, before you write that off as embellishment or fantasy, it isn’t unheard of for human beings, even in ancient times, to reach that stature.
It certainly isn’t a common thing in human history, but its happened. There’s a record of a man named John Middleton who lived in the 1600s and is buried at Hale, near Liverpool, who was 9’3” tall. There are extremely rare but real pituitary gland dysfunctions that can cause someone to grow to this massive size. Heck, today we have people over 7’ tall fairly regularly on basketball teams. One of the other actors in the summer production of “Into The Woods” that Sterling is in is 7’2” tall. That’s still nowhere near 9’ plus though. But people growing to that stature HAS happened. And in that day, when combat was often hand to hand in close proximity, someone that big would have been identified and trained as a warrior from a very young age, just as they might be identified as a football or basketball player today.
But not only was Goliath massive, he was well protected. His entire body was shielded with armor except for his face. The chain mail that protected most of his body weighed in at over 120 lbs, and the tip of his spear weighed roughly 15 lbs. And his shield was not one of the smaller, round shields used by people who fought with swords. It was a full body shield. Like I said, he was basically a human tank.
Without Goliath, Israel stood a chance, from a human perspective. Maybe not a great one, but they had defeated the Philistines before. They had a chance. With Goliath, whether in single combat or a battle between the armies, there was no chance at all. It was hopeless. They faced an unbeatable enemy. They were in a lose-lose situation. If they sent out a champion to fight Goliath, Goliath would mow him down, and Israel would be lost. If they attacked with their army, at best they would take heavy losses, especially among those fighting near Goliath.
Even if they did hold off the Philistine advance this time, they would be significantly weakened. If they retreated, refusing to fight, the Philistines would continue to advance, taking more and more Israelite territory. What we do know for sure is that no one is Israel’s camp wanted anything to do with Goliath. The writer tells us that “When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.” Things were utterly hopeless.
Now, look at Vv. 12-30. With Saul in the Valley of Elah with Israel’s army, David was going back and forth between his father’s flocks and his three oldest brothers, who had gone to fight with Saul. Taking his brothers and their commander rations of food, and bringing news back to his father. And on one of those trips, he happens to arrive as the armies are again approaching one another, lining up in battle lines, and he hears Goliath’s challenge, a challenge he’d made twice a day for 40 days. A challenge that had gone unanswered.
Notice the differing perspectives on Israel’s Goliath problem. From Goliath’s perspective, Israel’s army is just another army to be crushed. He calls them “servants of Saul” and “The ranks of Israel.” Just another human army. From Saul and his army’s perspective, Goliath is an insurmountable obstacle, and unbeatable foe. “All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were much afraid.” And to them, Goliath was out there defying the “armies of Israel.”
How does David see the problem? “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the” armies of Saul? No, that isn’t what he said. The armies of Israel? He didn’t say that either. Although both were true. How does David see the problem? “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (V. 26).
Now, not every insurmountable obstacle we face in life is an affront to God. And this isn’t a message about overcoming your “personal Goliaths.” This story is about how we approach things when God asks us to do something that God wants done and the opposition seems to be insurmountable. The cost too high. The risk too great. The outcome already decided. And yet … God has laid this on our heart. Can we love people this much? Can we really make a dent in the need in our community? Can we take a stand on this issue? If people don’t like us, how will we grow the church? We don’t have the people. We don’t have the resources. We don’t have the money. And yet, this is what God has laid on our hearts … to meet needs. To share Christ’s love in word AND in deed.
The Philistines and their champion Goliath are threatening what God is doing in and through Israel. And Goliath is spitting on the name of God. This is about God’s honor, and God’s will being done.
When Samuel went to Bethlehem to anoint God’s next king for Israel, he saw Jesse’s oldest son, tall, strong, handsome, a winsome personality, and he looked no deeper than that. He just thought, “This one looks like a king. Surely he is the one.” Until God whispered in his ear, “Do not look on his appearance or the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart” (16:7). That passage is the pivot point in the entire book of 1 Samuel and the theme of the entire kingship of David. The first 15 chapters of 1 Samuel are a description of what eventually happens when we see things only as human beings see things. The rest is what happens when we see things as God sees them, looking deeper into people and into the situations we face, finding God at work, because God is always at work.
And David is shown to be one who sees things as God sees them. This isn’t about Israel. It isn’t about Saul. It isn’t about Goliath. It isn’t even about David. This is about God’s glory and God’s will, and Goliath is opposing both. And God, not David, God will do something about it. Wherever David turns, all he hears is “It’s hopeless. It’s useless. Go back home to your father’s flocks. There’s nothing anyone can do here. Much less you.” And Saul, no longer God’s anointed king over Israel but still very much on the throne, is no where to be found.
Until he hears what David is saying about Goliath defying God. Look at Vv. 31-39. Saul looks at David and all he sees is David. Young. Inexperienced. Not trained as a warrior. Saul, like pretty much everyone else here, is looking at appearances. David is looking at the heart of the matter. He is the only one seeing things from God’s perspective. He’s been doing that for a long time.
“I’ve killed lions and bears protecting my father’s sheep.” Sounds impressive, right? Except this is what every shepherd had to do. Shepherds carried two tools, a rod and a staff. “Your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Ps. 23:6) says the Psalm. The staff was long with a crook on the end, used to slow sheep down, or speed them up, or get them out of trouble. The rod was a shorter, thicker club basically that was used to bludgeon predators who threatened the flock to death. And if you dropped your rod, you fought with your hands until the threat was neutralized and your flock was safe. And for a predator like a mountain lion or a bear, that is only when they are dead. They will keep trying to feed on the flock until they are killed.
Fighting lions and bears might seem spectacular to us, but it was a regular part of the mundane existence of a shepherd. It’s just what they did. Regularly. David saw God at work in the mundane details of his day-in, day-out routine of his shepherd’s life. And because he was able to recognize God at work in the mundane details of his daily life, he knew God would be at work in this situation too. It didn’t matter whether the foe was a bear or a lion or a human tank. They were all the same before God.
Notice too that David doesn’t take credit for his being able to take out bears and lions. “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine” (V. 37). David knows this has nothing to do with him at all, and everything to do with God.
We need to train ourselves to see God at work in the mundane details of our everyday lives. That’s why we do testimony Sundays, like the one we’ll have next Sunday, regularly. Quarterly, to be exact. Because when we begin to see God at work in the little things, we’ll know he’ll be at work in the big things too. The problem is we don’t look. We don’t notice. And because we don’t see God at work in the mundane, we’re afraid to step out and take a risk for him. And if we do take a risk, we’re filled with anxiety and fear.
Now, let me ask you a question here. Who SHOULD be out ready to face Goliath? Saul. Look at how Saul is described on the day of his coronation. “When he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward. And Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see him whom the LORD has chosen? There is none like him among all the people.” And the people shouted, “Long live the king!” (1 Sam. 10:23). In the crowd of people, no one came above his shoulders. He was no Goliath, but he was certainly a physical specimen of a man. The most physically capable man in all of Israel.
Maybe, just maybe, Saul was a lesson for all of Israel, including Samuel, and for all of us too, not to pay too much attention to the look of a man. Because Saul refused over and over again to obey God without repenting, to the point where God rejected him. God knew what was going to happen all along. Saul was and is a tragic lesson for all of us in what to pay attention to, for a small man with a heart for God is no small man at all. For he knows that it really isn’t about him at all. It’s about the God who stands behind him, bringing all of HIS resources to bear for HIS glory. Who sits the throne? Saul. Who is acting like a king? David.
Now, look at Vv. 40-56. The fight was over almost before it began. All of the work the author did building up Goliath, this human tank, and emphasizing David’s youth, smaller size, and inexperience. The tension and suspense dripping from the page, and the fight is over in a heartbeat. David gathers five smooth stones from a brook, delivers one of the greatest speeches of all time, and then sends one of those stones flying, hitting the massive, unbeatable foe between the eyes, knocking him out, and then he used Goliath’s own sword to cut off his head. All of the suspense, all of the tension, and almost no fight. Why? Because the battle was God’s, not Saul’s. Not Israel’s. Not even David’s.
This isn’t about overcoming our personal Goliaths. This is about doing what God wants done when God wants it done, even when it involves great risk. Even when we’d rather be hiding in our tents, quaking in our boots as Goliath thunders his challenge. “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.” And listen to the outcome David calls for. This is what its all pointing to. “that all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear – (or with large crowds attending church, spectacular buildings, and enough cash that we don’t ever worry) – For the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hand.”
Satan wants us hiding in our tents, afraid to step out and take a risk. It’s time to tell him to shut up. And step out. And see what God will do. Let’s pray.
[i] John Ortberg, in the sermon “Big God/Little God,” PreachingToday.com
