“Go, and may the Lord be with you.”

1 Samuel 17-18:4 (NASB) from the daily reading in the One Year Bible (link on links page)

Goliath’s Challenge

17 Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle; and they were gathered at Socoh which belongs to Judah, and they camped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. ² Saul and the men of Israel were gathered and camped in the valley of Elah, and drew up in battle array to encounter the Philistines. ³ The Philistines stood on the mountain on one side while Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with the valley between them. ⁴ Then a champion came out from the armies of the Philistines named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. ⁵ He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was clothed with scale-armor which weighed five thousand shekels of bronze. ⁶ He also had bronze greaves on his legs and a bronze javelin slung between his shoulders. ⁷ The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and the head of his spear weighed six hundred shekels of iron; his shield-carrier also walked before him. ⁸ He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel and said to them, “Why do you come out to draw up in battle array? Am I not the Philistine and you servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves and let him come down to me. ⁹ If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will become your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall become our servants and serve us.” ¹⁰ Again the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day; give me a man that we may fight together.” ¹¹ When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid....

David Accepts the Challenge

²⁰ So David arose early in the morning and left the flock with a keeper and took the supplies and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the circle of the camp while the army was going out in battle array shouting the war cry. ²¹ Israel and the Philistines drew up in battle array, army against army. ²² Then David left his baggage in the care of the baggage keeper, and ran to the battle line and entered in order to greet his brothers. ²³ As he was talking with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine from Gath named Goliath, was coming up from the army of the Philistines, and he spoke these same words; and David heard them.

²⁴ When all the men of Israel saw the man, they fled from him and were greatly afraid. ²⁵ The men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who is coming up? Surely he is coming up to defy Israel. And it will be that the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father’s house free in Israel.”

²⁶ Then David spoke to the men who were standing by him, saying, “What will 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 taunt the armies of the living God?” ²⁷ The people answered him in accord with this word, saying, “Thus it will be done for the man who kills him.”...

David Kills Goliath

³¹ When the words which David spoke were heard, they told them to Saul, and he sent for him. ³² David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail on account of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” ³³ Then Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are but a youth while he has been a warrior from his youth.” ³⁴ But David said to Saul, “Your servant was tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, ³⁵ I went out after him and attacked him, and rescued it from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized him by his beard and struck him and killed him. ³⁶ Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God.” ³⁷ And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and may the Lord be with you.” ³⁸ Then Saul clothed David with his garments and put a bronze helmet on his head, and he clothed him with armor. ³⁹ David girded his sword over his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. So David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.” And David took them off. ⁴⁰ He took his stick in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd’s bag which he had, even in his pouch, and his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine.

⁴¹ Then the Philistine came on and approached David, with the shield-bearer in front of him. ⁴² When the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth, and ruddy, with a handsome appearance. ⁴³ The Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. ⁴⁴ The Philistine also said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field.” ⁴⁵ Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and 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 taunted. ⁴⁶ This day the Lord will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, ⁴⁷ and that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give you into our hands.”

⁴⁸ Then it happened when the Philistine rose and came and drew near to meet David, that David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. ⁴⁹ And David put his hand into his bag and took from it a stone and slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead. And the stone sank into his forehead, so that he fell on his face to the ground.

There is a lot we can learn from this familiar account and much that we can apply to our own battles and struggles. David was young and not an experienced warrior. Saul said:    “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are but a youth while he has been a warrior from his youth.”    David though was not looking at things from the normal world view. He wasn't looking at his strength vs the giants strength. David acknowledged from the beginning that this battle was the Lord's. He recounts what the Lord has done for him and through him in the past: “Your servant was tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, ³⁵ I went out after him and attacked him, and rescued it from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized him by his beard and struck him and killed him. ³⁶ Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God.”

We too, when we face battles and struggles in our daily lives need to remember and recount the things God has done in the past, both the victories from our own lives and the promises we have in God's word. We, like David, need to recognize that it is the Lord's battle. We don't need to rely on our own ability or strength but on the Lord. If we have truly given our life to Christ then we can say like Paul:    I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. ²¹ For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.(Philippians 1:20-21)

There is assurance that comes from trusting God and recognizing that the battle is His. Jesus after all has already won the victory.  Colossians 2: 15  says:  He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.   

Today's text continues after David defeats the Giant.       Thus David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and he struck the Philistine and killed him; but there was no sword in David’s hand. ⁵¹ Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. ⁵² The men of Israel and Judah arose and shouted and pursued the Philistines as far as the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the slain Philistines lay along the way to Shaaraim, even to Gath and Ekron. ⁵³ The sons of Israel returned from chasing the Philistines and plundered their camps.

In the same way that the nation of Israel was able to win a great victory when the enemy witnessed the defeat of Goliath. We too, can stand, prevail and conquer our enemy when we rely on the victory that Christ has won through the cross and the empty grave.

One final thing we should learn from this account of David defeating Goliath comes from the text where it says:    Then Saul clothed David with his garments and put a bronze helmet on his head, and he clothed him with armor. ³⁹ David girded his sword over his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. So David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.” And David took them off. ⁴⁰ He took his stick in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd’s bag which he had, even in his pouch, and his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine.    

  It can be helpful to read and learn of other peoples methods in overcoming battles like our own. We can gain wisdom and insight through the struggles and the victories others have faced. In the end though we must recognize that we each face our own battles. The blueprint for victory that someone else has used may not fit properly for the battle we face. God has prepared us, through our own experiences to defeat the the giant we face. David relied on the things God had gifted and trained him to use and he defeated Goliath. Our dependence should not be in some one elses armor. God has uniquely gifted and qualified us for every thing we face.      No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.(1 Corinthians 10:13)

Like David we need to not depend on anyone else's armor. We also need to recognize that it is not in our own strength that we fight the giants in our lives. The battle is the Lord's and He has already won the victory. We go out in confidence, in who we are in Christ, fighting the battle with the gifting he has given to us. God has called and equipped each of us uniquely for His purposes. In Deuteronomy 31:6  He says:

"Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you."

I encourage and send  you today as Saul said and sent David:      “Go, and may the Lord be with you.”

Thank You Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit, that You have already won the victory over the enemy. Thank You also that You have uniquely gifted, qualified and prepared me for every trial and battle I face. Thank You that You will never fail or forsake me, that through the cross and the resurrection I have confidence to stand against and conquer the enemy.   Amen