God + Rock = Smackdown!! (David vs Goliath)

David and Goliath: Little dude...Big guy...Rock thrown...Big guy dead. Thanks God...

That's pretty much the story of David and Goliath as I knew it until recently. I had heard it a hundred times and that was the take away. For some reason I have chosen to study David recently and I have to admit that he was a pretty amazing man! Much more so than I had ever learned, so I wanted to share:

Big Daddy Saul was said to be the tallest man in Israel...that and the fact that he was the king pretty much made him a force to be reckoned with!! Big Daddy had once had the favor of God, but through all his wayward deeds, God chose another to replace him...eventually.

This "another" was David...who was just a boy tending sheep for his father in Israel at the time. David was kinda the complete package: He had the looks of Hugh Jackman, the physical skills of Beckham, and played the harp like Eddie Van Halen. The only downside was that he was short like Michael J Foxx...quite the opposite of the current king!

So Big Daddy Saul is being tormented by these dreams and demonic fits...he hears that this David guy plays a mean harp and calls him to play. David arrives and lullabies the king to sleep...so fast and so well, that Big Daddy Saul enlists him part time as his harp player and armor bearer taker carer guy.

Okay...So David was doing double duty serving the king and watching his fathers sheep while his brothers were in Saul's army up in the hills in a standoff between Israel and the Philistines. Both armies were set up and waiting for the other to make the first move when one day this HUGE Philistine guy comes strolling down the road yelling!! This giant was literally almost ten foot tall and bullet proof!!

He stood just under ten feet and was armored head to toe in bronze with a wooden beam sporting a 15 pound spear head as a weapon (in addition to his massive sword and knife). Seeing this guy come over the hill would be the equivilent of seeing a tank in the Revolutionary War or an automobile in Canada!! (why do I always make Canada references?? I love Canada!)

Goliath of Gath was the giants name (but scholars think he was named Stretch and the original Decepticon Transformer due to his armored looks...okay just me). Stretch had quite the way with words too! Every day, the giant would climb to the top of the hill across from Israels camp and taunt them saying "Yo! We don't no stinking war! Let's do this mano e mano!! Send your best, we'll fight, I'll crush him, and you guys can be our slaves! Pretty simple." Apparently ole Stretch wasn't lacking in confidence...and rightly so...the entire army of Israel was immobilized and shaken with fear from this one man!! Even Saul!!

So Stretch taunted the Israelite's for 40 long...drawn out...frayed nerved days! Until one day David was coming into camp to deliver some supplies and check on his brothers. As he entered the camp area, he heard Stretch taunting the Israelites as usual and saw the fear on their faces...and he was puzzled!

David asked "Who is this uncircumcized Philistine?" ** Remember David asking this cause it comes into play in another story! **

The men around David told of Goliath and also told him that the man that beat the giant in battle would surely be awarded the king's daughter and become extremely rich. In addition, the man's family would be exempt from paying taxes!! Freaking taxes!!

When David showed interest, his brother jumped his hide and David gave him the classic little brother shrug and "What did I do now!??" response before heading in to see the king.

Big Daddy Saul was adamant that David couldn't fight Goliath. "You're just a kid who watches sheep! My trained warriors are scared...I'm scared! How can you even think of this suicide mission?"

David responded by saying "True...I have been watching sheep, but whenever a lion or bear came and grabbed one, I would always go after it, strike it down and rescue the lamb. If it dared raise up against me, I would (direct quote here) grab it by it's fur, strike it down, and kill it."

Whoa...Whoa...Whoa...Hold up. Take this scene in for a second. Here is the little pretty boy named David who has been watching sheep all his life telling the king that he wants to go fight a tank!! Okay...that's astounding enough. But he goes on to talk about how he man-handles lions and bears!!! For the record...I have big guns with big bullets and I'd be scared of freaking lions and bears!! This little guy is "Grabbing them by their fur" and killing them...apparently on more than one occasion!! Wow...

David goes on to say:

The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." - 1 Samuel 17:37

So Big Daddy Saul agrees to let David fight ole Stretch. They go to the armory and dress David in the kings armor and shield...but suddenly David stops them and says "Whoa...this just ain't how I roll." and takes all the stuff off...opting to head into battle in his shepherds clothing, staff, and sling. He stopped to grab up five stones from the creek as he topped the hill to face Goliath-tron!

Goliath immediately hated David at first sight! He hated David's simplicity...hated his small stature...hated his youth...hated his graceful looks. Goliath-tron hated David!! He laughed as he yelled for all to hear "What am I?? Some dog that you send this boy against me??"

Then he looked at David and said "C'mere boy! I'm bout to whoop that tail and feed you to the animals!"

David kept his gaze locked on the giant (who had a shield bearer in front of him too by the way!) and replied "I'll be your huckleberry!"...okay, he actually said: "You come against me with dagger, spear, and sword...I come with The Lord! You have defiled Him. I will strike you down...cut off your big head...and feed the corpses of your fellow Philistines to the birds of the sky!"

As Goliath started forward to attack, David sprinted to meet him!! Slipping his hand into the pouch of stones, David loaded a rock and slung it at Goliath...the stone struck the giant in the forehead and sank in...as Goliath slumped and fell face first into the ground!!

If this was a 70's Batman episode there'd be a big ole *BOOM* *POW* right dere!!

David stood over Goliath, taking the Philistines massive sword, he chopped the giants head off (sparks flying everywhere probably)! As the Israelites saw the giant fall, they swarmed the Philistine camp with a vengeance, slaughtering them and driving them away in fear. David kept Goliath's weapons, but took the giants massive noggin to Jerusalem.

As the people of Israel praised David, Saul became angry and began to plot against him...but that is another story...

Okay...this story is chocked FULL of stuff that shouts at me as I read it!! Here are a few:

1 - David was a true man of God. We see this is his unquestionable faith in The Lord to deliver blessings on him and protect him at all times! David had faced lions and bears with God's help! He had been blessed with abilities, looks, and countless other gifts that he did not take for granted. Also...I love the fact that David walked so close with The Lord that when he walked into camp and heard the giant talking smack about God, he immediately wanted to just go face him down and was astonished that it had went on so long!! I want to walk with God like that! What faith!!!

2 - When the king offered David his own armor...by far the best armor in the country...David shrugged if off. He knew that God had blessed him with his own set of talents and skills to be used! It's like the old saying "God equips the called...not calls the equipped.". This hit me like a hammer in some aspects. We ALL have our own skills and abilities that God grants us to use for Him!

How much time do each of us waste "trying on armor" that doesn't fit?? I know I struggle with this and love the fact that all I need is what I already have on!! This also is a prime example of why there is not a "one size fits all" approach to following Christ!! Some are moved by Hellfire and Brimstone...others (like me) bask in the light of Christ's endless love!! I must keep this in mind and use the talents God has given me to serve Him!

3 - I like how David was not afraid to ask for the reward! I often feel somewhat unworthy or guilty about the blessings that are handed down...Yet here is David saying "Okay...I'm going to do this thing anyway, but remind me again what is the reward!" There ARE rewards for being good stewards and doing what is right in The Lord!! This passage reminds me that I need to feel just as comfortable focusing on those things as I do on fearing the bad!! God loves us and wants us to prosper IN SPITE of our sin!!

4 - My favorite part...this slammed into me so hard I cannot even describe it!!

"...David sprinted to meet him..."

Here is little ole David facing a literal GIANT and the moment Goliath starts walking, David sprinted to meet him head on!!

How many times have I dodged my problems...or handled them apprehensively or timidly...when the fact is that God is in control and the battle's been won already?? You see, David knew this!! He knew that the battle belonged to God and therefore was already won!! What faith!! This literally made me wake up this morning and charge forward into several things that have been looming over me and BOOM!! Done!!

What if we decided to take away the control that our struggles have over us by bum-rushing them knowing that God is in complete control?? Awesomeness incarnate!!

There is SO much more to David (as I am finding out) and I am excited to be learning, writing, and talking about the subject!! More to come!!

Thanks for reading!! Feel free to check out www.sinnerschurch.blogspot.com and recommend it to those that might like it but do not have Facebook.

Love your neighbor as yourself!!