The most familiar story in the life of David is his battle with Goliath. References abound to David and Goliath in popular culture. You wouldn’t have to darken the door of a Sunday school class to be familiar with the story of David and Goliath.
Goliath stood at least 9’6” tall. The armor that he wore weighed at least 125 pounds. The iron head of his spear weighed somewhere between 15-16 pounds. He was an intimidating specimen. Armies of men ran and hid when the giant parted the crowds to stand in the valley. And as he approached the army of Israel he said, “And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together” (1 Sam. 17:10). Saul and the armies of Israel feared this giant of a man. No one was willing to face him. For forty days they put up with this nonsense.
David was Jesse’s youngest son who looked after his father’s flock. He didn’t possess a physical prowess that caught anyone’s attention (16:12). When Samuel the prophet came to Jesse’s house to anoint a new king, it was David whom God had chosen, not his more capable older brothers. Samuel anointed him with the horn of oil and, the spirit of the Lord came rushing upon David (16:13). Later on Jesse sent David to check on his three older brothers who were with Saul in the battle with Philistines. As David approached the battle he could see the men running and hiding from the giant. To add insult to injury, David listened to Goliath’s mockery and ridicule of Israel.
After brushing off his own brother’s negative comments concerning David’s willingness to fight Goliath, and Saul’s attempt to talk him out of fighting the battle-tested giant, David picked us five smooth stones and set out to defeat the giant.
Let’s stop and pause for a moment. Most preachers and teachers have taken their liberty to make David representative of you and me. They say things like, “You will defeat your giant!” Granted, I’ve been guilty of making such claims.
But in reality, you and me are in this story. It’s just that we aren’t David. We are Israel trembling and hiding in tents. We are David’s brothers, making excuses for why we won’t fight the giant. We are Saul, trying to cover our fear with logical arguments. That’s us. Like Israel, David’s brothers, and Saul we were unable to fight the battle for our salvation. Sin is the battle-tested giant that has claimed a myriad of lives. A warrior from his youth, his sword is stained with the blood of weaker men and women.
David doesn’t represent you and me. No, he represents David’s Greater Son, Jesus Christ. Who fought the giant of sin for us. He unarmed that giant and rendered him powerless. Through Jesus Christ, the Son of David, we are able to come out from hiding and run to Him in victory.