Thank you for coming back to my autobiography. My prayer is that you will be inspired by the enabling power of God. The size of your enemies, your Goliaths is immaterial. The size of God’s power is what we should focus on.
You that day I was so nervous, but I choose to do what God wanted me to day. I ignored my fear and trusted in my mighty God.
Choosing five smooth stones out of the brook, I put them in hmy bag, and, with a sling in my hand, I slowly walked nearer to the this huge mighty Philistine. He also moved boldly forward, full of self-confidence and arrogance. He did not expect me, he expected to meet the mightiest of the warriors of Israel.
By the way I have discovered through the years that if you have God on your side, you are the mightiest, irrespective of your size. The armour-bearer of Goliath walked before him, and he looked as if nothing could withstand him.
As he came nearer to me, he saw but a tiny little stripling, called a boy because of my youth. My unprotectedness was displayed to my advantage. Between my size and the massive proportions of the Philistine, there was quite a contrast.
Goliath lost his cool. He was filled with and anger. He shouted at me “”Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed me by his gods. I cannot repeat it but he poured upon me the most terrible curses by all the gods of his knowledge.
And he shouted in a loud voice, and the earth trembled. He cried in derision, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”
I gently accepted his invitation to come to him. But I did in the assurance that the God Israel who he cursed will cause the victory.
Although the earth shook and although I shook, I did not weaken before the champion of the Philistines. Stepping forward, he said to my antagonist in a very kind but an assertive manner: “You come to me with a sword, 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 and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
“You come to me with a sword, 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. Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into our hands.”
But I come.
Here is a definite contrast between two distinct ways of life. Goliath represents the carnal security of personal strength, the pride of self-aggrandizement, the vanity of popular acclaim, the untameable fierceness of human passion.
I manifest quiet trust in divine strength and the determination to glorify God by carrying out His will. My motive, expressed here and later in my life, was not to have my own way, nor to become famous in the eyes of my fellow men, but “that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel” (v. 46).
There was a ring of fearlessness in my tone, a look of triumph and rejoicing in my body language. My speech, given in a clear, musical voice, rang out on the air, and was distinctly heard by the listening thousands marshalled for war.
And then the moments of truth and triumph came.
The anger of Goliath was roused to the very highest heat. He was so mad with me, more than my eldest brother who the scene. In his rage he pushed up the helmet that protected his forehead and rushed forward to wreak vengeance upon me, his opponent.
BIOGRAPHER
My biographer penned the following words:
1Sa 17:48 So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
1Sa 17:49 Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth.
1Sa 17:50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David.
So David prevailed.
How quickly one test followed another. How many victories did I gain on that very special day?
This was my third victory in the one day. My first victory came when I was taunted by Eliab as being unfit for aught but caring for sheep.
I might have made a justly sharp retort, but refused to reply in kind. Calmly composed, I merely said, “What have I now done? Is there not a cause?” (v. 29).
My character was not born in a moment. I had to learn patience with my sheep. If it was not for this I could not have been shown patience with my jealous brothers. By ignoring the opportunity of entering into a petty quarrel, I showed myself a master of my own spirit.
Thus it was with Christ, who, having demonstrated His meekness under the worst provocation, said, “Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Matt. 11:29).
Only thus can any man become a true leader and guide of others. I won my second victory when I was escorted into the presence of my king.
Looking at me, the spirited youth, the king could not help contrasting my youthful blitheness and lack of military training with the cunning of the old-timer at war games. If Saul, with all his commanding personality, had refrained from the combat with Goliath, how could a stripling like me attempt it (1 Sam. 17:33)?
Never dreaming of the possibility of a supernatural intervention, Saul planted seeds of doubt in my mind, and tempted me to wear the king’s own armour.
But again, with courteous deference, I won the victory over doubt by adhering to my Heaven-inspired purpose of maintaining faith in, and total dependence on, the Lord.
All of this prepared me well for my third victory—that over the Philistine, who was the very personification of blasphemy. It was a victory of spiritual forces over material brute strength. In view of the events of previous months, how necessary it was that Israel be taught this lesson!
In reply to Goliath’s curse, I exultantly cried, “I come to you in the name of the … God of the armies of Israel” (v. 45).
A simple stone from the brook plus my skill and my confiding trust in the eternal God gave the Israelites a lesson they were never to forget, even though they seldom emulated it.
1Sa 17:51 Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.
Amazement spread along the lines of the two armies. They had been confident that I would be slain; but when the stone went whizzing through the air, straight to the mark, they saw the mighty warrior tremble, and reach forth his hands, as if he were struck with sudden blindness.
The giant reeled, and staggered, and like a smitten oak, fell to the ground. I did not wait an instant. I jumped upon the prostrate form of the Philistine, and with both hands laid hold of Goliath’s heavy sword because it was very very heavy.
A moment before, the giant had boasted that with it he would sever my head from my shoulders and give my body to the fowls of the air. Now the sword was lifted in the air, and then the head of the boaster rolled from his trunk, and a shout of exultation went up from the camp of Israel.
1Sa 17:52 Now the men of Israel and Judah arose and shouted, and pursued the Philistines as far as the entrance of the valley and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell along the road to Shaaraim, even as far as Gath and Ekron.
1Sa 17:53 Then the children of Israel returned from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their tents.
1Sa 17:54 And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent.
1Sa 17:55 When Saul saw David going out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this youth?” And Abner said, “As your soul lives, O king, I do not know.”
1Sa 17:56 So the king said, “Inquire whose son this young man is.”
1Sa 17:57 Then, as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.
1Sa 17:58 And Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” So David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”
The Philistines were smitten with terror, and the confusion which ensued resulted in a precipitate retreat. The shouts of the triumphant Hebrews echoed along the summits of the mountains, as they rushed after their fleeing enemies; and they “pursued the Philistines, until thou come to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron.
And the wounded of the Philistines fell by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron. And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they spoiled their tents. And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armor in his tent.”
When you visit the ruins of Shaaraim they will tell you how the Philistines fled in haste. They will tell you how a young boy killed the mightiest hero of the with one single stone. Not he was so brilliant and skilful, but because He trusted in His power saving Creator.
Some of the stones are inviting us to follow David’s example.
A song of Goliath and David. Only a boy named David.
Only a boy named David
Only a little sling
Only a boy named David
But he could pray and sing
Only a boy named David
Only a rippling brook
Only a boy named David
But five little stones he took
And one little stone went in the sling
And the sling went round and round
And one little stone went in the sling
And the sling went round and round
And round and round
And round and round
And round and round and round
And one little stone went up in the air
And the giant came tumbling down
And the giant came tumbling down
And the giant came tumbling down
Came tumbling down
Only a boy named David
Only a little sling
Only a boy named David
But he could pray and sing
Only a boy named David
Only a rippling brook
Only a boy named David
But five little stones he took
And one little stone went in the sling
And the sling went round and round
And one little stone went in the sling
And the sling went round and round
And round and round
And round and round
And round and round and round
And one little stone went up in the air
And the giant came tumbling down
And the giant came tumbling
Tumbling
Tumbling
Tumbling
Tumbling
Tumbling
Down