1st Samuel 17 "YOUR SERVANT WILL GO" Some enemies we will have to face in life are out-and-out opposed to God and His people. We may be afraid of them if we only see them through the eyes of a natural man. It is important for us to look at people and see them through the perspective of our new nature and then we can see obstacles as the Lord sees them. Goliath's strengths were obvious. He was a huge man, a "giant," covered in armor and he also had an arrogant attitude. He was an example of the flesh in its greatest form. Saul, king of Israel, would have been the one Israelite closest to his size and his armor would have been similar in kind, but not size, to that of Goliath. Flesh is flesh, no matter what size it is and there would be no victory at all if David had gone to meet the giant in Saul's armor. "Making flesh its arm" is failure just waiting to happen. The only way out of the dilemma Israel was in was if there was divine intervention, and that would not come under the weakness of the flesh.
When David came to the camp of Israel there had been a stalemate for forty days, and there he offered himself to fight Goliath. David knew the armor of the flesh would only be a hindrance to him. His weapons were a sling and a stone, and his trust was in God alone. Others saw an opponent, a giant too big and powerful to defeat. David saw Goliath as a target to big to miss. His invisible armor was the same as that which is at our disposal to "withstand the wiles of the devil," and spiritual wickedness, and all associated with the "powers of darkness." We have access to the belt of truth to keep us from getting entangled with the world. The breastplate of righteousness testifies to those who know us that which is important to us. With our feet ready to take us to places where we can declare the Gospel of peace and the shield of faith to keep the attacks of the devil from reaching us, we are ready both offensively and defensively to maintain our stand for the Lord. The helmet of salvation keeps our minds focused on those things that are meaningful and useful for our testimony for the Lord. The sword of the Spirit is the weapon we have to take the battle for truth to the enemy and keep us aware of our need of God at all times. The communication needed in any kind of warfare is available to us through prayer. In this way we are conscious of the leading and guiding of God in every situation in which we find ourselves.
Our own personal strength conceals our weakness but God is not mocked. God is able to make strength weak and weakness into strength. Goliath wanted the Israelites to give him a man. Saul also wanted a man. But God had already found a "man after His own heart." He could, and still can, use a man who knows his own limitations but has his confidence in God. The conflict that was in the valley of Elah is a type of the conflict of sin and righteousness that took place at the cross where our Lord Jesus Christ waged the battle against sin, Satan and death and was victorious.
The property on which the Philistines were camped belonged to Judah, but had been taken over by the powers of the enemy. No matter what or where the flesh is seen, it has to be defeated or we will never be able to possess what God has provided for us. Israel was in the place of strength (oaks) but had no strength because they were being led by the guidance of the flesh and had not learned experimentally that in the valley is spiritually the place of power and salvation. There may be enemies around us that seek to claim our position, but "In vain do earth and hell oppose, for God is stronger than His foes."
The flesh centers all its activities and attention in the energy of evil. Goliath is a picture of Satan who seeks to get God's people to act in the weakness of the flesh. At the cross of Calvary, the enemy seemed to be the winner to the onlookers until our Lord defeated sin by bearing it in His own holy body on the tree. Satan was defeated by the Righteous One not avoiding the "flames of hell" that got hold of Him and "suffering, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God." He also defeated death which had no claim on His sinless Person by using His "keys" and laying down His life by His own will, and taking it again.
Against all the outward show of strength, is the trusting man of grace who had "the Lord with him." That was all he wanted and needed. There was no outward show of strength or of self-defense. All those who looked on the scene in the valley of Elah could see, was a man who trusted in God and came prepared with that which seemed so useless to them. God's man came from a place unknown by the busy world. Forty days was a long time for the army of the Lord to be waiting. Even though we may be in the right place, when we trust in man and seek to act in the energy of the flesh, we will be powerless and fearful of going forward.
For four hundred dark years, the time between the Old and New Testaments, there had been no word from the Lord. Even from the time of Adam, the fear of death held men powerless to deal with their own sin. "But in the fullness of time, God sent forth His Son." David's father called him to go and see how his brothers were doing, and he was eager to do his father's will. Our Lord came to this sinful world sent by His Father to be the Savior - and He came, delighted to do the Father's will. David left the sheep with an under-shepherd so that none would be lost, and went to the place where he could fulfill the purpose God had for him.
Our Lord Jesus "came unto His own, and His own received Him not." Eliab said some hard things to David, probably revealing a jealousy to cover his own inability or unwillingness to step out in faith and face the giant. The leaders of Israel had a lot of bad things to say to the Lord, and about the Lord, when He was here. But none of that turned Him aside from His purpose to "finish the work" His Father gave Him to do.
Saul and David met again, although Saul apparently didn't recognize him as the one who played the harp to calm his frazzled nerves and troubled mind. One was head and shoulders above the other, but full of doubts and fears. The other, a shepherd who knew his God and had experienced victory over the lion and bear by the power of God. His confidence was in God and he knew Goliath would be like them in defeat. Saul's plaintive words, "The Lord be with thee," seems to have come from a man who knew he had failed God. All he had was his own armor, a smaller copy of the one the giant had, and the energy of sinful flesh. Goliath had his own armor and was also coming in the strength of the devil. The devil can manipulate the flesh until it is under his control. Both the flesh and the devil seem capable of winning victories.
However, David retains his identity as a shepherd with a staff to symbolize the fact he had authority from God, similar to that which Moses had. He had five smooth stones, one each for the giant and his four brothers. They remind us that God has "chosen the weak things to confound the mighty." The bag which carried the stones is a testimony as to his faith, and the sling reminds us of our dependence on God to guide and direct us to the right place by the strength of faith. There was never a question as to whether David would miss the mark. His confidence was that the Lord he trusted would take that one stone to the place the devil could not cover - the place of the mind.
Though "distained," "cursed," and "defied," David met the enemy and defeated him. Our Lord Jesus was "despised and rejected of men," but He met Satan and conquered his power as well as the power of death. The cross-work of our Lord was a great victory over all our enemies - "the world, the flesh and the devil." David "prevailed" and so did our Lord Jesus Christ prevail over all His foes at the cross.
David didn't claim the victory for himself. He took the head of Goliath and brought it to Jerusalem where the foundation of peace was - where God put His name, and where the Anointed One will be seated on the throne of David and will reign in glory as the Prince of Peace when there will be "peace on earth, good will to men." The challenge of the enemy was met, and he was defeated in David's day in the valley of Elah. At the cross all the enemies of the Lord were "trodden down" and God's honor up-help. The whole nation knew that Israel had the One True God with them, and the whole world will know that "Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Finally, the people of Israel would know that God was the Savior. Today all who come to God are "accepted in the Beloved." The newly anointed king of Israel was ready to be revealed at the time of God's choosing. The King of kings is ready to be revealed to this dark world at the time of God's choosing as well. Then He will establish righteousness and deal with evil. Then He will be upon the "throne of David" and reign in glory. Then there will be a millennium of peace.