“Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. 42 He looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome, and he despised him. 43 He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals!” 45 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.” 1 Samuel 17.41-47
I love this line of David’s, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.” It’s beautiful, straight forward and classic. It’s good verses evil, God verses Satan.
Our world would want us to believe there is no evil — that everyone is entitled to do whatever we want. But this is not a biblical world view. The Bible says that God is good and holy and the devil and anyone who does evil is sinful, unholy and must be punished. Yet today’s culture says no one should be punished, we should be able to do what we want as long as it makes us happy. The whole “love is love” campaign and the thirst for sexual morality (just to name one sin) is rampant.
David spoke to the evil of his day just as we should speak to ours by calling out sin and disobedience to God’s law. David called out the Philistine Goliath who was cursing “David by his gods” and defied the armies of Israel. David was not afraid to confront Goliath or to call him out. He said, “This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head.” And he did.
What I also appreciate about David is that he took none of the credit for his deeds. Whereas, weapon wise, Goliath had a sword, a spear and a javelin, David had a wooden staff and five smooth stones. He said, “all those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”
How much more should we imitate David? In our culture that is far from biblical? In our world that has wandered far off the reservation? When immorality is celebrated, innocent life is ended and human sin is rampant, we must allow the Lord to fight out battles. I am reminded of the two prayer initiatives yesterday in the nation’s capital— 50,000 plus Christians and Jews prayed for the nation. They asked the Lord to forgive our sin and heal our nation.
Shouldn’t we do the same in our own lives? Shouldn’t we turn to God and cast all our cares upon him? Giving him our struggles, our selfishness and our sins? Shouldn’t we walk as David did, not in fear but in faith?
Let us walk as David walked — in step with the Lord and echo his battle cry — “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty.”
“O Lord God, I cast my cares upon you. I give you my struggles, my defeats and my lack of faith. I ask that you fill me with your power and love. When my love fails, your love remains steadfast. When I am afraid, you rescue me. Come now, Holy Spirit, blow through me with the wind of your grace. I desire to know you and the power of your love. For you are good and your love endures forever.” Amen