David and Goliath​- That all the earth may know...

David and Goliath​
​1 Samuel 17.
David and Goliath. Have you ever heard a sermon on this passage before? Plucky, little shepherd boy trusts in God, accepts a challenge to fight a giant and wins using a sling, an unconventional weapon for hand-to-hand combat. Lesson: Trust in God and you can take on the big, “giant” challenges in your life and be victorious. Right?
I want to bring out another side of this story.

First, a little about this description of Goliath. It says that Goliath was 6 cubits and a span. That would work out to about 9’8”. Truly gigantic for a human being. No one in modern times has been measured that big. Now some older manuscripts says 4 cubits, which would make him 6’8”. A big guy, but maybe a bit more believable for some. His armor is 5000 shekels. My bible's footnote says a shekel was about 2/5 of an ounce, so that his armor weight 125 pounds. And I like the spear head. 600 shekels works out to about 15 pounds. Now that is a really big sledge hammer. So imagine a sledge hammer shaped into a sharp point, mounted on the end of a 2x4. And a NFL linebacker is trying to stab you with it!

Let me describe to you what this kind of ancient warfare was like. You have two mobs of men. Whoever could be spared or dragged away from the back-breaking work of subsistence farming and sheep-herding. They have whatever weapons they themselves owned. If they were well off, maybe they owned a spear or a sword. The poor might just have a sharpened stick or a club. Combat meant the two groups met, and each man tried to kill the enemy man in front of him, while he tried to do the same to you. Think of two street gangs clashing with each other. If you lost, were killed or surrendered, then they would take whatever possessions you had, particularly weapons and armor. Those were valuable. Then they would go on and raid your village, enslave or kill your wife and children, take your crops and livestock for themselves. They would burn your house and fields. If all the men were dead, maybe just move in.

Winning and losing was not just a matter if life and death. It was more important than that! It was also a matter of personal honor. If you fought well your exploits would be sung about for generations. Cowardice, running away was a great shame.
Warfare was also the great spectator sport. It was really exciting watching two guys fight it out to the death. So it made sense before everyone rushed together into a huge melee, for each side to send out their best soldier and for them to fight one-on-one. Before the fight the warriors would boast and taunt each other, building up their own courage and trying to frighten their opponent.

So. David arrives, sees and hears Goliath challenging the Israelite armies. And particularly notices that no one is accepting his challenge. David asks the question, “What shall be done for the man who kills Goliath and takes away this reproach from Israel?” Notice that he asks this after he has heard the answer: The king will make you rich, give you his daughter as wife and your family won’t have to pay taxes anymore! David’s question is rhetorical. He doesn’t just want information. Rather he is amazed that no one, none of the great, mature warriors, have taken this up. By his question he is trying to shame the other warriors.

“And takes away the reproach from Israel? ” What reproach?
They are looking at the size and strength of Goliath. David is looking at the God who Goliath is defying. This is a shame, a reproach on the whole nation of Israel, and more, it is a shame, a reproach on the name of Israel’s God. By running away, they are proclaiming that their God is inadequate for this situation.

He is not only shaming the other soldiers, which includes his own elder brothers, (no wonder his eldest brother gets mad at him) but he is also implicitly rebuking Saul, the King, whose number one job is to lead his warriors into battle. Saul is “head and shoulders” taller than everyone else, like Goliath. Saul also has a suit of armor, like Goliath. But Saul also is not accepting Goliath’s challenge.
“Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God!”
David isn’t just outraged over the shame to their national honor or concerned about the results of a military defeat. He doesn’t say, “Who is this philistine to take on the great army of the Israelites!” “Woa, Goliath, you just opened up a big ‘ol can of whoop ass on yourself!”

David was outraged that someone uncircumcised, that is outside the covenant Israel had with God, should defy the army of the covenant people, the people who belonged to YHWH the living God. By not accepting Goliath’s challenge and running away from him, the army of Israel was bringing reproach and shame on God’s name.

In v. 30 David asks more soldiers. I don’t think he is just trying to confirm the size of the reward. Rather he is trying to motivate one of the grown ups to take up the challenge on Israel and God’s behalf. But no one will.

So then David comes before his King, Saul. David accepts the challenge.
Saul compares David’s youth and lack of experience with Goliath. Goliath is a trained, professional soldier. David is a boy. But David brings up his own experience. He has killed lions and bears who attacked his sheep. But his ultimate confidence is not his own experience or prowess with a sling, but the God who Goliath has defied. It is his experience with God that gives him confidence to take on this experienced soldier. And it is his confidence that God will defend his own name, his own reputation that gives David confidence to do this on God’s behalf.

So now David approaches Goliath to fight him. In verse 42 Goliath sees and evaluates David for the first time. He makes the same mistake that everyone else has been making throughout this story. He judges based on outward appearances. Goliath is personally insulted that they would send against him such a weakling with such inferior weapons. “Am I a dog that you come at me with sticks?” He saw David’s shepherd’s staff. He didn’t even notice the sling. Then for the first time Goliath mentions his owns religion, he curses David by his gods.
(v. 45) David replies: “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you..."
- with a bigger sword that I borrowed from King Saul.
- with this deadly sling. Fear me. I am a crack shot with this!
- with years of experience killing lions and bears.
No. He says, “I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts (YHWH of the armies) whom you have defied.”
Goliath, You are in trouble, not because of me or anything about me, but because I represent, I stand in the place, defending the honor of YHWH, the one true, living God.

David does not boast in his sling, but neither does he despair because it is inadequate. Like the boy in the Gospels, who gives his 5 loaves and two fish to feed 5000 people, David puts at God’s service the best he has and trusts that God will meet the need through it however inadequate it looks to be.
And note, David does not contrast the power of Goliath’s gods with the power of Israel’s God. He certainly doesn’t put them on the same level: “Well, you have your gods and we have our god. Let us see who is stronger today.”
David continues his boast, (v46-47) “The Lord will deliver you into my hand … that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the LORD’s and he will give you into our hand.”
For David, the really important issue at stake here is not the military victory, not which nation will be masters and which slaves. It is not even his own honor or the honor and reputation of his nation. What David really cares about is how people view his God, YHWH, the living God who made heaven and earth.
Because of David’s victory, all the Israelites and even all the Philistines will know that “there is a God in Israel” and that he saves even when, or maybe especially when, his people’s resources are inadequate.

Jesus had this same concern for God’s reputation. That is why he had us pray, “Hallowed be thy name”. This means, God, honor your self, exalt your reputation. Let the true knowledge of yourself, your power, your goodness and character and holiness, be truly know for what it is.

We probably have all heard sermons about David and Goliath which emphasize how we can take on the giants in our lives, if we trust in God’s might, not relying on our own strength and the weapons of this world. But do we also take on the giants, the challenges in our lives with a concern for how it affects God’s reputation?

Is there some circumstance, some habit that has defeated you over and over again; maybe something that enslaves you? One lesson we can take from this story is that victory will come not by relying on any strength you or others have, but by a more profound dependence on God, on Jesus. But another lesson we can take is how our bondages affect God’s honor, reputation and name. When we as Christians, God’s people, are enslaved, it tells the world that our God either doesn’t care that much, or he is unable to save. When we refuse to turn to him and keep trying to solve our problems on our own, it says to everyone that God isn’t worth turning to. But when we are delivered, when we are walking in victory free from the sins and habits that bound us, it sends a quite different message. And we should make sure that it is God who is given credit for it. “That all the earth may know.”

How do you pray for the things that concern you? The first step is certainly to bring all of our concerns to God, to lay them at his feet and put our faith in him to deliver us. “God, I have this need, I have sinned this sin, I need your help, your healing. I need your forgiveness.” But do you ever pray for things, putting foremost how God’s reputation, his name will be affected?

“God honor your name. Don’t let me be put to shame. Let people see what a good, mighty and loving God you are by how you work in my life in this situation.”

And when you are healed, when you do find the means to pay those bills, when you are delivered from that sin, that disease, that despair; are you careful to give God the credit, to let these things rebound to his glory and honor? It must start in your own heart. Let us not say, “Oh, that situation worked out. I didn’t need to ask God about that after all.” Rather, “Praise and thanks to you oh, God! It may look to some like this was a natural event, or dumb luck, or that it happened by my own ability. But I know that this was God miraculously working on my behalf and for the sake of his people. I want to never forget that and make it perfectly clear to everyone who hears of this, that this was God’s doing, and it shows, once again, what a wonderful, trustworthy, loving, mighty, promise-keeping, glorious God he is!”

God heal your people, God forgive us our sins, God deliver us from evil, so that YOUR name will be hallowed, your reputation exalted and that all these people may know that there is a God in your church and that he saves.

All the earth shall be filled with the glory of The Lord

Last time we looked at Moses pleading for mercy for the Israelites after the whole mess with the golden calf at Mt. Sinai. Almost the same thing happens again in Numbers 13 and 14.

God has lead the Israelites from Mt. Sinai to the edge of the promised land. In chapter 13 Moses sends in spies to to see what it is like. Most of the spies report that though it would be a great place to live, the people already living there are too strong to conquer. Upon hearing this the people despair. (14:3) "Why is the Lord bringing us into this land to fall by the sword?" Wow! What does that say about God's character? Precisely the same wrong ideas that Moses was afraid that the Egyptians would think about God, are what God's own people themselves believe!

God is once again angry with them for not believing in him. (v.11) "How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me in spite of all the signs that I have done among them?"

They may have seen God's signs, but they have no understanding of his character yet. And again (for the last time) God considers wiping them out and starting over. (v.12) "I will strike them with pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you [Moses] a nation greater and mightier than they."

So again Moses intercedes for the Israelites by appealing to the importance of God's reputation. But now it is not just among the Egyptians.
(v.13) "But Moses said to the Lord, 'Then the Egyptians will hear of it ... and they will tell the inhabitants of this land." Word is going to get around. "they have heard that you, oh Lord, are in the midst of this people. For you, oh Lord, are seen face-to-face and your cloud stands over them."

God is now closely associated with these people. How he treats them has consequences for himself and for his reputation.

"Now if you kill this people as one man, then the nations who have heard of your fame will say, 'it is because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land that he swore to give to them, that he killed them in the wilderness."

Why should God care what these nations think about him? But he does care and so does Moses. What wrong ideas would they get about God if he performs this judgement? According to Moses, they will conclude that he is weak, since he is not able bring the Israelites into the promised land. Secondly, they will conclude that he is unfaithful, because he will have broken his covenant with their ancestors. Thirdly, they will conclude that God is vicious, because he will have killed them to cover up his own weakness.

And next Moses reaffirms God's character as he knows it to be, "let the power of the Lord be great as you have promised" He is powerful and does keep his promises, "the Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgressions." - God is merciful and loving - "but he will by no means clear the guilty." - but he is also just and has standards of righteousness which he will not compromise.

Now because of Moses' intercession, God does show some mercy to the people ("I have pardoned according to your word"), he will not wipe them out. He is able to bring mercy as well as judgement into the situation because of Moses' awareness and proclamation of God's character and the importance of God's reputation.

Now God announces his new judgement on the people of Israel. All those 20 years old or older will not enter the promised land but only their children will. In this proclamation God takes an interesting oath: (v. 21) "But truly, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD..." the oath starts, as most oaths do, by declaring things that are absolutely sure to emphasize the truth of what follows. One of God's fixed, settled purposes in history, as sure as the fact that he himself lives, is that all the earth shall be filled with his glory; that is, that everyone will undeniably know the glory of God, how good he is, how just, how pure, how merciful, how righteous, how holy he is. It is eternally significant not only that he is these things ("as I live"), but that they be known by everyone ("all the earth shall be filled").

The older generation of Israelites showed by their rebellion and testing God that they had been clinging to wrong, wicked ideas regarding God and his character. If allowed to continue these lies about God would be spread. God's response to them, this judgement, will undo that and will eventually lead to the truth about God being known, his glory filling the earth.

Why should the Egyptians say...

(if this is your first time reading these essays i encourage you to start with the first one titled "Surprises.")

Last time we looked at Abraham's intercession for Sodom, and his concern for God's character. An even more dramatic appeal to God for mercy comes from Moses after the episode of the golden calf. Moses has been up on Mt. Sinai receiving God's laws and instructions. On his way back down, God fills Moses in about the mess he is going to encounter when he gets back.

Exodus 32
7 And the LORD said to Moses, "Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves.
8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, 'These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!'"

Notice the possessive pronouns God uses in verse 7. Whose people, and who brought them out of Egypt? I am reminded of a scene where a father arriving home from work, is greeted by his wife with, "do you know what your son did today?"

9 And the LORD said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people.
10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you."

God is so angry and disappointed with the people that he is planning on wiping them out and starting over with just Moses. What a terrible thing for God to say, "let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them." Do not intercede! Do not change what is going to happen by praying. Let "your" people share the fate of Sodom, and let you, Moses, be the new Lot, the new Abraham, who will be the sole father of the chosen people.

But the Hebrews are not called "the children of Moses." They are still "the children of Abraham", because Moses disobeys this word from God and does intercede.

11 But Moses implored the LORD his God and said, "O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?
12 Why should the Egyptians say, 'With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth'? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people.
13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, 'I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.'"
14 And the LORD relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.

Moses reminds God that these are not Moses', but God's people, and that God is the one who delivered them from Egypt. He also reminds God of his agreement, his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Israel. A covenant that God vowed by himself to fulfill.
But in between comes this appeal to God's reputation: "Why should the Egyptians say, 'with evil intent did he bring them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth.'"

In other words, "God, if you give these people what they deserve, the pagan Egyptians will get the wrong idea about your motives and character. They will think you were treacherously deceiving the Israelites the whole time." Now why should God care about what the Egyptians think? After all not long ago God sent ten plagues on them. But this consideration is enough for God to change his mind. He does care what all people say and think about him. And it worked. I have heard many horrible accusations against God, but never this: that God's promises to the Jews were a sham, just designed to get them to a place where he could destroy them.

God's dealings with the Israelites were not just a private matter between God, Moses and them. Israel was not just chosen for their own sake. At least part of God's plan for Israel is that through them and their relationship with God, all the world was to receive some truth about God and his character. Moses had at least a glimpse of this and so was able to intercede effectively.

So you and I stand outside, looking at this exchange, like the ancient Egyptians did. If God had not relented and had destroyed the Israelites and started over with Moses, what would you conclude about God and his character? Given what is recorded here, what do you instead learn about God's character?

Next time, Moses has to do this all over again.

(“Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”)