I’m going to be honest, I’ve probably heard a thousand sermons on the story of David and Goliath. You probably know the story. David is a young, unassuming boy. Goliath is the giant of the Philistines. There is a fight. And David, who everyone recognizes as someone who is about to get his face pounded in, finds 5 infinity stones in a nearby stream and somehow wrecks havoc on Goliath and his people (1 Samuel 17 if you’re interested). And while I will attest that I have heard some incredible sermons on 1 Samuel, I haphazardly listened fully expecting to learn nothing.
But in this sermon, our pastor referenced Louie Giglio, who said that most series on David and Goliath naturally (selfishly), include a “man-centered” interpretation of the story. And that comment caught my attention. Because every time I’ve heard the story, I’m playing David. I’m fighting the lions. I’m fighting bears. I get no approval from my family. And I’m faced against a taunting enemy. In that respect, David is the ultimate character to the story of our lives. But Louie Giglio’s comment continues, who is David?
And for the first time in my life, I heard a sermon on David and Goliath where David is representative of Jesus.
Jesus is the giant killer. Does that fact not wake us all up? Hello? We are not David. You are not David. I am not David. Jesus is David! Jesus fights the battles for us. Jesus stares down the face of impossible odds. Jesus takes up his sling. Jesus selects five smooth stones. Jesus takes aim at the giant. The giant falls because of the work of Jesus.
Louie Giglio. Goliath Must Fall. Thomas Nelson.
That being said, I want to take a moment to clarify that I am not saying that David was actually Jesus in another bodily form. I’m saying that the story of David and Goliath is about Jesus, and the battles he has won in your life. I’m not going to shy away the fact that life can be stressful. And sometimes that stress makes you feel like you’re up against the world. Living with Jesus makes everything a little bit lighter, if that makes any sense.
That being said, there are 3 points here:
- We are taught to take courage from the shepherd boy.
- We are called to participate with Jesus in the battle.
- He is the one who comes into our Valley of Elah (I don’t remember what this is about but the pastor said it and it sounds fancy).
As I began writing this article, one of my friends twettered (lol, sounds better that tweeted):
The Lord will fight for you, you only need to be still.
Exodus 14:14
Which I was surprised is actually in the Bible. Because the more common verse that comes to mind is:
Be still, and know that I am God;
Psalm 46:10
Both verses are well served in this case. While we may feel like sometimes we are up against the Goliaths in our lives, Jesus is in control. And sometimes, part of being a Christian is to slow down and be still. Because we serve a master who has already won the battle. Who is already in control. And we, as his followers, can take great joy in serving such a wonderful God.