The mission of the starship enterprise was to boldly go where no man has gone before, and each week captain James T. Kirk and Dr. Spock would go on epic journeys where good would always overcome evil and the underdog would come out on top. That sums up our Epic Tale today - an Old Testament story where good overcomes evil and the underdog comes out on top. Today we are going to look at the story of David and Goliath.
Again, this is such a familiar story that we might forget the important lessons we can learn from the early part of David’s life. We first meet David when the first king of Israel, Saul, had lost favor with God. Saul had been chosen as king in part because he was tall. He looked like a king and that was what the people wanted. In time, Saul stopped listening to God and started listening to himself and those around him. He didn’t seek God’s will and he didn’t follow God’s laws, so God rejected Saul as king and sent his prophet Samuel out to anoint a new king of Israel.
The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.” 1 Samuel 16:1
When Samuel arrived in Bethlehem, Jesse called his first son, Eliab, to come and stand before Samuel because everyone thought he would be the new king. Eliab was the first born and he was tall and handsome. Like Saul, he looked like a king, so Samuel thought surely this would be the one he would anoint, but God said no.
The Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7
Eliab was not going to be the new king, so Jesse sent in his second son, but he was not chosen either. Then Jesse sent in his third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh sons, but none of them were chosen. It’s interesting that Jesse didn’t offer to bring his last son to Samuel to see if he might be the one God would choose. In Jesse’s mind, there was no way David was going to be chosen. He was the youngest and he was just a boy. He was only good for watching sheep. He wasn’t a leader and he certainly wasn’t material for a king. Jesse doesn’t bring him in until Samuel asks him to.
So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?”
“There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.” Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.” So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.” So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. 1 Samuel 16:11-13a
The one that no one thought would be chosen ends up being anointed the king. No one saw in David what God saw in him, and that is the first lesson of this story.
God sees potential and possibilities when the world doesn’t.
God saw something in David that no one else saw. David came to be known as a man after God’s own heart, so maybe God saw the passion David had to always seek after God. Maybe God saw a person who always wanted to learn more about God, and find ways to give himself more fully to God. Maybe David just looked at things the way God did. We don’t know, but God looked beyond the outward appearance and saw the possibilities and potential this young man had.
Our world often just looks at the outward appearance and chooses and rewards those who look good. In gym class it is always those who are tall who are chosen first for basketball and volleyball, and those who are fast for relay races and soccer. In high school if you don’t look like everyone else, you aren’t part of the in crowd. In business if you don’t look professional you won’t get hired.
It’s the entertainment industry, however, where the outward appearance really matters. It doesn’t matter how talented you might be, if you aren’t attractive, it’s going to be an uphill battle to get noticed. Let’s face it, there just aren’t a lot of unattractive movie stars or singers. The outward appearance matters more than what anyone might find on the inside.
You know the old saying, you can’t judge a book by its cover, but we do. We are quick to judge someone’s talent, worth, ability and potential by what we see. One of the great things about shows like American Idol is that we get to see the auditions of people who might not look like a superstar.
In August of 2008, a 47 year old woman from rural Scotland took the stage at Britain's Got Talent. As she was introduced, neither the judges nor the audience thought she had a chance. She really didn’t look the part. They were judging the outside, but what was inside her stunned that audience and the world.
Susan Boyle sang I dreamed a dream from the broadway show Les Mis, and she brought the house down. That video has been viewed literally millions of times on youtube and it continues to both inspire people and bring them to tears. Due to copyright laws, I can’t show you the video, but if you have never seen it, check it out online. It is amazing.
God doesn’t look at the outward appearance, He looks inside. He looks at the heart. Jesus also did this. Jesus was a master at seeing potential in people the world wanted to push aside. He chose ordinary fishermen to be disciples. When others saw a despised tax collector, Jesus saw a faithful follower. When the world saw prostitutes, Jesus saw women of God. Jesus looked beyond what the world would see to see the potential, the value and the worth of everyone. We need to have this kind of vision when we look at others. We need to see the God given potential in every person. We need to see their inner value, worth, and dignity. We need to learn how not to judge by what we see but try to see what God sees.
We also need to have this kind of vision when we look at our own lives. Too often we define our own sense of value and worth by what we see on the outside or how the world might define us. When God looks at us, He doesn’t see failure but the potential for faithfulness. God doesn’t see a sinner who will never be able to do things right, He sees a saint that has been forgiven and redeemed. What God sees in us is the potential He placed in us. We can’t define ourselves or limit ourselves by what we see or what we think the world sees when they look at us. We need to ask God for the ability to see ourselves the way He does and then live into the potential God has for us.
Having been chosen by God, it didn’t take David long to live into the potential God saw in him. It was 4 or 5 years later that David took food up to his brothers who were in the army. They were on the front lines fighting against the Philistines. For 40 days the Philistines sat on one mountain and the Israelites on another, with a large valley in between. Every morning and every evening, a giant of a man named Goliath came out to taunt God’s people.
A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. His height was six cubits and a span. He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels; on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. His spear shaft was like a weaver’s rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels. His shield bearer went ahead of him.
Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.” Then the Philistine said, “This day I defy the armies of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other.” On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified. 1 Samuel 17:4-11
There was no one among the Israelites who wanted to fight this giant. What they saw on the outside of the man terrified them. He was huge. He was well protected with armor and well armed with a javelin. All the Israelites saw was this massive man who must have made them feel like insects. There was no way they could go up against him and win. When David arrived with food for his brothers and heard the taunts of Goliath, he wondered why no one would go out and fight him.
David asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” 1 Samuel 17:26
When David’s brothers heard this, they could still only see his outer appearance. He was their younger brother. He was still a child and only good for watching sheep, and they made sure he knew it.
Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.” “Now what have I done?” said David. “Can’t I even speak?” 1 Samuel 17:28b-29.
Finally King Saul heard David’s comments and asked to see him. Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.” 1 Samuel 17:33
Everyone was just looking at the outer appearance of David and Goliath. There was simply no way this inexperienced boy could go up against a well armed and experienced giant. But that’s not how David saw things. Like God, he wasn’t looking at the outer appearance. First of all, David knew what he had in him. He knew his God given potential. He knew that he had taken down bears and lions and that gave him a good chance against the man. David also saw Goliath in a way no one else did. He saw his weaknesses and ways to defeat him. When David looked at Goliath he saw a giant who was weighed down by 150 pounds of armor. Due to his size and weight, Goliath was not going to be quick on his feet and he had to have been tired from marching up and down the mountain twice a day for 40 days in full armor. He also only had a javelin which might be good for taking down an enemy far away but would not be good when the enemy was close in. David knew his God given potential and he saw the God given opportunity to take down Goliath.
The Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. He looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome, and he despised him. He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals!”
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. 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. 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.”
As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground. 1 Kings 17:41-49
By running toward Goliath, the big man was not able to use his weapons effectively and his size and weight would not allow him to change course quickly, so David had the upper hand. And David’s experience with a slingshot gave him the tactical advantage he needed to take him down. Which he did.
Samuel, Jesse, and David’s brothers looked at David’s appearance and said, there was no way he can become a king, and no way he can be a mighty warrior in battle. But God looked inside. God saw a heart that loved Him enough that it would not allow God to be taunted day after day. God saw a faith that was bold and courageous and trusted that God would be there to help if he would step out in faith. And God saw a mind that looked at things differently. David saw things the way God did and he acted accordingly, and when he did, he took down the giants in his land.
That’s the second lesson for us here: when we begin to see things the way God does, we can defeat the giants in our own land.
When we see our own God given potential, and the power God gives us when we trust in Him, we can defeat the giants in our lives. We all face giants. We all see hopeless situations that seem to have no way out. We see things as the world does and fail to see God’s promise or potential. If we can see things the way God does, then we can develop a faith that will step out and take down giants.
The beginning of seeing things differently is to look at our own lives and ask God to help us see in us what He sees in us. Ask yourself these questions: Who has God created you to be? What gifts have God given you? What passions and interests move and motivate you? Where is God opening a door in your life? Where do you see potential to step out in faith and do something you thought you could never do? How can you boldly go where you have never gone before, trusting that God will go with you?
Every one of us has the potential to change our world by using what we have to change the hearts and lives of the people around us. One small act of kindness, one small step of sharing our faith, one consistent prayer might be how God is going to move in our land and you may be the one God wants to use.
In a few weeks we are excited to welcome Archie from Raising Hope Ukraine. What started as a simple ministry to reach children in Ukraine turned on a dime when the war started. They suddenly became an outreach center to hundreds of people who were fleeing the war. They not only provided food, clothing, shelter, and transportation to those who had to leave everything behind, but they gave hope to those who passed though. They also started to care for those on the front lines. They saw the potential to send troops much needed supplies. Day by day they worked to make a difference in the world. They stepped out in faith and boldly went where they had never gone before.
There is another story from the war in Ukraine that reminds us that when we see the potential God has given us, and offer the gifts God has given us to others, epic things can happen. Last summer, in the city of Kiev, there was a 15 year old boy named Andrii who loved to fly drones. He posted an online notice in his village saying that he knew how to fly a drone if that would be helpful. A man from the local civil defense force reached out and asked Andrii for help. He wanted Andrii to fly his drones over the Russian forces that were moving on the city.
Andrii flew over the Russian forces, took videos to document what was approaching the city and provided them with exact coordinates. The local civil defense sent those coordinates to the Ukraine artillery who sent missiles and took out the column within 10 minutes. The local civil defense minister didn’t know that Andrii was a 15 year old boy. A boy about the age of David used a drone to help take out a giant Russian column of tanks, fuel trucks and artillery.
While Andrii was a boy going up against the giant of the Russian military, I don’t think he saw himself as an underdog. He knew his potential and that if he offered what he had, it would make a difference. I don’t think David saw himself as an underdog. He knew he was going to bring Goliath down because he trusted God and he knew his own God given potential. Maybe it’s time we stop looking at ourselves as underdogs and start seeing ourselves the way God does. We have potential. We have God given gifts that can make a difference. If we are willing to offer those gifts right where we are, and if we are willing to trust that God is working through us, we can take down giants and make a difference in our world.
Next Steps
Epic Stories - David and Goliath
Read the story of David’s anointing - 1 Samuel 16, and the story of David and Goliath - 1 Samuel 17.
God sees potential and possibility when the world doesn’t.
● When have you judged someone or something by outward appearance and been completely wrong?
● When have you been judged by your outward appearance? What potential and possibility were people not seeing in you?
Consider the times when Jesus did not judge by outward appearance.
● What difference did it make when Jesus saw people’s God given potential?
● Why was Jesus able to do that so well?
● What can we learn from Jesus so that we will not judge by outward appearances but by God given potential?
We can defeat the giants in our lives and in our land.
● What giants are you facing in your life today?
● How can seeing yourself the way God sees you give you the strength and faith to face them?
● What do you need to take them down?
The answer to these questions can help you begin to see yourself as a giant killer.
● Who has God created me to be?
● What gifts has God given me?
● What passions and interests move and motivate me?
● Where is God opening a door in my life?
● Where do I see the potential to step out in faith and make a difference?
