Right, well, good evening.
Tonight we're looking at possibly one of the best-known stories in the Bible.
At least in name, even if not really in full understanding of the content.
I would say it probably sits closely behind the nativity,
and maybe even ahead of the events of Easter,
in the understanding of our secular culture around us.
Because, you see, it's the classic underdog story.
And there's something in our psyche that loves an underdog.
Whether it's the Jamaican bobsleigh team,
or the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae, or however you pronounce that,
or the 5,000 to 1 outsiders, Leicester winning the Premier League.
Whatever it is, we love these stories of unlikely people winning against all the odds.
And so here we've got a boy against a giant.
You can't get much better than that.
Although, as we look at it a bit more,
we'll see that perhaps the tables are not stacked quite the way it looks at first.
But it's also a story of a people that are in need of a hero,
but who are looking in all the wrong places.
So hopefully tonight we'll be able to get past that familiarity,
and learn something about what this passage,
about events so far from us in time and place,
can teach us today.
And the first three verses
are basically setting the scene,
giving the context for the rest of the chapter.
Chronology is not entirely clear,
quite how this sits with the previous chapter.
I think it may be that they overlap,
that this sits somewhere in the middle,
particularly the way that David's introduced,
as if we've never heard of him before.
It sounds as if these are separate accounts of separate stories,
each with their introduction, events, and conclusion.
Certainly later on in 1 Samuel,
the events of David's life are clearly told out of order
when his last words are reported
before the exploits of him and his mighty men.
So it doesn't really particularly matter.
It's really a bit of an aside,
but just if you're slightly confused about what's going on,
that might be why.
But we have here the Philistines,
and they appear to have been fairly recent invaders of the land
by recent, you know, last century or two.
They seem to probably be some of the sea peoples
that the Egyptians write about.
And interestingly,
recent DNA testing of pig bones
seems to tell us that they came from the Aegean.
Who knew that you could DNA test
3,000-year-old pig bones
to tell where they'd come from,
but apparently you can.
But these Philistines, anyway,
have settled to the west of Israel
and to five main cities.
Gaza, right down on the coast,
still a name that we know today.
Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron, and Gath.
And Gath is the closest one to Israel,
right at the east of the Philistine territory.
And that's where Goliath comes from.
And so in this passage,
we see that the Philistines
have gathered their army together
and are encroaching into Judah.
And Saul has gathered together
the Israelites to oppose them.
And the two armies are lined up
facing each other
across the valley of Elah.
This is on the road from Gath
to Bethlehem and Jerusalem.
And in fact,
it's only about 20 miles away
from Bethlehem
where David lives.
That's similar to the distance
from here to North Beric.
Something easily walkable in a day.
But we see here
that no actual fighting's taking place.
they seem to have reached
some sort of stalemate.
The two armies lined up
against each other.
And Israelites
are in a good defensive position
but don't seem to have the strength
or maybe just the courage
to go on the attack.
But there's a routine going.
Every morning,
both sides line up
facing each other
across the valley
and shout their war cries
at each other.
because that's going to be effective.
And every morning
and evening
the Philistine champion
comes out
and shouts
his defiant challenge.
And we see that this
has been going on
for 40 days.
This is not just something
that's gone on
for a day or two.
This is going on
a long time.
And Israelites
are absolutely terrified.
And quite frankly,
I don't blame them.
Because when we
carry on to the next few verses
we read about
the Philistine champion.
In verses 4 to 7
we read
the description
of Goliath.
And the first thing
that's obvious about him
is his height.
At six cubits
and a span
depending on the size
of your cubit
it's somewhere
around nine foot four.
a good few inches
taller than
the tallest man
recorded in recent history
Robert Wadlow
who measured
in at eight foot eleven.
So
only five inches
above that.
It may be
that this is the result
of some sort of
genetic anomaly
because certainly
it seems to run
in the family.
His brothers
seem to be huge
as well.
But he's clearly
not just tall
but
also strong.
Or at least
he's certainly
not weak
going by the weight
of armour
that he's carrying.
He's an impressive
figure
standing there
tall
and armoured
like a tank.
Bronze helmet
bronze
armour scales
bronze greaves
on his legs.
This is not just
heavy
but this is expensive.
This is all
the best
of the military
hardware
that you could
have at the time.
And he's even
got that new
technology
he has an iron
head on his
spear.
This is
someone to be
feared.
Standing in front
of him
is a man
carrying his
shield.
He's confident
and he's arrogant
as he shouts out
his defiant
challenge.
And in verses
8 to 11
we discover
what this
challenge is.
Choose a
champion.
choose a
representative
to fight
me
on behalf
of all
of you.
Your fate
depends on
the success
of this
single combat.
Forget about
these armies
about this
defensive position
that you've got
yourself into.
Gamble
everything
on the success
of this
one fight
man
against man.
And if
you remember
back before
Christmas
in chapter
10
we read
that Israel
did just
that.
They chose
a champion
to represent
them.
They chose
someone to go
out before
them and
fight their
battles.
they chose
an impressive
young man
without equal
among the
Israelites.
A head
taller than
any of the
others.
A man
named Saul.
He may not
be a giant
but he's still
an impressive
champion.
He's fought
several successful
battles and
as we read
further down
he has the
kit.
He has the
bronze helmet.
He has the
coat of armor.
So where
is he?
He's there
but like
the rest of
the Israelites
he's terrified.
It doesn't
sound as if
he's there
out at the
front facing
the enemy
leading his
army.
Instead he's
skulking
somewhere in
the back
probably back
in his tent
in the camp.
Israel had
wanted a
champion
but when
they chose
a human
hero
they found
him distinctly
lacking.
They needed
someone else
to step up
and fight
for them.
And I think
as we look
around
we see that
our world
too is
looking for
its own
heroes.
We may not
be facing a
giant
or an enemy
army
but our world
is groaning
and people
are hurting.
Around the
world
there are
wars
and conflicts
and strained
relationships
between nations.
Our physical
environment is
polluted
exploited
and under
threat.
Our government
quite frankly
is in a total
shambles.
I think
whatever your
political persuasion
you can agree
with me on that.
but neither
to home
in Scotland.
It's estimated
that over
600 people
will be sleeping
rough in our
cities tonight.
And that's
not counting
the thousands
and various
sorts of
temporary
accommodation.
Or then
there are
the personal
crises,
the broken
relationships,
the illnesses,
the bereavements,
the unemployment,
the loneliness,
the depression,
the anxieties,
the everyday
struggles of
life,
big and
small.
People are
looking for
heroes,
for someone
that can put
things right,
for someone
that can stand
up for them.
And this is
nothing new.
Throughout
history people
have been
telling stories
of champions,
of heroes,
of people
greater than
themselves.
We love
the stories
of William
Wallace and
Robert the
Bruce,
and we
don't
particularly
care about
the historical
accuracy of
them.
We flock
to see
superhero
films,
heroes with
special powers
that they will
use to
right wrongs,
to defend
the ordinary
people.
But back
to real
life,
we find
that,
like Saul,
our heroes
have feet
of clay.
One
repeated
theme of
the last
couple of
years is
of how
our heroes,
our role
models,
are shown
to be
flawed,
and not
who we
thought them
to be.
Around the
world,
statues have
been pulled
down of
people where
we find we
can no
longer overlook
the darker
side of
who they
were,
people that
we once
celebrated.
But then
also we
see figures
across the
whole spectrum
of public
life,
whether in
entertainment,
sports,
politics,
business,
have been
disgraced by
the Me Too
campaign and
other things
like that,
as we've
seen that
these people
that we
thought we
could look
up to,
maybe
weren't so
great after
all.
Or maybe,
maybe like
Saul,
we think
that we
are the
ones that
are meant
to be the
champions,
but we're
aware of
our own
inadequacies,
and so
we retreat
from the
battlefield in
fear.
Our culture
would tell us
to search
for the
hero inside
yourself,
but we
know what
is inside
ourselves.
We know
there is no
hero there.
So then
in the next
big chunk
of the
passage,
from verses
12 all the
way down
to 40,
we're
introduced
to an
unlikely
champion,
David.
He's
described as
being little
more than
a boy,
boy.
Terms
used are
quite vague,
but he's
certainly not
a grown man,
probably some
sort of
teenager,
not quite
sure,
but certainly
he's the
youngest of
the family,
and although
he may be
young,
he is
hardy.
He's not
closeted at
home,
but he's
out looking
after the
sheep,
and that
involves
protecting
them from
whatever
dangers
might come
their way.
But last
week,
we were
also
reminded
in
Alistair's
In Unimitable
Way,
that as well
as keeping
sheep,
he likes to
write
psalms
and
pusing
them.
For him,
the worship
of God
is not
just an
occasional
civic
duty.
That's an
integral part
of his
life.
God
directed
Samuel to
him,
saying that
God looks
on the
heart.
And later
we find
David
described,
despite all
of his
faults,
as a
man after
God's
own
heart.
And so
we see
that Jesse
sends David
with food
to his
older
brothers,
and to
bring back
news.
they're
about a
day's
journey
away.
He
seems to
have a
tent with
him,
as mentioned
later,
and I
assume he
has a
donkey or
some other
sort of
beast of
burden to
carry all
this stuff
with him
because it's
a bit much
to put in a
backpack.
But so
he gets
there,
he delivers
the goods
to the
keeper of
the
stores,
and to
me
sounds
slightly
naively
goes to
talk to his
brothers on
the front
line,
because of
course that's
what you do,
you just go to
the front
line for a
chat.
But when
he's there,
he sees
what's going
on.
He sees
Goliath,
what's
going on,
he sees
what's
really
going on.
Because the
question he
asks the
people shows
how he
understands
the situation.
Who is
this
uncircumcised
Philistine
that he
should defy
the armies
of the
living God?
As far as
David sees
it,
this is not
a battle
between two
earthly armies.
This is
defiance
against the
living God,
as opposed
to the
lifeless
false gods
of the
Philistines.
We were
reminded this
morning in
Psalm 2,
probably
written by
David,
of how the
nations stand
and defines
against God
and his
king.
In words
that I can
only think
of set to
Handel's
music,
why do the
nations so
furiously rage
together?
Why do the
peoples imagine
a vain thing?
We shall
break their
bonds,
asunder.
So David
sees that
this Philistine
is defying
God and
his people
and no
one is
doing
anything
about it.
He sees
that despite
the promised
rewards,
and they
seem quite
impressive
rewards,
no one
else is
willing to
do anything.
And so he
steps forward,
confident,
humble.
His confidence
comes not
from himself,
from his
own skill,
but from
what he
knows about
God.
And this is
not just what
he's learned
about God,
but this is
what he has
experienced,
how he has
experienced God's
help in the
struggles of his
day-to-day life,
albeit slightly
more dramatic
struggles than
most of us
have on a
daily basis.
I'm not sure
how many of you
expect to be
wrestling bears
and lions this
week.
But he
tells Saul
of his
experiences
looking after
the sheep,
and he
concludes,
the Lord
who rescued
me from
the paw
of the
lion and
the paw
of the
bear will
rescue me
from the
hand of
this
Philistine.
To him,
someone who
defies the
living God
is no
different than
the lion or
a bear,
just someone
that God
will help
him to
fight against.
Saul
offers him
his armor,
and he
does try
it on,
but ultimately
rejects it.
He's not
going to
pretend to
be what
he's not.
He's not
a trained
warrior.
He knows
he isn't
a champion.
He isn't
a hero.
Instead,
he goes out
as he is.
A mere
shepherd boy,
armed with
just a
sling and
five stones.
Oh,
I'm with
the Lord
of Heaven's
armies by
his side.
I wonder
how often
we look at
the challenges
before us
and think,
you know,
someone should
do something
about that.
Or how
often do
we, like
David,
say,
no one is
doing anything
about that,
and step
forward and
do it
ourselves.
Not because
we think
we're anything
special.
not because
we think
we have
skills and
abilities that
we don't,
but because
we see the
task,
and we
trust that
God will
give us the
strength and
resources that
we need to
do it.
But I wonder
also how
much, like
David, we are
aware of our
reliance on
God in our
day-to-day
life.
Do we
trust him
when we
come to the
big battles
because we
have known
him as help
in the small
challenges?
Or do we
think, yeah,
I can cope
with this,
I can cope
with this,
it's fine.
And then
when the big
challenges do
come, we
don't have that
confidence that
comes from
experience,
and our
faith may be
shaken.
I don't
know, I'm
sometimes a
bit wary about
the whole
asking God
for a parking
space type of
prayer.
It can
almost seem
a bit petty,
and sometimes
we have to
accept that
God is not
a genie
there to do
our bidding,
but that
actually he is
shaping us
to his will,
and his will
today might
be, that
you're going
to park
ten minutes
away and
walk from
there.
But are
we going
into business
meetings where
we know we
have a tendency
to be cynical,
asking for
God's help,
to be open
minded, to
contribute
positively?
Are we going
into situations
where we know
we will face
temptation,
asking God
to make his
son look so
glorious in
our eyes,
that our
hearts want
nothing more?
But also
there's often,
I think,
the perception
that to be
used by God
we have to
be some
special sort
of person.
I remember
back when
Tim was
applying to
go to the
Faith Mission
College,
and I had to
fill out a
reference for
him.
If anyone
has been
through that
process,
it is
horrific.
It basically
requires complete
character
assassination as
it quizzes you
on all their
weaknesses.
But the last
question is the
one that I
remember.
Do you think
this person is
suitable for
Christian service?
Not quite sure
what answer they
were looking for,
but my answer
was that from
the beginning
God has
used weak,
broken people
to do his
work.
That there are
two qualifications
for Christian
service,
being a
Christian and
being willing.
And, in
fact, it's not
even an option.
It's a requirement
of all Christians,
although it takes
many different
shapes and forms.
people
to do
things.
So, are we
looking for
special people
to do things?
Or are we
expecting God
to use us?
And how often
do we think
that we'll be able
to do something
for God
once we have
the right
armor,
the right
equipment,
the right
resources,
the right
training?
once we've
got all
these things,
and they
are good
things,
then we
can serve
God.
Or how
often do we
just say
we go in
faith,
our own
great
weakness
feeling,
not pretending
to be any
more than
we are,
and not
relying on
our ability,
but relying
on God.
whatever
the situation
you're called
into,
whether it's
to be
a hero
to your
child who
skinned
her knee,
or to get
alongside your
brother or
sister who's
really struggling,
or to invite
your colleague
to the Life
Explored course,
or maybe
you are
called into
global politics.
Maybe,
as Delirious
sang all those
years ago,
for those of
you that can
actually still
remember Delirious,
maybe you
are called
to be a
history maker
in this
land,
a speaker
of truth
to all
mankind.
But then
in the next
verses,
verses 41
to 47,
we see an
unlikely
and frankly
ridiculous
scene.
A huge,
heavily armed
warrior.
and a
boy
with a
sling
approaching
each other
across the
battlefield.
And Goliath
takes this
as an
insult.
He
understands
strength.
He
understands
war.
He has
no time
for weakness.
And they've
sent a
boy.
He
curses
David in
the names
of his
Philistine
gods and
shouts a
defiant
challenge.
come
closer
and I'll
kill you.
He assumes
that the
outcome of
this fight
is a
mere
formality.
But David,
however,
has a
slightly
different view
of the
situation.
He sees
the apparent
mismatch,
but he
knows that
he's not
the one
that should
be afraid
and shouts
back his
own challenge.
some of
this seems
to be just
out of
standard
military
taunting.
Goliath has
said he'll
give David's
flesh to
the birds
and wild
animals.
David
trumps
this by
saying he'll
give the
carcasses of
the whole
Philistine
army to
the birds
and animals.
But his
challenge is
not just
bravado.
Because his
challenge is
based on his
understanding of
who God
is.
he calls
him the
Lord
Almighty.
Sometimes
translated the
Lord of
hosts, or
as we
sang the
God of
angel
armies.
The
God of
the armies
of Israel
whom you
have defied.
He knows
that the
God Goliath
has set
himself up
against is
no mere
distant
deity.
Nor is
he just a
personal
God.
He is an
awesome
God who
is here.
He's not
distant from
his creation,
but he's at
work throughout
it and
still totally
other.
But his
challenge is
also based on
his trust in
God.
Because he
says he
will deliver
you into
my hands.
He's not
relying on his
strength or
his skill,
but in
God
fighting for
him.
And this
is not just
because of
his inexperience
and weakness,
the fact that
as far as
we're aware
he's never
fought a
battle before.
Because as
we read of
many battles
afterwards,
even once
he's an
experienced
warrior,
his trust
in God,
not his
own strength
remains.
He writes
in Psalm
19,
some
trust in
chariots
and some
in horses,
but we
trust in
the name
of the
Lord our
God.
This morning
we were
reminded by
Scott Hamilton
telling us
about the
work of
UCCF,
that they
could put
on all
the slickest
presentations.
They could
have the
best speakers,
they could
do everything
really,
really well.
And if
God wasn't
in it,
they were
wasting their
time.
But lastly,
his challenge
is for
God's
glory.
He doesn't
care about
his own
reputation,
whether he
comes out
of this
looking good.
Instead,
he fights
so that
the whole
world will
know that
there is a
God in
Israel.
He carries
on,
the battle
belongs to
the Lord.
God
because
it is
God who
will give
the victory
and it
is God
who will
get the
glory.
And then
we come to
the account
of the
fight itself
and
it's
in verses
48 to
51,
it's
very short.
It only
takes three
and a half
verses.
he hits
Goliath
on the
forehead
with one
stone,
sinks into
his forehead,
kills him,
he then
runs up,
cuts off
Goliath's
head with
Goliath's
own sword,
done.
There's
little more
to be said
about it
than that.
It really
seems
anticlimactic.
you're
expecting
some
description
of a
titanic
struggle
here
where
despite
the
crushing
odds
David
eventually
subdues
his opponent
and crawls
out wounded
but victorious.
Nope,
nothing like
that here.
Despite
outward
appearances,
the odds
were so
heavily
stacked
in David's
favour
that there's
little to
comment on.
In fact,
to call it
a fight
is really
stretching
things.
And the
remainder of
this chapter
is just
the aftermath.
Having seen
the Philistine
champion
defeated,
the tables
are turned.
It's now the
Philistines
who are running
in fear
and the
Israelites,
having seen
God at work,
have the
confidence to
chase him
down.
But
I don't
know,
as I
come to
this,
particularly
as I
read of
this
ridiculously
short
fight,
I can't
help
thinking
of another
champion.
A champion
who also
looked like
nothing special.
David is at
least described
here as
handsome,
but this
champion
had no
beauty
or majesty
to attract
us to
him.
Nothing
in his
appearance
that we
should
desire
him.
He was
a champion
who,
when taunted
by his
adversary,
could say,
it is
written,
worship the
Lord your
God and
serve him
only.
A champion
that,
as he
approached
the battlefield
where everything
seemed stacked
against him,
could say to
his father,
not my
will,
but yours
be done.
A champion
whose greatest
victory
was won
when it
seemed like
his enemies.
All the
powers of
darkness
and death
itself
were invincible
and yet he
could cry
out,
it is
finished.
But a
champion
who promised
he would be
with us
always,
even to
the end
of the
age.
A champion
that promised
a comforter
to walk
beside us,
to walk
with us
through life,
to give us
the power
to face
up to
these
challenges
that we
see in
the world
around us,
that we
are unable
to meet
with our
own
strength.
But a
champion
that will
not leave
us fighting
running
battles
forever.
A champion
who will
himself
come onto
the battlefield
at the
end of
the age.
If we
thought the
description
of the
battle
here
was an
anticlimax,
try reading
Revelation
19.
There we
see our
champion
on a
white
horse.
He has
the names
faithful and
true,
and king
of kings,
and lord
of lords.
And armies
are massed
against him,
led by the
beast and
false prophet.
The kings
of the
earth are
furiously
raging
against him.
And then
instead of
an epic
battle,
the beast
and false
prophet are
captured,
and the
rest are
killed by
the sword
that came
out of
the mouth
of the
rider
on the
white
horse.
Just like
that,
no fuss.
We talk
about Armageddon
as if it's
an epic
battle of
good against
evil.
It isn't.
It's plain,
straightforward
defeat.
The powers
of evil
don't stand
a chance.
And the
powers of
evil will
be defeated.
All the
wrongs in
this world
that we've
thought about,
and many
others,
will be
put right.
We have
a champion
who will
wipe every
tear from
our eye.
And in
the meantime,
he is
with us
as we go
into the
battle
tomorrow
and the
next day
until he
comes.
Just want
to finish
with words
of verse
of a song.
I can
see the
son of
man
descending,
and the
sword he
swings is
brighter than
the dawn.
And the
gates of
hell will
never stand
against him.
So, in
the night,
my hope
lives on.
Amen.