Thurs.’s Devo - David and Goliath

Read: 1 Samuel 17:1-18:4; John 111:1-10; Proverbs 15:11 Israel was fighting the Philistines and had come to an impasse. The armies had gathered on two hills with a valley between them. The Philistines had a giant champion who daily taunted the Israelites challenging one of their warriors to come out and fight him. Whoever won, won for their whole army and the losing army would become slaves of the other army. Israel had no giant so they were paralyzed in fear. *** David’s older brothers were in the army and their father sent David with grain, bread and cheese to give to his brothers and find out how the battle was going. When David arrived, he heard the taunts of Goliath and saw the fear in Israel’s army. He also found out that the reward for killing the giant was marriage with one of Saul’s daughters, and tax exemption for the man’s entire family. *** David kept asking people what the man would get who killed Goliath. David was obsessed with the prize, not the obstacle standing between him getting the prize. His brother’s tried to intimidate him, but David didn’t give in. He finally offered to go and kill Goliath. *** He was taken to Saul who was clearly not impressed with David’s size or age. David told how he had killed lions and bears that came to get his sheep, so what would this pagan be to God? It was the Lord who helped him before, and it would be the Lord who would help him now. *** Saul, reluctantly let him go. He tried to give him his own armor and helmet which didn’t fit David so he gave them back. He would go as himself. He took off with his shepherd’s staff and sling and five smooth stones. *** Goliath began walking towards David cursing him by his gods. He told David he would give his flesh to the birds and wild animals. David was not deterred. He ran towards Goliath cursing him in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. He told him that today the Lord would conquer him and then he would kill him by cutting off his head. It will be his dead body that the birds and wild animals eat. This was the Lord’s battle and He will give it to them - the Israelites. *** It took one stone to fell Goliath. David used Goliath’s sword to kill him and cut his head off. Now, it was the Philistines who ran in fear, with the Israelites hot on their trail. *** Saul wanted to know about David’s father. Who had raised this boy to be so courageous. *** David was a type of Jesus, also born in Bethlehem. Everything about Jesus pointed to God, his father, just as what David did made Saul want to know who his father was. David had to conquer his fear of death to face Goliath who stood in the way of Israel’s victory just as Jesus had to go to the cross and conquer fear and death to gain our salvation which leads to our eternal life. *** David told Saul about his father, then met Saul’s son, Jonathan. He and Jonathan bonded immediately. Jonathan made a pact with David to protect one another with their lives. Jonathan gave David his own robe, his tunic, sword, bow and belt to seal the covenant. He was symbolically giving him his place in line to the throne. He loved him as he loved himself. To me, Jonathan is a picture of John the Baptist who knew his mission was to prepare the people to be introduced to the Messiah. John knew that he must decrease while Jesus increased. Jonathan seemed to know this also. *** In John, Jesus was trying to explain to his followers that he was from heaven and was about to return. The only way they would be able to follow him would be through their belief in him. Otherwise, they would die in their sins. He told them they would understand it better once he was lifted up on the cross. *** Lord, may we be like Jonathan who sees the great potential in others and gives them what they need to succeed. May we also do that for Jesus. May we decrease in our lives and may Jesus be increased.