Archives For Goliath

Facing the Giants

admin —  September 15, 2011 — Leave a comment

I had a lot of fun with the message this past week on David and Goliath. Friday and Saturday I attempted to learn to use the sling. I was proud of myself on Sunday that I was actually able shoot the ball forward and not backwards. I definitely had more than one embarrassing attempt at using my sling in my front yard with all of the neighborhood kids looking on.

David and Goliath is a story that most all of us learned growing up. Most of us learned the Sunday School version of the story that leaves Goliath a bit cartoonish. But Goliath was no cartoon figure. He was one real mean dude. He was not someone you would want to meet in a dark alley or anywhere for that matter. To say he was a giant is an understatement. He was someone no one wanted to face.

But as much as the Israelites wanted to avoid Goliath, he was not going anywhere. For 40 days Goliath continued to shout his taunts of defiance at the Israelites and their God. That is the way giants are. Wishing they would go away are not going to make them go away. The only way they are going to go away is if they are confronted and taken on.

The giants are intimidating and imposing. They are good at convincing us that we cannot win. They work to cause us to doubt and make us to give up before the battle is even fought. We don’t lose to the giants in the battle. We lose to the giants by giving up before the battle even begins.

We don’t necessarily fight ancient giant warriors with slings and stones. The giants we face are those things we are tempted to believe we cannot be overcome. An example of one of these giants we might face is an addiction in our life. It might be a relationship that is troubled. It might be a financial difficulty or a challenge in your marriage. Whatever the giant is, ignoring it will not make it go away.

If you are fighting the Lord’s battle you cannot lose. It is impossible. God does not lose. God is almighty. God wins the day. This does not mean it is easy. The giants present an incredible challenge. But the giants are no match for the Lord. All that is needed is to take the step of faith and to trust in God’s directions.

If you find yourself fighting a losing battle, ask yourself if it is the Lord’s battle you are fighting. Often our stubbornness gets in the way and keeps us from admitting we are wrong. It just might very well be that it is the Lord you are fighting and that is not going to work out. Is it for your glory or is it for God’s glory?

Saul would have never defeated Goliath. Saul was too proud to admit the error of his ways. The giant Saul was fighting was a threat to Saul’s kingdom. The giant David faced was a threat to God’s kingdom. That is why if Saul had fought Goliath it would have been Saul’s Battle. But for David, the battle was the Lord’s battle.

I leave you with this song by Casting Crowns which we sang last Sunday. The giant is calling out and telling me that I am never going to win. But the voice of truth tells me a different story. Which is the voice I am going to choose to listen to? Which voice are you going to choose to listen to?

In Weekly Email , , , , , , , , , ,
permalink

Slaying Giants

admin —  September 12, 2011 — 2 Comments

Slaying Giants

This week we took a look at one of the most famous stories of all times. It is the story of David and Goliath. There are very few people who have never heard this story. This is a story that has been told over and over numerous times and in numerous ways. I remember having this story read to me at bedtime when I was a kid.

It is the classic underdog story that comes with a powerful message. We find the story recorded in 1 Samuel 17. It is a story of faith and trust. It shows that God is in control even in the most difficult circumstances.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In Sermons , , , , , , , , , ,
permalink

Daily David, Week 2, Day 5

admin —  September 9, 2011 — Leave a comment

We have come upon the end of our second week on our study of the life of King David. I pray that you have found a bit of a groove by now. Maybe you are still trying to still develop a routine. But if you are still keeping up with the readings and checking out this daily blog, give yourself a little pat on the back. It is ok to do so. Don’t worry about any false pride. We need to celebrate these little victories more often. Too often we don’t celebrate enough when it comes to our spiritual journey.

Our reading today picks up the story again in 1 Samuel 18. We read about the aftermath of the battle between David and Goliath. On this day the Israelites won a great victory in the battle. It seemed like a time of great celebration.

What were the blessing David received as a result of defeating Goliath (18:5-7)?

David was given a high rank in the army. Women from the towns came out to sing, dance, and celebrate David’s victory. From our previous readings we learned that Saul had promised to exempt David’s father from taxes and give David his daughter’s hand in marriage. However, the Scriptures do not confirm that David’s father was exempted from taxes. Also, while David would eventually marry Saul’s daughter, Michal, Saul did not willingly or freely give her away.

What were the consequences (18:8-9)?

King Saul became jealous and angry because of the attention and praise David received. Saul would even go further by seeking to take David’s life.

Why was Saul so jealous of David? What did his jealousy drive him toward (18:10-16)? What are the negative consequences of jealousy you have seen in your own life and in the lives of others?

Saul was jealous of David because David received the praise and the accolades of the people. Saul feared they would make David king in his place.

Saul tried to kill David multiple times, but he never succeeded. God protected David. Saul gave his daughter Merab, who had been promised to David, to another man. Saul’s other daughter, Michal, was given to David in a reluctant way after a failed scheme to have David killed.

Why did Saul really send David to kill the Philistines (18:25)?

His hope was that the Philistines would kill David. Instead David killed many Philistines. God’s plan could not be thwarted. If you find yourself scheming against God, it will not work out well for you.

Do you think that at this point in time, David might have longed to go back to the shepherd’s field? What does all of David’s success bring him?

David never asked for any of this. He fought Goliath because Goliath had defied the living God. David fought Goliath for God’s glory alone. David did not seek the praise or the recognition. But because he accomplished this great thing for God, Saul became jealous of him. When a person does great things for God he will have critics and worse yet he will have people who will seek to do him harm. It might have seemed like it would have been really great to have lived David’s life, but David lived a hard life. His life was filled with many challenges and much grief. He would not have become king if he had stayed in the shepherds field. His life would have been much simpler. Although, he would have missed what God had set before him to do. Doing God’s work will never be easy.

Life is filled with hills and valleys. David went from one of his highest highs to his lowest lows in a matter of days. But through it all, what was the one constant in David’s life?

The Lord, Yahweh, was the one constant in David’s life. He had people come to him and leave him all through his life. Often times those who stuck close to David did so only because of how they profited from the relationship they had with David. I think about the 23rd Psalm and how David expresses his confidence in the loving shepherd who was always present with him. That same loving shepherd promises to be with you and me as well no matter what.

In Other Stuff , , , , , , , , ,
permalink

Daily David, Week 2, Day 1

admin —  September 4, 2011 — Leave a comment

We kick off week 2 of the King David Message Series today. In today’s reading we will be looking at one of the most famous stories ever told. It is the story of David and Goliath found in 1 Samuel 17. The listing of readings, questions for each day, and anything else related to this message series can be found on this blog by clicking on the David picture to the right.

What made Goliath to be so intimidating (17:4-7)?

We read Goliath was over 9ft tall. That is really tall. His armor was more than 125lbs. So not only was he tall, but he was covered from head to toe with body armor. You might as well have been going up against a tank. He carried a spear. The tip of the spear was 15lbs, heavier than most bowling balls. He even had an armed guard called an armor bearer that marched before him. So to get to Goliath, you had to get past his armor bearer first. This was the most imposing figure you would ever meet.

What was the Israelite response to the giant’s challenge (17:8-11)? Who should have rightfully fought Goliath (see 1 Samuel 9:1-2)?

The Israelites did not want anything to do with Goliath. The text says when they heard Goliath they were terrified and deeply shaken. No one had the courage and they were left demoralized.

It should have rightfully been Saul who should have fought Goliath. We go back to the story of when he was chosen to be king. He was head and shoulders above anyone else in the land. He may not have been taller than Goliath, but he was the tallest among the Israelites. We also read last week how Saul and Jonathan were the only ones in the Israelite army who had weapons. Saul had everything he needed to fight Goliath. He should have been the person to step forward. Samuel had given him the charge to deliver the Israelites out from under the hand of the Philistines.

Goliath kept coming back for 40 days (17:16) to challenge the Israelites. What are the giants that keep coming back in your life that will not go away?

I find one of the most interesting things in this text is how Goliath kept coming back. He did not give up. Day after day for 40 days he taunted the Israelite army. The giants we face will keep coming back. They do not go away. Sometimes they will leave for a short time, but they will come back a different time and in a different way. We cannot run from the giants in our life. Another name for these giants are the 500 lbs gorillas in the room. Avoiding them will not make them go away.

The giants we face are things like temptation, money, death, and health. These are big things that cause us to worry and to fear.

What was the only way Goliath would go away?

The only way Goliath was going to go away was to face him and to take him on. They were not going to be able to run away from him. The only way to get rid of him was to defeat him. The warrior who faced Goliath might die in the fight. But not standing up to the giant was no answer either.

It is the same way with the giants in our lives. We can’t run from them. With help from God we need to deal with them and take them head on. As we learned last week, faith is more than wishful thinking. Faith is the ability to take action even in the midst of our doubt. You may not think you can defeat your giant and you are right. But when you step in faith and express your confidence in God, watch God come through.

Why do you think Eliab (David’s brother) was so critical of David (17:28)?

It is very possible Eliab is still holding resentment against David because David had been chosen by Samuel to be the next king. Eliab might have been jealous of David and by casting words of spite in David’s direction, he hoped to make himself feel better. But bitterness is never going to bring release. It is only by offering forgiveness and finding our joy and satisfaction in the Lord we will discover healing.

Why did David have such confidence to fight Goliath (17:34-37, 45)? Why is David ultimately the one “most qualified” to fight Goliath?

David’s confidence came from his past experience in the fields. He remembered how God delivered him from a lion and a bear. God had spared David’s life before and this gave David the confidence now that God was on his side.

David was the most qualified to fight Goliath but not because David was a mighty warrior. It was not because David was trained to fight. David was the most qualified simply because he listened and followed God. He was the man after God’s own heart. God does not seek out the most qualified according to earthly standards. He looks for the most qualified according to heavenly standards.

How is Saul’s trying to help David, by giving him his armor, actually hurting David (17:38-39)?

Saul is trying to make David into something he was not. Each of us is gifted in our own unique way by God. By trying to put on Saul’s armor, David was attempting to become someone he was not. God gave David the ability to use the sling and that was what David needed to use. Be true to yourself and who God made you to be. Don’t try to be someone you are not.

What was Goliath’s greatest weapon against the Lord’s anointed (17:41-44)? How did David counteract this (17:45-47)?

Goliath’s greatest weapon was not his sword or his spear. It was intimidation. More than anything else, Goliath sought to defeat his enemy by destroying his will and his spirit to fight.

David counteracted Goliath’s intimidation by expressing his faith out loud in the true and living God. David spoke words of faith. These words of faith were not just something he kept to himself. They were for the benefit of all who would hear. He wanted everyone to know the God in whom he put his trust.

Why do you think it is significant David “ran” to meet the giant in 17:48?

David did not wait for the Giant to come to him. He ran towards the Giant. Don’t wait for troubles to come your way. There is so much injustice in this world. Advance against it. Advance against the gates of hell. Don’t let them come to you, otherwise it will be too late.

In Other Stuff , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
permalink