David and Goliath – Part 4

          We saw last week that David’s older brother discouraged and wanted to silence David. David said to his brother Eliab, “Now what have I done? Can’t I even speak?” 1 Samuel 17:29 We also saw that Saul discouraged David saying that he was just a youth and not skilled in battle like Goliath. (1 Samuel 17:33) Saul was looking with “natural” eyes, but David was looking with “spiritual” eyes.

Saul’s Armor

          Saul dressed David in his own armor. Saul was much taller and bigger than the youth David, so his armor was much too big and cumbersome for David. David wasn’t trained in this type of armor. God had hidden David away in the shepherd’s field training him to defeat any enemy with God's weapons. Eventually, David would rule and reign over God’s people.

It didn’t matter to David that Saul and his brother didn’t know who he was in the Lord.  David knew! So did God’s prophet Samuel. He had anointed David to be King over all Israel even though it had not yet come to pass. When we trust who we are in the Lord, we will be confident, fearless, bold and courageous over any enemy or weapon that comes against us.

If David had listened to his brother and king Saul, he would have never killed the giant Goliath. There was a famine of Divine leadership in Saul and his army, so God raised up David to defeat the enemies of God’s people. God never deserts His people. His love and protection is everlasting.

David’s Weapons

          David would use the same weapons he used in the shepherd’s field to kill the lions and the bears who came to attack his father’s sheep. He “took his shepherd’s staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream and put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag, and with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.” 1 Samuel 17:40 

Why Five Smooth Stones?

           David’s stones had to be the right stones. David gathered five God-made smooth stones that had been in the water for a long time and had their rough edges washed off. A smooth stone will be more accurate in hitting its target. A jagged stone will wobble and may miss the intended target.

            David’s five smooth stones have a spiritual message since God and Jesus use the things of the earth to teach spiritual truths. Five is the number of grace. Jesus who is God’s grace chooses the fivefold ministry gifts – apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelists and pastors – equips and prepares them by the washing of the water of the Word and the Holy Spirit –and uses them to build His church and defeat the spiritual enemy of all humans. The fivefold ministry is Jesus’ gift to His Body.

Goliath

          Goliath thought that David was no match for him either! There were two against one. Goliath had his shield bearer in front of him. Goliath was insulted that the Israelites sent the youth David to fight him. “Am I a dog that you come to me with sticks? Come here, he said, and I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!” 1 Samuel 17:43-44

            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 hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, 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.” Vv 45-47 David wanted God’s people to know that the God of Israel would defeat this giant through him. The ways of man cannot defeat our spiritual enemy. The ways and weapons of God will! David would trust the Lord for all Israel.  David is God’s representative, but he gave glory to God not himself. God will do to Goliath what he threatened to do to David. His evil acts will be turned onto Goliath’s own head. God does the same to our spiritual enemy – Satan and his demonic army.

Under His Feet

            As Goliath moved closer to attack David, David fearlessly ran quickly toward him. David reached into his shepherd’s bag and took out a chosen, precious stone. He slung it and struck the Philistine in the forehead, and Goliath fell facedown on the ground. In other words, David rendered Goliath lame, just as Jesus, God’s chosen, precious Rock, rendered Satan lame at the cross. David then ran and stood over Goliath. In other words, David put the enemy of God’s people under his feet. Then David took Goliath’s own sword out of his sheath and cut off his head. To cut off one’s head means that you are cutting off his authority. Satan has not been completely defeated. He still works through the flesh of mankind. Jesus will complete the job and will destroy Satan completely in the end. In the meantime, God wants his chosen, precious followers of Jesus to cut off Satan’s authority by walking according to the Spirit not our flesh. Satan can only be defeated through the ways of God, not our flesh.

            In the scriptures, God said that He put all things under the feet of Jesus. (see Psalms 8:6; 18:9; 1 Corinthians 15:25-27; Ephesians 1:22 and Hebrews 2:8) David’s son Solomon said that David could not build the Lord’s temple because he was a man of war and had shed blood. (see 1 Kings 5:3) Solomon, the prince of peace who is a type and shadow of Jesus, will build God’s earthly temple in Israel. God’s temple is to be a place of peace. God has put all things under the feet of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, including the devil and his demonic army. Jesus wants His followers to also put the devil under our feet (authority) since we are one with Jesus. (see Romans 16:20)  We have the victory in Jesus. Jesus will finish the job in the end. Satan and His demonic host will be in the lake of fire in the belly of the earth forever.