The Lord Delivers

The story of David and Goliath is sometimes portrayed as a cute bible story, perhaps one fit for a cartoon, a boy against a giant, while his older brothers feared. It is, of course, a real story, about a real boy against a real giant. We should also understand that David understood the centrality of the story that we need to understand.

         David was a mighty man of valor. In his day, he gathered a host of other mighty men, men of renown who performed mighty deeds. But David knew the source of his and their power. Unlike Saul, he did not seek to expand his power and glory. He was willing to wait upon the living God and then give God the glory when He arose and acted. David knew that he was merely David Jesse’s son, a shepherd boy from Bethlehem, youngest of eight sons and least in the eyes of everyone. He was not godlike in appearance as Eliab nor as generous as Abinidab nor a wonder worker as Shammah was, but merely a shepherd boy with a staff and sling. Though he would not lay claim, the makings of a king.