The
Goliath in Your Life
Journey far enough down the road of
life and you will encounter obstacles or challenges that appear to be
insurmountable—mountains that are just too steep to climb. Israel
encountered one of those roadblocks while under the leadership of Saul,
its defunct king (1 Samuel 17:1-54). The challenge was embodied in
Goliath, a champion in the Philistine army (17:4). We all remember well
how young David rose to the challenge and destroyed that God-defying
heathen.
The apostle Paul told us that “whatsoever things were written
aforetime
were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of
the scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4). Our
learning may not be
the sole purpose of the OT scriptures, but it is certainly a solemn
purpose! A reading and ingesting of the OT writings promotes patience
(an abiding under the loads of life) and comfort (a lending of
encouragement from a God who is close at hand). These two virtues in
turn bring hope (a confident expectation) to the heart.
Since the episode involving Goliath
was made part of the biblical
record, we can therefore assume he represents or symbolizes an obstacle
or challenge from which the people of God can learn and be encouraged.
If there is a Goliath in you life, dear friend, there is much to be
learned from this Philistine giant.
So, what does Goliath represent to
you and me? First, it goes without
saying that Goliath represents the mortal enemy who sets himself
against all that is God-related. He is the opposition—formidable
opposition! In fact, his very name means “one who treads down” other
men. It is noteworthy that Goliath touched upon two distinct themes
while addressing the armies of Israel—death and servitude (17:8-10).
Goliath was asking for one man to fight him to the death. When he said,
“Give me a man, that we may fight together’ (17:10), he was saying in
essence, “Send out Saul!” Saul turned out to be a no show. The proposed
outcome of this one-on-one battle would be servitude (17:9). The death
of one would result in the servitude of many. Goliath teaches us that
Satan—our mortal enemy and that of the gospel—is perfectly willing to
bring into servitude that which he does not (or cannot) ultimately
destroy.
Secondly, he represents intimidation.
The scriptures paint for us the
picture of a colossus. At “six cubits and a span” he stood between nine
and ten feet in height. The plethora of protective brass armor from
head to foot created the illusion of invincibility. For offensive
weaponry, his six-hundred-shekel iron spearhead was a sledgehammer on
steroids, equating to roughly fifteen pounds! The reaction of Saul and
all Israel to the words that proceeded from the giant’s mouth is
recorded for us: “They were dismayed, and greatly afraid” (17:11).
Total intimidation was indeed the order of the day.
But consider this question: Was
intimidation in and of itself the real
problem? I think not! At various points in our Christian walk, each of
us has encountered some challenge or form of opposition that has caused
feelings of intimidation at first blush. No, the real problem with Saul
and his army was prolonged intimidation. We are told that Goliath
issued his challenge twice a day (morning and evening) for forty days
(17:11). Basic math tells me this infidel issued eighty
challenges over the course of
a month and a half. And not once during this time is there the first
mention of prayer or praise being directed toward the living God by the
people of God. Intimidation can be our friend if it drives us to the
throne of grace. It can, however, wreck our lives if all we do is
prolong our focus on the magnitude of our problem.
Thirdly, Goliath represents
revelation. God often designs tough
situations to reveal something of his own power and glory through his
servants. In the previous chapter, Samuel had anointed David to be the
next king of Israel, so that “the Spirit of the Lord came upon David”
and “departed from Saul” (16:13-14). God had now set the providential
stage to reveal to all Israel the favor with which he had graced this
young man, and to demonstrate for the ages to come what a man filled
with faith and the Holy Ghost can accomplish against insurmountable
odds! David was simply a man who understood the God-honoring cause at
hand (17:29), and gave himself to it. Is there a Goliath in your life?
Has the enemy raised his ugly head to
create fear and intimidation within you? If so, remember that the real
danger is prolonged intimidation that can ultimately destroy our
resolve to fight the good fight of faith. Consider also that the Author
and Finisher of our faith may have set the stage to reveal his power
and glory through you as you trust him and continue to walk in
obedience. The Goliath in your life may well be the steppingstone to
the next level of your experience with the living God.
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