5 Smooth Stones

The book of Samuel tells the story of David and Goliath, and if you've ever been to Sunday school, chances are you've heard it - but for a minute let me recap.

Goliath was a Philistine, and a mountain of a man.  The Bible says "6 cubits and a span" - which means he was about 9 feet tall.  Each day (for over 40 days) he would go out and face the Israelite army and taunt them saying, "Why do you come out and line up for battle?  Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul?  Choose a man and have him come down to me.  If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects, but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.  This day I defy the armies of Israel!  Give me a man and let us fight eachother!"

Now while this particular method of deciding a winner would certainly ensure the loss of life on both sides was minimal, seeing this giant who wanted to fight just one man to determine which side had the victory caused King Saul and his armies to be "dismayed and terrified."

But then there was David.  He had come to the battle lines because his father had pulled him away from tending sheep so that he could bring bread and cheese to his brothers who were part of Saul's army.

And hearing Goliath call out and disparage Israel, David asked, "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?"  

And then David, little David, young David, inconsequential David who was only there to bring food to his brothers - said, "I will go and fight him."

Wearing no armor, because it was too big, carrying no sword, because it was too heavy - David picked up 5 smooth stones and his slingshot, and walked out to meet Goliath.

At this point Goliath called to David saying, "Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?" and He cursed David by his gods.  Then he said, "Come herre, and I'll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals."

To which David replied, "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 y ou have defied.  This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands and I'll strike you down and cut off your head.  This very day I will give the carcases of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals 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."

Imagine the confidence.  Imagine the trust.  Imagine putting your life in God's hands and without hesitation walking out to face a GIANT problem, knowing that He had your back.  

In David's time, he would have known the first 5 books of the Bible.  

• He knew that God had delivered Israel from the Egyptians.  
• He knew the promises of Leviticus which said: "You will chase your enemies and you will defeat them.  Five of you will chase a hundred of them, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand of them.  You will defeat y our enemies and I will be pleased with you." (Leviticus 26:7-9)
• He knew that Deuteronomy said, "The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the desert.  There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place." (Dt 1:30-31)

And he had a firm belief that despite the fact that he was small, and ill-equipped, that because he was fighting for God, God would protect him.

In the end - it only took one stone - and God's providence for David to defeat Goliath and claim the victory for the Israelites.  

This story reminds me that God is bigger than any problem I might face, and that when I am facing difficulty, I should remember the 5 smooth stones that were used to defeat a giant, and to trust Him to have my back.