David and Goliath

We have a children’s story time during our morning worship service, and every eight or so weeks, my rotation comes around. Dh suggested I share with the children along the lines of the fabulous David and Goliath story…and so I did.

I love setting the scene for Bible stories. This one is such fun, showing the children just how tall Goliath was (9 feet) with a yardstick, and that he had 6 fingers on each hand and 6 toes on each foot…and best of all, the real reason that David chose 5 stones…

But in my quest online for fun details on the “setting”, I came across a great analogy of this favorite story at gracethrufaith.com:

I Spoke To The Prophets, Gave Them Many Visions And Told Parables Through Them

Several times in Scripture, the Lord informs us of the value of these stories from Israel’s history (Hosea 12:10, Rom 15:4 & 1 Cor 10:11). We’re to learn the lessons they contain, not just repeat them as historical accounts, because they were orchestrated in such a way as to reveal truths about God, and none more so than the story of David and Goliath.

If you see the story as a parable on spiritual warfare, you’ll gain some remarkable additional insight. The word parable means to “lay along side” so we’re not discarding the historical validity of the account, just gaining another level of understanding. The main characters in Biblical parables always represent someone or something else, so try seeing Goliath and the Philistines as Satan and his demonic host, Saul and the Israelites as man in the flesh, and David as man in the Spirit. For 40 days Saul and his army were intimidated and paralyzed by the defiant words of Goliath, just as in the flesh man is intimidated and paralyzed by the power of Satan. 40 is the Biblical number of testing and shows that man in the flesh will always fail his test with the enemy. And as David discovered, not even the king’s own armor, the best man could fashion, was suitable protection but instead further encumbered and immobilized him (1 Sam 17:38-39). Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephe 6:12). For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary they have divine power to demolish strongholds (2 Cor 10:3-4). Wearing Saul’s armor, David was an awkward and ineffective boy, but armed in the strength of the Lord he was more that a match for the giant Goliath (1 Sam 17:45-47). “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord Almighty (Zech 4:6).

As for why David chose 5 stones…did you realize that Goliath’s father had 5 sons? All giants. That’s right. David wasn’t worried about needing more than one shot at the big bad bully.

David showed forethought in preparing to kill not only Goliath, but the giant’s brothers should they come out to avenge their brother’s death.

How’s that for a best-selling children’s story?