What Killed the Giant?

A slingshot?  A rock?

No.

My girls and I were discussing the miraculous way in which God chose to kill Giant Goliath. 

Have you ever stopped to consider the details?  Most of us know the story as it happened.  It's a great "kid's story" and lots of fun to sing about too.  But there's so much more to it...

Goliath was begging anyone to come out and fight him.  Anyone at all.  If there had been someone who was brave enough to stand up to him, God could have used that person instead.  But no one was willing.  And it's not really that they weren't brave enough per say, but rather that they didn't trust God to take care of the situation.  Many times when we are brave enough to stand up for something we don't do a good enough job simply because we are doing it in our own strength and bravery.  We do much better when we trust God and His strength alone.

David shows up on the scene just in time.  He wouldn't have, though, had he not obeyed his father and gone to check on his brothers and the progress of the army.  He wouldn't have been in the right place at the right time if he'd not followed the directions he father had given him.

When he gets to the battle field, he hears the giant cursing and laughing because no one can beat him, in fact this giant thinks he's going to beat the army of the Living God!  It's all David can take!

He goes to his brothers and demands to know why no one is fighting this guy.  Why haven't they put him in his place?  His brothers aren't fond of being questioned by their kid brother.  They tell him that it's none of his business and that he needs to go back home where he belongs and let the big men handle the important jobs.

David isn't put off.  He turns to other soldiers and asks them the same questions.  They respond much the way his brothers did.  Eventually word gets back to King Saul that there's a boy who's willing to face the giant.  When questioned, David tells King Saul that he'll be glad to fight the giant.  He explains that if God can deliver him from the lion and bear, He can surly deliver him from this giant!

David tries on the king's armor.  The very same armor that should have been occupied by the king at that very moment!  It's too big.  Neither the fact that the armor is too big nor the fact that he will have to go without armor deters  David.  He knows that the only thing he needs is God.

photo credit

He runs out to face the giant with a simple shepherd's sling, five smooth stones and a God that's in control of everything from the stars in the sky to the fish in the sea.

He answers the giant's calls with such a mighty statement:  "I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts....This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee...that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel." ~ I Samuel 17

I can see it now!!  David whips out his sling and before you know it, it's loaded, and, there it goes...  The rock is flung in the direction of the giant...

All the men on the Philistine side are laughing and gawking because a young boy thinks he can kill their huge giant with that little rock.  The men on the Hebrew side are all watching on in terror.  Hoping against hope that somehow this will end well and that they won't be made into the laughing stock of the political grapevine. 

David only thinks about the problem at hand and how God will accomplish His work!  There's no doubt in David's mind that God CAN.

The stone flies up and hits the giant in the only spot that's not covered by Philistine armor.  The rock that's tiny when compared to the giant it hits, knocks him out.  But rather than falling backward as one should when hit in the forehead, the giant falls forward.   David runs at him.  Grabs his own huge sword and lops off that giant's head.

Contrary to popular belief, the sling shot and the stone didn't kill the giant, but rather provided a way for David to get to the sword.

The hand of God is all over this story!  From Jesse sending David to check on his brothers to the fact that Giant Goliath fell forward instead of backward.  Do you think God was standing behind Goliath and tapped him on the back of the head right as the stone hit?  I do!  How else would he have fallen forward? 

There are so many directions we can go with this story!

One, we have to face the giants that God brings into our lives.  Anyone could have faced Goliath.  God could have used anyone.  But they weren't willing to trust Him. 

Two, David had faith to face this giant because of the things that he'd faced previously.  He'd faced a lion and bear and God had provided a way.  David knew in his heart that this situation, though bigger was no different.  God was still in control and God would have His way!  If we're on God's side all is well.

Three, God used David's human attempts and worked a mighty miracle.  Can a small rock and a sling shot kill a mighty giant.  Only if God wants it to.  In this case, it was the means to the end.  It was the means to the sword that ended that giant's life.

Four, God can use anyone.  He would have used one of the soldiers, or even King Saul had one of them trusted God to work.  But they didn't.  So, you see, God can use anyone.  Are you willing to be used?  Are you ready to face whatever is in store for you?

Remember.  God is there with you.  He's bigger than whatever giant you're facing.  He can knock that giant off his feet and give you the victory! 

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