A Giant Problem

The familiar story of David and Goliath from 1 Samuel 17 is fundamentally a story about God battling His enemies rather than simply human courage. The Israelites had made an idol of King Saul, trusting in his physical stature for deliverance rather than in God. When confronted with Goliath, a giant larger than Saul, the people responded with fear and dismay because their idol had failed them. David exemplifies proper faith by trusting in God's deliverance rather than human strength or armor.

The story foreshadows Christ's ultimate victory over sin and death, as David defeats Goliath with the giant's own sword, just as Jesus conquers death through death itself.

Points to Note:

- The Israelites made an idol of King Saul, trusting in his height and strength rather than in God's power. When our idols fail, we respond with fear and dismay rather than returning to God.

- Saul's attempt to solve the problem through bargaining and external rewards could not address the heart issue of faithlessness.

- David's confidence came from his relationship with God, not his skill with a sling.

- Fear in our lives reveals what we are trusting in instead of God. We must ask "why" when experiencing fear to discover what we are holding with a closed fist before God.

- The battle was God's battle, not David's—God was vindicating His name against those who defied Him.