Context No. 3969 of 4322 · 1 Samuel

1 Samuel 17:1-10: in context

1Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle; and they were gathered together at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah in Ephesdammim. 2Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and encamped in the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines. 3The Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them. 4A champion out of the camp of the Philistines named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span went out. 5He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he wore a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. 6He had bronze shin armor on his legs and a bronze javelin between his shoulders. 7The staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam; and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. His shield bearer went before him. 8He stood and cried to the armies of Israel, and said to them, “Why have you come out to set your battle in array? Am I not a Philistine, and you servants to Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. 9If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then will we be your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you will be our servants and serve us.” 10The Philistine said, “I defy the armies of Israel today! Give me a man, that we may fight together!”

The two armies stand facing each other across the valley, and out from the Philistine ranks strides Goliath, a giant of a man, armored head to toe, his spearhead alone weighing more than most men could lift. Twice a day he steps out and hurls his challenge at Israel: choose a man to fight me; I defy the armies of Israel; give me a man.

And Israel is paralyzed. No one dares to answer. The whole army of God's people is frozen in fear before one loud, imposing enemy. There is a picture here of how a single, seemingly unbeatable obstacle can freeze us. Goliath was one man, but his size and his defiance were enough to rob a whole army of its courage; they looked at the giant and forgot the God who had delivered them again and again. Fear has a way of magnifying the obstacle and shrinking God. And the deliverance, when it came, would come from an unexpected quarter, a shepherd boy who looked past the giant to the living God.

When I face an obstacle that seems unbeatable and am tempted to freeze in fear, do I see only the giant, or do I remember the God who is greater than any Goliath that defies his people?

Sources

1 Samuel 17:8: "Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me."
1 Samuel 17:10: "I defy the armies of Israel today! Give me a man, that we may fight together!"
1 Samuel 17:4: "A champion out of the camp of the Philistines named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span went out."