1 Samuel 17:1-10: a reflection

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 armies of Israel and the Philistines face each other across a valley, and out of the Philistine camp steps a champion who freezes everyone in place. Goliath is enormous, armored head to foot, his spear like a weaver's beam, his very appearance a weapon. Twice a day he strides out and hurls the same challenge: choose a man to face me, and let the whole war be decided between us. No one in Israel dares to answer.

The scene is built to make you feel the helplessness. By every human measure, Goliath is unanswerable; his size, his armor, his weapons, his contempt all combine to paralyze an entire army. Israel's soldiers, King Saul among them, are dismayed and afraid. The challenge hangs in the air day after day, and the silence on Israel's side says plainly that in their own strength there is no one who can meet it. The problem is too big for them.

This is exactly the setting into which God's deliverer will step, though not yet in this passage. And that is the point to carry with you. There are challenges in life that are genuinely beyond your strength, giants that no amount of human courage can answer, and it is no shame to admit it. The gospel begins where your ability ends. When you face what you cannot overcome, do not despair at the silence; look for the deliverance God provides, for he specializes in victories that human strength could never win.

Lord, some challenges are simply too big for me, giants I cannot answer in my own strength, and it is no shame to admit it. When I face what I cannot overcome and the silence feels like defeat, turn my eyes to you. You specialize in the victories that human strength could never win. Be my deliverer where I have no answer of my own. Amen.