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The Book of Samuel was originally a single book, but was eventually divided into 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel. The book is named after Samuel, a judge and a prophet who anointed Saul and David as the first two kings of Israel. In chapter 17, King Saul had the Israelite army at his disposal, but he seemed powerless in the face of a giant named Goliath and the army of the Philistines. Then young David went to the battlefield, saw the giant, and asked his fellow Israelites, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (1 Sam 17:26). David puts his trust not in the skill of the Israelite army, but in the power of the “living God.”
David went to Saul to volunteer his services, saying, “Let no one’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are just a boy” (1 Sam 17:32-33). Goliath stood a towering nine feet, six inches. He had a helmet of bronze, a coat of mail, a shield, and armor on his shins. For weapons, he carried a javelin and a spear (1 Sam 17:4-7). David, on the other hand, was a youth who had no helmet, armor, or sword. His only weapon was a sling and five stones (1 Sam 17:38-40). He was clearly the underdog, but David convinced Saul that he had vital experience as a shepherd, with a record of killing predators that threatened his sheep. David said, “The Lord, who saved me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, will save me from the hand of this Philistine.” So Saul said, “Go, and may the Lord be with you!” (1 Sam 17:37).
Originally, Saul clothed David with his armor and weapons, but David removed them and picked up his staff, his shepherd’s bag, his sling, and five smooth stones. When Goliath saw David, he sneered and said, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the wild animals of the field” (1 Sam 17:44). David accepted his invitation, running quickly toward the battle line to meet him. David took a stone from his bag and slung it hard into Goliath’s forehead. Goliath fell to the ground and David cut off his head, using the giant’s own sword (1 Sam 17:48-51). Score one for the underdog.
Although this seems to be a surprising victory, it actually makes perfect sense. History teaches us that Davids are usually insurgents, finding novel ways to defeat their enemies. They refuse to play by Goliath’s rules, but instead adopt unconventional strategies. In The New Yorker magazine, Malcolm Gladwell has explained the secrets of being a successful underdog by talking about the game of basketball, in which towering Goliaths usually win by rising over their shorter opponents. But Gladwell believes that Davids can win by using the full-court press, a strategy in which you prevent your opponent from advancing up the court to the basket. If you are a David, and you allow a Goliath get to the basket, he is probably going to score. But if you press him, and keep him at the other end of the court for a significant amount of time, you stand a chance of winning. When David “ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine” (1 Sam 17:48), he was an underdog using the full-court press to beat a giant.
If we want to win the daunting battles we face, we shouldn’t play by Goliath’s rules. Instead, we have to adopt a David strategy. We can begin by choosing an unconventional approach, based on our unique talents. King Saul said to David, “you are just a boy, and he has been a warrior since his youth” (1 Sam 17:33). Saul was right. David could not stand up to Goliath as a conventional warrior. But David could fight as a highly-skilled shepherd boy, with five smooth stones and a sling (1 Sam 17: 34-37, 40).
Next, try harder than anyone else, substituting effort for ability. David rose early in the morning to take food to the fearful Israelite soldiers (1 Sam 17:20). After volunteering to fight, David stood before Goliath and boldly predicted, “This very day the LORD will deliver you into my hand” (1 Sam 17:46). In doing so, David not only tried harder but he believed harder — he surpassed his fellow Israelites in showing confidence that God would exert effort on their behalf. David believed that “the battle is the LORD’s and he will give [Goliath] into our hand” (1 Sam 17:47).
Finally, be an insurgent, challenging authorities about how things are supposed to be done. David was an insurgent when he “ran quickly toward the battle line” (1 Sam 17:48). He disrupted the normal rhythm of the battle, in which the Philistines stood on one mountain and Israel stood on another mountain, with periodic fighting in the valley between them (1 Sam 17:3). David decided to do something different, running toward Goliath with a full-court press.
The story of David and Goliath is one of the Bible’s greatest hits because it shows us that we can be victorious when we choose an unconventional approach, try harder than anyone else, and challenge authority. Each of us is part of the “armies of the living God” (1 Samuel 17:36), given a unique set of talents by a God who wants us to be triumphant in the battles we face.
Questions:
1. When have you been an underdog in a personal battle?
2. What God-given talents did you use?
3. When have you challenged authorities and what was the result?
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