David and Goliath

The Real Hero of the Valley of Elah

We all know the story. There was a massive giant from Gath named Goliath, a trained Philistine warrior who stood in the Valley of Elah to terrify Israel. And there was a shepherd boy named David, who withstood this giant and brought him down (1 Sam. 17).

Oh, how we love this "story" (which was actually a real-life historical event) right from our Sunday-school days!

We picture David, the youngest of eight brothers, a ruddy, good-looking boy whose name literally means "Beloved." His father, Jesse, sends him to the battlefield to check on his three oldest brothers, carrying ten loaves of bread, some roasted grain, and cheese. But when he arrives, his own brothers ridicule him, calling him proud and arrogant. Strange, isn't it? This is the very David of whom God testifies, "He is a man after My own heart."

But I have come to know that there is much more to this battle than meets the eye.

If you look closely, Jesus is revealed throughout the entire event.

The Shadows of Christ

Look at how beautifully this Old Testament history points directly to the finished work of Jesus:

• The Beloved Son Sent with Bread: Just as David was the "Beloved" sent by his father with bread, God declared from heaven, "This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased." Jesus is the Bread of Life, sent by the Father from heaven. He came to His own brethren, but they rejected Him (John 1:11).

• The Forty Days: For forty days, the Philistine giant defied the armies of Israel, leaving the people terrified and hiding. This mirrors the forty days of the wilderness temptation, or the forty days of Lent before the glorious victory of Resurrection Sunday.

• Just One Man: Goliath shouted, "Give me a man, that we may fight together!" (1 Sam. 17:10). He asked for one man, and that is exactly what he got. As the Apostle Paul writes, "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's [Jesus'] obedience many will be made righteous." (Romans 5:19).

• Coming in the Name of the Lord: David told the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword... but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts" (1 Sam. 17:45). While all of Israel was terrified asking "Who will save us?", David calmly took his position. Similarly, Jesus entered Jerusalem on a lowly donkey to shouts of "Hosanna!" ("Save us!") and "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord." And in the Garden of Gethsemane, facing His captors, Jesus calmly asked, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs?" (Luke 22:52).

• The Five Wounds: David took five smooth stones from the brook; Jesus took five deep wounds on the cross. It only took one stone to fell the giant. It only took one word on the cross—"Finished!"—and the giant enemy with the power of death fell instantly.

Defeating Death with Death

Notice that David did not bring a sword to slay the giant. He ran over, took Goliath's own sword out of its sheath, and cut off the giant's head (1 Sam. 17:51). He used the enemy's own weapon to destroy him.

The exact same thing is written about Jesus!

"Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." — Hebrews 2:14-15

Jesus used death to defeat death! And on the third day, He rose again.

Because sin is taken away and the written laws have been fulfilled, there is no more fear of death for those who believe in Jesus. Both the sting and the strength of death are gone. "The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law" (1 Cor. 15:56).

We can now look at Jesus, who gloriously announces: "Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death." (Rev. 1:17-18).

Our Weapon: The Testimony

David prevailed with a sling and a stone. If the sling symbolizes the blood of the Lamb, the stone is the word of testimony.

"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony..." — Revelation 12:11

This is the heritage of believers. We don't have to fight the giant ourselves. Jesus (our David) already fought and won the battle. Our only job is to point to the defeated giant and testify to what Jesus has already done! We overcome by resting in the blood of the Lamb and simply declaring the truth of His victory.

One Last Thought... Another thing that struck me in this passage is that Goliath was decked out in BRONZE—from head to toe, right down to his shield and spear. In biblical typology, bronze often symbolizes self-righteousness and the judgment of the law. Even the giant of self-righteousness must be slain by grace!

But that is a topic for another blog post. Cheers!

Be blessed in Jesus. Amen.