I come to you in the name of the Lord.
When our oldest nephew, Axl, was about three years old, his favourite activity was re-enacting the story of David and Goliath with his dad. His father would pretend to be Goliath and shout, “Am I a dog that you come to me with sticks and stones?” (1 Samuel 17:43). Axl would reply, “You come to me with a sword, but I come to you in the name of the Lord” (1 Samuel 17:45) while pretending to swing a stone at his dad. My brother-in-law would fall to the floor with dramatic theatrics, causing Axl to jump and shout in excitement. He could do this over and over without ever getting tired of it.
Why am I sharing this? Because this week we’re looking at probably one of the most well-known and popular Bible Stories: David and Goliath.
It’s the ultimate underdog becomes hero story: a small shepherd boy, facing a giant and killing him with only a sling and a stone.
The story is inspiring for obvious reasons: we all face giants in our lives, and if God helped David to defeat Goliath, He will help us too to face and conquer our giant-like, insurmountable problems.
But the beauty of the Bible is that there is often much more meaning and deeper lessons to be learnt than first meets the eye.
For example, while Goliath said he defied “the armies of Israel” (1 Samuel 17:10), David interpreted this as nothing less than defying “the armies of the living God” (1 Samuel 17:26). This explains David’s outrage at Goliath’s mockery. He wasn’t just insulting his people; Goliath was insulting his God.
David’s passionate love for God is shown here. Much can be said about David’s character, his flaws and his failures, but one thing is clear in David’s life from the start till the end. He loved God with a passionate zeal, and it moved him to do great things.
Let’s pray together:Heavenly Father, would You fill my heart with the same kind of love and passion for You as David had? I want to be known, like David, as a lover of God and stand up against those who defy You! In Jesus’ name, amen.
