David asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
1 Samuel 17:26 (NIV)
Confidence in a living God gives a whole new view on life. Only when the church and its leaders have a proper perspective of God will they speak with conviction to the world. Fear and cowardice are the result of an emaciated vision of God.
These are the first recorded words of David in Scripture—setting the pattern for his entire life of unfailing confidence and faith in the God of Israel. They are spoken against a backdrop of defiance and despair. The Philistine giant, Goliath, had challenged the Israelites to send a champion of their own to engage with him in one-to-one combat. Representative warfare was the common combat strategy in the ancient Near East. Individual warriors served as representatives, or champions (v. 4), of their respective armies. Pagans believed “the gods” were actually fighting through their human representatives. War was no mere human affair. The stronger the god—the greater the victory. An entire war could be decided in a day with only two men. The Israelites were convinced that no one could defeat Goliath. Terrified, they began to believe the Goliath’s taunts that their God was impotent.
David understood well: Israel was in “disgrace” (v. 26).
Promised by God that they would have dominion over the land, they now languished under the dominion of the pagan Philistines. Humiliated, Saul cowered under Goliath’s threats to the point that all were convinced God was impotent to do anything in their behalf. For forty days, Goliath’s taunting was unanswered. Only David had confidence in God to meet Goliath in battle. From the very beginning, he had a strong, accurate understanding of God, which infused him with unshakable faith and confidence. The Israelites thought God to be weak and defeated, and they trembled. David knew God to be powerful and omnipotent, and he conquered.
Should the world listen to the preaching of some modern pastors, it would be surprised to learn that their God was alive and active in the affairs of the world. Instead of declaiming against the world’s sin and calling it to faith in Jesus Christ, some seem unsure of God’s power to conquer sin in all its various manifestations. Now is the time for courage. The God of David will act to preserve the honor of His name. Motivated by a passion for this vision of God, the church, as the people of God, will boldly stand in opposition to the taunts of the world. Pastoral leadership must raise a prophetic voice to challenge evil with the absolute rule of God and the righteous requirements of the gospel.