Our problem with David and Goliath

David and Goliath is one of the most famous and well-loved stories in the Bible.

It’s the classic tale of the underdog winning a battle against an unbeatable enemy.

It’s a story we love, because we all have our own challenges in life that seem impossible, and yet this story shows God achieve something that seemed impossible.

The temptation is for us to imagine ourselves in the shoes of David.

Then we assume that this story means that if we trust in God then he will help us achieve the impossible.

Yet, this is the biggest mistake that we make with this historical account of the battle between David and Goliath.

Because in this story, we should see ourselves in the shoes of the people of God, not of David.

For, in David we see one man, chosen by God to represent his people, who then fights an impossible battle, and whose victory gives salvation to all of his people.

But the story comes to life even more when we realise that the battle of King David against his archenemy is a foretaste of the battle of King Jesus against the greatest enemy of all: the devil.

As we read in the Bible in the letter to the Hebrews:

Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. (Hebrews 2:14-15)

So, if we choose to have Jesus as our king, then his victory over the devil will become ours, just like how God’s people enjoyed King David’s victory over Goliath.

And this makes the story of David and Goliath even better news for everyone on God’s side.

Jodie