“Five Favorite Old Testament Stories:
David and Goliath”
1 Samuel 17

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Pastor Kevin Vogts
Trinity Lutheran Church
Paola, Kansas
Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost—September 5, 2021

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Today we conclude our sermon series on “Five Favorite Old Testament Stories.”  We have so far looked at Creation, Noah’s Ark, Joseph’s Coat and Baby Moses.  Today we conclude with the very familiar story of “David and Goliath.”

Although this is a popular children’s story, it is not just a myth or fable.  This is a real historical event that actually took place just as it is recorded in the Bible.  We have many archaeological and historical confirmations of these events.  Archaeologists have discovered examples from this era of exactly the kind of armor and weapons the Bible describes Goliath having, a bronze helmet and armor, and a javelin with an iron point. 

And about ten years ago archaeologists made a very exciting discovery of a piece of broken pottery or “potsherd” in Goliath’s hometown of Gath.  Inscribed on the potsherd, in the earliest known Philistine inscription ever discovered, is the name Goliath.

 We can’t say for sure that it refers to THE Goliath, but this potsherd does date to the same era as the story of David and Goliath, and at the very least it shows that the name Goliath was in use as a Philistine name in Gath at that time.  Those are the kind of little details you just don’t get right like that if you’re concocting a mere myth or fable.

Regarding the height of Goliath, although the New International Version translates it as “over nine feet tall,” the Hebrew actually says “six cubits and a span.”  Such units of measure were not standardized in the ancient world and we don’t know for sure exactly how tall either a cubit or a span would be.  Many of US would have been considered GIANTS in the ancient world.  And because of medical and dietary reasons, even people 100 years ago were much shorter on average than we are today, which you’ll find out if you ever sit uncomfortably in an old, cramped, antique church pew, like the several we still have from our old church.

And, throughout history some people just happen to be much taller or larger than average.  The tallest man in documented medical history was Robert Wadlow, who was born in Alton, Illinois in 1918 and grew to a height of 8’ 11”. 

The National Basketball Association officially classifies as a “giant” any player over 7’ 5”, which could be in about the range of “six cubits and a span.” So, it’s not far-fetched or just mythology when the Bible says that there was a “giant” named Goliath in the range of 8 to 9 feet tall.  If he was alive today, Goliath would probably be not a warrior but a pro basketball player.

From a historical perspective, the idea of one warrior from each nation fighting a decisive battle on behalf of their countries is absolutely accurate.  This was called a “battle of champions” in the ancient world.  Each nation would put forth their #1 warrior and the outcome of the war would be decided by a one-on-one battle to the death just between the two of them.  We have a little remnant of this in the annual boxing championship between the branches of our own armed services.  They each put forth a champion and the rivalry among the services is decided by a final match between just these two champions, not to the death, but at least to the knockout blow.

Finally, the idea of a simple slingshot taking down a mighty warrior is also very true to life and supported by archaeology and history.  Ancient armies typically had three main units: the archers who shot arrows; the spear-bearers with their javelins; and the slingers with their slingshots.  All of these were extremely effective, and as deadly as many of our modern weapons.  Modern tests have been conducted with slingshot experts shooting from a distance at a mockup of a human head, and they can easily make absolutely accurate, fatal shots, just as David did with Goliath.

That’s the archaeological and historical background of this story.  But, what is the real meaning and significance of this story for you and your faith?  Many figures in the Old Testament have parallels in their lives and actions that prophetically point forward to the life and work of Christ.  In the New Testament, the #1 Old Testament figure who points forward to Christ is King David.   St. Paul says in 1st Corinthians, “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  David’s victory over Goliath symbolizes Christ’s victory for you.

The giant Goliath symbolizes the “big three” giant, fearful enemies of humanity: sin, death, and the devil.  Just as the ancient people of Israel trembled in terror before the fearful giant Goliath, by ourselves we are helpless to defeat sin, death, and the devil.  “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

You may recall that King Saul tried to get David to wear his armor and carry his spear.  But, they were too heavy and clumsy for the boy David and so he didn’t wear them.  David’s refusal to use this military armor or spear is symbolic of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The Gospel of Matthew says that in the Garden of Gethsemane, “A large crowd armed with swords and clubs . . .  seized Jesus and arrested him.  With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.  ‘Put your sword back in its place,’ Jesus said to him, ‘for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.  Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?”  Just as David refused to use King Saul’s armor and spear, when faced with “a large crowd armed with swords and clubs” Jesus told his disciples to put their swords away.

Instead of using armor and a spear against the mighty Goliath, David uses a slingshot and five stones.  St. Paul says in 1st Corinthians, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”  The slingshot symbolizes the cross, by which our Lord Jesus Christ defeated sin, death, and the devil for us, in what seemed to be a weak and foolishness manner.  As St. Paul says in Colossians, “Through Christ, God reconciled to himself all things . . . by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. . .  He forgave us all our sins . . . triumphing over them by the cross.”

The white linen on our altar is embroidered with five crosses, four in each corner and one in the middle.  That’s because this cloth represents the shroud in which our Lord was wrapped for burial, and these five crosses symbolize the five wounds of Christ, in his hands and feet when he was nailed to the cross, and in his side, when he was pierced.  Like those five crosses on our altar, the five stones David used to defeat Goliath symbolize the five wounds of Christ.

Just as those five small stones brought down the mighty Goliath, the five wounds of Christ, and all his suffering for you on the cross, earned for you victory over sin, death, and the devil.  As St. Peter writes, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross . . . by his wounds you have been healed.”

When Christ appeared to his disciples on the evening of the first Easter Day, the Gospel of Luke says that they were filled with “joy and amazement.”  They did not expect Jesus to rise from the dead.  They thought that on the cross the man they hoped would be their mighty champion had instead gone down to humiliating defeat.  The unexpected, amazing victory for the ancient Israelites of the little shepherd boy David over the great giant Goliath symbolizes the resurrection of Christ, and the unexpected, amazing victory won for you by the great Good Shepherd, over sin, death, and the devil.  As Hebrews says, “[God] brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep.” “I am the Good Shepherd,” Jesus promises, “and I lay down my life for the sheep. . .  only to take it up again.”

St. Paul says in Romans, “We are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Through Christ you are a mighty champion over the frightful Goliaths of sin, death, and the devil.  “Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. . .  we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

And each one of us has in our lives our own personal frightful, menacing Goliaths that terrify us, that seem unconquerable.  Perhaps it is illness, or financial problems, difficulties at work or school, struggles in your family or marriage, or struggles within yourself.  Perhaps no one really knows the Goliaths you face, which terrify you.

When Goliaths rise up in your life, like David attacking his Goliath with a slingshot, attack your Goliaths with the cross.   “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God . . . triumphing over them by the cross.”

When Goliaths rise up in your life, like David attacking his Goliath with five stones, attack your Goliaths with the five wounds of Christ.  “He was wounded for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities . . . by his wounds you have been healed.”

St. Paul puts it this way in 2nd Corinthians: “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves . . . but our sufficiency is from God.”  You can’t defeat the Goliaths of sin, death, and the devil.  You by yourself can’t defeat the Goliaths you face in your own life.  “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves.”  But, your mighty champion has gone out to battle for you, against all the Goliaths arrayed against you, and he has triumphed over all.  “But our sufficiency is from God.” 

Like David going to battle against Goliath with the slingshot, your mighty champion has triumphed over all by the cross.  Like David going to battle against Goliath with five stones, your mighty champion has triumphed over all by his own five wounds, his suffering and death.  Like David’s unexpected, amazing, glorious victory, your mighty champion has triumphed over all by his unexpected, amazing, glorious resurrection from the dead.  As David says to Goliath, “I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty . . . for the battle is the Lord’s.”

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. . .  we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. . .  Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. . .”

Amen.