“When the words that David spoke were heard, they repeated them before Saul; and he sent for him. David said to Saul, “Let no one’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are just a boy, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”…. But David said, “The LORD, who saved me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, will save me from the hand of this Philistine.” So Saul said to David, “Go, and may the LORD be with you!” Saul clothed David with his armor; he put a bronze helmet on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail. David strapped Saul’s sword over the armor, and he tried in vain to walk, for he was not used to them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these; for I am not used to them.” So David removed them. Then he took his staff in his hand, and chose five smooth stones from the wadi, and put them in his shepherd’s bag, in the pouch; his sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine.” 1 Samuel 17:31-40
When I was growing up, the best war movies starred Audie Murphy. The most decorated soldier of World War II, he almost didn’t get to serve. Only 5’5″, 110 pounds, he was turned away by the Marines and the Army Paratroopers. Finally allowed to join the regular Army, he served with remarkable courage.
Is that what it is about David? Is it remarkable courage that leads him to answer Goliath’s call? Or is it just plain foolhardiness? David’s eldest brother, Eliab, discourages him – “I know your presumption and the evil of your heart,” he says to him. Maybe Eliab is just jealous or maybe he knows something about the character of David that we haven’t yet seen.
Verses 24-27 help us see what drove David – The promise that the king would enrich the man who stopped Goliath (as the youngest son, David didn’t have many good prospects for life.) The promise of getting the hand of Saul’s daughter in marriage (you could marry into a worse family than that of the king.) The promise of freedom for his own family. And the real kicker – shutting up the guy who was causing the army of the living God to cower in fear.
In other words, David had many motives for offering himself to Saul. Some honorable, some less so. As David makes his case to Saul, he tells Saul (and he reminds himself) of the times in the past when God saved David’s life in the face of danger. Saul gives him a shot.
But Saul doesn’t want David to be unprepared so he lends him his weapons and armor. But they are too much for David. He can’t walk under their weight. Instead, he takes what he knows – five smooth stones, his sling and his shepherd’s staff.
What do we learn from this part of the story? If it is telling us that the only answer to Goliath-sized problems is the remarkable courage of an Audie Murphy or a shepherd boy like David, we’re in trouble. Few of us are heroes.
But every one of us has memories. Every one of us can remember those times when God sustained us in the past – such memories give us just what we need to confront the Goliath’s of life.
And every one of us has gifts and resources that God can use. We don’t have to take on someone else’s solutions and someone else’s answers that don’t fit us. With God’s guidance, we can find those five smooth stones that will prove to be all that we need.
We don’t need remarkable courage. We just need the willingness to step up to the plate and give it our best shot. Not because we are so brave, but because God is bigger than Goliath.
Let us pray: Gracious Lord, when we feel overwhelmed by what we aren’t, what we don’t have, what we can’t do, we pray for your grace to open our eyes that we might see who we are, what we have, and what you can do through us. Help us find the five smooth stones that will prove to be all that we need. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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