Tag: David and Goliath

The Last of the Rephaim

1 Chronicles 20-21

Psalm 74

Ephesians 3

~ Devotion by Cayce Fletcher (SC)

Cayce Fletcher is a wife and homeschool mom of three. She writes and podcasts at amorebeautifullifecollective.com where she helps women grow in grace, build with purpose, and live beautifully. Read the latest post in the Systematic Theology series here. 

“Okay, everyone, here’s your order of service,” I said, as I started passing around the papers with handwritten songs and Bible lessons scribbled across the top. After running through announcements and singing a few worship songs led by my brothers, I gathered up my cousins and headed behind our podium (some bar stools with a blanket draped across the top). 

Up popped a little stuffed Beanie Baby chihuahua who exclaimed that he was David, ready to fight Goliath. On cue, someone lifted up our 10 lb (real-life) chihuahua, Max, who played his part well as he scoffed at the little David below. When the pretend slingshot hit its target, the beach condo living room cheered. The enemy was vanquished! The giant slain! God and his people were victorious! 

Many years have passed since that Sunday morning on vacation, but the story of David and Goliath captures my imagination just the same. Sometimes, we may be tempted to read the story (found in 1 Samuel 17) and assume that this guy, Goliath, just came out of nowhere. Or, we may think he is just the product of exaggeration. Giants didn’t really exist, did they? 

That’s a complicated question, but it is made even more mysterious when we place it against the backdrop of today’s reading. In 1 Chronicles 20:4-8, we read about the Philistines, along with descendants of the giants who had come to fight David. Three battles ensued – one of which was against the brother of Goliath, whose spear was like a weaver’s beam (thicker and about 5 ft long). In each of these battles, David and his men were victorious.

Importantly, these weren’t random large men who were intent on picking a fight with David. We are told they are the descendants of the Rephaim. Who are the Rephaim? One of the first mentions is back in Genesis 14 when a king that Abraham would eventually defeat first defeated a group of Rephaites. 

We read another mention of them in Deuteronomy 2-3. In this passage, the Israelites defeat Og, the king of Bashan, who is described as the last of the Raphaites. His bed is described as 14 feet long and 6 feet wide. 

We know that the spies described Canaan as a land of giants in Numbers 13. (These are the Anakim, or the descendants of the Anak.) Joshua fought these giants in Joshua 11 and destroyed almost all of them, but a few escaped and took refuge in Philistine cities. 

That brings us to today’s reading. For hundreds of years, the Israelites fought against these giants; finally, during David’s time, the giants were actually defeated. We aren’t quite sure where these giants came from (though there’s plenty of lore behind that you can research yourself). What we do know is that after David’s reign, we do not hear about giants again. 

We don’t see giants today, but the echoes of what David accomplished during his reign can be found in our lives today. Later Jewish writings started using the term Rephaim to refer to shades (or the people who were dead in Sheol, the grave). David defeated physical giants, but what he did foreshadows what Christ has done on the cross: The giants of sin and death are defeated. We are victorious! 

Hallelujah! Amen! 

Reflection Questions

  1. Where do you think these giants came from in the Old Testament? Do you believe that it is significant that they keep popping up throughout the first half of the Old Testament? 
  2. We’ve read about David has his mighty acts in battle. How did David have the courage to face down these giants? What do you learn from that? 
  3. What giants are you facing? How does this passage encourage you to stand your ground and fight? 

Prayer

Lord, 

Thank you for the battle that has already been won! Thank you for the victory against the giants of sin and death. Please strengthen me in my walk. Help me to be courageous as we stand and fight! 

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

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Shocking Stories from Sunday School

Old Testament: 1 Samuel 17 & 18

Poetry: Psalm 68 (day 2 of 4)

New Testament: 2 Corinthians 13

What are the stories you remember from Sunday School lessons? What videos did you watch or what murals were painted on the wall?

Jonah.

Noah. 

Zacchaeus. 

If you take away the cartoon animals, the talking vegetables (as much as I love them), and the flannelgraph, and describe the story as experienced by the people in the moment, they become traumatizing. Horrifying. Or, at the very least, shocking. 

A man devoured by a great water beast that digests him for three days. 

The world is covered in a flood that wipes out all life, causing them to drown as torrential rain falls from blackened skies and geysers shoot from the ground in every direction. 

You have been living your whole life obeying God’s law and waiting for the coming of his Messiah, and instead of him coming to your home, he chooses to spend his time with the short, traitorous Zacchaeus and his rag-tag group of ne’er-do-wells. 

Traumatizing. Horrifying. Shocking. 

The story of Goliath is similar. It’s not about a piece of broccoli with gourd brothers who sings to an asparagus and a giant pickle; it is about a young man who is ready to kill an enemy because he dares defy the army of the living God. 

The story is not funny or fun; it is awe-inspiring. 

David looks into the eyes of his enemy and says “This day the Lord will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you.” (17:46)

What strikes me is this: we should be careful before we sanitize the Bible. 

The Bible is not a list of propositions to believe, they are stories about the past of a nation and their encounter with the living God. 

Bible stories, moreover, are not nice, or clean, or simple. 

Characters are rarely one dimensional. 

Good characters do bad things and bad characters can do good things. 

Rarely do those good or bad things fit nicely into our models of morality; David was a man of bloodshed and war and a man after God’s heart. And Jesus said “love your enemies.” That’s not clean or simple.

The Bible, this amazing library of sixty-six books that teach us about the God of the universe and his amazing interaction with people who are looking for him, is not a book that is *given* to children. Jesus does love the little children of the world, but the stories of scripture are meant to be read, understood, questioned, and applied by mature, wise disciples of Jesus. 

The Bible is a big book, and the stories of the Bible grow as we grow.

We shouldn’t lose sight of what we learned in Sunday School; but the stories of the Bible go far beyond Sunday School, and can impact all aspects of our lives. 

-Jake Ballard

Reflection Questions

  1. Sunday School Stories: As you read the stories of David and Saul, how often are you thinking of the “sanitized” versions from Sunday School? Of course, we shouldn’t tell toddlers about the slaughter of the Philistines, but the story of Goliath is grim; God isn’t pleased with Goliath or the Philistines. Should we shy away from the judgement of God because it makes us uncomfortable?
  2. Encountering God: When you are being honest with yourself, do you want the Bible to be simple, clean, or nice? Do you *want* the Bible simplified, or do you *want* the Bible to be the complicated, holy, challenging collection of books that it is? 
  3. A final thought: The Bible can be understood by someone who knows nothing about it. However, someone who knows nothing about the Bible also wouldn’t have WRONG ideas when reading it for the first time. Are we OK admitting that we might be bringing wrong ideas to the text when we read?
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Never Lost his Trust in God

Old Testament Reading: Leviticus 11 & 12
*Psalms Reading: Psalm 52
New Testament Reading: 1 Corinthians 5

For the Christian it is considered a “no brainer” that our trust is supposed to be found in God. But so often the stresses and worries of the world come against us, and we may forget that we serve a mighty God who cares deeply for us. 

Here in Psalm 52 we are shown a great contrast between David here and his enemy. David wrote this Psalm during the time when he was constantly on the run from Saul, who was chasing him down to kill him, out of jealousy. David lost many years of his life running from Saul but he never lost his trust in God. At this time David had amassed a group of strong men who were ready to fight for him, but Saul, having the armies of Israel behind him, had the greater strength. David had support from people who gave him food and supplies as he ran from place to place, but Saul had all the riches of Israel behind him. But the important thing is that David had God with him, and God had promised him the throne of Israel that Saul currently sat on. 

David was able to stay strong in his faith because he had seen God help him against overwhelming odds again and again, the most notable time was when he took on the nine foot tall giant, Goliath all on his own. There were actually two times during David’s years of running, that we are told about, where David had the chance to rely on his own strength to defeat Saul. Once was when Saul went to relieve himself in a cave, not knowing that David was hiding in the cave. The other time, the Bible says that God caused the entire army that was with Saul to go into a deep sleep and David was able to sneak right up next to Saul. Both times the man who was with David encouraged him to kill Saul and take the throne. But each time David refused, saying that he would not harm the Lord’s anointed. It would have been so easy for David to trust in his own strength in that moment, and no longer have to keep running for his life, but just like when David faced Goliath, David put his trust in God and not in himself. And because David did trust God, he never had to draw his sword against Saul or anyone in his family. In one single battle, Saul and all of his sons were taken out by the Philistines. God provided David the throne without David having to shed blood. David’s faith in what probably seemed like the hopeless situation of being relentlessly chased down by King Saul, paid off in the end. Years later after David had become king, he penned another Psalm, in which he said, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” I hope and pray each day to have the kind of faith and trust in God like David had, and I hope you do as well.

-Jonny Smith

Reflection Questions

  1. Is there a time you have trusted in God through a tough situation? What was the result?
  2. What do you sometimes put your trust in instead? How does that work? Why?
  3. What has God shown about Himself in your reading today?
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Don’t Miss an Opportunity

for Victory!

1 Samuel 17

March 7

I know the Kingdom of God which will be set up at the return of Jesus will be greater than anything I can imagine. I am really looking forward to a time when all tears will be wiped away and God will dwell with men (Revelation 21:1-4). At that time, I would really love to see God whip out his favorite home videos to show his resurrected and faithful family some of the highlights of how He worked through the ages. VeggieTales are great, but can you imagine watching these ancient recordings, with the Bible heroes at your side commenting on their exploits! Don’t tell me it can’t be done – I know my God can do anything. And if He wants it to be so – it will be. And, if He doesn’t, then He has a better plan than mine (that’s surely happened a time or two before!)

If you and I are there at His feet watching – I can only imagine that one of the favorite reels will be of the young shepherd David boldly and faithfully fighting the godless giant Goliath. Picture this: “As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him.  Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.” (1 Samuel 17:48 & 49). And the white robed crowd of overcomers watching the ancient playback erupts in cheers, patting David on the back and giving high-fives and fist bumps. Victory is a beautiful thing to watch!

But, sometimes the victory never happens because God’s people miss the opportunity. They are scared into silence and submission by the boisterous repeated taunts of the wicked who are defying God and shaming His people. They listen to the family member or friend (like David’s older brother Eliab) who is full of negativity and says you don’t belong and you aren’t useful and you should just go back home to do what you’ve always done. They give up when the leadership says you aren’t experienced enough yet, wait until you are older to be bold, speak up and step into a ministry. They get flustered when they try on the safe armor and find it isn’t a good fit, maybe they weren’t meant for this after all. They fail to prepare for the battle by packing their pouch with the surprising items needed for a successful fight against evil. And, perhaps most of all, they lack the faith that the great big awesome God of the universe can use them to do His work, to beat back evil and advance His Kingdom.

Imagine yourself again – in the Kingdom, watching God’s home videos – and whose face appears next on the screen – yours. There you are: standing up to a godless bully, running towards the battle, representing God when others were too scared to speak up or act, believing in a great big God who saves.

You are not too small, too young, too inexperienced, too insignificant to do mighty things for God. (And, you are also not too old – but that’s a different Bible story). Step out in faith. Be courageous with God. Don’t miss the opportunity to gain a victory for God.

-Marcia Railton

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

  1. David was confident that the Lord who saved him previously would save him again, even against a larger foe. “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17:37) What has God already helped you to accomplish? How can this build your confidence? What larger project can you have faith that He will help you accomplish next?
  2. At first I am a little disappointed that David is concerned with what rewards will be given to the brave fighter who faces Goliath – it seems a bit selfish and I am tempted to question his motives. But, I too am excited about what rewards are awaiting God’s faithful – and they do make for great motivation to get in the battle. What rewards are you eagerly anticipating and what do they motivate you to do?
  3. Sometimes God’s people lose heart on account of evil and those defying (openly resisting) God. Where do you see this happening today? How can we do battle against them today? What tools/weapons would God have us use?
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His Strength and Battle Plans

2 Kings 18:9-19:37 and Psalm 46, 80 & 135

2 Kings 19 19 NIV sgl

David was a small man compared to Goliath. Based on some Egyptian recordings, men of the time would stand around 5.5 feet tall. Now Goliath was either 6’9” or 9’9” depending on if you look at the Septuagint or the Masoretic texts. Either way, David was significantly smaller than the champion of the Philistines, yet God gave him the power to triumph over the giant. We have a few similar stories in the conquest of the Levant (the region where the Israelites were led to settle by God). When Joshua led Israel to defeat Jericho, there was no reason to believe that a small army could conquer such a well-fortified city, so God conquered for the Israelites. The defeat of king Og is another story of the Israelites conquest against a giant, and again, God conquered for the Israelites.

This story of Judah versus Assyria is really a story of David versus Goliath. Assyria was the ancient near east’s most powerful nation. The Assyrians turned Ninevah into a wealthy city and a center for culture and art. They also coerced all the surrounding nations into vassalage in order to fund these massive feats of architecture. This essentially means that the king of Assyria demanded large sums of gold and silver from the nearby kings in exchange for the “protection” of the Assyrians, which is a euphemism for, “Give me money or I’ll kill you and enslave all your people.” It’s a pretty good setup they’ve got going on. At the beginning of the passage you’ll see that Hezekiah is one of those kings who is a vassal to Sennacherib. Judah manages to cough up 10 tons of silver and 1 ton of gold. That’s a lot of money. Even with that generous donation, Assyria couldn’t leave Judah alone. Assyria lays siege to Jerusalem, mocks their God and insists that they will be forced to eat their own excrement if they stay on the side of God.

Choosing to stay on God’s side usually isn’t that difficult for me, but when the cost is eating your own filth, it certainly adds some weight to the decision.  Many kings of Judah and certainly most, if not all, of the kings of Israel would have submitted to Sennacherib’s will, but not Hezekiah. Isaiah tells Hezekiah that God will take care of everything, like he always does. Once again, God conquers for the Israelites.

We often want God to act through us, to perform some mighty feat of strength or wisdom with ourselves as the focus. However, God often chooses to do things without us so that we can know that the glory is his and his alone. We want to be like David, to be a man after God’s own heart, but also to be like David, a man who performed valiant feats. Let us remember that it is God’s will that will be done and not ours. We can build up fortresses for ourselves but they won’t save us. Our God is a mighty fortress, an ever present help in trouble. Nothing we create will ever be as effective a shield as Him.

 

Nathaniel Johnson

 

Today’s Bible reading can be read or listened to at https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Kings+18%3A9-19%3A37%3B+Psalm+46%2C+80%2C+135&version=NIV

Tomorrow’s reading will be Isaiah 49-53 as we continue on the 2020 Chronological Bible Reading Plan