When Giants Come Tumbling Down

SPECIAL EDITION!

For those who face giants…and  OVERCOME!

In the days of Saul, the king …

the Philistines gathered their armies together…

to battle against Israel.

They sent out their best champion…

to harass, intimidate and torment…

the armies of the Living God.

Goliath was his name….

and bullying was his game…

And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.

If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.

And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together. 1 Samuel 17:8-10

This 10 ft tall, armor clad, despiser of the Living God…

had the king and all his army…

cowering in fear…

When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.   1 Samuel 17:11

Goliath was not about to back down…

For 40 days…

he boldly provoked, threatened and vexed…

the king and all his men.

Something had to be done!

Something drastic !

Something powerful!

Something unforgettable!

The answer came in the form of a lowly shepherd boy…

David by name.

And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle.

For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army. And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren.   1 Samuel 17:20-22

And when David was come to the camp…

he listened…

And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them.

and watched…

And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid. 

and considered…

And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel.   1 Samuel 17:23-25

And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?

And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him.   1 Samuel 17:26-27

And was moved to ACTION…saying…

Is there not a cause?

And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul: and he sent for him.  1 Samuel 17:29,31

And David said to Saul…

Let no man's heart fail because of him;

thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.

And Saul said to David…

Thou art not able to go against this Philistine

to fight with him: for thou art but a youth,

and he a man of war from his youth.

Undeterred…

David shared his testimony…

Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.

Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.

David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.

Fully persuaded…

the king gave his blessing…

And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.

and his armor…

And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail. And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it.   1 Samuel 17:37-38

But the king’s armor would not do…

to take down this giant…

David needed  something more powerful than the king’s armor.

And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him. 

So he armed himself…

with the humble instruments of a shepherd…

and the FAITH that slays giants.

And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.   1 Samuel 17: 39-40

Game ON!

And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him. And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.

Goliath was not amused.

Insults, scorn and cursing flowed from his mouth…

Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves?

And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air,

and to the beasts of the field.

David was unshaken…

Courageous. Fearless. Bold.

he replied…

Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield:

but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts,

the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.

This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; 

and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee;   

and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth;  

 that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD'S, 

and he will give you into our hands.

And it came to pass…

when the Philistine arose…

and came and drew nigh to meet David…

that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.

And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone,

and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead,

that the stone sunk into his forehead;

and he fell upon his face to the earth.

So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.

Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith.

And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.  

1 Samuel 17:41-51

And so David PREVAILED…

and defeated the giant…

with the simple instruments of a shepherd…

and a valiant heart of FAITH…

in the MIGHTY God of Israel.

What giants are you facing right now?

Be encouraged…

For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth,

to shew himself strong in the behalf of them

whose heart is perfect toward him.

2 Chronicles 16:9