I Dare You...Week 2

Opening Story

How do I struggle with this?

Last week I dared you to move. So often in our lives we are going through life on cruise control and even almost sleep walking. I dared you to do something that gets the heart pumping fast, not because of physical activity but because you are doing something awesome for the Lord.

Question

How do we all struggle with this?

This week I want to dare you to fight. We know the story of David and Goliath and for many of us growing up David was a hero to us. We loved the picture of a simple shepherd boy defeating a giant who was a skilled warrior.

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What does the Bible say about this?

Something we often over look is that David was probably a teenager. He was a shepherd and one day while taking care of the sheep. His dad gave him a very important job. He was to be the cheese deliverer. He was the first Uber Eats.

While making his delivery he certainly was not looking for a fight. He was obeying his father by bringing his brothers lunch.

We may look at ourselves and see what others saw when they looked at David. Small, weak, teenager, just a shepherd.

We look at ourselves like this and then when a giant comes along we think we are too small, we don’t have the tools or experience to take it on. So we sit back not moving hoping the giant doesn’t notice us. We choose not to engage.

1 Samuel 17:40 CSB

40 Instead, he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the wadi and put them in the pouch, in his shepherd’s bag. Then, with his sling in his hand, he approached the Philistine.

CSB Study Bible: Notes Chapter 17

17:40 Rather than wearing royal armor, David took the weapons with which he was most familiar. The five smooth stones he chose would have been roughly the size of tennis balls and would fly straighter than jagged stones. As a shepherd, he had likely become proficient with his sling, which would also enable him to attack Goliath from a distance instead of in close combat, where the giant would have a big advantage.

David chose not to use the Kings armor or weapons. He chose to fight with what he had and what he was familiar with.

1 Samuel 17:41–42 CSB

41 The Philistine came closer and closer to David, with the shield-bearer in front of him. 42 When the Philistine looked and saw David, he despised him because he was just a youth, healthy and handsome.

When you stand against the enemy, the enemy will often see you as an unfit warrior. But, as we learned a couple weeks ago, we don’t fight are battle with what is seen, but with what is unseen. It’s a spiritual battle.

1 Samuel 17:43–44 CSB

43 He said to David, “Am I a dog that you come against me with sticks?” Then he cursed David by his gods. 44 “Come here,” the Philistine called to David, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts!”

CSB Study Bible: Notes Chapter 17

17:43 Goliath began his psychological warfare (“trash talk”) against David by suggesting the staff David carried was fit only to beat a dog. The statement he cursed David by his gods further slants the account toward describing a battle between the gods of the Philistines and the God of Israel rather than just a battle between two men.

1 Samuel 17:45 CSB

45 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with a sword, spear, and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord of Armies, the God of the ranks of Israel—you have defied him.

CSB Study Bible: Notes Chapter 17

17:45 David’s response to Goliath highlights the contrast in battle strategy. The Philistine relied on his sword, spear, and javelin, but David fought in the name of (as the representative of and with the authority of) the LORD of Armies, who was the God of Israel’s military. Goliath had defied him, but now the Lord would triumph over him through his servant.

1 Samuel 17:46–47 CSB

46 Today, the Lord will hand you over to me. Today, I’ll strike you down, remove your head, and give the corpses of the Philistine camp to the birds of the sky and the wild creatures of the earth. Then all the world will know that Israel has a God, 47 and this whole assembly will know that it is not by sword or by spear that the Lord saves, for the battle is the Lord’s. He will hand you over to us.”

CSB Study Bible: Notes Chapter 17

17:46 Hand you over to me is literally “shut you into my hand,” that is, leave no way of escape. David’s reference to the Philistine camp meant the outcome of their personal battle would have implications for the Philistine army. Birds of the sky and the wild creatures of the earth mimicked Goliath’s mocking taunt (v. 44). David insisted that when victory was his, all the world would know that Israel had a God mighty enough to rescue in seemingly impossible situations. David’s concern was that the nations would also know the power of the Lord.

17:47 This whole assembly probably designates Israel’s army, but it may include all who were present that day. David testified that the Lord saves, but not by sword or by spear. Since the battle was his, he would fight and win his way.

I love that it points out that Goliath fell face down. In the book of Numbers and in Joshua, the same phrase is used to show worship to the Lord. Scripture is clear that you will bow. You can choose to do it now or what can do it when you have no choice, it’s up to you.

Application

What should you do about this?

In our lives we have “pebbles” all around us. Things that seem useless or insignificant to us but when used for God’s glory, they can take down giants.

Challenge

How can we all live this out together?

What if we chose to engage with the giants, and stop viewing ourselves as too small? What if we decided to use the “pebbles” that God has put in our lives? What if we let Him direct those pebbles as we pick them up with the courage that He puts in us?

I dare you to fight!