Today we are going to take a look at everyone’s favorite Bible story, the battle between David and Goliath. At least I assume that is everyone’s favorite Bible story because we are bombarded with it on Christian radio stations. We are bombarded with it by influential Christians using it as a mantra for bettering oneself. Even our kids in Sunday School are bombarded with the story as the prime example of the underdog’s power. Our society loves to cheer for the underdog as we see in movies like Rocky and Rudy. This is especially something that I hear on those same Christian radio stations when people call in and talk with the DJs. It has been used as a default story for overcoming so frequently that it almost seems normative at this point…everything that I disagree with or is causing me the slightest inconvenience is a Goliath. Someone disagrees with me on Facebook? A Goliath of persecution I must overcome. I want to be clear that I am not trying to throw rocks at people who are struggling with or celebrating overcoming truly difficult circumstances. However, I do want to re-orient the narrative of David and Goliath out of our culture and back to the Scripture. If every problem we face is a murderous 9-foot-tall giant seeking to kill us and everyone we know and love, then how will we be able to live out the promise of abundant life that Jesus gave us?
One of the reasons it isn’t helpful to compare situations or struggles we are dealing with to facing our Goliaths is that David was not dealing with struggles when he fought Goliath. David came up to bring food to his brothers and saw Goliath insulting the armies of Israel…there was no personal “persecution” until he had selected his rocks and stepped forward to challenge Goliath. His reaction was not a response to his treatment but a response to how God was being treated. The narrative of David and Goliath should be on how to demonstrate honor to God and glorifying His name; not focused on how God can equip me to get through whatever problem I’m facing. God is certainly for you and wants success in your endeavors but the focus must rightfully remain on Him. A more applicable story involving persecution would be the narrative of David and King Saul.
You might be asking why I am making a big deal out of this… if the David and Goliath story helps people to overcome things they are dealing with then what’s the harm? My primary concern is if we can just take this well-known story and apply to our situation, then we don’t have to look any deeper into Scripture for truth. This means that we will miss out on verses and stories that truly deal with persecution and overcoming; the Davidic Psalms are saturated with this theme and are not rooted in the battle with Goliath. This neglect means we are not able to apply more appropriate passages to our situation because God is simply a giant-slayer. Another concern is if I take this extraordinary story and apply it to my situation then my situation becomes extraordinary; this is something I have struggled with in the past personally. It sure sounds better to the people I talk to if I tell them that I am dealing with something extraordinary than if I am dealing with something less than that. As a result, my Facebook disagreement becomes Goliath. A similar thought is that maybe God will be more willing to help me if my struggle seems extraordinary.
I know we are in the middle of some difficult times right now as Christians and as humans. There truly is religious persecution taking place. There is much suffering due to medical issues like Covid and cancer. My purpose is not to say we aren’t facing struggles; my purpose is to say that the Bible has passages that provide hope and assurance to its readers that are more appropriate than a copy/paste application of the David defeating Goliath story. For example, Paul’s writings in Romans 8 and 2 Corinthians 4 are more thorough treatments of hope in the midst of struggles and persecution; they are not exhaustive, however, nor are they the only passages on the topic, so keep reading your Bible! Let God speak to you and heal you through the promises of His Word. Never grow tired of reading your Bible because I guarantee God never gets tired of speaking to you through it. Blessings to you all.
P.S. If there is something you are struggling with personally, whether from “out there” or inside yourself I encourage you to find someone to walk through it with you. If there is anything I can do to be a part of that process, please reach out to me. God speaks His truth through His Word but He also speaks His truth through the people in our lives.
