Today we continue reading through the Old Testament books of 1st and 2nd Samuel. Last week we read the story of the anointing of David to become the 2nd king of ancient Israel replacing Saul.
David was an unlikely choice because he was the youngest of 8 children and overlooked as kingly material. But we heard last week that the world looks upon outward appearance but that God looks upon the heart.
In today’s reading from the 17th chapter of 1st Samuel, Saul is still king when the Philistines begin to encroach on their territory. The Philistines lived along the coastal plain while the Israelites were up in the mountains. In fact, this area today is called Palestine because the Greeks and then Romans translated the name Philistine into Palestine.
In order to defeat the Israelites under King Saul, the Philistine army moves into the mountains and settles along one side of the Valley of Elah. On the other side of the valley is the Israelite army. As we will see in our reading, the two armies are at a standstill for several days when events begin to change.
Read I Samuel 17:1-11
We just heard the description of Goliath. Most of us know that Goliath is presented as a big man. How big is disputed. The text can be read that he was almost 7 feet tall or that he was 9 feet tall. Either way, he is a big man.
Neither the Philistine or the Israelite armies want to make a move. They are each high in the mountains with the valley between them. The first one to make a move will put themselves at a strategic disadvantage.
It was not uncommon for two armies to send out a representative to fight for the entire army. That seems to be what the Philistines are offering. They put forth Goliath and challenge the Israelites to send out a soldier to fight him.
Goliath is presented as a daunting character. Standing at least 7 feet tall, he is decked out in the most advanced military equipment. He has on a bronze helmet, heavy coat of bronze on his chest and legs, a long sword and an intimidating spear. He is trained in armed combat and he is ready.
When Israel looks at Goliath, they are terrified. There is no way they can prevail against him. The presence of challenge sends the Israelites into submission of fear.
While the Israelites are frozen in fear, they get a Door Dash delivery from David. David has been tending to his family’s sheep when he is told by his dad to deliver food to his brothers. David obliges. When David arrives with the food and before he is tipped, he sees what is happening with Goliath and the Israelite army.
David assesses the scene and tells King Saul that he is up to the task of taking on Goliath. David’s brothers are furious with David. Get back to tending to the sheep they tell him.
But David tells King Saul why he has been prepared for this moment. David says he has become an excellent marksman with the sling. This sling is not a toy. It was a weapon which David used to kill lions and bears who attacked the sheep. A skilled slinger with the right kind of rocks can produce a projectile similar to a 45 millimeter pistol of today.
In fact, I have some of the rocks from that valley which I keep in my office. As many of you know, I went to Israel several years ago and to this specific valley. I collected a few of the pebbles which you can see here. And these smooth stones are solid.
David is able to convince King Saul that David is the one to take on Goliath. Heading off with just a staff, his slingshot, and 5 pebbles, David approaches Goliath. But this is where we discover something about Goliath that we never learned from our children’s bibles. Goliath is vulnerable.
As David approaches, Goliath is led down into the valley by an assistant. As Goliath barks out words of intimidation, Goliath seems confused about how many staffs David is holding. Why is this? Why does Goliath have trouble seeing what David is carrying and why is an assistant having to guide Goliath into the valley?
In looking at the details of this story, many scientists today think that Goliath suffered from Acromegalia. This is an overproduction of human growth hormone. Acromegalia is what it was believed that the tallest people ever recorded had including the former professional wrestler Andre the Giant.
There are side effects to Acromegalia. People who suffer with Acromegalia have vision problems. They are either nearsided or have double vision.
Goliath wasn’t as tough as others made him out to be. He probably had vision problems and physical limitations. And David had what he needed to overcome this challenge. David had a sling and he had trained himself how to use it well.
Today all of us face challenges in life. And as we think about our challenges, they may seem like Goliath. How are we ever going to overcome these challenges? But the thing is, with God all things are possible. And we all have slingshots in our pockets which are there for us to use.
What are the challenges we face and what are the slingshots in our pockets?
Thank You Note from Judy Smiley (Steve Penland’s sister)
And sometimes the challenges we face may take a long time to overcome. Yesterday was Juneteenth, which is now a national holiday celebrating the nation’s victory over enslavement. At the signing on the bill into law, standing beside President Biden was Ms. Opal Lee.
At age 10, Ms. Lee saw her home burned down by their white neighbors. She recalls hundreds of people who took part. In her words, “if they had given us an opportunity to stay there and be their neighbors, they would have found out we didn’t want any more than what they had. A decent place to stay, jobs that paid, the ability to go to school. But they didn’t give us that opportunity.”
Ms. Lee then took it on as her mission to make Juneteenth a day to remember because, in her words, if all of us are not free then none of us are free.
When Opal Lee was 89 years old, she set out to walk the 1400 miles from Fort Worth, TX to Washington, DC to try to convince Congress to make Juneteenth a national holiday. In her words, “I’m not sitting here rocking until the Lord calls me home. God really is going to have to catch me.” Goliath stood in her way.
Opal Lee did not make the 1400 mile trip to DC. But every year since 2016, this now 94 year old woman has walked 2.5 miles on Juneteenth. She says she began by gathering up some people in her church, her pastor, the church musicians, a county commissioner, a school board member, and they started to walk from the church.
The 2.5 miles represents the 2 ½ years that it took from the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation until African-Americans in Galveston, TX heard that they were free on June 19th, 1865.
Ms. Opal Lee was present on Thursday when the bill was signed into law making Juneteenth a national holiday. At 94 years of age, her Goliath had been defeated.
What is the Goliath that you are facing? Are you facing a challenge of physical or mental health? Are you facing a challenge at work or in your family? Are you facing an academic challenge? Do you feel as though the challenge before you is daunting and can’t be overcome?
In the story that we read, Goliath is really not the giant that he is made out to be. He only appears to be big. And David learned all that he needed to learn to conquer Goliath while doing the mundane tasks of tending to the sheep.
Maybe, like David, we have also been given the tools we need to overcome our challenges. Tools we acquired by doing some mundane tasks. Maybe we have misplaced our tools but they are still there.
And maybe what has made our challenge so large is our own fear that prevents us from experiencing the presence of God which is in our midst.
Maybe, like David, we are strong and capable.
As you face your challenges, remember how David trusted in God and learned that the challenge in front of him was not so big after all. AMEN.
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-Jackson, Angelique, https://variety.com/2021/politics/features/activist-opal-lee-juneteenth-holiday-1234998507/
-Gladwell, Malcolm, https://www.ted.com/talks/malcolm_gladwell_the_unheard_story_of_david_and_goliath?language=en
-Given: June 20, 2021 in Allison Creek Presbyterian (York, SC)