Douglas Wilson Archives - Page 143 of 179

The David Chronicles 22: Mercy Stands Taller

Joe Harby on September 18, 2011

Introduction

David seeks to get away from Saul, but he cannot get away from his anointing. He can evade Saul, but he cannot evade the fact that a new Israel is going to start to form around him. David goes into the wilderness and finds a throne. Saul goes to his throne and finds a wilderness.

The Text

“Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee? . . .” (1 Sam. 21:1-15).

Summary of the Text

David continues on the run, and he comes to Nob, a priestly city (v. 1). The tabernacle had apparently been moved there after the destruction of Shiloh. They didn’t have the ark there, but they still put out the showbread. The showbread was also called the bread of the Presence—but the Presence wasn’t there anymore. A lot of things were dislocated. Ahimelech was concerned because David did not have the kind of entourage he should have had, and so David told him he was on a secret mission (v. 2). David asks for five loaves of bread (v. 3). Ahimelech says he has no common bread, but that David can have the showbread if his young men have kept themselves from women —meaning they were dedicated to holy war (v. 4). David replies in the affirmative (v. 5), and so the priest gives him the showbread (v. 6). But Doeg the Edomite was there (v. 7). David then asks for weapons (v. 8), and so the priest gives him the sword of Goliath (v. 9). And so David then fled to Gath, where Achish was king (v. 10). But the servants of Achish recognized him, and repeated the words of the song that the women of Israel had sung, back at the beginning of all the trouble (v. 11). David was starting to hate that song. And so David came to be afraid of Achish (v. 12), and so pretended to be insane (v. 13). And Achish was fooled (v. 14), and delivers one of the great lines of Scripture (v. 15).

Some Background

Ahimelech was the great-grandson of Eli, and the brother of Ahijah—the man who came into the priestly service of Saul after the departure of Samuel (1 Sam. 14:3). Jesus identifies this episode as happening in the “days” of Abiathar (Mark 2:26), the son of Ahimelech, who joined up with David later, and who served as high priest for David. Each one of these five loaves contained about three and a half pounds of flour (Lev. 24:5-9). David already had a group of men around him, but they were apparently a pretty rag tag bunch, which is what caused Ahimelech to wonder about the absence of a more regular detail. In an odd move, David receives the sword of Goliath and promptly flees to the city of Goliath.

Ethical Fussiness

David uses deception twice in this chapter. Once was to mislead Ahimelech, giving him the protection of plausible deniability (which didn’t work), and the other instance was when he pretended to be mad in order to get away from Achish (which did work). We have previously seen that deception is an essential part of warfare, and pious evangelicals who object to this are slicing it way too fine. An example would be the (otherwise commendable) ESV Study Bible, which says of this place, “Though David normally acted as an upright man, the Bible does not hesitate to record honestly his instances of wrongdoing.” But what sense does this make? Do we want to say that it is not a sin to blow somebody up with a tank just so long as you never camouflage it? In this instance, David is using deceit as a way of avoiding direct conflict with Saul, and God bless him.

If you were standing at a crossroads, and a screaming woman ran by, and then about five minutes later, a lunatic with furious eyes and an axe ran up, demanding to know “which way she went,” I trust that all of you here would lie like a Christian. And none of this changes the fact that the lake of fire is reserved for liars (Rev. 21:8), that the ninth commandments prohibits the corruption of the courts (Ex. 20:16), and that we are commanded not to lie to one another because we have put off the old man (Col. 3:9). Kids, if your mom asks if you made your bed, and you reply that you did (even though you did not), you cannot fix it by appealing to the Hebrew midwives, or to the faithful deception that Rahab used. You should get swats a couple times—once for the lie, and the other time for the faulty hermeneutic.

The Showbread

Jesus refers to this incident, and He does so in a way that exonerates David (Matt. 12:1-8). The law of God, the Lord teaches, is not built out of two by fours. It is a case law system, the same kind of thing as our common law system, which means that the principles of justice must be understood, and they cannot be understood unless we are free men in Christ. Legalists are not qualified to be judges. Judges need to understand and love the law. This means that we must be the kind of men who understand that God wants mercy, and not sacrifice. Not one jot or tittle will pass from the law until all is fulfilled, but this does not turn the Lord of mercy into a cross-eyed i- dotter. The law made allowances within it, as can be seen by the priests who had to work in the Temple on the Sabbath. Ahimelech had to replace the twelve loaves every Sabbath, which meant that every Sabbath he had to bake bread. What Ahimelech could bake, David could eat—because of two principles. The first is the presence of one who is greater than the Temple. Which is greater, the bread of the Presence or the Presence itself ? The second is the authority of mercy. Mercy does not negate authority; mercy has authority.

Do not confuse this. Mercy is not what happens when your standards fall apart. Laziness in discipline is not mercy. Mercy is what happens when your standards are outranked. Mercy stands taller than justice.

The David Chronicles 21: The Son of My Enemy

Joe Harby on September 11, 2011

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Introduction

In the midst of court politics, and treachery, and intrigue, we find a shining and glorious example of covenant loyalty. Jonathan disappears from our narrative at this point, at least as a major character, but he departs in glory. One of the noblest sons of Scripture was the son, not of Eli, or Samuel, or David . . . but of Saul.

The Text

“And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life? . . .” (1 Sam. 20:1-42).

Summary of the Text

David is on the run, and he comes to Jonathan to ask what his offense is (v. 1). Jonathan does not believe it (v. 2), not because he believes his father incapable of murderous thoughts, but because he apparently believes in the binding force of the vow. But David points out that Saul now knows that Jonathan views David with grace, and will keep the information from him (v. 3). Jonathan says that he will do whatever David wants (v. 4). David proposes missing a new moon festival, hiding in a field until the third day of it (v. 5). If Saul misses him, the story is that David went to an annual sacrifice for his family (v. 6). If he takes it well, things are fine. If not, then he clearly wants to kill David (v. 7). David appeals to his covenant with Jonathan, and says that if he is guilty, then Jonathan should kill him (v. 8). Jonathan says no, if his father intends harm to David, he would tell him (v. 9). David asks how he will learn of Saul’s response (v. 10). Jonathan takes him out to the field (v. 11), and swears an oath to tell David if the news from his father is good or bad (vv. 12-13). Jonathan in returns asks for a vow of protection from David (vv. 14-15). So Jonathan made a covenant with David, with ill portent for David’s enemies (v. 16). Jonathan made David swear again, because he loved him (v. 17). Jonathan then sets up a system of signaling with his arrows (vv. 18-22). As far as the oath is concerned, the Lord will stay between them (v. 23).

And so David hid, and missed the first day of the feast (vv. 24-25). Saul assumed that David was ritually unclean (v. 26). When he was gone the second day, Saul asked Jonathan about the “son of Jesse” (v. 27). Jonathan replied with the agreed-upon story (vv. 28-29). Saul erupts with anger toward Jonathan (v. 30). Saul tells Jonathan that it must be Jonathan or David on the throne, and threatens David with death (v. 31). Jonathan asks why (v. 32). Saul threw a javelin at his son (v. 33), and Jonathan knew that his father was going to kill David. Jonathan left in fierce anger, fasting, because he was grieved for David and ashamed of his father (v. 34). Jonathan then communicated the bad news to David by the prearranged signal (vv. 35-40). David and Jonathan met, David bowed three times, and they wept together (v. 41). Jonathan blessed David, and then they parted (v. 42).

The Son of My Enemy

We have already seen Saul declare David as his enemy (1 Sam. 19:17). But Jonathan believed the oath that Saul took in the name of the Lord (1 Sam. 19:6), and so refused to believe that he would violate something so sacred. The oath was “as the Lord liveth,” and all oath-breaking proceeds on the assumption that God is dead. In (perhaps) unintentional irony, Jonathan asks David to remember kindness with regard to Jonathan’s house, even when the Lord has cut off from the face of the earth every last one of David’s enemies (v. 15). In the next verse, he makes a covenant with David, the brunt of which is to fall on David’s enemies (v. 16). But Jonathan is about to discover that David’s principal enemy is his own father (vv. 30-31). But he, Jonathan, is now bound together with David in such a covenant as that he is completely identified with David. His father throws a javelin at him, calling him foolish for his wisdom and treacherous for his godly loyalty (v. 30). Saul has now inverted everything (Is. 5:20).

Believing All Things

The grace shown toward Saul is remarkable. David is a faithful follower of Saul, and refuses to lift his hand against the Lord’s anointed, even when sorely provoked. Jonathan is willing to believe the best of his father for a long time. When your enemy is in the process of self-destructing, up to a point it is lawful to try to stop him. At some point, it is lawful to step away—both Jacob and David moved out of their Laban’s range. But don’t shove, and don’t gloat (Prov. 24:17-18).

Fierce Anger

David anticipates great anger from Saul (v. 7), and he should know. When Saul hears that David is absent, his “anger was kindled” (v. 30). The focal point of his anger is Jonathan, who is now a stand-in for David, even to the point of Saul throwing a spear at him (v. 33). And Jonathan is now a proxy for David in another way. David has been grieved, and is long-suffering. But Jonathan rises from the table “in fierce anger,” that anger a function of grief and shame.

Anger is not a sin, but in a condition of sin it is exceedingly sinful. We are told to put away anger (Eph. 4:31). We are told that man’s anger does not serve God’s righteousness (Jas. 1:20). At the same time, we are commanded to be angry without sinning (Eph. 4:26). We are told to be slow to anger (Jas. 1:19), not impossible to anger. But even when we are angry righteously, we must not let the sun go down on that anger (Eph. 4:26). Like manna, righteous anger will rot overnight.

Do not think like children. Anger is evil when it is evil and holy when it is holy. It is by the anger of God the Father, poured out upon Jesus on the cross, that we are saved. If it were not for the anger of God exhibited there, it would have had to be exhibited elsewhere, and we would all be lost. Propitiation is the satisfying of the righteous anger of God, and Jesus is the propitiation for our sins, and not for our sins only, but also for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2).

The David Chronicles 20: Saul Among the Prophets

Joe Harby on September 4, 2011

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Introduction

Although Saul continues his reign for some time after the incidents in this chapter, this chapter does mark the formal textual end of his reign. Call this definitive foreshadowing, as well as some sort of formal closure. Put another way, for Saul this is all over but the shouting.

The Text

“And Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan Saul’s son delighted much in David: and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeketh to kill thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide thyself . . .” (1 Sam. 19:1-24).

Summary of the Text

Saul’s hostility to David now comes completely out into the open (v. 1). But Jonathan, who loved David, warned him about the immediate threat to his life (v. 2). Jonathan’s plan in response is to have David hide where he can overhear Jonathan remonstrate with his father (v. 3). This is what Jonathan did (vv. 4-5), and his father listened to him, swearing an oath in the name of God that David would not be killed (v. 6). So Jonathan succeeded in bringing about a temporary reconciliation (v. 7), but this lasted only until the next great military achievement of David’s (v. 8). Again the evil spirit was upon Saul and David played his harp for him, and Saul tried to spear him (vv. 9-10). This may be the second incident referred to in the previous chapter, or it may be another time. Saul then sent assassins to kill David, and Michal warned him (v. 11). This is the occasion behind the writing of Psalm 59. She let him down through a window (v. 12), and then came up with a ruse to buy David some time (vv. 13-14). Saul told his men to bring David to him so that he might kill him (v. 15), and so the ruse was discovered (v. 16). Michal covered for herself successfully by saying that David had threatened to kill her (v. 17).

David escaped to Samuel in Ramah, and so he and Samuel went and stayed nearby in Naioth (v. 18). Saul got word where they were (v 19), and so he sent men to capture David there (v. 20). But when they saw all the prophets prophesying, and Samuel presiding over them, they prophesied as well (v. 20). So Saul sent a second group, and the same thing happened, and then a third time as well (v. 21). And so Saul himself went, and he came to a great well and asked directions (v. 22). And so the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he prophesied all the way to Naioth (v. 23). And when he got there, he stripped off his clothes and prophesied naked before Samuel all day and night (v. 24). And so it was said, is Saul also among the prophets?

A Laban Story

We have already seen that Saul is a Laban, only with the power to kill. He is a public sector Laban. But we should note more than just one similarity—i.e. that both Saul and Laban changed the terms of their agreements. Scripture points to this striking similarity, and does so in a way as to make the point unmistakable.

Jacob was faultless in his dealings with Laban (Gen. 31:36). David was faultless in his dealings with Saul (1 Sam. 19:4). Laban deceived Jacob by withholding the promised daughter (Gen. 29:25). Saul deceived David by withholding the promised daughter (1 Sam. 18:19). Jacob escaped from Laban (Gen. 31:17-21). David escaped from Saul (1 Sam. 19:12). Laban pursued Jacob (Gen. 31:22-23). Saul pursued David (1 Sam. 19:11,18-24). Laban’s daughter deceived him (Gen. 31:33-35). Saul’s daughter deceived him (1 Sam. 19:13-16). Rachel lies about the teraphim (Gen. 31:33-35). Michal lies with the teraphim (1 Sam. 19:13-16). Laban wants to know why he was deceived, when the answer should have been obvious (Gen. 31:27). Saul wants to know why he was deceived, when the answer should have been obvious (1 Sam. 19:17). The writer of the book of Samuel is making the point very clear—he wants us to see Saul as a Laban.

The Second Bookend

We noted before that this chapter is the place where Saul’s reign comes to its formal closure. When he was young and humble, he came to Ramah (1 Sam. 9:6). When he was old and arrogant, he came to Ramah (1 Sam. 19:22). The first time he came to a well and asked for directions to Samuel (1 Sam. 9:11). The last time he came to a well and asked for directions to Samuel (1 Sam. 19:22). When he was first anointed, he came to a company of prophets and prophesied among them (1 Sam. 10:5), showing that God was with him. “Is Saul among the prophets?” was a marveling statement (1 Sam. 10:12). When he had forfeited his anointing, and God had departed from him “Is Saul among the prophets?” became a comic statement (1 Sam. 19:24). The Spirit came upon him and he was vested with kingly authority (1 Sam. 11:6). When the Spirit came upon him here, he was divested of his robe (1 Sam. 19:24). All the similarities are meant to highlight the radical difference in the spiritual condition of Saul’s heart. The first time he had a humble heart and the last time he had a heart full of envy and murder.

David’s Big Promotion

Throughout this story, David incurs Saul’s ire simply through his ongoing faithfulness to him. Just as Saul was unable to read the story he was in, David was enabled to accurately read it. Throughout this story, we can see how he trusts in God externally, and we can see how that trust looks from the inside as we read and sing the psalms. Samuel had been told not to look on the appearances, but to recognize that God looks on the heart. This is not just true of people; it is also true of situations. What was it when David finally had to flee from Saul’s court for good? What was that? It was his big promotion. Saul on the throne had lost it already. David in the wilderness was a kingly man already. Our God speaks those things which are not as though they were.

The David Chronicles 19: A Form of Insanity

Joe Harby on August 28, 2011

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Introduction

Goliath was a very great giant, but envy is a greater giant still. Just as giants devour, so envy devours. Envy grows on unnatural food, and when a person gives way to temptation and eats this food, the results are perverse.

The Text

“And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father’s house. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own
soul . . .” (1 Sam. 18:1-30).

Summary of the Text

Jonathan heard David’s report to Saul, and Jonathan loved him (v. 1). As a result of David’s exploit, Saul did not let him return to his father’s house (v. 2). Jonathan makes a formal covenant with David because of his love for him (v. 3). He even went so far as to give David his robe and his weapons (v. 4). And David performed the missions given him by Saul, and he behaved wisely, accepted by all (v. 5). One day when they (Saul and David) were coming back from a battle with Philistines, they were met by singing women (v. 6). And they sang about Saul’s exploits and David’s, and David’s were greater (v. 7). Saul noticed this and was angry, and projected the end result being David on the throne (v. 8). Envy took completely over (v. 9). The next day, when Saul was afflicted by an evil spirit from the Lord, David was playing the harp for him, as before (v. 10). Saul tried to kill him with a spear, but David got away twice (v. 11).

Saul was afraid of David because the Lord was with him, and not with Saul (v. 12). So Saul appointed him to a place in the army (v. 13). David continued to behave wisely, and the Lord was with him (v. 14). When Saul saw his wisdom, he continued to be afraid (v. 15). In the meantime, David was a point of agreement between Israel and Judah (v. 16). Saul offered Merab, his elder daughter, hoping that the Philistines would take David out (v. 17). David protests, based on his station in life (v. 18). But when the time came, Saul gave his daughter to another (v. 19). Saul is a Laban, changing the terms or, as we would say, the kind of man who moves the goalposts. Michal, another daughter of Saul, loved David, and Saul thought he could work with that (v. 20). He would use his daughter to bait a Philistine trap (v. 21). He told his servants to flatter David (v. 22). They did so, but David protested that he was a poor man, not being able to afford the dowry of a king’s daughter (v. 23). Court politics are in full swing. The servants brought this response back to Saul (v. 24). So Saul said he would accept one hundred Philistine foreskins as a dowry, hoping that David would be slain getting them (v. 25). David was pleased with this, and there was still time (v. 26). And so David went and got double the bloody dowry (v. 27). And so Saul now saw two things—the Lord was with David, and Michal was with David (v. 28).

A Few Details

We considered before that Jonathan was pushing fifty by the time he met David. This meant that Saul was probably pushing seventy, which may account for why he might not have thought fighting Goliath himself was a good idea. So perhaps we shouldn’t be too hard on him for that. But at the same time, he was still going out to battle, both now and afterward. A more pressing question is why Jonathan didn’t fight the giant. We are not told, but the most likely explanation is that his father wouldn’t let him. Remember that David needed to get permission from the king to fight the giant on behalf of Israel, and that in order to perform his previous exploit, Jonathan had had to sneak off without telling his father.

David was far more of a threat to Jonathan’s royal interests than he was to Saul’s. And yet Jonathan loved him dearly, and Saul was possessed with envy.

An Evil Spirit from the Lord

The demon that afflicted Saul was evil, as can be seen from the fruit. The spirit that afflicted Saul was from the Lord in the sense that all things are from Him. You have often heard me say that God draws straight with crooked lines. Another way of putting this is that God tells a good story with wicked characters. God sends a lying spirit in the days of Micaiah (1 Kings 22:22). God sends Satan to test Job (Job 1:12). And lest someone wave this off as “Old Testament stuff,” God gives unbelievers over to a powerful delusion (2 Thess. 2:11). God is not just in the story; He writes the story. And don’t try to tell Tolkien that his story would have been greatly improved if he had left Gollum out of it.

Recall that at the beginning of this book, we saw that it was about rising and falling—the house of Eli, the house of Samuel, the house of Saul, and, in a sense redeemed by grace, the house of David. In order to tell this kind of story, this kind of envy, this kind of spiritual oppression, must play a necessary role. Envy is one of Satan’s principal weapons—and is therefore one of God’s principal tools.

Who Can Stand Against Envy?

Consider Proverbs 27:4. Envy feeds off of every true refutation of it. Saul plainly sees that David is wise, and he clearly sees that the Lord is with David. This is the refutation of every form of envy. What should kill envy dead? The answer would be the realization that God Almighty is with that other person, and is blessing him. But what does envy actually do? Saul sees that the Lord is with David (vv. 12, 14-15, 28-29), and he eyes him suspiciously. He interprets the story as though he has the right to appoint who the protagonist is.

Not only so, but the more the envy grows, the more the envier shrinks. Watching Saul here is like watching a slow- motion helicopter crash. Envy is a form of insanity, a way of disconnecting yourself from an ability to read the story you are in. Envy is unable to read the feedback loop. If the Lord is with David, what must a man do to be with the Lord? He must do what Jonathan gloriously did, and love David as he loved his own soul.

And of course, the only thing that can kill the giant Envy is the smooth stone thrown by the son of David. That smooth stone is the cross of Jesus Christ.

The David Chronicles 18: David the Giant Killer

Joe Harby on August 21, 2011

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Introduction

Although the sin of our first parents had placed us under bondage to the serpent, God very quickly gave us a promise that we would be avenged upon that serpent. He thus established the antithesis and promised a Messiah in the same place. This running battle is seen throughout Scripture, and the obligation to pursue giant-killing is an important part of it.

The Text

“Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephesdammim. And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines . . .” (1 Sam. 17:1-58).

Summary of the Text

This is a longer chapter, so as we summarize we will cut our pieces of meat a little larger. The Philistine army invaded and camped in territory of Judah, and Saul and his men gathered against them (vv. 1-2). A valley separated the armies (v. 3). There was a champion of the Philistines named Goliath who was huge (vv. 4-7). He came out and challenged any one of the Israelites to single combat, a fight that would settle everything. His words made Saul and all Israel “greatly afraid” (vv. 8-11). David was the eighth of eight sons of Jesse. The three oldest were in Saul’s army, and David had returned from his stint at Saul’s court (vv. 12-15). Goliath taunted Israel for 40 days (v. 16). Jesse then sent David with some supplies and told him to get news from his brothers (vv. 17-18). There was fighting with the Philistines, but nothing decisive—more like skirmishes (vv. 19-20). But they mostly put on armor and formed up in battle array to do some trash-talking (v. 21). David came with the supplies, and as he was visiting with his brothers, Goliath came out (vv. 22-23). David heard the taunts, but the Israelites were afraid, and David heard the talk about what would be done for the champion who killed Goliath (vv. 24-27). Eliab, the oldest, didn’t like the way David’s thoughts were going (v. 28), and charged him with impudence. But David ignored him, and went right on (vv. 29-30).

David’s talk came to Saul’s ears, and David was summoned (v. 31). David volunteers to fight (v. 32). Saul says that David is too young to fight such an experienced warrior (v. 33). David tells the story of how he killed both a lion and a bear as a shepherd, and he says he will do the same to Goliath (vv. 34-37). Saul then gives his blessing (v. 37b). David tries out Saul’s armor, but rejects it as untested (vv. 38-39).

So David went out with his staff, five stones, and his sling (v. 40). Goliath comes out with his armor-bearer (v. 41). Goliath despises David, curses him by his gods, and threatens him (vv. 42-44). David replied, countering the Philistine’s weapons with the name of God (v. 45). He declares that God will deliver Goliath up, he will lose his head, and everyone will know that God does not fight conventional battles (vv. 46-47). And so they approached each other, and David ran toward him, slinging the stone as he went (vv. 48-49). David struck him without a sword (v. 50). David ran to cut off his head with his own sword, and the Philistine army fled (v. 51). And the Israelites pursued them, striking them down, and taking spoil (vv. 52-53). David kept Goliath’s armor (v. 54). Saul wanted Abner to find out who David was (vv. 55-56). And so Abner brought David to Saul, Goliath’s head in his hand (v. 57), and Saul found out he was the son of Jesse (v. 58).

As we consider all this, we should remember that the book of Samuel was not originally structured the way we do it, with chapter breaks. Here is a chiasm which helps frame this section.

a Samuel leaves Ramah to anoint David (16:1-13
b David plays the harp effectively for Saul (16:14-23)
c David kills Goliath (17:1-58)
d David celebrated at court (18:1-6)
c’ Saul jealous over the Goliath triumph (18:7-30)
b’ David plays the harp ineffectively for Saul (19:1-17)
a’ David flees to Samuel at Ramah (19:18-20:42)

A Miscellany

This is one of the most famous stories in the Bible, and consequently, many of us have a mental image of it taken more from bits and pieces from things we have heard or from Bible story books—instead of from what is actually said. David rejects Saul’s armor as untested, and not as too big (v. 39). Of course, the greatest faith here was David’s, but it was an act of faith on Saul’s part also (v. 37). This was a single combat that put all of Israel’s army at stake, and Saul gave his blessing to it. And last, it is not often recognized that the five smooth stones are the five points of Calvinism. Joke. But the slingshot here is not something that a ten-year-old boy would use to plink at bottles on a fence. This was a bona fide weapon of war (Judg. 20:16), and the stones would be about the size of a modern softball. And of course, we should consider the size of Goliath. He was over nine feet tall, and his mail weighed 126 pounds. The Anakim (giants) had been exiled by Joshua to Gaza, Ashdod and Gath (Josh. 11:21-23), and Goliath was likely descended from them.

David the Giant-Killer

David comes into this story as a glorious type of Christ. Goliath was a giant, but he was also a serpent, a dragon. The Hebrew word for his armor means scales, which made him a gigantic reptile, like a dragon, and David topples him with a wound to the head (Gen. 3:15). David fights him with the same weapons that he would use in fighting wild beasts. When he is done, he takes Goliath’s armor and places it in his tent (v. 54).

This is precisely what Jesus does when He came upon the strong man. He attacks, like David did. He is victorious, like David was. He strips the armor (panoply), as David did. He partakes of the spoil after battle (Luke 11:22). Jesus is the greatest of all giant-killers. He gives victory to His people . . . and He awakens the envy of any who would be great in Israel on their own terms.