How Archaeology Helps You Understand the BibleSample

David’s Duel With A Giant

David versus Goliath is not a stand-alone story but a single episode in the rise of the man after God’s own heart (1 Sam. 13:14) from an obscure birth to becoming the unifier of the twelve tribes and the great king of His nation, Israel. On the surface, it is strange that King Saul would appoint a man he’d never met and who had zero combat training to fight for the fate of all Israelites. However, David’s skills as a shepherd easily translated to the battlefield, as David had spent his life as a lone champion fighting off stronger opponents with a tactical weapon—a sling.

The exaggerated ways the tradition has depicted both men—Goliath as a mythical giant and David as a skinny lad—have resulted in a well-used and sometimes trite metaphor designed to explain the success of a weakling in the face of impossible odds. The all-too-familiar “miracle” of David’s win over a superhuman can obscure important details of the story as it focuses on the outcome and not on the ways God was preparing a young man for his great future. God had gifted David with a set of skills that made him able not only to win a battle but later to conquer and rule a kingdom.

He was smart enough to avoid wearing ill-fitting, restrictive armor; he was strong enough to carry five sizable stones (not just pebbles) and sling one with the speed of a bullet train and the accuracy of an actual bullet; he was agile enough to evade the skilled jabs of a seasoned warrior; and, most importantly, he was faithful enough to his God to fight confidently in His name when others were afraid. This battle was an example of how God uses seemingly mundane chores (such as shepherding) to prepare His champions. God has a habit of choosing underdogs and gifting the unexceptional to do the work of His kingdom.

In the ancient Near East, customs dictated that a man’s oldest son inherited his fortune and blessing, but not in God’s family. He chose Isaac over Ishmael, Jacob over Esau, Judah over Reuben, David over all his older brothers, Solomon over Adonijah...and the list goes on. God takes time to prepare the ill-equipped to do great things in His name. He consistently defies our expectations and bucks humanity’s systems so that we can recognize His work and praise Him for it.

You may find yourself ordinary, but God created you, fearfully and wonderfully so. You exist to draw near to God and reflect His glory, beauty, and love to all. Thank the Lord for this good and intentional purpose.