A FORMIDABLE ENEMY

• DAY 168
• FAITH FILES: DAVID
• SCRIPTURES: 1 SAMUEL 17

And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid. So the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel; and it shall be that the man who kills him the king will enrich with great riches, will give him his daughter, and give his father’s house exemption from taxes in Israel.” Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” And the people answered him in this manner, saying, “So shall it be done for the man who kills him.”

1 SAMUEL 17:24-27

There is a reason why this story is so popular amongst bible stories. It is not only amazing but also inspiring. God literally gave motivational speakers and preachers premium content. You cannot talk about faith and courage and skip David and Goliath. What makes this story powerful is the impossibility of the outcome.

The Threat

Isreal was faced with an offer that was, by all calculations, designed for their defeat. There was no way a man from Isreal could match the prowess and pedigree of Goliath, and the Philistines knew this. Because nobody makes an offer that’s not in their favour. The enemies of Israel not only studied them but controlled their ability to get weapons. They put a high tax on sharpening tools so that Israel will not build weapons, so only the king and his sons could afford weapons. The Philistines knew what they were doing when they proposed a battle between a weaponless warrior of Israel, against an armed, giant that has built a career in combat. “bring out one man,” they said. One? Goliath was 3 men at least, that’s unfair. Yet that was the offer. And for forty days, Isreal was threatened morning and evening.

Picture that for a moment. You wake up to threats and you sleep to threats. No wonder Israel was afriad. Their minds were full of the vile words their enemy spoke to them consistently. That’s how important what we hear is. If you spend 40 days listening to the Word and studying or praying, morning and night, you will see your life transform. the reverse is the case if you spend time listening to negative things. So, you might need to stop listening to that friend that sounds like Goliath.

In the midst of all this David arrives and witnesses, not only the threat but, the reaction of the people. He watched how a godless entity turned the heritage of God into a cowering congregation. And in the face of this formidable enemy, all he could think of was his reward if he defeats Goliath. Everyone was cowering and he was investigating.

Question! did he miss the part where Goliath was a strong man? How was it possible that he could not only stay calm but conceive in his mind that he was a match for Goliath? Because Israel saw a threat, he saw an uncircumcised philistine. He understood that he had a better covenant than Goliath. Circumcision was an outward physical sign of their eternal covenant with God. Their spilled blood sealed that covenant. As a man of faith and courage, he understood the power of that covenant.

God was to bless those who blessed them and curse those who cursed them. They were God’s special treasure, a chosen people, a divine inheritance. Therefore they are granteed victory on the grounds of that covenant, unless they break their end and sign against God. So when David declared the circumsion he not only established his superiority above the Philistines, but he invoked the parameters of the covenant. He was indirectly saying that Goliath was up against God.

Beloved, your covenant is greater than that. Hebrews 8:6 says “But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.” The blood of Jesus is the foundation of your covenant. So why do you still act like the cowering Israel? Be bold enough to stand on the covenant of christ and defy any other covenant. The uncircumcised cannot defeat you, you are God’s special treasure.

Shalom