April 1, 2025

1 Samuel 17:12-27  (HCSB)
12 Now David was the son of the Ephrathite from Bethlehem of Judah named Jesse. Jesse had eight sons and during Saul’s reign was already an old man. 13 Jesse’s three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war, and their names were Eliab, the firstborn, Abinadab, the next, and Shammah, the third, 14 and David was the youngest. The three oldest had followed Saul, 15 but David kept going back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s flock in Bethlehem. 16 Every morning and evening for 40 days the Philistine came forward and took his stand. 17 One day Jesse had told his son David: “Take this half-bushel of roasted grain along with these 10 loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp.
18 Also take these 10 portions of cheese to the field commander. Check on the welfare of your brothers and bring a confirmation from them. 19 They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah fighting with the Philistines.”
20 So David got up early in the morning, left the flock with someone to keep it, loaded up, and set out as Jesse had instructed him.
He arrived at the perimeter of the camp as the army was marching out to its battle formation shouting their battle cry. 21 Israel and the Philistines lined up in battle formation facing each other. 22 David left his supplies in the care of the quartermaster and ran to the battle line. When he arrived, he asked his brothers how they were. 23 While he was speaking with them, suddenly the champion named Goliath, the Philistine from Gath, came forward from the Philistine battle line and shouted his usual words, which David heard. 24 When all the Israelite men saw Goliath, they retreated from him terrified.
25 Previously, an Israelite man had declared: “Do you see this man who keeps coming out? He comes to defy Israel. The king will make the man who kills him very rich and will give him his daughter. The king will also make the household of that man’s father exempt from paying taxes in Israel.”
26 David spoke to the men who were standing with him: “What will be done for the man who kills that Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Just who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
27 The people told him about the offer, concluding, “That is what will be done for the man who kills him.”

Chris Bray
David is indignant that Goliath would dare to defy the armies of God! While the Israelites saw Goliath’s threat only in the flesh, David saw it for what it was: A spiritual attack on God’s covenant with His people. Having been given the Holy Spirit to indwell us, we, of all people, should understand the need to fight our Goliaths in the correct realm. David demonstrates how being well-prepared to act forcefully in the physical realm is sometimes necessary. However, let’s not forget his main reaction to Goliath’s attack.  By pointing out that Goliath was uncircumcised, David was making clear that the threat was coming from an outsider of God’s covenant with His people. When I heed David’s example and react to the sin in my life with sheer indignance at its presence there and its audacity to attack me, a child of the King, I am well on my way to rooting out that sin and banishing it. Join me in declaring that in the name of Jesus Christ, sin has no place in our lives and is hereby on notice that it will not be allowed to attack us, or our covenant, without being counter-attacked and defeated! Amen!