A Sermon by Rev. Dr. Jeff Seaton

at Zion United Church, Armstrong — June 23, 2024

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We have before us this week the familiar story of David and Goliath. It’s a rather long story, but I wanted us to hear the whole story today because the details in the story matter—they help us to really understand what’s going on between these two combatants.

This story is one of the best-known stories of the Bible. Many of us first learned the story in Sunday School. But even if you didn’t go to Sunday School, even if you’re not a Christian, chances are you know this story, too. Because this story has become part of our culture.

The story of David and Goliath has become a metaphor in our culture. It’s a metaphor for someone, or some group, that is relatively puny—small and powerless—going up against someone or something massive and powerful, and, against all odds, winning the battle. It’s the story of the underdog defeating the obvious favourite. And we love the underdog.

The details of the story really make this clear; they set up this clear distinction between the two men.

Goliath is introduced first. We are told that he is 10-feet tall, wearing 150 pounds of armour, and carrying a massive spear, with a bronze javelin slung over his back. He’s 10-feet tall and armed to the teeth.

This giant of a man challenges the army of Israel to send out their biggest, strongest, best fighter, to engage in one-on-one combat; whichever man wins, his side wins the battle, without the armies having to fight.

Meanwhile, the first mention of David in the story tells us that he’s nowhere near the battle; he’s back home tending the sheep, too young to fight with his brothers. His father sends him to the battle front to bring some provisions to his brothers, and to bring back news on how they are doing.

But when he gets there, David hears Goliath’s challenge for man-to-man combat. And he declares, “I’m the one! I’m the one to go and do battle with the giant.”

And here’s the contrast.

The king, Saul, says to David, “You can’t do this; you’re just a boy!” But then David tells Saul about his life as a shepherd. It’s true he’s just a shepherd, just a country boy, but country folk know a thing or two about dealing with adversity, and responding to challenges.

But Saul is still sceptical. So he loans David his armour. And David takes a few lumbering steps, and says, “No. This isn’t going to work. I need to do this my way.” He strips off the armour, he takes up his shepherd’s staff, his sling in hand, and he loads up his pouch with five smooth stones picked up off the ground.

David, who’s too small to wear any armour, goes to face the Goliath, 10-feet tall and armed to the teeth, with only the tools of his trade.  The contrast between the two men is so extreme that Goliath laughs with scorn at David.

Now I want to step out of the story for a moment, and reflect some more about this contrast between David and Goliath. Whenever we tell this story, of course David is the good guy, David is the hero, David is the one we want to be like; he’s the one we identify with.

But I wonder. You know when you look at these two characters as two examples, or models, or ways of being; and ask yourself, which one would I really want to be?

Would I rather be the puny shepherd boy, who’s too small to walk in a man’s armour; someone who is courageous no doubt, but seems almost foolishly so; someone who has only sticks and stones for weapons, and a shepherd’s know-how as a battle plan?

Or would I rather be the other guy, 10-feet tall and armed to the teeth? Massive, shielded, protected over almost the whole of his body with heavy armour; a massive spear in hand, and a javelin on his back. A literal one-man army.

Who would I rather be?

Well, there are times when Goliath seems like the better option. Not that I’d want to identify with the Philistine, not with his character or his personality; but perhaps with his invulnerability. With his strength and size and power. I think there are times for many of us when being 10-feet tall and armed to the teeth seems like an attractive option.

For example, as we get older and our strength diminishes; as we face challenges with our mobility, and our memory, and find that things are harder to do than when we were younger. As we get older, we get to learn more and more about vulnerability. At times like that, being strong and powerful, and protected, invincible, can seem very attractive.

Or when we think about our life as a church, and cast our minds over to Enderby and St. Andrew’s today. When a congregation faces the prospect of closing its doors and ending its long life of service and fellowship and faith, because it no longer has enough strength or resources to go on—that too is an encounter with unwelcome vulnerability. And I can imagine there might be few people in Enderby and here at Zion, too, who might be thinking, “you know, I’d rather be a Goliath now.”

I’d rather be strong and powerful than weak and vulnerable. I’d rather be strong and protected, insulated from the storms of life and the challenges that face the church; instead of weak, dependent, with so few resources to hand.

But here’s where we need to go back to the story. Because there’s something there that we may have overlooked.

There’s something that David has, that Goliath lacks, something I didn’t mention when I compared them. I mentioned David’s courage, and his country boy ingenuity, and his skill with the tools of his trade. But there is something more.

It’s something that David says when he tells King Saul about his exploits as a shepherd and how he was able to fend off lions and bears to protect his flock. He says, “The Lord, who saved me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear, will save me from the hand of this Philistine.”

And it’s in the name of the Lord that David confronts Goliath, and prevails. He prevails because of his skills and ingenuity, yes; but the key reason he prevails is because of his faith in God, and because he’s placed himself in the service of God, and God’s purposes.

And so it is with us. We have gifts and skills, and the ingenuity born from our life experiences. And sometimes what we have may not look like it adds up to much, compared to the scale of the challenges we face, either in our personal lives or in our life as a church community.

But the most important thing we have, the thing that will make all the difference is our faith in God, and our willingness to put ourselves in the service of God, and of God’s purposes.

Strength and power and size may seem to offer security, but in the end it is our faith, and God’s faithfulness to us, that will save us and see us through. Thanks be to God. Amen.