War In Peace.
There is no two ways about it. The christian life is not easy. Not only do we have to face hassles from others around us while we try to stick to our standards, but we also have to fight against ourselves and overcome our own failings and laziness. But our bible talks about “peace” in a different way than society teaches us.
In 1st Samuel chapter 17 King Saul had found himself in a situation that he did not know how to handle. He was King over Israel. He and his army were encamped on a hillside along one side of the Valley of Elah. Half a mile away, on the other side of the valley were the armies of the enemy - The Philistines.
And they had a very powerful weapon - Goliath.
Goliath was a giant. Biblical scholars estimate him to be anything between 6 to 9 feet tall (2.5 – 3 meters). And he was standing in the middle of the valley. He had been coming down into the valley floor every morning and every evening for 40 days – almost 6 weeks – and shouting and intimidating King Saul’s armies. And no one dared take up his challenge…
1st Samuel ch17v16 For forty days the Philistine [Goliath] came forward every morning and evening and took his stand.
And the most battle hardened soldiers who had been at the front line of Israel’s battle were afraid to go out and face him. Saul, the commander of the armies of the living God was afraid to fight him. Goliath was winning every time because not only were they afraid of him in physical combat, but they also mentally thought of themselves to be weaker. They had fought the fiercest of battles and wars, but nothing like this.
Then along came a young shepherd lad carrying food for his enlisted brothers. His name was David.
His brothers growled at him and berated him…
1st Samuel ch17v28 When Eliab, David's oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, "Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness?
David was shoved about from one group of soldiers to the next group of soldiers. All of them belittling him for one reason or another. And as the armies were lining up to form their battle lines facing each other young David ran down to the lines to take a look. And as he was talking with the soldiers Goliath stepped out….
1st Samuel ch17v21 Israel and the Philistines were drawing up their lines facing each other. v22 David left his things with the keeper of supplies, ran to the battle lines and asked his brothers how they were. v23 As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it.
King Saul was terrified. He was intimidated by Goliath. He had promised a lot of money and also the hand of his daughter in marriage to anyone who could defeat Goliath. But Saul was already defeated in his mind.
However, despite his young age, David had fought battles of a different kind. And each battle he fought was against something that did not know reason, rational, or respect. David had fought against killers. David had fought off lions and bear while looking after the sheep. And the techniques he had developed were not of the usual military kind.
The Israelites and the Philistines were using standard textbook military tactics - Line up facing each other. Wear full armour. Face each other off in standard squads of archers, horsemen and spearmen. And wait for the other side to make a mistake.
But David, like any shepherd, had developed his fighting skills in a different arena. He had fought against the wild bears and lions. Not in practise, but in a battle to the death. David had jumped from rock to rock. He had dodged and ducked the lethal swipes of the animals. He had lured them into a false sense of victory while all the time he was one the one who was moving in for the kill.
And this is what he saw in the Valley of Elah.
But whispers started to travel around the camp of the Israelites…..
1st Samuel ch17v31 What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, and Saul sent for him. v32 David said to Saul, "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; I, your servant, will go and fight him." v33 Saul replied, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth."
But David reminded Saul of his own experiences and history…
1st Samuel ch17v34 But David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, v35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. v36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God.
And although the bible doesn’t say it, I have no doubt that David would have borne some form of scars to testify of his battles. For the man who doesn’t have a scar, has never fought in a battle.
Saul fitted David up with his own armour. Was Saul jesting with David? Or humouring him? We’ll never know. But David took off the armour and went down into the valley to face Goliath….
1st Samuel ch17v39 David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. "I cannot go in these," he said to Saul, "because I am not used to them." So he took them off. v40 Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd's bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.
But even within sight of the enemy, within a spear’s throw of Goliath, David did not forget his Lord…
1st Samuel ch17v47 [David shouted out] All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's,
Did David remember the teachings of his father in recounting Joshua’s Battle of Jericho?
Joshua ch5v13 Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, "Are you for us or for our enemies?" v14 "Neither," he replied, "but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come."
Did David remember his father’s teachings of God’s hand leading the Israelites out of Egypt? Did David know how to find peace in the middle of turmoil? How often do we forget God’s promises when life is falling down around us?
Then David’s battle began.
As each of Goliath’s taunts sounded out David ran closer. Goliath’s armour-bearer was a brave man, but only while Goliath was there. But neither Goliath, not the armour-bearer knew of David’s tactics. Dodge and weave. Get in close. Then strike when God provides the opportunity.
Goliath never saw it coming. The stone struck Goliath in the temple. Goliath crumpled and fell to the ground. His armour-bearer dropped everything and ran. And David went in for the kill. The battle was won.
We all have spent our early christian life in prayer, praise, and bible study. And when problems come we forget about these things and rely on our own understanding. All we have to do is stand and pray. God will be with us. I can testify that this is true – my problems were made far worse because I tried to sort them out in my own way. And, I confess, a lot of the times I put God second. I was wrong.
But God knows us better. He knows us all in ways that we do not even know ourselves. For He has been with us all the way. When Jesus had taught the disciples how the Holy Spirit works He gave them a chance to go out on their own and prove the Holy Spirit for themselves….
Luke ch9v1 When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, v2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
And God will give us the power to conquer our own worries and troubles. For He is with us wherever we go. All we have to do is stand and worship him. As the Apostle Paul said the people of Ephesus…
Ephesians ch6v10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. v11 Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.
There's power in the blood, power in the blood.
Would you o'er evil a victory win?
There's wonderful power in the blood.
There is power, power, wonder-working power
in the blood of the Lamb.
There is power, power, wonder-working power
in the precious blood of the Lamb.
Internet - www.theselivelyoracles.co.uk
Facebook - These Lively Oracles
Twitter(X) - @LivelyOracles58
Comments