Today in our Sunday school class we studied the well-known bible story of David and Goliath. While we discussed a number of very applicable and insightful truths, there is one aspect to the story that doesn’t often get mentioned, but which I think is absolutely critical for God’s people today.
Studying the account of David and Goliath is somewhat analogous to peeling away the layers of an onion, each having value and application, but I also think that we typically get through the first or second layer and then grow tired of analysis and move on to the next topic. But deep below the surface is a message that strikes at the heart of the church’s role in our present culture and it is this: the Church is to stand all of it’s hope and expectation of victory against the onslaught of cultural warfare on the absolute truth and dependability of God’s word.
This is a story about faith, but not the kind of faith that affluent American Christians are conditioned to think about. As a culture, we tend to view faith as first and foremost feeling and conviction that something unseen and unknowable is true for us. That’s a statement laden with misconceptions, handed down to us by the Enlightenment through the agency of the church to the point where it is so generally accepted that one might scratch their head and wonder why I’d even bring it up, let alone take issue with it.
I’d suggest that because we have a tendency toward an experiential faith, one in which we’ve had an encounter with God and he’s changed our lives, we’ve lost an aspect or characteristic of faith. This tendency is something that we’ve inherited from the Enlightenment and is the legacy of some, like Kierkegaard, who have shaped the thinking of Church and it is at the root of theological liberalism and of the cultural routing of Christianity from the public square. Let me explain.
We apply David’s story in lots of different ways. It is a story about overcoming our giants. It’s about God’s victory over his enemies. It demonstrates God using the weak to defeat the strong. It’s about Jesus as our representative champion, defeating sin and Satan on our behalf. It is a lesson of faith and trust, particularly David’s trust in God. And here’s where we can get into the weeds. From where does David’s trust and confidence arise?
Sure, this story demonstrates that David is indeed a “man after God’s own heart.” He shows remarkable courage, reminiscent of Joshua. His chief concern is God’s glory. He reminds us, as he defiantly claims God’s victory before the battle against Goliath even happens, of John the Baptist who says of Christ, “he must increase, I must decrease.”
David is a man of deep conviction, but again the question arises – upon what is that conviction based? It’s easy to compare ourselves to David and determine that he’s a ‘super Christian’ and that some people are just remarkably endowed with a tremendous faith. Or that God supernaturally gave him the faith needed to tackle the giants in his (and our) lives. Or that he knew his theology and because of that had confidence in God. And it is to this point that I believe the church needs to hear a clear message.
I suggest to you that David’s faith is based on God’s word. Not a particular interpretation of the Pentateuch (that was God’s word at the time, right?), or some generalized promises of God’s protection and provision for his people, but upon the clear and present Word of God, specifically applicable to him.
You probably remember the story of Abraham and Isaac. God tested Abraham by telling him to sacrifice his son on one of the mountains in the land of Moriah. And when we really think about that (especially if we have children of our own) we’re amazed at Abraham’s faith and his obedience to such a command. But I believe this is a corollary to the story of David and Goliath, but one that doesn’t jump out at us.
What was the basis of Abraham’s faith? It was also based on God’s word. In Genesis 17, God promises that Abraham will have a son – Isaac – and that God will establish a covenant with him and his offspring. This very same Isaac that God asks Abraham to sacrifice in Genesis 22. And here’s the error of Kierkegaard and the Enlightenment. Abraham’s faith was based on God’s word; a direct promise from the God who is able to accomplish his purposes either through natural or supernatural means. His confidence in God’s ability even to raise Isaac from the dead is evident in his words to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” Don’t miss this point. Abraham’s faith is not wishful thinking. It is based on the word God spoke to him.
In 1 Samuel 16, a mere chapter before the great showdown, Samuel, the prophet of God, to whom and through whom God spoke anointed David as king of Israel. What was the basis of David’s confident assertion that the Lord would deliver Goliath into his hand and that he would strike him down and cut off his head? It was God’s word to David.
This doesn’t in any way diminish the agency of Abraham and David. We can speculate all day on what these men were thinking and feeling as they approached these terrifying events. They were given promises, but God didn’t elaborate on the details. These acts of faith and obedience were monumental. But let’s be clear about the basis of their faith.
The book of Hebrews teaches that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Don’t confuse ‘hope’ here for wishful thinking or ‘conviction’ for some strong desire. These are assurances based on promises that are as sure as the God who made them. Promises that you can take to the bank. Things that are unalterable even though from our perspective we may not understand how God can bring them to pass.
The takeaway for the church today is that, like Abraham and David, we are to hold fast to the word of God. We are not to compromise on it because we can’t see how it could possibly come to pass. We must not succumb to theological liberalism, picking and choosing what we want to believe, but we must take God at his word. The impact of the church on today’s culture depends on it.