David / Hebrews 11:32 / 1 Samuel 17

It is so good to see you all tonight. As we start things off, I want to ask you a question: Is there anything in your life that you have specifically branded as “impossible”? Is there something you would like to see change or be different, but you really don’t think it’s ever going to happen?

Maybe it’s a financial situation. It feels like it’s always one step forward and two steps back when it comes to paying off debt or saving for the future. Maybe it’s a person you care about—someone you’ve continually tried to share Christ with, but they just don’t want to hear the gospel; they seem so distant from God. Perhaps it’s an addiction or a besetting sin that continues to be a thorn in your flesh, and you just don’t think God can—or maybe even worse, that He won’t—change you.

Maybe it’s your workplace, and it’s just a terrible place to be. Or perhaps it’s a lack of work that has gone on for far too long. If we’re honest, some of us might say, “Yes, I have that impossible situation, and it’s called my husband,” or “it’s called my wife,” or it’s one of the kids—even an adult child who seems to be going off the rails. Maybe it’s a dream you’ve had, an area where you’d love to step out in faith—changing careers, starting a new business, a ministry, or a non-profit—but leaving the familiar for the unfamiliar is a scary thing. It could be the dream of starting a family, fostering, or adopting, but it feels like it just won’t happen. What have you branded as impossible in your life? And here is the follow-up question: How big is your God?

Today, we are in the last message of our “Heroes of the Faith” series. We’re going to be looking at the life of David in 1 Samuel 17. Hebrews 11 mentions David simply by saying, “And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets…”

Hebrews 11:32-33 (NASB)

And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed [acts of] righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions,

We are going to see that David did indeed conquer kingdoms, perform acts of righteousness, and obtain promises. This is the narrative of David versus Goliath, one of the most famous stories in the Bible. It’s so well known that the phrase “David versus Goliath” has become a cultural idiom, especially in sports. We love the imagery because the little guy wins. The good guy wins. The one with all the odds stacked against him is victorious. We love to root for the underdog because, often in life, we feel like the underdog. We feel like the odds are stacked against us and there are obstacles between us and our dreams. On good days, we can plow through. But on the bad days, those obstacles seem overwhelming. They seem impossible. What do we do then? I’d like to suggest we turn to God’s Word.

The Valley of the Shadow

At this point in Israel’s history, the Philistines were the greatest military threat they faced. Israel had settled in the highlands, while the Philistines were on the coastal plain to the southwest. They were continually at war. In fact, the reason Israel had asked for a king in the first place was that they wanted relief from the constant oppression of the Philistines. King Saul had seen some victories, but now the Philistines were back, right on the borders of Israel, threatening their peace.

1 Samuel 17:1-3 (NASB)

Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle; and they were gathered at Socoh which belongs to Judah, and they camped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. Saul and the men of Israel were gathered and camped in the valley of Elah, and drew up in battle array to encounter the Philistines. The Philistines stood on the mountain on one side while Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with the valley between them.

Even today, there are villages in the western foothills west of Bethlehem called Socoh and Azekah. They are both in the Valley of Elah. This valley drains water from the hills into the Mediterranean during the rainy season. If the Philistines could control this valley, they would have a clear path into the highlands of Israel. Here we have the armies on either side of the valley, neither wanting to make the first move because there was no opportunity for a surprise attack. They were at an impasse. And then, into this situation, comes Goliath.

1 Samuel 17:4-7 (NASB)

Then a champion came out from the armies of the Philistines named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. [He had] a bronze helmet on his head, and he was clothed with scale-armor which weighed five thousand shekels of bronze. [He] also [had] bronze greaves on his legs and a bronze javelin [slung] between his shoulders. The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and the head of his spear [weighed] six hundred shekels of iron; his shield-carrier also walked before him.

Goliath is called a “champion,” which literally means “the man in between.” And what a man he was. This was a man-monster. If you convert the biblical measurements, he was over nine feet tall. He definitely would have gone first in the NBA draft this year—the Warriors could have used him, but we won’t talk about that! He had armor made of bronze and a spearhead made of iron. To give you a sense of scale, his spearhead alone weighed 15 pounds. Imagine a 15-pound weight on the end of a gigantic beam that you could throw dozens of yards with precision. His armor weighed 125 pounds. That is more than some of you in this room weigh altogether! Then, Goliath starts talking.

1 Samuel 17:8-11 (NASB)

He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel and said to them, ’Why do you come out to draw up in battle array? Am I not the Philistine and you servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves and let him come down to me. ‘If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will become your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall become our servants and serve us.’ Again the Philistine said, ‘I defy the ranks of Israel this day; give me a man that we may fight together.’ When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.

In the ancient world, opposing armies would sometimes choose a champion to fight one-on-one to determine the outcome of a battle and avoid mass bloodshed. There was no legal obligation to take the challenge, but to refuse was humiliating and gave the enemy a massive psychological advantage. Israel was dismayed and greatly afraid. They had lost heart.

Saul was technically the best match for Goliath because 1 Samuel 9 tells us he stood head and shoulders above all other men in Israel. He was a big guy, but next to Goliath, he looked small. More importantly, at this point, Saul no longer trusted the Lord. He was full of fear. Whenever we face situations that feel overwhelming, we can choose fear or we can choose faith. Saul and Israel chose fear.

Fear causes spiritual amnesia. We forget what God has done in the past. Fear paralyzes us into inaction and turns us into cowards. God had delivered Israel before, and He was ready to do it again, but they chose fear. How about you? When you look back on your life, has God ever delivered you from something that seemed impossible at the time? Has He brought you through some stuff? It’s good to remember what the Lord has done because you are going to face battles in the future. Every day, we are presented with the opportunity to choose fear or faith.

Faith for the Impossible

If you want a faith to believe God for the impossible, the first thing you need to know is this: You have to go through situations that feel impossible. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather learn by theory. I’d rather just study it and say, “Yes, I believe that theoretically.” But God says, “No, I’m going to let you go through some things that feel impossible.”

Please don’t misunderstand—choosing faith doesn’t mean you won’t feel the emotion of fear. Courage is not the absence of fear; courage is choosing to do what is right when fear is present. David knew this. He was an unlikely candidate—the youngest of eight sons, a shepherd boy, essentially an errand boy bringing food to his brothers. He was unlikely in outward appearance, but he was a likely candidate in the eyes of God because David had a passion for God’s glory.

1 Samuel 17:24-26 (NASB)

When all the men of Israel saw the man, they fled from him and were greatly afraid. The men of Israel said, ‘Have you seen this man who is coming up? Surely he is coming up to defy Israel. And it will be that the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father’s house free in Israel.’ Then David spoke to the men who were standing by him, saying, ‘What will 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 taunt the armies of the living God?’

Notice the contrast. The troops looked at Goliath and said, “Look at this man! He’s gigantic!” David looked and said, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine? He’s nothing but a punk.” The troops said, “He is defying Israel!” David said, “He is defying the armies of the living God.” David was incensed that a man who worshipped dead idols would insult the living God. While the men were focused on the reward—the riches and the king’s daughter—David was focused on the glory of God.

This leads to the second key thought: If you want faith to believe God for the impossible, seek God’s perspective in your impossible situations. David saw deeper than the physical world; he saw the spiritual reality. God had shown him how to look deeper. As God told Samuel when David was anointed, “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

We often lose heart when we forget that we serve a God who is living. We need to ask God for the discernment to see our situations in light of His Word and His sovereignty. Can you look at your life and say, “I can see the hand of God at work”? Sometimes it’s only in hindsight that we see it, but we need to remind ourselves in the present: God is here, God is at work, and He is good.

Fighting Through Discouragement

Of course, as soon as David starts speaking in faith, the critics show up. His own brother, Eliab, attacks him.

1 Samuel 17:28-30 (NASB)

Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger burned against David and he said, ‘Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your insolence and the wickedness of your heart; for you have come down in order to see the battle.’ But David said, ‘What have I done now? Was it not just a question?’ Then he turned away from him to another and said the same thing; and the people answered the same thing as before.

That sounds like brothers, doesn’t it? I have three sons, and I can hear that conversation. We don’t know why Eliab was so mad—maybe he was jealous that David was anointed king, or maybe David’s boldness irritated him because he was full of fear. Whatever it was, he accused David of having a wicked heart. But David didn’t let it get to him. He knew what God had said about his heart, so he just kept moving forward.

Eventually, David is brought before King Saul, and the discouragement continues. Saul tells him, “You are not able. You’re just a kid, and he’s been a warrior since he was in diapers.”

1 Samuel 17:31-33 (NASB)

When the words which David spoke were heard, they told [them] to Saul, and he sent for him. David said to Saul, ‘Let no man’s heart fail on account of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.’ Then Saul said to David, ‘You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are [but] a youth while he has been a warrior from his youth.’

Saul cast doubt on David’s ability and experience. But David fought through that voice of discouragement by focusing on what God had already done in his life.

1 Samuel 17:34-36 (NASB)

But David said to Saul, ’Your servant was tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, I went out after him and attacked him, and rescued [it] from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized [him] by his beard and struck him and killed him. ‘Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God.’

David said, “This Philistine is going to be just like the lion and the bear. All the enemies of God are nothing next to God himself.” He pushed forward and won Saul over.

1 Samuel 17:37 (NASB)

And David said, ‘The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.’ And Saul said to David, ‘Go, and may the LORD be with you.’

David’s vision of God drove him to fight through the voices that questioned his motives, his character, and his ability. As followers of Jesus, we shouldn’t be surprised when we face opposition. It comes from the devil, from the world system, and from our own flesh. Sometimes it even comes from people close to us. We have to remember what we are fighting for.

There was a boxer during the Great Depression named James Braddock—the “Cinderella Man.” In the movie, there’s a scene where he’s getting beat up and it looks like he’s going down. But right before he falls, he sees flashes of his family—his kids starving, his wife giving up her food so the children can survive. He remembers what he’s fighting for, he gets up, and he wins. We need that same passion. We need to say, “God, give me a passion for Your glory so I can fight for my marriage, my family, and the gospel.”

The Battle is the Lord’s

David refuses Saul’s armor. He goes down to the brook instead.

1 Samuel 17:40 (NASB)

He took his stick in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd’s bag which he had, even in [his] pouch, and his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine.

Why five stones? Some think he wanted backups, but I don’t think David planned on missing. Scholars point out that Goliath had four sons; David might have been planning to take out the whole family! Either way, David was ready. He knew the battle was the Lord’s. Then comes the greatest trash talk the world has ever seen.

1 Samuel 17:41-44 (NASB)

Then the Philistine came on and approached David, with the shield-bearer in front of him. When the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him; for he was [but] a youth, and ruddy, with a handsome appearance. The Philistine said to David, ‘Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?’ And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. The Philistine also said to David, ‘Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field.’

Goliath hates David because he’s young, because he has a stick, and apparently because he’s handsome! Goliath must have been really ugly or something. He threatens to give David’s body to the birds. But David does a “Draymond Green” and raises him one.

1 Samuel 17:45-47 (NASB)

Then David said to the Philistine, ’You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. ‘This day the LORD will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the LORD does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the LORD’S and He will give you into our hands.’

This isn’t trash talk; it’s truth talk. David makes it clear that God is bigger than this impossible situation. He puts himself at risk so that his actions will be a sign of God’s power, not his own greatness.

1 Samuel 17:48-50 (NASB)

Then it happened when the Philistine rose and came and drew near to meet David, that David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand into his bag and took from it a stone and slung [it], and struck the Philistine on his forehead. And the stone sank into his forehead, so that he fell on his face to the ground. Thus David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and he struck the Philistine and killed him; but there was no sword in David’s hand.

David ran toward the battle while everyone else was running away. He killed Goliath with one stone and, just as he prophesied, he cut off his head. This victory catapulted David into his destiny. This leads to our final thought: If you want a faith to believe God for the impossible, ask God to empower you to act boldly for His glory.

Check your motives. Are you praying for things for your own comfort, or for the glory of God? When we seek His glory, He gives us the strength to face the giants.

Our Ultimate Champion

As we close, we have to remember that David is a picture of someone greater. Hebrews 12 tells us to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.

Hebrews 12:2 (NASB)

fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

David was the champion who defeated Goliath, but he foreshadows the ultimate champion, Jesus Christ. David was confirmed as God’s anointed through his victory in the valley; Jesus was confirmed as God’s anointed through His victory over sin, death, and Satan. David used a sling and a stone; Jesus used the “weakness” of the cross. And just as David’s victory emboldened the army to chase the Philistines, Jesus’ victory calls us to go into the dark places of this world with a shout of victory because He has risen from the dead.

A few weeks ago, I went to China on an exposure trip with three of my sons. It was amazing. We met local Chinese missionaries who are reaching their own people. One man told us his village came to faith four generations ago because Swedish missionaries came and died there. Another man said his parents became Christians because their cows were possessed by evil spirits, and the witch doctor’s spells didn’t work—but when he prayed in the name of Jesus, the prayers worked!

We visited a village of unreached people and met a man with tattoos all over his body, which he used to ward off spirits. One of the guys on our team had a tattoo of a cross and a snake based on John 3, and he used that to share the gospel. The man asked us to pray for his son, who was being tormented by spirits—throwing himself into fires and cutting himself. We prayed for him in the name of Jesus, and the missionary shared the gospel. We saw that man put his faith in Christ. We saw the light come into his eyes. He spent the rest of the day with us, just enjoying our company, completely changed.

How big is your God? He is big enough for whatever impossible situation you are facing today. He is bigger than your debt, bigger than your addiction, and bigger than your fear. If you are in Christ, He is for you, not against us.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You. We thank You that You are a God who truly can do the impossible. For those of us here facing situations with finances, relationships, or the voices of discouragement in our heads, would You give us the faith to trust You? Lord, if You are calling someone in this room to change direction or step out in a new way, lead them. We trust that You are big enough to lead us into Your purposes for Your glory. Create that heart in us, Lord, that whatever we do, we would have a passion to see the name of Jesus lifted high. It is in His name we pray, Amen.