After the Impossible: 1 Samuel 17:52-58
God inspires the seemingly impossible. David slays Goliath using a single stone through a one-in-a-million strike with his sling. David fulfills his promise to cut off the head of Goliath even though he brought no sword into the battle with him. Who would have guessed Goliath would lose his head by the edge of his own sword?
Once Goliath is dispatched, the Hebrew warriors are filled with courage. The Philistines flee, and the Hebrew people chase them down. These Hebrews, who were moments before focused on the unbeatable nature of Goliath, took to the field of battle and routed the Philistines.
While the story ends well, it only serves to reinforce one of the main themes for this chapter. Most people live by sight, not by faith. Courage comes to the Hebrew people only after seeing Goliath fall and watching the Philistines retreat in panic. Their courage is not true courage. Their courage is circumstantial and circumspect. The Hebrew people act in a courageous manner, but only when they see evidence before them how victory is possible. The Hebrew people understand the phrase “seeing is believing,” but they didn’t understand how living out their faith could take them to an even better place.
David leads out of his orientation to God. David knows anything is possible as a tool in God’s hand. David believes in God’s ability to slay the behemoth Goliath, in all his armor, while David himself comes out in his daily attire and carrying a humble sling. David knows this because God guided him to this moment and he followed. David lives out of his faith while his people employed faith based on sight.
When the battle is over, Saul inquires about David’s father. This shows just how little Saul knew about David, his musician. Furthermore, Saul’s inquiry about David isn’t truly out of interest in David’s ability in battle. Saul is honoring his promise. To the person slaying Goliath, Saul promised to set his father’s house free from the tax burden placed on the people by the king. In other words, Saul is retrieving the information he needs to have Jesse in Bethlehem stricken from the tax records. No longer will Jesse be required to pay taxes to the king and share his wealth or a portion of the harvest. David’s choice to live by faith removes his family from the burden of a king God didn’t want the people to have.
David’s choice to live by faith is a blessing to the people around him. It shouldn’t surprise anyone when a person following God’s call into servant leadership ends up enriching the community around them. The Hebrew people are freed from their fear of Goliath. Jesse and his brothers are brought out from under the tax burden imposed by the king. Saul retains his kingdom and receives the opportunity to bring some of the Philistines under the Hebrew people as servants. God inspires the seemingly impossible.
