1 Samuel 17

32–37 David immediately offered to fight Goliath. David’s confidence did not rest on his own abilities but on the power of the living God (verse 36). When Saul tried to dissuade him, David said that already God had delivered him from a lion and a bear, and he had no doubt that God would deliver him from Goliath too! (verse 37). Saul told David to go and fight the Philistine, and he added, “. . . the LORD be with you.” The Lord was already with David (1 Samuel 16:13,18); the tragic thing was that the Lord was no longer with Saul (1 Samuel 16:14; 18:12).

38–44 Saul dressed David in his own armor, but David couldn’t use it. The writer isn’t saying here that arms are not useful in general; they simply weren’t useful in this case. David’s success was going to depend on God alone—together with a stone and a slingshot.

When Goliath saw what kind of “warrior” Israel had sent out to fight him, he was insulted. He informed David that he would feed his flesh to the birds and beasts (verses 43–44).

45–47 David then answered Goliath in some of the most powerful words in the Old Testament. David told the Philistine that he had come to fight him in the name of the LORD Almighty (verse 45)—that is, as a representative of God Himself. As God’s representative, David would be fighting on God’s behalf, and therefore God would give him the victory. Then everyone in the whole world would know that Israel’s God was supreme over all other gods. And God didn’t need sword or spear to save Israel; He could get the same results using a stone and a slingshot.⁶⁷

Indeed, God could have defeated Goliath without any human help at all. But usually God prefers to use human instruments, and we should be thankful for that. What a privilege it is to be an instrument of God!

48–54 In these verses the writer describes David’s marvelous victory over Goliath⁶⁸ and the flight of the entire Philistine army. The Israelites pursued them all the way back to two of their main cities, Gath and Ekron (verse 52). They then plundered the Philistine camp; David kept for himself Goliath’s weapons, but he took Goliath’s head to Jerusalem (verses 53–54). Jerusalem was occupied by Jebusites at the time; perhaps David was sending a signal to them that the fate of Goliath could befall them as well.

55–58 As David was going out to fight Goliath, Saul asked Abner, his army commander, who David’s father was. Saul knew who David was, but he had forgotten the name of his father. Since Saul had promised to give one of his daughters in marriage to the man who defeated Goliath (verse 25), he naturally needed to know something about David’s family background.

Before we leave this chapter, let us reflect on its significance for us, the modern reader. The encounter between David and Goliath is not some ancient event that has no relevance to us today. Many of us, at some point in our lives, meet up with a “Goliath”—a seemingly insurmountable obstacle. If we ourselves are in God’s will, and if the obstacle is an “uncircumcised Philistine”(verse26)—thatis, someone or some thing clearly opposed to God’s will—then, like David, we need to step out, trusting in God, and overcome the obstacle. If we are in God’s will and the “obstacle” is in opposition to God’s will, then ultimately we cannot fail.⁶⁹