“And he [Goliath] stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants of Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me” (I Samuel 17:8).
The story of David and Goliath was once well known. Even those who never went to church or Sunday school knew it. Its story line was frequently used as an analogy for an underdog overcoming a favored opponent in sports, politics, or other contests. Unfortunately, recent polls show that many younger Americans have never heard it. Evidently the humanistic academic establishment has such a stranglehold on American education (as the cultural elite has on the media) that “stories” like this are systematically censored.
Now, more than ever, Americans need to “choose” godly men and women to leadership positions who will lead us into battle against the modern-day Goliaths. And the battle can be won, for as David said, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (v.26).
David had seen, as we have seen, many prior deliverances at God’s hand (v.37), thus he knew the Lord would “deliver (him) out of the hand of this Philistine.”
As he charged, David shouted: “I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts. . . . This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand . . . that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. . . . for the battle is the LORD’s” (vv.45–47).
If Christians consistently voted, or ran, or supported candidates committed to godly principles, they would win every political race, school board seat, or local administrative post. The political Goliath, then, would be defeated.
Let us not be “dismayed, and greatly afraid” (v.11) as were Saul’s armies, or reconciled to defeat as were David’s brothers (v.28), but become mighty conquerors in God’s name. JDM