The sword of Goliath

Trophies are something we are pretty familiar with in the modern world. The Lombardi Trophy, the Stanley Cup, the Heisman, and many others are simple to recognize. It can be taken even further, however, into the realm of personal trophies. For instance, I am not a great golfer, and because of that, each birdie I hit is a major accomplishment to me. Each time I get one (which you can count on one hand) it ends up on a shelf in my office to remind me of that victory. Most of us do this in some form or fashion, whether it is degrees and certificates, golf balls, or photographs, we love to be able to look back and remember victories we have achieved in the past.
The keeping of trophies is not something that popped up in modern times, but instead stretches back through human history. One of the most interesting, and the one we will discuss today, is a trophy David took from his breakout performance, the sword of Goliath. Many people think David killed Goliath with a stone, but if you go back to Scripture and look again you will see that he finished the job with the giant’s own sword. Sure the stone may have done the job, but David wasn’t content with a face down giant. Instead, he wanted there to be no doubt and the sword was the tool he used to do it (1 Samuel 17:49-51).

Fast forward a bit and David is on the run from Saul. His escape leads him to Nob, and while there he requests a weapon from a priest, and the only weapon there is Goliath’s sword. His response is a simple one that speaks volumes; “Give it to me” (1 Samuel 21:9). This may seem like a small and unimportant detail at first glance but let us consider the day that he won this trophy. On that day David stood alone, much like he did now. On that day he fought a foe that could crush him, much like he did now. On that day, however, we see a difference in the man himself.
On the day that he defeated his greatest foe, David charged in without a sword in hand. The Scriptures make it a point to mention that, saying “So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand, he struck down the Philistine and killed him” (1 Sam 17:50). Now, however, with his back against the wall there are no cries of faith in the God of Israel, but a request for the thing that brought security to Goliath, his sword. This change in David is indicative of a struggle in the lives of every believer. Earlier in life David trusted God, but at this point he wanted a weapon to defend himself. It’s no surprise that this time was arguably the third darkest hour in the story of David, but from it we can learn a valuable lesson.

The difference in the two Davids discussed here is their surroundings. The David of faith, no sword needed, was the shepherd boy who spent his days in worship and prayer, dutifully watching the sheep. The David who needed protection no longer spent his days alone with God, but in war rooms and camps surrounded by older and worldlier men than himself. No longer was he a humble youth, but a man who all the young women sang songs about. Distraction is a dangerous thing. We know that David eventually got his head on straight, but it wasn’t an easy process. Consider that if David, “The man after God’s own heart”, can find himself distracted and begin trusting in the same things the world does then we should beware of doing the same thing. Let us therefore resolve to not become distracted by the things of the world, and instead focus clearly on the Lord who has redeemed us.