September 21 2025

Frankie / General Adult

Biblical Figures / A Person having Faith Only / 1 Samuel 17:45–47

Faith in the Face of Giants (David): 1 Samuel 17:45-47

1. I will never forget the moment I truly met Jesus for the first time. The year was 1999, and I found myself at a three-day prayer meeting. I had just finished my two-year college program and felt completely lost about what to do next. A friend had invited me, so I went. When I walked in, I was honestly shocked by the scene. People were praying with such passion—shouting and crying out to God. For three whole days, I watched this, but I couldn't pray. I just sat there in silence because, even after attending church for ten years, I had never truly learned how. After it was over, I asked my friend, "Why couldn't I pray like everyone else?" He didn't give me an answer directly. Instead, he asked me a simple but profound question: "Have you ever actually read the Bible?" The truth was, I hadn't. So, on my way home, I stopped at a Christian bookstore and bought my own Bible. Over the next six months, I read it from cover to cover three times. As I read, something became clear: I had never personally accepted Jesus as my Savior.

2. I went back to that same bookstore and asked the clerk how I could accept Jesus. He handed me a small booklet called "The Four Spiritual Laws." At the back of that booklet was a simple prayer of acceptance. Right there, I prayed those words and meant them with all my heart. From that moment on, everything began to change. I believe the Holy Spirit first prompted me to open the Bible, and then, through the Word, began to teach me who Jesus truly is and how to live for Him. That quiet decision, born from reading God's Word, is what truly made me a Christian and, eventually, led me to Bible college and to become a pastor.

3. For Christians, reading the Bible is the very foundation of our faith and our life with Jesus. It is through the Bible that we learn who God is and what He has done for us through Jesus Christ. But we cannot do this by our own effort alone. It is only with the help of the Holy Spirit that we can truly begin to read and understand God’s Word. Now, the Bible is unique. It is the inspired Word of God, but it is also a work of literature. Because it is literature, we should approach it with the same care we would give any important text. As I have mentioned before, to understand it properly, we need to consider a few key things. So, to really hear what God is saying in a story as famous as David and Goliath, we have to look deeper. We have to ask, 'What was happening in Israel at that time?' That's the context. We have to see how the story fits into the bigger story God is telling. That's its structure. And most importantly, we have to ask, 'What did God want His people to understand about Himself through this event?' That's the author's true intention.

4. Today, we're turning to the story of a familiar figure from the Bible, someone often celebrated for their great faith. However, instead of focusing on his faith, I want us to look at the story from a different perspective. We're going to see how God was powerfully at work, accomplishing His divine plan through this individual, as we read in 1 Samuel, chapter 17, verses 45 through 47.

1 Samuel 17:45–47 NASB 2020

But David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a saber, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of armies, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I will strike you and remove your head from you. Then I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the earth, so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that this entire assembly may know that the Lord does not save by sword or by spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will hand you over to us!”

5. To truly understand God's covenant and how He faithfully fulfills it, we can't just focus on one small piece of the story. We need to see the whole picture presented in the Bible. Each book was written by a human author with a specific purpose, but we can easily miss that bigger purpose if we only look at a single verse. For example, let's consider the context of our story today. Before Israel had a king like Saul, they lived in the time of the Judges. During this era, Israel was a theocracy, which means they were ruled directly by God through leaders He raised up. They didn't have a king or the complex political systems that would come later. This pattern—of God leading His people directly through His covenant and His Law—is what we see all the way from Genesis to Judges. It shows us one central truth: the relationship between God and His people was the very heart of their life and their nation.

Genesis 12:1–3 MSG

God told Abram: “Leave your country, your family, and your father’s home for a land that I will show you. I’ll make you a great nation and bless you. I’ll make you famous; you’ll be a blessing. I’ll bless those who bless you; those who curse you I’ll curse. All the families of the Earth will be blessed through you.”

Exodus 19:4–6 ESV

‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”

Isaiah 61:10–11 NLT

I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding or a bride with her jewels. The Sovereign Lord will show his justice to the nations of the world. Everyone will praise him! His righteousness will be like a garden in early spring, with plants springing up everywhere.

6. These passages show us a beautiful pattern: God desires to have a special, covenant relationship with His people. But here’s the crucial point: this relationship is never started by human effort or because someone deserves it. It is always initiated by God. When God chooses a person or a nation, His choice isn't based on their strength, their status, or anything they have done. Think about Abram. When God called him in Genesis 12, there were no strings attached. God simply appeared to him and gave him a promise—purely out of grace. Or what about the prophet Isaiah? It was at his lowest moment, as he was grieving in the temple over his sinfulness, that God appeared, purified him, and gave him a divine promise.

Isaiah 6:8 NASB 2020

Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

7. So, we begin to see a clear pattern in Scripture. God doesn't choose people for His work based on who is the strongest, the smartest, or the most successful. His special covenant relationship isn't reserved for those the world already sees as important. Instead, God consistently seeks out the humble—those with a contrite heart who know they are completely dependent on Him.

Psalm 51:17 NIV

My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.

8. Keeping this divine pattern in mind, let's turn to today's passage. We see this exact principle with Israel's first king. The prophet Samuel reminds us that God chose Saul when he was humble in his own eyes. But Saul lost his way and turned his heart from God, so God chose a new king to take his place. When it came time to anoint this new king, God once again ignored worldly standards. He didn't choose the oldest, the strongest, or the most impressive of Jesse's sons. Instead, He chose the youngest and least likely—a shepherd boy. But this boy, David, did not become king overnight. Though he was anointed, there was a long and difficult journey ahead before he would finally sit on the throne.

1 Samuel 16:7 NASB 2020

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God does not see as man sees, since man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Now, look at how this unfolds in our story. When God needed a champion to face Goliath, He didn't choose a mighty soldier with heavy armor and a giant sword. Instead, He chose a young shepherd boy, armed with nothing more than a sling and five smooth stones. Because David acted in faith, he defeated the giant, and God's name was glorified before all of Israel. You see, what mattered to God wasn't David's outward strength, but his heart of faith. David wasn't intimidated by the giant's appearance or the impossible circumstances. Instead, he focused on God's past faithfulness, remembering how the Lord had delivered him from the lion and the bear.

1 Samuel 17:34–36 NKJV

But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.”

9. As I was preparing this message, praying about what it means to face our giants with a humble heart, the words of a song called 'All of My Journey' kept coming to my mind. The lyrics perfectly capture the response of a heart that knows the battle belongs to the Lord.

All of my journey You have carried me through

Faithfully You have been my friend

Now I’m here give You thanks for who You are to me

Here I come with all my heart Praise Your name

This is the life I have found in You Be glorified in me

I’m Yours You are everything to me

This is the song You have placed in me I’ll shout out to Your name

For You I will give You all I have

10. As we close today, I want us to remember that the story of David and Goliath isn't just about one young shepherd's courage—it's about God's unchanging pattern of choosing the humble and the faithful to accomplish His mighty purposes. Just like David, each of us faces giants in our lives. These giants may not be nine feet tall with bronze armor, but they are just as intimidating. They might be fear, doubt, financial struggles, broken relationships, or health challenges. The world tells us we need to be stronger, smarter, or more successful to overcome these obstacles. But God's Word teaches us something radically different. God doesn't choose us because we are mighty warriors. He chooses us because, like David, we have hearts that trust in Him. When David faced Goliath, he didn't rely on his own strength or skill with a sling. He declared, "The battle is the Lord's!" This is the same truth we must embrace today.

11. Whatever giant you're facing right now, remember this: God has been faithful in your past, just as He was faithful to David with the lion and the bear. He will be faithful in your present circumstances, and He will be faithful in your future. The same God who delivered David is the same God who walks with you today. So let us live with David's confidence, not in ourselves, but in the Lord of armies. Let us face our giants knowing that the battle belongs to the Lord. And like the song reminds us, let us give Him thanks for who He is to us, declaring with all our hearts: "This is the life I have found in You—be glorified in me." The giants may be tall, but our God is greater. The battle may seem impossible, but our God specializes in the impossible. Trust Him today, and watch Him work mightily through your humble, faithful heart.

Podcast: https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/546437bf-e2e8-4f03-b9d5-95b9cdb35388?artifactId=9e1ae036-d758-4bc8-9de9-5f51a16a412c

Video Overview: https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/546437bf-e2e8-4f03-b9d5-95b9cdb35388?artifactId=f0f9cd46-0fe4-4ba3-8be9-a926be977030

Quiz: Short-Answer Questions

Instructions: Answer the following questions in two to three complete sentences, drawing your information directly from the provided source material.

1. Describe the author's personal experience that led to reading the Bible and becoming a Christian.

2. What three key principles does the author suggest are necessary for properly understanding a biblical text like the story of David and Goliath?

3. What specific shift in perspective does the author propose when examining the story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17?

4. According to the text, what is a "theocracy," and what was its significance in Israel's history before the time of the kings?

5. What consistent pattern does the text highlight regarding how God initiates a covenant relationship with people?

6. How does God's instruction to the prophet Samuel in 1 Samuel 16:7 illustrate the divine standard for choosing a leader?

7. Upon what past experiences did David base his faith and confidence when he faced the Philistine giant?

8. What is the central declaration David makes to Goliath that captures the main theological point of the story?

9. How does the author apply the narrative of David and Goliath to the challenges faced by people today?

10. What two distinct roles does the text attribute to the Holy Spirit in a Christian's life?

Answer Key

1. The author recalls attending a three-day prayer meeting in 1999 after finishing college and feeling lost. Realizing he didn't know how to pray like others, he was prompted by a friend's question to read the Bible, which he did three times in six months. This led him to a Christian bookstore where he found a booklet with a prayer of acceptance, which he prayed, marking the beginning of his life as a Christian.

2. The author states that to properly understand a biblical text, one must consider its context (what was happening at the time), its structure (how it fits into the Bible's larger story), and the author's true intention (what God wanted His people to understand about Himself).

3. Instead of focusing solely on David's great faith, the author suggests shifting the perspective to see how God was powerfully at work, accomplishing His divine plan through David. The story is presented not just as an act of human courage but as a demonstration of God's power.

4. A theocracy is a system where a nation is ruled directly by God. In Israel's history during the time of the Judges (before King Saul), this meant God led His people directly through His covenant and law, making the relationship between God and His people the very heart of their nation.

5. The text highlights that a covenant relationship is always initiated by God and is based purely on His grace. It is never started by human effort or because an individual deserves it, as shown in God's call to Abram and the prophet Isaiah.

6. In 1 Samuel 16:7, God tells Samuel not to look at a person's outward appearance or height but to look at the heart. This instruction illustrates the divine standard that God's choices are not based on worldly measures of strength or status but on the internal condition of a person's heart.

7. David based his confidence on God's past faithfulness in his life. He specifically recalled how the Lord had delivered him from attacks by both a lion and a bear while he was protecting his father's sheep, trusting that the same God would deliver him from Goliath.

8. The central declaration David makes is, "...the battle is the Lord’s, and He will hand you over to us!" This statement encapsulates the theme that victory comes from God's power, not human strength or weaponry.

9. The author applies the narrative by equating Goliath to modern "giants," which are intimidating life challenges like fear, doubt, financial struggles, and health issues. The lesson is that, like David, people should face these giants not with their own strength but with humble faith, trusting that "the battle is the Lord's."

10. The text attributes two roles to the Holy Spirit. First, the author believes the Holy Spirit prompted him to open the Bible. Second, the text states that it is only with the help of the Holy Spirit that Christians can truly read, understand, and be taught by God's Word.