Proper 7
Preaching
Preaching And Reading The Old Testament Lessons
With an Eye to the New
Every pupil in Sunday school knows - or used to know - this story of David and Goliath. It fits right in with the stories of the heroes in comic books, and very often it is employed in that fashion. But there are no human heroes in the Bible, and anyone who limits the story to that dimension has missed its point.
First the facts related to the chapter: We know that in 1175 B.C., a group of peoples from the island of Crete tried to invade Egypt. They were defeated and pushed back up along the coast of Canaan, where they settled in five city--states. These were the Philistines, from whom we get the name "Palestine." While they had independent city governments, they banded together in times of war, and for two centuries they dominated the life of Israel, threatening her with annihilation. It was not until David became king in 1000 B.C. that the Philistines were subdued, which is one of the reasons why David was celebrated as such a great king among the Israelites.
This story serves as one of the introductions of David to King Saul. The Philistine army has gathered for battle at Socoh in the hilly region on the western fringe of the territory of Judah. Saul assembles his forces on a hill on the opposite side of a valley. In order to taunt the weaker army of Saul and to strike fear into his soldiers, a giant of a man named Goliath steps forward from the Philistine ranks to heap scorn on the weaker Israelites. The text, verses 4--7, says that Goliath is six feet, nine inches tall, fully armed, with a helmet of bronze on his head and bronze shin guards on his legs. He has a coat of mail that weighs 160 pounds, a javelin of bronze on his back, and a long spear whose head alone weighs over nineteen pounds. Goliath challenges the Israelites. Let them send out one man to fight him. If the man is able to kill him, the Philistines will become Israel's slaves. If Goliath wins, Israel will be enslaved to the Philistines. "I defy the ranks of Israel this day!" Goliath shouts. The taunt is full of arrogance. (Cf. its anticipation in 2:3--4.)
David is introduced into the story at this point. He is a smooth--cheeked, ruddy--faced youth, whom his father Jesse uses just as a messenger boy to take provisions to David's three older brothers who are in Saul's army. Like any kid, he loves to talk to the soldiers, and in the course of forty days, he hears about Goliath's taunt. Significantly, he also hears that anyone who kills Goliath will be rewarded by Saul with great riches and marriage to Saul's daughter, Michal (vv. 26, 30). So, perhaps not unselfishly, he bravely exhibits his piety and rashly declares, "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?" (v. 26). David's brother, Eliab, can't stomach that rashness (v. 28). But King Saul hears of it and summons David to his royal tent. There David tells the king that he will fight Goliath (v. 32). When the king replies to David that a youth such as he cannot defeat a trained warrior, David assures Saul that he killed lions and bears when he guarded his father's sheep. "The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine" (v. 37). Saul, a religious man, sees a glimmer of hope from the Lord. "Go, and the Lord be with you" (v. 37).
To protect the brave youth, Saul gives David his armor, but David will have none of it. He will be his own man. So he gathers five smooth stones from a brook and goes out with only a sling and a shepherd's bag to meet Goliath, who greets him with scorn and cursing. David nevertheless declares, "This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand" (v. 46). David slings a stone that buries itself in Saul's forehead. Saul falls dead, David cuts off Goliath's head with the giant's own sword, and the Philistines flee in terror. What a hero! No. David slays Goliath "that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's" (vv. 46--47). It is God who wins the victory.
God chooses what is weak in the world to shame the strong (1 Corinthians 1:27). It is always thus in God's working in this world. God chooses a shepherd boy to defeat a giant. God chooses a fugitive Moses to defy a Pharaoh. God starts with just twelve ordinary men to transform the earth. And a cross of death becomes the defeat of the sin of the world. David, as long as he relied on the Lord, had might that could not be overcome by human strength. "In God I trust without a fear. What can man do to me?" (Psalm 56:11). Is that not also the faith with which you and I can fearlessly live, no matter what happens to us?
Lutheran Option: Job 38:1--11
Here begins the long speech of God (chs. 38--41) out of the whirlwind to his suffering servant Job. In a sense, it forms a rebuke to Job. Job has demanded that God explain to him why he, a righteous and pious, upright man, is suffering. Let us go to court together, Job declares. Let me see the indictment of God against me (Job 31:35). "I cry to thee and thou dost not answer me; I stand and thou dost not heed me" (30:20). "Oh, that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his seat!" (23:3). Just do two things for me, Job cries out. Do not terrify me with dread and let me speak to you and have you reply (13:20--22). But please, O God, do not hide your face from me (20:24). I suppose many of us in the dark night of our souls or on a bed of fear or pain have directed such petitions to God.
God does, however, speak to Job, not because Job has demanded it, but because God is merciful. And what does he reply to suffering Job? Nothing that seems very comforting. He says things like, "Behold, the hippopotamus" (40:14), or "Can you hunt the prey for the lion?" (38:39), or "Who has let the wild ass go free?" (39:5) or here in our text, "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?" (38:4). Those seem almost laughable answers and certainly no replies at all to suffering.
There are two points to be made, however. First, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe does not abandon any of his creatures. He lowers himself to address even one who has complained against him. And second, when he speaks, God points out to Job that he cares for every living thing that he has made, furnishing them everything that they need and constantly watching over and sustaining their lives. So too, God cares for Job, seeing his every moment, sustaining his breath of life, and ministering to him in all his infirmities.
God can be trusted. The orderly processes of the universe are one evidence of the Lord's faithfulness. And on our beds of pain, or in our moments of fear and anxiety, or when we think there is no help from any other quarter or even from God, God the faithful Lord of his creation is there, helping, guarding, loving us. Praised be his name!
First the facts related to the chapter: We know that in 1175 B.C., a group of peoples from the island of Crete tried to invade Egypt. They were defeated and pushed back up along the coast of Canaan, where they settled in five city--states. These were the Philistines, from whom we get the name "Palestine." While they had independent city governments, they banded together in times of war, and for two centuries they dominated the life of Israel, threatening her with annihilation. It was not until David became king in 1000 B.C. that the Philistines were subdued, which is one of the reasons why David was celebrated as such a great king among the Israelites.
This story serves as one of the introductions of David to King Saul. The Philistine army has gathered for battle at Socoh in the hilly region on the western fringe of the territory of Judah. Saul assembles his forces on a hill on the opposite side of a valley. In order to taunt the weaker army of Saul and to strike fear into his soldiers, a giant of a man named Goliath steps forward from the Philistine ranks to heap scorn on the weaker Israelites. The text, verses 4--7, says that Goliath is six feet, nine inches tall, fully armed, with a helmet of bronze on his head and bronze shin guards on his legs. He has a coat of mail that weighs 160 pounds, a javelin of bronze on his back, and a long spear whose head alone weighs over nineteen pounds. Goliath challenges the Israelites. Let them send out one man to fight him. If the man is able to kill him, the Philistines will become Israel's slaves. If Goliath wins, Israel will be enslaved to the Philistines. "I defy the ranks of Israel this day!" Goliath shouts. The taunt is full of arrogance. (Cf. its anticipation in 2:3--4.)
David is introduced into the story at this point. He is a smooth--cheeked, ruddy--faced youth, whom his father Jesse uses just as a messenger boy to take provisions to David's three older brothers who are in Saul's army. Like any kid, he loves to talk to the soldiers, and in the course of forty days, he hears about Goliath's taunt. Significantly, he also hears that anyone who kills Goliath will be rewarded by Saul with great riches and marriage to Saul's daughter, Michal (vv. 26, 30). So, perhaps not unselfishly, he bravely exhibits his piety and rashly declares, "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?" (v. 26). David's brother, Eliab, can't stomach that rashness (v. 28). But King Saul hears of it and summons David to his royal tent. There David tells the king that he will fight Goliath (v. 32). When the king replies to David that a youth such as he cannot defeat a trained warrior, David assures Saul that he killed lions and bears when he guarded his father's sheep. "The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine" (v. 37). Saul, a religious man, sees a glimmer of hope from the Lord. "Go, and the Lord be with you" (v. 37).
To protect the brave youth, Saul gives David his armor, but David will have none of it. He will be his own man. So he gathers five smooth stones from a brook and goes out with only a sling and a shepherd's bag to meet Goliath, who greets him with scorn and cursing. David nevertheless declares, "This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand" (v. 46). David slings a stone that buries itself in Saul's forehead. Saul falls dead, David cuts off Goliath's head with the giant's own sword, and the Philistines flee in terror. What a hero! No. David slays Goliath "that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's" (vv. 46--47). It is God who wins the victory.
God chooses what is weak in the world to shame the strong (1 Corinthians 1:27). It is always thus in God's working in this world. God chooses a shepherd boy to defeat a giant. God chooses a fugitive Moses to defy a Pharaoh. God starts with just twelve ordinary men to transform the earth. And a cross of death becomes the defeat of the sin of the world. David, as long as he relied on the Lord, had might that could not be overcome by human strength. "In God I trust without a fear. What can man do to me?" (Psalm 56:11). Is that not also the faith with which you and I can fearlessly live, no matter what happens to us?
Lutheran Option: Job 38:1--11
Here begins the long speech of God (chs. 38--41) out of the whirlwind to his suffering servant Job. In a sense, it forms a rebuke to Job. Job has demanded that God explain to him why he, a righteous and pious, upright man, is suffering. Let us go to court together, Job declares. Let me see the indictment of God against me (Job 31:35). "I cry to thee and thou dost not answer me; I stand and thou dost not heed me" (30:20). "Oh, that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his seat!" (23:3). Just do two things for me, Job cries out. Do not terrify me with dread and let me speak to you and have you reply (13:20--22). But please, O God, do not hide your face from me (20:24). I suppose many of us in the dark night of our souls or on a bed of fear or pain have directed such petitions to God.
God does, however, speak to Job, not because Job has demanded it, but because God is merciful. And what does he reply to suffering Job? Nothing that seems very comforting. He says things like, "Behold, the hippopotamus" (40:14), or "Can you hunt the prey for the lion?" (38:39), or "Who has let the wild ass go free?" (39:5) or here in our text, "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?" (38:4). Those seem almost laughable answers and certainly no replies at all to suffering.
There are two points to be made, however. First, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe does not abandon any of his creatures. He lowers himself to address even one who has complained against him. And second, when he speaks, God points out to Job that he cares for every living thing that he has made, furnishing them everything that they need and constantly watching over and sustaining their lives. So too, God cares for Job, seeing his every moment, sustaining his breath of life, and ministering to him in all his infirmities.
God can be trusted. The orderly processes of the universe are one evidence of the Lord's faithfulness. And on our beds of pain, or in our moments of fear and anxiety, or when we think there is no help from any other quarter or even from God, God the faithful Lord of his creation is there, helping, guarding, loving us. Praised be his name!
