Christianity

Every week in my Biblical Interpretation class we have to write a short analysis on a certain passage in the Bible. Sometimes they are on a parable, sometimes on a narrative, sometimes on an epistle, etc… I figured I’d share some of my papers here, not because I think they’re great but because I think it’s good stuff to think about…

Most of the stuff is based off of research, I don’t come up with all of it. I wish I could, but I’m just not that smart…

So, here’s my first analysis. It’s on David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17). I’ll share others as the days go by…

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David vs. Goliath

The story of David and Goliath, found in 1 Samuel 17, is one of the most popular stories in the Bible. It is a story told to young children in Sunday school and is referred to many times in popular culture. It is a story of bravery, of small versus big, weak versus strong, but only a portion of the story describes the actual battle between David and Goliath. If a reader focuses only on these verses they will neglect the greatest portion of the passage and its emphasis which reveals more than just a battle in which a small boy defeats a large man.

Biblical narratives such as the story of David and Goliath are told on three separate levels. The first level is the narrative itself; the second level is “the story of God’s redemption of mankind with the old and the new covenant” (Grand Canyon University, 2005, ¶7), and the third level “has to do with the whole universal plan of God worked out through His creation” (Fee & Stuart, 2003, p. 91). When looked at from this third level, the story of David and Goliath reveals a story of remarkable faith in God.

In 1 Samuel 17, the narrator paints a picture of the Israelite army, including Saul who had earlier lost favor in the eyes of the Lord (1 Samuel 15), in fear of moving forward against the Philistines, specifically Goliath. Verse 11 shows the Israelites were “dismayed and terrified” of Goliath as he threatened Israel and its God. It is the same fear that struck their forefathers as they prepared to move into the land of milk and honey in Numbers 13:26-33. Verse 32 paints an eerily similar picture to that of the Israelites facing Goliath. After visiting the land, the men spoke in fear saying, “…all the people we saw there are of great size” (Numbers 13:32).

An understanding of God’s covenant with the Israelites would cause one to wonder why the Israelites were struck with fear. From the very beginning, God made it clear He would protect His people. Before Abram left his country for a new land, God said to him, “I will bless those who bless you and the one who curses you I will curse…” (Genesis 12:3) Again, before entering the land of Canaan, the Israelites were reminded that God was with them. “The Lord will cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you; they shall come out against you one way and shall flee before you seven ways” (Deuteronomy 28:7). If God is a covenant keeping God, then Goliath would have been cursed before the fight begun. Yet still, as the Israelites looked on at Goliath, they were scared to move forward.

As a boy filled with the Spirit of the Lord (1 Samuel 16:13), David must have understood the Lord’s covenant with the Israelites, which gave him faith that God would protect them from the Philistines. As he arrived at the battle lines to greet his brothers (1 Samuel 17:22), he must have been surprised, shocked even, when the Israelite Army ran in fear from Goliath (17:24). In David’s mind, he expected any true Israelite soldier, faithful of the Lord’s promise, to jump at the chance to take on Goliath; especially after hearing the deal that Saul had made (17:25), which he had to ask several people to confirm.

Soon after, David found himself in front of Saul offering to take on Goliath for his country. When Saul questioned David’s age and size, David reminded him of God’s promise, even describing situations in which God had saved him from certain death (17: 34-36) and stating his confidence that the Lord would “deliver (him) from the hand of this Philistine” (17:37).

The rest, they say, is history; and is the most famous part of the passage. Saul grants David permission and watches as David, after choosing to go without armor, uses a sling to put a stone in the forehead of Goliath, knocking him to the ground. When David approached Goliath and used his sword to cut off his head, he proved not that he was the stronger of the two, or the braver or wiser, but that God, as promised, would always be with His people, even against men twice or three times their size. All they needed was a little faith.

References
Fee, G., & Stuart, D. (2003). How to read the bible for all it’s worth. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
Grand Canyon University. (2005). BIB 313 lecture five. Retrieved June 2, 2008, from http://angellms.gcu.edu