1 Samuel 17:45-47

Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, whom you have taunted.”

1 Samuel 17:45

In taking a step of faith, the believer must focus on God’s ends, His goals.

David has now come face to face with Goliath, and we can see that he is well aware of the giant’s advantages. In fact, David lists them in v.45. From this we can infer that faith is not an irrational, disconnected leap into the unknown. Rather, as David listed the contrasting set of weaponry, he didn’t place his hope in his sling, but in “the name of the Lord of hosts.” The mere fact that he faced Goliath from God’s side of the battle made David confident that he would prevail. He looked the circumstances squarely in the eye; he knew that he was militarily outclassed, and yet he acted upon the confidence that God was with him. His focus was upon what would be accomplished for God; he viewed the situation from God’s perspective. This is something we must learn to do if we hope to walk by faith. Let’s look a bit deeper into what was on David’s mind at this point.

1. David was concerned for the glory of God. We can see this clearly at the end of v. 45, “whom you have taunted.” David assumed, and rightly so, that God was concerned for His own glory and for the sanctity of His name. He interpreted Goliath’s words and actions in the light of that basic Biblical truth. God’s name had been dishonored and seeking to redress that situation was a cause that would glorify God. Therefore, David was confident that God would go with him and grant him victory. Whenever we think about stepping out in faith, we must examine our own motives to see whether promoting God’s glory is the ground of our motivation. It is so easy to launch out on projects of our own devising, expecting God to tag along, to provide for us as needed and to somehow generate glory for Himself from something that really shines the spotlight on us. But whenever we are able to effectively plead the glory of God as the root motivation for our cause, it makes for powerful prayer. (Compare Moses’ prayer in Ex. 33:12-18) When we commit ourselves to bringing glory to God, we are following in the steps of our Elder Brother, who focused on His Father’s glory every moment of His earthly life. (See John 17:1-5)

2. David was focused on God’s testimony in the world. See v. 46, “that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.” David wasn’t just “talking trash” to try and intimidate Goliath. He was speaking in faith and delineating the means by which the testimony of God’s power and presence with Israel would be proclaimed. He stepped out in faith, knowing that the world was watching him attempt something humanly impossible. And when he succeeded in doing the impossible, then the world would know it was God’s doing, not David’s. (See Jesus’ comment in John 14:10-12) The life of faith is a public proclamation of the power of God among His people. This is why God has commanded us to live by faith (Hab. 2:4; Rom. 1:17), and why He so greatly honors those who do (Heb. 11). Living by faith graphically testifies that God is alive, powerful and committed to His people. It carries with it a conviction that the world can neither explain nor deny. Doesn’t your heart leap at the thought of doing something so great for God that the world would HAVE to acknowledge His power? But when those who claim to be God’s people fail to live the supernatural life of faith, they inevitably communicate that God is not worthy of trust, He is powerless to provide and He is not willing to supernaturally defend the cause of His people. Our failure to walk by faith tells the world ‘there is no God in Israel,’ and Christianity is just like every other religion. Is it any wonder the world shows so little interest in Christ when the behavior of the church demonstrates that Christians do not believe in His power?

3. David desired to strengthen the faith of God’s people. David concluded his purpose statement in v. 47 by saying, “that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the Lord’s…” David faced a context where God’s own people didn’t trust God! Sadly, this is often the case with the church: the armies of Israel are paralyzed by their lack of faith. How can this dilemma be resolved? What can one person do to counteract such spiritual inertia? Well, David deliberately chose to act in faith – remember, he was offered a sword and spear and he refused them. He consciously set an example for God’s people to demonstrate to them that God was able to do far more than they expected. And his example continues to instruct God’s people down to the present day. The Bible gives many examples of those who chose to walk by faith. And as we study the history of the church, we find many others. We all need our faith strengthened; we all need to see the life of faith lived out in the flesh. But examples like Abraham or David or George Mueller or Hudson Taylor are not intended as a mere spectacle. God leads some to step out first so that His people will be strengthened and encouraged to follow. David defeated Goliath, and the army of Israel was so inspired by his victory that they destroyed the Philistine forces. One man of faith made all the difference.

Perhaps God is calling you to step out first. You may be in a church where the life of faith is not practiced or encouraged. Or, you may be facing a situation that seems impossible. How do you know whether God is calling you to act in faith? Examine yourself and your motives in the light of David’s focus. He looked in three directions: at God, at the world and at the church. If it will glorify God, convict the world and strengthen the faith of God’s people, why hesitate? These are the very things to which God is committed and for which He sent His Son. Your situation may well be a providential opportunity for the demonstration of God’s power. Step out. You are not alone. “The battle is the Lord’s.”