30 Oct 2024
David and Goliath (3)
The story of Goliath is also about façade and psychological warfare. The Philistines army were not strong enough to defeat Saul's army outright, but they had Goliath. If they were strong enough, they could just bulldoze Saul's army and not wait the war out. So they used a duel to do the fight for them - a guaranteed-victory duel.
Saul's army were distracted with Goliath that they could not think up a strategy to defeat the Philistines army. They fell into the enemy's trap.
"The Philistines gathered for battle in Socoh, a town in Judah; they camped at a place called Ephes Dammim, between Socoh and Azekah. Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah, where they got ready to fight the Philistines. The Philistines lined up on one hill and the Israelites on another, with a valley between them.
A man named Goliath, from the city of Gath, came out from the Philistine camp to challenge the Israelites. He was nearly three metres tall and wore bronze armour that weighed about 57 kilogrammes and a bronze helmet. His legs were also protected by bronze armour, and he carried a bronze javelin slung over his shoulder. His spear was as thick as the bar on a weaver's loom, and its iron head weighed about seven kilogrammes. A soldier walked in front of him carrying his shield."
(1 Samuel 17.1-7 GNB)
In life, I may encounter a Goliath. He may be stronger than me, but the Lord's "horses and chariots of fire" are stronger than the enemy's army by a wide margin.