Whether you’ve grown up in the church or not, you’ve no doubt heard the story of David and Goliath. It’s the classic underdog example, and has become the go-to cultural metaphor for overcoming impossible odds. In this essay, I want to emphasize one of the results of David’s victory from that famous battle, but not his killing of Goliath. I want to highlight the impact David’s victory had on everyone else.
1 Samuel 17 describes the account in great detail. In summary, the Philistines were a pagan nation who worshipped many false gods. The Philistines and the Israelites have a history of opposing each other. Here, we find them squaring off for one of their more famous battles. 1 Samuel 17:3 says, “The Philistines stood on the mountain on one side while Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with the valley between them.” The Israelite army was under the leadership of King Saul, who himself was the tallest strongest warrior in Israel, but here, was a coward because of his lack of faith. These two armies had been in a forty-day standoff because Israel was afraid to send anyone out to fight the Philistine champion in a one-on-one fight to the death. A Philistine warrior named Goliath came forward each day, down to the valley floor, and called out to the Israelites declaring that a one-on-one battle would decide which nation would become enslaved by the other. There was no sense in major bloodshed, all the Israelites had to do was send one soldier to fight Goliath to the death; winner take all. The problem was that Goliath was a trained killer and a physical giant of a man, literally over nine-feet tall. His battle array, consisting of helmet, body armor, sword and javelin, probably weighed about 200 pounds, given the measurements in the passage. No one from the Israelite army would dare take up this challenge. Goliath’s challenge caused the Israelite army to lose heart, as 1 Samuel 17:11 says, “When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid,” and verse 24, “When all the men of Israel saw the man, they fled from him and were greatly afraid.” The Israelite army stood at a distance in fear as the giant daily taunted them and cursed the God of Israel.
Along comes David, a young man who tended his father’s flock as a shepherd. David believed that God could have victory in any circumstance, and David resented Goliath’s taunting. David offered to be the one who would fight Goliath, despite having no military training and being a child in appearance compared to Goliath. David declared to King Saul that the battle was the Lord’s, and that not even Goliath could stand in opposition to the Lord! Saul agreed to let David represent the army of Israel. David took nothing into the battle but his staff, his sling, and a pouch with some smooth stones from a nearby brook.
On the battlefield, Goliath was insulted that Israel would send such an unworthy opponent to fight. As Goliath rose to approach David in battle, David ran in full confidence toward Goliath. David put a stone into his sling, and hurled the stone into the skull of Goliath, dropping him dead to the ground. David then drew Goliath’s sword and used it to cut off Goliath’s head.
Here’s the part I want to emphasize. David’s victory was Israel’s victory! “When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. The men of Israel and Judah arose and shouted and pursued the Philistines as far as the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the slain Philistines lay along the way to Shaaraim, even to Gath and Ekron. The sons of Israel returned from chasing the Philistines and plundered their camps”, 1 Samuel 17:51-53. David’s victory ignited Israel! The Israelite army went from paralyzing fear to being fully animated and they quickly charged at the enemy with the same confidence that David charged at Goliath with.
When David won, Israel won! When you win, your family wins! When you lose, your family loses.
Look at the example of a man named Lot, Abraham’s nephew. In Genesis 12, Abraham uprooted his homestead and followed the Lord’s calling in obedience. Lot and his families homestead were also brought along. Fast-forward to Genesis 13 where Abraham and Lot’s homesteads were so vast that they land they occupied couldn’t sustain them both. Verses 13:6-7 say, “And the land could not sustain them while dwelling together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to remain together. And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock.” Abraham allowed Lot to chose where he would settle and Abraham would go in the opposite direction. Lot fixed his eyes on the valley of Sodom and Gomorrah because the valley was well watered. Basically, the grass was greener there, and thus we have the Proverbial “the grass is greener on the other side” type of story here. Lot decided with his eyes but didn’t concern himself to the character of the inhabitants of those cities. Long story short, Lot moved his entire homestead into the community of Sodom and Gomorrah and chose to stay and raise his family amidst this wicked and perverse people. Eventually, the Lord’s patience with Sodom and Gomorrah had ended and the Lord was about to justly remove the two cities. Being gracious to save Lot and his family, the Lord sent angels to deliver Lot out of the impending destruction. Lot was a believer, but had made immoral decisions; at one point offering his two virgin daughters to be raped by a crowd of angry men in order to try to appease them. Lot’s decision then was certainly hasty and wicked, and no doubt made under the influence of living in such a perverse community. Lot thought one wicked act might be a better compromise than the wicked act that the mob was seeking. Choosing one sin over another sin is never the right decision. Compromising one’s standards is an underlying lesson in Lot’s story. Eventually, only Lot and his two daughters were able to escape with their lives. But not long after the cities were destroyed, Lot’s two daughters got their father drunk and they both slept with him, resulting in both of them being pregnant. This incestuous decision was also hasty and wicked and no doubt influenced by their upbringing in Sodom. The text in Genesis 19 suggests that the young girl’s decision for such a wicked act was based on the belief that this sinful incest was somehow a lesser evil than perhaps marrying a foreigner from a surrounding city who worshipped other gods. Again, committing one sin because you believe it’s the better option over another sin is both hasty and foolish. Where did they learn such terrible compromise, if not from their father? When Lot loses, his family loses.
Lot lost it all. Consider the vast homestead that Lot took with him into the valley of Sodom and Gomorrah. Even upon realizing how morally corrupt the people were, he decided to stay and raise his family there. Compared to what he arrived with; he left with next to nothing; his two daughters and the clothes on his back. Lot’s choices ruined his homestead. Because Lot lost, his family lost. When you lose, your family loses.
When I was a jail chaplain in York, Pennsylvania, and I networked with a group of pastors from urban downtown churches. At a lunch, one of them told me, “80% of our churches in downtown York are affected by incarceration. The families left behind suffers more than the inmates. The families are left to fight with landlords, struggle to feed the children, and this puts a great burden on the community as a whole.” The bottom line, our sin is far-reaching, more than we realize.
These realities magnify how significant Jesus is! Despite our sinfulness, Jesus shows us our worth by becoming like us. He became flesh, a human being, and in doing this He put increased value on all of mankind. He showed us how to live a life without compromise and sin. Then He subjected Himself to a most gruesome murder, bearing our sin. But after He was dead and buried, He rose from the grave, as He said He would. He conquered death and sin! Because Jesus won, we win if we put our trust in Him. Victory is in Jesus, and those who follow Jesus experience victory through the work He does in their lives!
“I’ve lost. Now what?”
The ability to significantly impact those you love is not limited by your circumstances; it’s limited by your faith.
You might be reading this in jail, even knowing that you’re on your way to prison for many years. You need to know that you can radically influence your spouse and kids, even from a distance. This happens by doing many different things.
- Humility & Salvation – First off, by accepting your broken spiritual condition, you humbly see the need to trust the Lord Jesus in order to have victory over sin. We can only have victory over sin when the Holy Spirit is empowering us. On our own strength and self-discipline, we fail, period.
- Lordship & Discipleship – Trusting in Jesus for salvation is a one-time decision, but trusting Jesus to be the Lord over your life is a daily decision. This is done by setting your heart to live for Him, by studying His word, practicing what the Bible teaches, and helping others to do the same.
- Repentance & Transparency – After you’ve entrusted yourself to Jesus for the forgiveness of your sin, in humility, you can reach out to those you’ve offended and share what things the Lord is doing in your life. As you are authentic and transparent with your sin, and as you seek forgiveness, people can see how the Lord is changing you.
- Teaching & Praying – A spouse or a parent can write letters that are Scripture saturated, in order to speak truth and love into the lives of loved ones. Phone calls can be equally valuable when they are laced with humility, care, love, and Biblical wisdom. A spouse or parent can bathe loved ones in prayer! The greatest thing you can do, whether you’re at home or in jail, is to be the greatest prayer warrior for your family. Nothing can hinder your prayer but your own lack of faith. Satan can’t keep you from praying. The world can’t keep you from praying. You will either chose to take up the mantle to be your families spiritual advocate or not. “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much,” James 5:16.
- Emulate – Stop concerning yourself with being respected or admired, even by your family. Instead, desire to be emulated. To emulate someone means that you strive to become like them, mainly through imitation. Live in such a way that your loved ones would want to become like you. Even as in inmate, you can become the man or woman that’s so much like Jesus, that your family says, “I want to become like my dad, because he’s just like Jesus!” Paul said something bold in 1 Corinthians 11:1, when he said, “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.” Not too many people can honestly say, “Hey, if you act like me, you’ll be acting like Jesus.” You can become that person! Be the man or woman that your loved ones want to emulate!
Decide today to humble yourself before the Lord. Decide today to set your heart to love and pursue Jesus.
When you win, your family wins!