He fell facedown on the ground
“Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.” (1 Samuel 17:49)
Perhaps not many people don’t know about the fight between David a boy and Goliath. Also sometimes we have heard the word ‘fight between David and Goliath’ from around, too. It’s a description of a fight that won’t be an opponent, and it sounds as nuance if like Goliath will win. But as recorded in the Bible, Goliath clearly was failed to David in that fight. In bodily condition, David was short and juvenile not to be even compared to Goliath. However, seeing in condition of soul, David was much more superior to Goliath. David strongly told Goliath in confident tone, “I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”
The Christian’s daily life is laid always in a situation similar to the fight between David and Goliath. People usually evaluate anybody by the standard of physical quantity. So they commonly think if the soldiers’ numbers many, will win a battle. Also, they regard, if a lot of money, any matters will work out and will be happy. That is not wrong word on the one hand. For someone will have a chance of win more even a little when he looks big than the other, and anybody needs to have a lot of money to live in the world comfortable. When a person who looks short and weak speaks, people around him don’t try even to listen to. Even though a poor person talks big, nothing would work a bit to almost anybody.
Therefore, it is never easy thing for Christians to preach the gospel to people in the world and lead properly them. On account of that, Christians often feel tempted of these negative thinking. Even if they live truly in faith, others seem not to acknowledge themselves, thus in order to show something to arouse other people’s interest, and they occasionally think they would like to live in the same manner with others. And yet, the confusion and wandering arise in their mind, for in the state they can do neither this way nor that. Of course, they think so because they lack faith, but anyway there’s nobody who’s perfect, so any would might be possible to have such a mind.
David, who faced Goliath, was a young boy, glowing with healthy and handsome features. There were five smooth stones in his pouch of shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand. Seeing in the appearances and tools, David had a condition not enough to fight against soldiers the adults. Because Goliath could not understand immediate situation before eyes, he had no choice but to laugh at David. So he said to David this, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And Goliath cursed David by the names of his own gods. Just like that, if by secular eyes’ view, the fundamental faith of Christianity must be nothing more than an object of ridicule and curse.
And yet, what’s really important is not the appearances. Even if there are many soldiers and many tanks, if tactics and weapons are conventional, they cannot beat troops armed with modern system of computer functions. The conventional weapons and tactics said here are the outer like Goliath’s majesty. On the other hand, modern weapons are David’s spiritual power with the Lord Almighty. On the surface, it looks David wouldn’t overcome Goliath, but Goliath can never defeat the power of spiritual weapons by God the Almighty. Paul the apostle said in 2 Corinthians 10:3~4, “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” With this weapon, that is, God’s power, all theories will be destroyed, things against God collapsed, and the power will make people obey to Christ. In Goliath’s eyes, only pebbles and sticks of a little boy were seen, however in fact, God’s ability had been held in David’s hands. People who believe in Jesus may seem to be weak, but they are actually strong people because they have the salvation and power of Christ within themselves. It is the people of faith saved by Christ, who can achieve eternal stability and triumphant life by overcoming the world.
Salvation and success in man’s life do not depend on the power by swords and spears. The success and failure of the individual, country, and world are the matters in the hands of the Lord only. If you go forward in the name of Christ, the power of the world will not dare to stop you. People of this world are suffering much from diseases, unrighteousness, and war, etc. Put the stones, as bullets for life of Jesus Christ’s salvation, fastened to the sling, and aim and shoot toward Satan’s forehead. Then, Jesus Christ’s ability will make Satan knock down on the ground, Amen!
(Written by Koonoh, Pastor of JDO Presbyterian Church in Korea, on Apr 3rd 2022)