He Prevailed, So You Prevailed.
Reading Time: 5 minutes
“So David triumphed over the Philistine with only a sling and a stone, for he had no sword.”
1 Sam 17:50
It’s a very familiar story: David, a puny, unassuming kid, pulls up to a battle and wins it. We love to use it to remind us that God can use us no matter how weak or small we look or feel. We like the reminder that no matter what, we can face our giants and come out victoriously. But I want to raise a question. What about the battles you genuinely can’t win on your own? What about that addiction you can't seem to break? What about the depression that seems to pop back up whenever you feel like you've overcome it? What about that relationship with your abusive, close-minded parents that no amount of therapy and be-the-bigger-person can seem to fix? We love the idea of being Davids that swoop in and fight the giants in the path between us and the freedom God has for us, but what about the times we feel more like the Israelite army?
The Philistines are Israel's arch-nemesis and currently, they stand toe-to-toe, awaiting war. The pressure is building as Goliath, the Philistine's champion warrior, steps towards the Israelites. Goliath proposes that there be a 1-on-1 match between himself and the Israelites’ best warrior, and the resulting loser's nation would serve the winner's nation. For a little more than a month, he challenges the Israelites day and night, but no one steps forward to fight him. And it makes sense. They see the mismatch and know they couldn't win this on their own. They are helpless and a lot like us in some situations. We love to read this story and come out with a confidence boost. We love to picture ourselves like David, but honestly, the majority of the time we may feel like King Saul and the Israelites… mismatched, overwhelmed, helpless, and afraid.
As Israel's king and its most accomplished warriors hide in fear, a little kid named David pulls up. His brothers are soldiers at war, but he stayed back to take care of his father's sheep. In the grand scheme of things, he is an unlikely candidate for anything of value to the army. However, as soon as he hears Goliath’s taunts against Israel and its God, like Michael Jordan in The Last Dance, he takes it personally. He asks if anyone is going to step forward. Then, finally overcome with a sense of love for his people and duty for the greater good, he volunteers. I can imagine King Saul is reluctant at first, but they have no other options, he trusts David just enough to let him try. Saul offers his armor—the best in the business—yet David says, “No, if I'm going to win for you, I have to do it my way.” And the rest is history. David wins and the Israelites are free. They didn't even really have to fight, per the deal Goliath made. Their action was birthed from victory.
So what am I getting at?
David is a type of savior that reminds us of the savior we have in Jesus. In theological circles, we call this “typing”. David shows a glimpse of Jesus as a conquering king, and similarly, Moses shows a glimpse of Jesus as a leader. Aaron shows Jesus as a priest and Noah shows Jesus as a provider of refuge and peace in the storm. While none of these men are perfect, they are biblical “Easter eggs” to point to the perfect culmination that would come: Jesus. It's kinda like the end credit scenes in a Marvel movie, hinting at a future character.
So what happens when we try to see a glimpse of who Jesus is through this story? We see an unlikely source win a battle in an unconventional way. Jesus is offering the same thing to you if you would only trust Him.
It's easy to feel defeated when you can't win on your own. It's easy to feel helpless. But the bible says because David prevailed, the Israelites are able to rejoice. Because of what David did, the people who trusted Him got to reap the benefits of His victory. In the same way, because of what Jesus has accomplished, we live in victory.
Paul says it like this:
But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.
So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.
1 Corinthians 15:57-58
There are some things that are bigger than us, some enemies we can't seem to conquer on our own. Still, we have victory over them all through Jesus.
Like King Saul, trust Him enough to let him try and let him do it his way. Y'all didn't catch that. Jesus has already won. But, by not trusting him, we are saying we want to carry this weight or face this battle on our own. We need to trust Him to do the winning. Let Him fight His way. And trust Him through the battle. He will win and because of His victory, YOU WILL WIN.
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