1 Samuel 17:4-7
Verse 4 A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. His height was six cubits and a span.
Today we meet the hero of the opposing army. This man commanded attention with more than his battle cry. He was so imposing that no one dared answer him for forty days, but we will talk about that later on in our study.
The first thing we learn about this man of the enemy is that this isn’t his first battle, he is already a champion. He was not just their champion, he was their hope. They felt that as long as they had Goliath they had nothing to worry about. Who would willingly want to fight against this man that towered above everyone else? Remember the Israelites had begged for a king and God had given them a man He knew would fulfill their wish list, he was good looking and he was head and shoulders above everyone. He sure made them think they had the power, until they saw someone bigger, a giant named Goliath.
At over 9 feet tall, Goliath was intimidating even from the other side of the valley. He towered above the masses and was large in body as well. His armor would have been something to behold. While his helmet wouldn’t have been anything out of the ordinary the size of it would have dwarfed everyone else’s headwear. His body armor weighed more than some young men at around 125 pounds. He also had bronze guards on his legs and had a bronze javelin slung over his shoulder. Kind of makes us wonder how many people had to help him gear up.
All this armor must had weighed quite a sum, but it wasn’t only his armor that weighed a lot. The head of his spear that was on a large shaft weighed 15 pounds. That was just the head of the spear! But like any soldier of high standing he had an armor bearer. What a job that must have been! His armor bearer must have been a decent sized guy as well or he would have only been protecting the knees of the giant. A shield for someone that large must have been quite weighty as well to say nothing of the size. The shield would likely have been about the size of a bedroom door, only heavier.
This is what had them putting all their hope in him. He was big, he was mean and he hadn’t failed them yet. But there is One who never fails those who put their trust in Him.
Making It Personal
What have you put your trust in other than God? Why is God the only one worthy of your hope? Where do you need to trust Him more in your life?
Making It Personal Kids
Have you put your trust in Jesus? Why is He worthy of your trust? What do you need to trust Him about today?
Closing Prayer
Father, thank You for showing us that just because our problem seems too big to deal with, You are always there to help us through it. Give us hearts that fully trust You in everything. In Jesus’ name, amen.