The only hope any of us have of growing in our obedience, of being more like David when he lived by faith and not by sight, is not by trying to be like David in our own strength but rather, in reliance on the Holy Spirit, trusting in the Christ to whom David pointed and in whom David himself trusted (Psalm 110).

Arguably the most well-known and well-loved story in the Bible, the account of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17 has it all: action, suspense, intrigue, unexpected twists and turns, and ultimately the triumph of good over evil. The general outline of the story is no doubt familiar to most readers: Israel has drawn up for battle against its perennial enemies, the Philistines. The two armies encamp on opposing mountains. Into the valley between strides the Philistine champion, Goliath of Gath, who challenges Israel to send forth a man to fight him in a winner-takes-all combat ordeal. Somewhat unusually for Hebrew narrative, Goliath is described in great detail:

[His] height was six cubits and a span. He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. And he had bronze armor on his legs, and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders. The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. And his shield-bearer went before him. (vv. 4–7)

Goliath’s size and the magnificence of his armor, some of which was not even available to Israel’s kings at the time, is rehearsed in order to overwhelm us with the giant’s military superiority and strength. Who would challenge such a man? Israel’s king Saul, the obvious choice (see 1 Sam. 8:20), cowers behind his lines, but the shepherd boy David, overhearing this giant’s taunts, steps forward as Israel’s champion. With a sling and a stone, David strides forth and fells the giant Goliath. Israel triumphs, and its God is vindicated.

It’s a remarkable story, but what does it mean for us today? One common answer to this question is to see this story as a promise that God will defeat whatever Goliaths we face in our lives. Perhaps you’ve heard things such as this: “Whatever difficulties you’re facing—whether at work, at home, in a relationship, or with your health—God will give you victory over your Goliath just as He did for David.” This interpretation betrays several fundamental flaws, the most serious of which is that it casts us as the hero of the story. This is perhaps understandable. Who doesn’t want to be the hero of a story? Yet to uncritically identify ourselves with David neglects the grand narrative of the Bible. The Bible throughout casts us in the role not of the Savior but of the saved. We are not the hero of the Bible but the villain who needs to be rescued. We are not the strong and admirable but the weak and morally destitute. The fact of the matter is that it would be much more accurate to see ourselves in the Israelite army—fearful, hopeless, and helpless, cowering behind the lines, in great danger and in need of a great champion. The story of David and Goliath is first and foremost about God’s providing a Champion, a Savior, a Messiah to fight for His people and to conquer all that threatens to enslave and destroy them.

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