MORE THAN A DAVID-AND-GOLIATH CLICHé

The story of David and Goliath is so well known that it has become a cliché, an overused metaphor of a small person or group of people, an underdog, taking on a much larger opponent, a corporation, a government, or a superstar team.

And the expression begins to lose its punch when we also assume that the story usually ends with a seemingly unlikely victory. It can feel like the unlikely outcome was actually expected. But that was not how the story was originally told.

The story opens with extensive and detailed descriptions of the size, weight, armaments, attitude, and defiant challenge of the giant champion of the Philistines (see 1 Samuel 17:4–10). The real impact of the phenomenon that was Goliath was summed up succinctly: “On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified” (1 Samuel 17:11). The fact that this went on for forty days without any Israelite challenger stepping forward shows how daunting Goliath really was (see 1 Samuel 17:16).

And the situation became all the more dispiriting through repetition. By the time David arrived at the battlefield, “Whenever the Israelites saw the man, they all fled from him in great fear” (1 Samuel 17:24). This is where young David entered the scene.

Sent by his father to deliver food to his older brothers serving in the army, he heard Goliath’s challenge and was indignant that the giant’s belligerence was going unanswered. Due to his growing trust in God, David ignored the concerns of those around him, including King Saul, and drew on his experience, remembering how God had helped him in his shepherding past. “The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:37). With his dependence on God and not buying into the fears of his countrymen, David rescued all Israel.