Portraits of a Giant

Portraits of a Giant

“and all this assembly will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves! For the battle is the LORD’s, and he will deliver you into our hand.” - 1 Samuel 17:47

People often face challenges bigger than they can cope with.   The challenges can stretch them beyond their comforts and limits.   You also have faced such challenges that appear as invincible giants compared to your own perceived strength.  Sometimes you invade them because they are obstacles you have to deal with. Other times they ambush you by coming without warning. David did not plan to meet Goliath the Philistines champion, when he took food provisions to his brothers at the war front.  Nevertheless, before the day ended, he found himself having to fight the giant. In the Old Testament, giants were a big threat to Israel. Fear of giants kept Israel in the wilderness away from the Promised Land for forty years (Numbers 13). Later in the Promised Land, giants sought to keep Israel from enjoying the fullness of God's promise (Numbers 14:9, Deuteronomy 9:1-3). Evil giants still attempt to keep God’s people from their blessings.

Goliath presented David with three portraits.

1. The face of terror. Goliath was a terrorist that instilled fear in the people of God. He caused fear by his huge appearance and verbal threats. Faith and fear cannot coexist. The giant removed their focus from God's ability, care and faithfulness. As a result, their faith was weakened as they let fear take over. Whichever they would allow to rule displaced the other.  Satan uses fear and discouragement as weapons of first choice against believers.  No wonder, there are over 350 “fear nots” in the Bible making it the most repeated command before adding many exhortations to be courageous.

The army and leaders of Israel were so timid before Goliath that with tails between their legs they dreaded his appearance. Their fearful response was a summary of Saul's legacy. He started surrounded with men God had touched and ended with a bunch of men trembling before a giant. David on the other hand started with outcasts and malcontents, and ended up with giant killers around him. Saul was so desperate that he offered his daughter and the prestige she gave to anyone who killed the giant.  He was also desperate that he sent an untrained and unprotected boy to fight a seasoned ruthless giant.

David asked, 'Is there not a cause' (1 Samuel 17:29). He saw God’s reputation at stake and that was a cause to fight the giant. The army that was supposed to give security against the Phillistines was trembling and helplessly defied daily. Goliath had become a menacing stronghold that appeared every morning and evening to defy the armies of Israel. He came out with impunity and was unchallenged for forty days. For that long, Saul and his army lived in uncertainty of what he would do next.

2. The face of the ordinary. The giant challenged the ordinary standard and methods of warfare. They are intimidating when compared to the ordinary.  His strategies and operations were humanly superior. They appealed to sight, and logic. A counter strategy that appeals to worldly values and weapons and ways cannot sustainably overcome giants. Saul made the mistake of using the ordinary standard to assess Goliath’s abilities.  By that standard, the giant was strong in experience, weapons and size. Both Saul and Goliath represented human conventional methods. As a result, they doubted and despised David's offer to fight Goliath (1 Samuel 17:28, 33).  Saul’s pitfall was  trusting in carnal weapons of warfare (2 Corinthians 10:1-5). David represented innovation and the unconventional ways of faith in God. David knew that victory did not reside in heavy swords, shields, spears, armor and bows, but in the mighty power of God.

Temptations that come to believers are common to humanity (1 Corinthians 10:13).  Every giant that comes brings common temptations. Giants have a traditional approach. The over two meters tall Goliath was heavy laden with a hundred kilogram military attire and had a shield barrier before him. David refused Saul's heavy, constraining and untried armor. His advantage was in his agility and skill under God. With God, giants may be big in size but they are inferior where it matters the most, in character, weapons and skills. Goliath best known for regalia and outward weights had nothing inside. David was known for inner qualities of character, courage and skill (1 Samuel 16:18).

David used a strategy and terms unfamiliar to the enemy. One not found in military training manuals of the day. He went out in the name of the Lord of Hosts. Believers have superior weapons in the name of Jesus Christ. The victories of faith in his past inspired David when he went to the valley of Ela to face Goliath.  To many memories of regrettable life valleys  stick out and discourage.  However, for David the victories stood out and gave him faith and strength to fight Goliath. David knew that in God there was only one giant, God himself. It matters what eyeglasses you use to look at your giant. God’s word magnifies God and diminishes giants to grasshoppers.  David pronounced and acted his trust in God. He countered the enemy’s threats with specific words and actions of faith. His goal was clear. He would cut off the head and give the whole opposing army as flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field. David took five stones and a sling and with his first stone knocked Goliath to the ground and using Goliath’s own sword cut off his head off. The five stones stood for the grace of God that is enough. For you it may be the third stone but grace will be sufficient for victory. Load and swing your stone in prayer and obedience.

 3. The face of opportunity. The giant had another face, a hidden face only visible to the discerning, the face of opportunity. The giant stood at the gate to David’s destiny. When the defiance is stronger, the opportunity and destiny are bigger. In wars, growing intensity of   resistance is a sign there is a high priced target behind the battle lines. Goliath wanted to take away the kingdom from the king in waiting. Appearance of the giant signaled David’s promotion time. The principle of killing a giant to gain promotion is seen over and over in the Bible (Daniel 3, 6, Philippians 2 (the cross), etc). 

Opportunities hide in threats and other people's desperations. What you see as a ghost is often Christ coming for your rescue walking on top of the thing you are afraid of (Mark 6:45 - 51). The moment of opportunity for David arrived when he heard the words of defiance. It was the wrong time for Goliath to come out just when David was visiting. When its time up God makes sure, you are in the right place. Forty days of torment were over. Forty is the number for judgment. Time for judgment had come. God used an unexpected person and method to deliver victory to his people. When it seemed God had forgotten the nation, he had been working behind the scenes using a few fish to train David in the hills of Judea. At the right time, he made all things beautiful.

The face of opportunity to your next level the enemy will not expose. However, take note of it and focus on it. You cannot grab or pursue an opportunity you cannot see. Take your opportunities or they are lost.  You can choose flight or a fight.  Giants have to be killed they do not go on their own. The forty days of your giant are over Jesus is alive. You can allow yourself to be humiliated or  chose to be elevated. You can be depressed or resolve to be determined. You can be bitter or chose to be better. The giant is there to grow you. The giant comes to expose the real giant in you and the giants on your side. Giants come to enhance your resume and profile for future prospects. Gods training involves being put into difficult and desperate situations that force you to trust in God and not your understanding. David made a courageous choice. Where others saw the formidable armor David saw the uncircumcision beneath the armor. The people of God had circumcision as a covenant mark that God would fight for them. Others saw his big size but David saw an object hard to miss. Whether giants work for you or against you, depends on how you view and respond to them. You can respond as an ordinary human being or a new creature in Christ.

Message by Dr. Kurai Chitima.

Faith Ministries – Johannesburg Faith Life Center.

Ground and First Floors Sunset Bay Building,

204B Bram Fischer drive,

Randburg, Johannesburg, South Africa