Monday, April 2, 2012

To the David Generation




I was reading my Bible late last night [early this morning] when a passage that I’m sure I’ve read many times before in my 26 years jumped out at me like never before.  It was I Samuel 13:19-22 which reads like this:

Now there was a no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, ‘Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears.’  But all the Israelites would go down to the Philistines to sharpen each man’s plowshare, his mattock, his axe, and his sickle; and the charge for a sharpening was a pim for the plowshares, the mattocks, the forks, and the axes, and to set the points of the goads.  So it came about, on the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan.  But they were found with Saul and Jonathan his son” (emphasis mine).

This passage struck me because I never recalled the fact that the Israelite people were completely unarmed and the equipment they did have (ie. plowshares, axes, sickles, forks, etc.) were for farming and building.  This makes young David’s bravery that much more astounding to me because he literally had nothing but God.  Any farming/building equipment he would have had access to, his seven older brothers most likely already took to battle.

Imagine a vast army full of men armed with sickles, plowshares, and pitchforks! What a pathetic sight that would be and in the natural, it would make sense for them to quake before the Philistines and Giant Lords of Gath. There is no way that they could go up in battle against the Philistines in their own might.  And this is most likely also why Goliath took the stance he did saying,

“‘Why have you come out to line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.’  And the Philistine said, ‘I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together’.” (I Samuel 17:8-10).  

Goliath—knowing the incomparable abilities of the Israelite army as it concerned weaponry—followed the pattern of the Ancient World
and as the Philistine champion, much like in Troy a.k.a. The Iliad  when Achilles fought Hector or in Prince Caspian where Miraz challenged High King Peter, when he called for a champion among the Israelites to face him in combat.

Saul, apparently too afraid to face Goliath himself, tried to give young David his armor and sword, full-knowing that he and his son, Jonathan, were the only ones to possess such treasures.  He knew that it was pure insanity, folly really, to meet a foe in war without the proper gear and weaponry.  And it would seem that even armor and a sword that were too big for David would be better than none at all.  But David had discernment.

David understood that he did not need to try and fill someone else’s position [represented by the armor/clothing from Saul].  David had a revelation which we see expressed in Psalm 28:7 that the Lord is his “strength and…shield”.   He knew God would provide him with a more effective, divine set of armor and weaponry.  He knew that although it appeared he had nothing, he, in fact, had something.  He chose five smooth stones (one for each of the five giant lords, the sons of Gath), placed them in his sling, and slew Goliath.  And it was this victory that propelled David into his destiny. 

So now, I speak to the David Generation; the generation full of purpose and possibilities, yet who might feel insignificant.  You might wonder what good is a gift of singing with no one to hear it, a writing gift with no writing utensil, or a fighting gift with no one to fight.  Well I have news for you: God has heard your prayers and knows your potential—He gave it to you!  He has anointed you for a specific purpose.  Furthermore, God is about to provide you with the opportunity to show your quality and worth to the world!

Forget about what’s been taken from you, how helpless you feel, how dire your situation seems, and how overlooked you’ve been.  God is about to bring you out of obscurity to accomplish His purpose in the earth!

David Generation, it’s time to rise up!

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