The World is Looking for a Hero

Right, well, good evening.

Tonight we're looking at possibly one of the best-known stories in the Bible.

At least in name, even if not really in full understanding of the content.

I would say it probably sits closely behind the nativity,

and maybe even ahead of the events of Easter,

in the understanding of our secular culture around us.

Because, you see, it's the classic underdog story.

And there's something in our psyche that loves an underdog.

Whether it's the Jamaican bobsleigh team,

or the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae, or however you pronounce that,

or the 5,000 to 1 outsiders, Leicester winning the Premier League.

Whatever it is, we love these stories of unlikely people winning against all the odds.

And so here we've got a boy against a giant.

You can't get much better than that.

Although, as we look at it a bit more,

we'll see that perhaps the tables are not stacked quite the way it looks at first.

But it's also a story of a people that are in need of a hero,

but who are looking in all the wrong places.

So hopefully tonight we'll be able to get past that familiarity,

and learn something about what this passage,

about events so far from us in time and place,

can teach us today.

And the first three verses

are basically setting the scene,

giving the context for the rest of the chapter.

Chronology is not entirely clear,

quite how this sits with the previous chapter.

I think it may be that they overlap,

that this sits somewhere in the middle,

particularly the way that David's introduced,

as if we've never heard of him before.

It sounds as if these are separate accounts of separate stories,

each with their introduction, events, and conclusion.

Certainly later on in 1 Samuel,

the events of David's life are clearly told out of order

when his last words are reported

before the exploits of him and his mighty men.

So it doesn't really particularly matter.

It's really a bit of an aside,

but just if you're slightly confused about what's going on,

that might be why.

But we have here the Philistines,

and they appear to have been fairly recent invaders of the land

by recent, you know, last century or two.

They seem to probably be some of the sea peoples

that the Egyptians write about.

And interestingly,

recent DNA testing of pig bones

seems to tell us that they came from the Aegean.

Who knew that you could DNA test

3,000-year-old pig bones

to tell where they'd come from,

but apparently you can.

But these Philistines, anyway,

have settled to the west of Israel

and to five main cities.

Gaza, right down on the coast,

still a name that we know today.

Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron, and Gath.

And Gath is the closest one to Israel,

right at the east of the Philistine territory.

And that's where Goliath comes from.

And so in this passage,

we see that the Philistines

have gathered their army together

and are encroaching into Judah.

And Saul has gathered together

the Israelites to oppose them.

And the two armies are lined up

facing each other

across the valley of Elah.

This is on the road from Gath

to Bethlehem and Jerusalem.

And in fact,

it's only about 20 miles away

from Bethlehem

where David lives.

That's similar to the distance

from here to North Beric.

Something easily walkable in a day.

But we see here

that no actual fighting's taking place.

they seem to have reached

some sort of stalemate.

The two armies lined up

against each other.

And Israelites

are in a good defensive position

but don't seem to have the strength

or maybe just the courage

to go on the attack.

But there's a routine going.

Every morning,

both sides line up

facing each other

across the valley

and shout their war cries

at each other.

because that's going to be effective.

And every morning

and evening

the Philistine champion

comes out

and shouts

his defiant challenge.

And we see that this

has been going on

for 40 days.

This is not just something

that's gone on

for a day or two.

This is going on

a long time.

And Israelites

are absolutely terrified.

And quite frankly,

I don't blame them.

Because when we

carry on to the next few verses

we read about

the Philistine champion.

In verses 4 to 7

we read

the description

of Goliath.

And the first thing

that's obvious about him

is his height.

At six cubits

and a span

depending on the size

of your cubit

it's somewhere

around nine foot four.

a good few inches

taller than

the tallest man

recorded in recent history

Robert Wadlow

who measured

in at eight foot eleven.

So

only five inches

above that.

It may be

that this is the result

of some sort of

genetic anomaly

because certainly

it seems to run

in the family.

His brothers

seem to be huge

as well.

But he's clearly

not just tall

but

also strong.

Or at least

he's certainly

not weak

going by the weight

of armour

that he's carrying.

He's an impressive

figure

standing there

tall

and armoured

like a tank.

Bronze helmet

bronze

armour scales

bronze greaves

on his legs.

This is not just

heavy

but this is expensive.

This is all

the best

of the military

hardware

that you could

have at the time.

And he's even

got that new

technology

he has an iron

head on his

spear.

This is

someone to be

feared.

Standing in front

of him

is a man

carrying his

shield.

He's confident

and he's arrogant

as he shouts out

his defiant

challenge.

And in verses

8 to 11

we discover

what this

challenge is.

Choose a

champion.

choose a

representative

to fight

me

on behalf

of all

of you.

Your fate

depends on

the success

of this

single combat.

Forget about

these armies

about this

defensive position

that you've got

yourself into.

Gamble

everything

on the success

of this

one fight

man

against man.

And if

you remember

back before

Christmas

in chapter

10

we read

that Israel

did just

that.

They chose

a champion

to represent

them.

They chose

someone to go

out before

them and

fight their

battles.

they chose

an impressive

young man

without equal

among the

Israelites.

A head

taller than

any of the

others.

A man

named Saul.

He may not

be a giant

but he's still

an impressive

champion.

He's fought

several successful

battles and

as we read

further down

he has the

kit.

He has the

bronze helmet.

He has the

coat of armor.

So where

is he?

He's there

but like

the rest of

the Israelites

he's terrified.

It doesn't

sound as if

he's there

out at the

front facing

the enemy

leading his

army.

Instead he's

skulking

somewhere in

the back

probably back

in his tent

in the camp.

Israel had

wanted a

champion

but when

they chose

a human

hero

they found

him distinctly

lacking.

They needed

someone else

to step up

and fight

for them.

And I think

as we look

around

we see that

our world

too is

looking for

its own

heroes.

We may not

be facing a

giant

or an enemy

army

but our world

is groaning

and people

are hurting.

Around the

world

there are

wars

and conflicts

and strained

relationships

between nations.

Our physical

environment is

polluted

exploited

and under

threat.

Our government

quite frankly

is in a total

shambles.

I think

whatever your

political persuasion

you can agree

with me on that.

but neither

to home

in Scotland.

It's estimated

that over

600 people

will be sleeping

rough in our

cities tonight.

And that's

not counting

the thousands

and various

sorts of

temporary

accommodation.

Or then

there are

the personal

crises,

the broken

relationships,

the illnesses,

the bereavements,

the unemployment,

the loneliness,

the depression,

the anxieties,

the everyday

struggles of

life,

big and

small.

People are

looking for

heroes,

for someone

that can put

things right,

for someone

that can stand

up for them.

And this is

nothing new.

Throughout

history people

have been

telling stories

of champions,

of heroes,

of people

greater than

themselves.

We love

the stories

of William

Wallace and

Robert the

Bruce,

and we

don't

particularly

care about

the historical

accuracy of

them.

We flock

to see

superhero

films,

heroes with

special powers

that they will

use to

right wrongs,

to defend

the ordinary

people.

But back

to real

life,

we find

that,

like Saul,

our heroes

have feet

of clay.

One

repeated

theme of

the last

couple of

years is

of how

our heroes,

our role

models,

are shown

to be

flawed,

and not

who we

thought them

to be.

Around the

world,

statues have

been pulled

down of

people where

we find we

can no

longer overlook

the darker

side of

who they

were,

people that

we once

celebrated.

But then

also we

see figures

across the

whole spectrum

of public

life,

whether in

entertainment,

sports,

politics,

business,

have been

disgraced by

the Me Too

campaign and

other things

like that,

as we've

seen that

these people

that we

thought we

could look

up to,

maybe

weren't so

great after

all.

Or maybe,

maybe like

Saul,

we think

that we

are the

ones that

are meant

to be the

champions,

but we're

aware of

our own

inadequacies,

and so

we retreat

from the

battlefield in

fear.

Our culture

would tell us

to search

for the

hero inside

yourself,

but we

know what

is inside

ourselves.

We know

there is no

hero there.

So then

in the next

big chunk

of the

passage,

from verses

12 all the

way down

to 40,

we're

introduced

to an

unlikely

champion,

David.

He's

described as

being little

more than

a boy,

boy.

Terms

used are

quite vague,

but he's

certainly not

a grown man,

probably some

sort of

teenager,

not quite

sure,

but certainly

he's the

youngest of

the family,

and although

he may be

young,

he is

hardy.

He's not

closeted at

home,

but he's

out looking

after the

sheep,

and that

involves

protecting

them from

whatever

dangers

might come

their way.

But last

week,

we were

also

reminded

in

Alistair's

In Unimitable

Way,

that as well

as keeping

sheep,

he likes to

write

psalms

and

pusing

them.

For him,

the worship

of God

is not

just an

occasional

civic

duty.

That's an

integral part

of his

life.

God

directed

Samuel to

him,

saying that

God looks

on the

heart.

And later

we find

David

described,

despite all

of his

faults,

as a

man after

God's

own

heart.

And so

we see

that Jesse

sends David

with food

to his

older

brothers,

and to

bring back

news.

they're

about a

day's

journey

away.

He

seems to

have a

tent with

him,

as mentioned

later,

and I

assume he

has a

donkey or

some other

sort of

beast of

burden to

carry all

this stuff

with him

because it's

a bit much

to put in a

backpack.

But so

he gets

there,

he delivers

the goods

to the

keeper of

the

stores,

and to

me

sounds

slightly

naively

goes to

talk to his

brothers on

the front

line,

because of

course that's

what you do,

you just go to

the front

line for a

chat.

But when

he's there,

he sees

what's going

on.

He sees

Goliath,

what's

going on,

he sees

what's

really

going on.

Because the

question he

asks the

people shows

how he

understands

the situation.

Who is

this

uncircumcised

Philistine

that he

should defy

the armies

of the

living God?

As far as

David sees

it,

this is not

a battle

between two

earthly armies.

This is

defiance

against the

living God,

as opposed

to the

lifeless

false gods

of the

Philistines.

We were

reminded this

morning in

Psalm 2,

probably

written by

David,

of how the

nations stand

and defines

against God

and his

king.

In words

that I can

only think

of set to

Handel's

music,

why do the

nations so

furiously rage

together?

Why do the

peoples imagine

a vain thing?

We shall

break their

bonds,

asunder.

So David

sees that

this Philistine

is defying

God and

his people

and no

one is

doing

anything

about it.

He sees

that despite

the promised

rewards,

and they

seem quite

impressive

rewards,

no one

else is

willing to

do anything.

And so he

steps forward,

confident,

humble.

His confidence

comes not

from himself,

from his

own skill,

but from

what he

knows about

God.

And this is

not just what

he's learned

about God,

but this is

what he has

experienced,

how he has

experienced God's

help in the

struggles of his

day-to-day life,

albeit slightly

more dramatic

struggles than

most of us

have on a

daily basis.

I'm not sure

how many of you

expect to be

wrestling bears

and lions this

week.

But he

tells Saul

of his

experiences

looking after

the sheep,

and he

concludes,

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.

To him,

someone who

defies the

living God

is no

different than

the lion or

a bear,

just someone

that God

will help

him to

fight against.

Saul

offers him

his armor,

and he

does try

it on,

but ultimately

rejects it.

He's not

going to

pretend to

be what

he's not.

He's not

a trained

warrior.

He knows

he isn't

a champion.

He isn't

a hero.

Instead,

he goes out

as he is.

A mere

shepherd boy,

armed with

just a

sling and

five stones.

Oh,

I'm with

the Lord

of Heaven's

armies by

his side.

I wonder

how often

we look at

the challenges

before us

and think,

you know,

someone should

do something

about that.

Or how

often do

we, like

David,

say,

no one is

doing anything

about that,

and step

forward and

do it

ourselves.

Not because

we think

we're anything

special.

not because

we think

we have

skills and

abilities that

we don't,

but because

we see the

task,

and we

trust that

God will

give us the

strength and

resources that

we need to

do it.

But I wonder

also how

much, like

David, we are

aware of our

reliance on

God in our

day-to-day

life.

Do we

trust him

when we

come to the

big battles

because we

have known

him as help

in the small

challenges?

Or do we

think, yeah,

I can cope

with this,

I can cope

with this,

it's fine.

And then

when the big

challenges do

come, we

don't have that

confidence that

comes from

experience,

and our

faith may be

shaken.

I don't

know, I'm

sometimes a

bit wary about

the whole

asking God

for a parking

space type of

prayer.

It can

almost seem

a bit petty,

and sometimes

we have to

accept that

God is not

a genie

there to do

our bidding,

but that

actually he is

shaping us

to his will,

and his will

today might

be, that

you're going

to park

ten minutes

away and

walk from

there.

But are

we going

into business

meetings where

we know we

have a tendency

to be cynical,

asking for

God's help,

to be open

minded, to

contribute

positively?

Are we going

into situations

where we know

we will face

temptation,

asking God

to make his

son look so

glorious in

our eyes,

that our

hearts want

nothing more?

But also

there's often,

I think,

the perception

that to be

used by God

we have to

be some

special sort

of person.

I remember

back when

Tim was

applying to

go to the

Faith Mission

College,

and I had to

fill out a

reference for

him.

If anyone

has been

through that

process,

it is

horrific.

It basically

requires complete

character

assassination as

it quizzes you

on all their

weaknesses.

But the last

question is the

one that I

remember.

Do you think

this person is

suitable for

Christian service?

Not quite sure

what answer they

were looking for,

but my answer

was that from

the beginning

God has

used weak,

broken people

to do his

work.

That there are

two qualifications

for Christian

service,

being a

Christian and

being willing.

And, in

fact, it's not

even an option.

It's a requirement

of all Christians,

although it takes

many different

shapes and forms.

people

to do

things.

So, are we

looking for

special people

to do things?

Or are we

expecting God

to use us?

And how often

do we think

that we'll be able

to do something

for God

once we have

the right

armor,

the right

equipment,

the right

resources,

the right

training?

once we've

got all

these things,

and they

are good

things,

then we

can serve

God.

Or how

often do we

just say

we go in

faith,

our own

great

weakness

feeling,

not pretending

to be any

more than

we are,

and not

relying on

our ability,

but relying

on God.

whatever

the situation

you're called

into,

whether it's

to be

a hero

to your

child who

skinned

her knee,

or to get

alongside your

brother or

sister who's

really struggling,

or to invite

your colleague

to the Life

Explored course,

or maybe

you are

called into

global politics.

Maybe,

as Delirious

sang all those

years ago,

for those of

you that can

actually still

remember Delirious,

maybe you

are called

to be a

history maker

in this

land,

a speaker

of truth

to all

mankind.

But then

in the next

verses,

verses 41

to 47,

we see an

unlikely

and frankly

ridiculous

scene.

A huge,

heavily armed

warrior.

and a

boy

with a

sling

approaching

each other

across the

battlefield.

And Goliath

takes this

as an

insult.

He

understands

strength.

He

understands

war.

He has

no time

for weakness.

And they've

sent a

boy.

He

curses

David in

the names

of his

Philistine

gods and

shouts a

defiant

challenge.

come

closer

and I'll

kill you.

He assumes

that the

outcome of

this fight

is a

mere

formality.

But David,

however,

has a

slightly

different view

of the

situation.

He sees

the apparent

mismatch,

but he

knows that

he's not

the one

that should

be afraid

and shouts

back his

own challenge.

some of

this seems

to be just

out of

standard

military

taunting.

Goliath has

said he'll

give David's

flesh to

the birds

and wild

animals.

David

trumps

this by

saying he'll

give the

carcasses of

the whole

Philistine

army to

the birds

and animals.

But his

challenge is

not just

bravado.

Because his

challenge is

based on his

understanding of

who God

is.

he calls

him the

Lord

Almighty.

Sometimes

translated the

Lord of

hosts, or

as we

sang the

God of

angel

armies.

The

God of

the armies

of Israel

whom you

have defied.

He knows

that the

God Goliath

has set

himself up

against is

no mere

distant

deity.

Nor is

he just a

personal

God.

He is an

awesome

God who

is here.

He's not

distant from

his creation,

but he's at

work throughout

it and

still totally

other.

But his

challenge is

also based on

his trust in

God.

Because he

says he

will deliver

you into

my hands.

He's not

relying on his

strength or

his skill,

but in

God

fighting for

him.

And this

is not just

because of

his inexperience

and weakness,

the fact that

as far as

we're aware

he's never

fought a

battle before.

Because as

we read of

many battles

afterwards,

even once

he's an

experienced

warrior,

his trust

in God,

not his

own strength

remains.

He writes

in Psalm

19,

some

trust in

chariots

and some

in horses,

but we

trust in

the name

of the

Lord our

God.

This morning

we were

reminded by

Scott Hamilton

telling us

about the

work of

UCCF,

that they

could put

on all

the slickest

presentations.

They could

have the

best speakers,

they could

do everything

really,

really well.

And if

God wasn't

in it,

they were

wasting their

time.

But lastly,

his challenge

is for

God's

glory.

He doesn't

care about

his own

reputation,

whether he

comes out

of this

looking good.

Instead,

he fights

so that

the whole

world will

know that

there is a

God in

Israel.

He carries

on,

the battle

belongs to

the Lord.

God

because

it is

God who

will give

the victory

and it

is God

who will

get the

glory.

And then

we come to

the account

of the

fight itself

and

it's

in verses

48 to

51,

it's

very short.

It only

takes three

and a half

verses.

he hits

Goliath

on the

forehead

with one

stone,

sinks into

his forehead,

kills him,

he then

runs up,

cuts off

Goliath's

head with

Goliath's

own sword,

done.

There's

little more

to be said

about it

than that.

It really

seems

anticlimactic.

you're

expecting

some

description

of a

titanic

struggle

here

where

despite

the

crushing

odds

David

eventually

subdues

his opponent

and crawls

out wounded

but victorious.

Nope,

nothing like

that here.

Despite

outward

appearances,

the odds

were so

heavily

stacked

in David's

favour

that there's

little to

comment on.

In fact,

to call it

a fight

is really

stretching

things.

And the

remainder of

this chapter

is just

the aftermath.

Having seen

the Philistine

champion

defeated,

the tables

are turned.

It's now the

Philistines

who are running

in fear

and the

Israelites,

having seen

God at work,

have the

confidence to

chase him

down.

But

I don't

know,

as I

come to

this,

particularly

as I

read of

this

ridiculously

short

fight,

I can't

help

thinking

of another

champion.

A champion

who also

looked like

nothing special.

David is at

least described

here as

handsome,

but this

champion

had no

beauty

or majesty

to attract

us to

him.

Nothing

in his

appearance

that we

should

desire

him.

He was

a champion

who,

when taunted

by his

adversary,

could say,

it is

written,

worship the

Lord your

God and

serve him

only.

A champion

that,

as he

approached

the battlefield

where everything

seemed stacked

against him,

could say to

his father,

not my

will,

but yours

be done.

A champion

whose greatest

victory

was won

when it

seemed like

his enemies.

All the

powers of

darkness

and death

itself

were invincible

and yet he

could cry

out,

it is

finished.

But a

champion

who promised

he would be

with us

always,

even to

the end

of the

age.

A champion

that promised

a comforter

to walk

beside us,

to walk

with us

through life,

to give us

the power

to face

up to

these

challenges

that we

see in

the world

around us,

that we

are unable

to meet

with our

own

strength.

But a

champion

that will

not leave

us fighting

running

battles

forever.

A champion

who will

himself

come onto

the battlefield

at the

end of

the age.

If we

thought the

description

of the

battle

here

was an

anticlimax,

try reading

Revelation

19.

There we

see our

champion

on a

white

horse.

He has

the names

faithful and

true,

and king

of kings,

and lord

of lords.

And armies

are massed

against him,

led by the

beast and

false prophet.

The kings

of the

earth are

furiously

raging

against him.

And then

instead of

an epic

battle,

the beast

and false

prophet are

captured,

and the

rest are

killed by

the sword

that came

out of

the mouth

of the

rider

on the

white

horse.

Just like

that,

no fuss.

We talk

about Armageddon

as if it's

an epic

battle of

good against

evil.

evil.

It isn't.

It's plain,

straightforward

defeat.

The powers

of evil

don't stand

a chance.

And the

powers of

evil will

be defeated.

All the

wrongs in

this world

that we've

thought about,

and many

others,

will be

put right.

We have

a champion

who will

wipe every

tear from

our eye.

And in

the meantime,

he is

with us

as we go

into the

battle

tomorrow

and the

next day

until he

comes.

Just want

to finish

with words

of verse

of a song.

I can

see the

son of

man

descending,

and the

sword he

swings is

brighter than

the dawn.

And the

gates of

hell will

never stand

against him.

So, in

the night,

my hope

lives on.

Amen.