The Old Testament story about David and Goliath is very well known but, re-reading it last week, my attention was caught by a little detail that shows how important perspective is.
When the warrior, Goliath, came out to bully and taunt the armies of Israel, he referred to them as "servants of Saul." He says to them, "I am a Philistine and you are the servants of Saul. Choose a man to come out here and fight me." (1 Samuel 17: 8) It's interesting that he didn't perceive them as servants of the living God; he saw them as servants of King Saul. It's an ironic confirmation of what Samuel had warned the people: that in demanding a king's leadership, the people were to some extent rejecting God's direct leadership over them. Just like the prophet warned them (back in 1st Samuel chapter eight), they have become "servants of Saul," a human leader.
But young David saw things differently. Although he respectfully calls himself Saul's servant (in verses 32 and 34), he actually approaches life from a completely different perspective. In his eyes, this disrespectful giant of a man is actually defying the army of the living God. (verses 26 and 36b.) And so when he goes out to face Goliath, this young boy utters those now legendary words: "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you defied." (verse 45)
What's more, David is not fighting this warrior for his own fame or glory. His motivation is "so that the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel." (vs 46) Young as he is, he is perfectly clear in his own mind, and he wants everyone else to know, that battles aren't won primarily with swords and spears, but what really counts is whether the battle is the Lord's. (vs 47) This little boy understood back then when the prophet Zechariah wrote down for us, hundreds of years later, that it's not by strength, not by power, but by God's Spirit that true victories are won. (Zechariah 4: 6)
We all know the end of the story…. but how often do we forget the example of this brave and godly kid's perspective? How often do we try to sort out problems and challenges in our own strength? How often do we act like "servants of Saul" - looking to leaders or other people to solve our problems for us? What a difference it makes when our perspective is that this is God's battle, and we can cooperate with Him as servants of the living Lord.
