1 Samuel 17:45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
1 Samuel 17:46 This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
David was just a young shepherd boy when he heard news of the taunting by the Philistines before the armies of Israel. Day after day the Philistines sent the 9-foot 6-inch Goliath out to challenge Israel to fight their champion:
1 Samuel 17:10 And the Philistine said, “I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.”
David cared not how small he was, nor how big Goliath might be. David saw only the Holiness and Beauty of his God to whom he would do whatever it took to defend His good name. David would not stand idly by and let anyone bring an affront to his God. To David, a challenge to the armies of Israel was the same as a challenge to his God. No one, I mean no one, was going to get away with attacking the good name of his God without David meeting the challenge head on.
David grabbed into his hand one small, smooth stone. Then he did not stand and wait for the giant to come to him, David took off on foot in a dead run towards Goliath as fast as his legs would carry him. While in a full sprint toward Goliath, David put the stone inside his sling and threw it into the forehead of the giant.
How does our passion for our God compare to the passion that David had?
When we hear someone speak the name of Jesus as a curse word, do we rise up and say “Stop”? When a person blasphemes the name or reputation of Jesus, do we stand up for the Lord and defend His honor as David did?
We might say that the Lord does not need us to defend Him. This is not the real issue here, for our God needs no man to be His defender. The heart of the matter is whether we feel offended and a jealousy for the Lord when Jesus’ name is maligned. Most of us would just let the trespass go and say nothing to the one bringing the offensive speech or action. Is that what someone should do when their loved one is attacked? If a person maligned your wife, husband or children, would you sit idly by and say nothing, or does your jealous love for your family necessitate action?
David cared for the Lord so intensely that he cared not for his own life. He did not consider who Goliath was or how big the threat might be to his own person. David was going to speak up and he would not be shut up.
A passion for God in David’s life, is a continuing theme throughout the many Psalms that David wrote. Over and over David defends, instructs and corrects all those who incorrectly attribute wrong or dishonor to God in any way. David’s life was dedicated to bringing praise, honor and glorify to the great name of God.
As we continue in our walk with Jesus, may we stand up for our Lord when someone misuses His name or reputation? May we all be as zealous for the Lord as David was, and be not afraid of what anyone could do to us? Only that the name of Jesus would be lifted up and honored by all men.
Rob Robinson
