1 Samuel 17:26 KJV – “And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
On this journey to heaven, we encounter many different types of people, including many types of Christians. Some are more solemn than others, some are more analytical, and some are more vibrant; these are all just different human personalities brought into our lives. But one of my favorite types of people in the body of Christ is new believers. They see God in everything and are righteously indignant about all that is against Him. “Everybody needs to be a Christian” is their mind-set, and many have an attitude like, “You must be nuts if you’re not a Christian!” I love their zeal.
At the time of this Scripture verse, David was a newly appointed king. God had already chosen him, but man had yet to acknowledge God’s choice. But here we see David, listening to a nine-foot six-inch giant defy the armies of Israel and thereby defy the name of Israel’s God. I always like to bring this into our day and look at it as if David were saying, “Who is this clown that defies the armies of the living God?” David was righteously indignant because the name of the Lord was being defiled.
We could use a little of that kind of attitude today. Many things in our world mock the armies of God and discourage us, just as they did in the days of David and Goliath. David, however, displayed a “new believer” boldness that many of us once knew. But sadly, things we once found repugnant have now become acceptable to us, and things we once marveled at, we now view with bored, complacent eyes.
How can we correct this? It’s easier than you might think. Just do what you used to do! Stand up for the truth, and speak up for right the way you used to. Be righteously indignant when it is called for. The next thing you know, your spiritual youth will be restored, and you’ll be back in the mix again. Your faith will be exciting once more, and maybe even a dry season will end.
David didn’t worry about what others thought. He was offended by the challenges against the name of the Lord and did something about it. As the story continues, we find that David’s actions offended even his own brothers, who accused him of grandstanding. Well, the end of the story speaks for itself. A young boy with a stick and some stones stood with a giant’s head in his hand, and God received great glory. That which defied God was soundly defeated. Stand up in defense of His name today, and rekindle the fire that once burned within. Try it—you’ll like it!
