When we first heard this story as children, we took it as a given that little David would triumph over Goliath. We didn’t really take into account how mismatched, how impossible, how absurd it was for this young boy to take on a seasoned warrior of legendary prowess.
But David had already been anointed by God’s command, to be Israel’s next King. So he is a person on whom the Spirit and the anointing of the Lord has already come. David is already set aside for a mighty purpose. He is already jealous for Israel’s cause: when he hears Goliath jeering at the Israelite troops and their king and their God he is furious…and curious. Why has no one else gone up against Goliath?
David reasons that he has already gone up against fearsome enemies by himself, as he cares for his father’s flocks. He’s killed predatory lions and bears, and the Lord has given him victories with those. So he volunteers for the job. And his unconventional weapons and approach, along with the Spirit of God that is with him, win the day. David reminds everyone that God brought him the victory, that the battle is the Lord’s.
I can’t help but think of David and Goliath as we watch the war unfold in Ukraine. The Goliath of Putin’s Russian army invaded peaceful Ukraine, expecting an easy, and swift victory. Surely the giant of Russia would easily occupy and defeat this smaller neighbor, as Goliath thought he would easily defeat David. But Ukraine has stood up to their giant enemy bravely and tenaciously. They’ve used unconventional, clever approaches to bring the supposedly powerful enemy down. God still stands with the small, the untried, the faithful ones who depend only on Him. God loves to bring victory in unexpected, unforeseen ways. And God loves to add the Spirit’s power to an underdog, and bring a bully crashing down.