The story of David and Goliath is familiar to many Christians. It has become so familiar that sometimes teachers, pastors, and writers spiritualize the events, focusing on defeating the “Goliaths” in life using the principles from the Bible. We so often focus on the underdog-to-hero narrative and victory over life’s problems that we forget that this was a historical event with a real shepherd named David and a giant warrior named Goliath. Even more than that, we miss what the Bible intends to show us about our Lord.
We can easily overlook this emphasis if we are only viewing this event from a self-help perspective of overcoming problems in life and trying to find a formula to follow. When we pause and consider the context and the details in the story, we discover an account that magnifies the Lord’s honor and power.
What Is the Background and Context of David and Goliath?
When studying the Bible, we must remember that the individual passages are part of a wider story. We can easily flip to 1 Samuel 17 and read about David’s defeat of Goliath, but there are many crucial details to consider when reading about this event. The writer of 1 Samuel would have assumed that readers knew about other books in Scripture, including the Pentateuch and the book of Judges, and that they had read about the preceding events in 1 Samuel. Reading the passage alone without wider context was not the intention of the writer.
Therefore, background and context are key to studying this story. We need to consider many aspects of the events, including:
Who Were the Philistines?
They had caused problems for the Israelites for many years, extending back to the time of the Judges. Often, the Lord gave Israel over to the surrounding nations because they had forsaken Him and worshiped false gods (see Judges 10:6-14). Even during Samuel's early years, when he was a young boy, the Philistines were causing problems. They attacked and defeated Israel, capturing the Ark of the Covenant (1 Samuel 4:1-11). Once Saul became king of Israel, he had to fight the Philistines and many other nations in battle.
Who was Saul?
The people of Israel demanded to have a king like all the other nations around them (1 Samuel 8:5-9). Although they already had the Lord as their King, they rejected Him. God assented to their request since He saw their rebellious hearts and gave Samuel the task of warning them about their desired king (see 1 Samuel 8:10-22). The man who was chosen as the new ruler was Saul, a man from the tribe of Benjamin who stood “a head taller than anyone else” (1 Samuel 9:2). He appeared impressive and tall, though the early accounts show that he was cowardly and unfaithful (1 Samuel 10:20-22; 13:13-14; 15:16-23). During battles with the Philistines, his son, Jonathan, outshined Saul in courage and trust in God (see 1 Samuel 14:6-14).
Noting Saul’s height and reputation in battle in earlier sections of 1 Samuel helps us understand the shamefulness of his reluctance to personally fight Goliath. Saul was noticeably taller than the other Israelite men and was the leader of the nation. Yet, he never answered the taunting challenge of the Philistine.
Who was David?
The passage before the account of David’s fight with Goliath describes the prophet Samuel anointing David. God had already rejected Saul as king because of disobedience and lack of faith. To replace him, the Lord chose David – a man evaluated not by his looks or height but by his heart (1 Samuel 16:7). People already knew that the Lord was with this musician-shepherd, which is why they suggested him to Saul as someone to play music whenever the king experienced demonic attacks (1 Samuel 16:18-23).
David’s older brothers were present when Samuel anointed David as king (1 Samuel 16:12-13). This explains their anger at hearing him inquire about the Philistine (1 Samuel 17:28). However, we should note that although his brothers were serving in Saul’s army by mandate, they did not offer to fight Goliath, even with the knowledge of Saul’s lofty reward (see 1 Samuel 17:25).
In this context of Israel’s long history with the Philistines, Saul’s failure as a leader, and the anointing of David, the story of David and Goliath took place. Although individuals often choose to spiritualize the account and strip it of any historical significance, the Bible treats this event as true. It is rooted in Israel’s wider history and contrasts David’s faith in the Lord with Saul’s faithlessness.
God’s Battle
When Goliath came forward and announced his challenge to the troops of Israel, the soldiers could not see past the warrior who stood over nine feet tall and carried a spear with an iron tip that weighed fifteen pounds (1 Samuel 17:4-7). They were terrified to fight a mighty warrior like Goliath and fled whenever he appeared with his taunts (1 Samuel 17:24).
Saul and the other soldiers failed to recall what the Lord had done for them in the past. Jonathan's words were merely a distant memory: “Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few” (1 Samuel 14:6, NIV). Amid the fear, they forgot that the Lord is greater than all.
David understood Goliath’s words as a disgrace to Israel and God. It was not merely humans he was defying, but the living Lord Himself (1 Samuel 17:26). Since David loved and served God, he did not want the Lord’s name to be dishonored. He had seen God’s provision while he worked as a shepherd, delivering him from the paw of the lion and the bear (1 Samuel 17:34-37). Zeal for the Lord’s honor and steadfast faith in Him was what drove David to offer to fight the mighty Goliath – something no one else had the courage or faith to do.
The focus of the passage is that this is the Lord’s battle. He is the One who had helped David in the past to save his sheep from the lion and the bear. He is the One who enabled the shepherd with no combat training or extraordinary strength to defeat Goliath with only a sling and stone. David fought for the glory and honor of Yahweh, the God of Israel. As he told the giant, “All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands” (1 Samuel 17:47, NIV).
Deliverance came from the Lord, for it was in His power that David defeated and slayed the Philistine warrior. This victory gave the Israelite army the confidence to attack the rest of the Philistines (1 Samuel 17:52-53). God delivered the Israelites from their enemies that day, and He was glorified.
Does God Always Promise Us Victory Over Life’s Problems?
We can easily jump to conclusions about how this story applies to our lives: Victory over life’s challenges, assurance of overcoming struggles, or the power of faith. Times in life will certainly come when we witness the Lord’s strength in delivering us from troubles. However, we are not always promised that our struggles will go away. Many other examples in Scripture show followers of God facing persecution and painful situations, including David, who spent years fleeing from Saul (1 Samuel 21:10; see also Acts 7:54-60; 2 Timothy 3:10-12; Hebrews 11:36-38). We need to remember that David’s defeat of Goliath in the power of the Lord was a historic event and is therefore not prescriptive of every situation.
Over-spiritualizing this story could lead some of us to feel discouraged when illnesses linger, relationships deteriorate, or we fail in some area of life. We may think we could never have faith in David. Instead of being encouraged by God’s Word, we walk away from this story with a sense of hopelessness.
What the account of David and Goliath shows us, though, is that the object of our faith is what is important – the Lord God. He is more powerful than anything in life. The glory of the Lord, not man, was evident to all that day when He gave David victory over a mighty warrior. Our dependence and focus should be on Him.
God is faithful regardless of our circumstances. He will be with us no matter what happens, even if we go through the problems that we are tempted to view as giants to slay. The illness we so desperately want to be eradicated from our lives could be an opportunity for closer intimacy with our Savior. Or a failure may humble us, helping us see our need for God’s grace in every area of our lives. Our Lord is powerful and mighty, able to fight for us, but also to walk with us through difficulties as our good Shepherd (Psalm 23:1).
Seeking God’s Glory in Every Situation
The more we know the Lord practically, through daily trust and obedience, we will grow in our faith. Our trust will become increasingly steadfast so that we yearn for God to be honored, even in times of hardship. Whether God removes the obstacles in our lives, as He did when giving the Philistines over to the Israelites, or He allows the problem to remain, we can find strength in the living Lord, who loves and cares for us. Let us seek His glory in every situation.
Photo Credit: Dall-e AI
