1 Sam 17: 40Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine.
When faced with the threat of an enemy army and their champion, it
wasn’t the king’s armour or sword that David chose to have. No, this shepherd
went with what he knew best, his trusty old sling shot.
His choice of ammunition was Five smooth stones from the
brook. Before we get into his choice of picking up five stones, let’s
look at the Hebrew word used here for brook.
In Hebrew, the word is nachal means to inherit, to occupy, to
bequeath, or to possess. In other words, David drew his ammunition from the
only trustworthy source: from the living waters of the promises of God. David
knew that Saul’s armour had not been tested, but there was One that had never
failed David in the past. David took from the inheritance he had in God’s Word;
the law.
He remembered the lion and the bear. He already knew the outcome, and
knew he could trust God again with the same outcome. Victory was on his mind
when he knelt at the brook.
Remember back in day one, God said in Micah 2: 12-13,
“I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob, I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together like sheep of the fold, Like a flock in the midst of their pasture; They shall make a loud noise because of so many people. 13The one who breaks open will come up before them; They will break out, Pass through the gate, And go out by it; Their king will pass before them, With the Lord at their head.”
David was called to break open the hedge of despair and fear. He
possessed the power to not only break the hedge but also to lead the army of
Israel into victory. He had the mandate directly from God.
What made David so sure that he could defeat the giant Goliath? After
all, he was the youngest of his brothers and was much smaller in stature than
King Saul. I believe it was because he knew who he was in the eyes of God. He
was part of the remnant. Shepherding the flocks of his father, Jesse had given
him valuable experience in not only tending to the vulnerable but also in
defeating mighty beasts. And that’s exactly what David compared Goliath with,
an uncircumcised beast.
David knew that the Holy Spirit
would always prevail over the flesh of a beast whether that beast is an actual
beast of the field, or if it is a man living in the beast’s image. David had
already chosen to live after the image of God. He was the exact representation
of Christ; therefore; a remnant; called to do mighty exploits. Those made in
the image of God RULE over all creatures, great and small. Goliath was no
exception and David had complete faith in this truth from the Word of God.
Though the giant taunted Israel
with threats for forty days, invoking great fear in the king and army of
Israel, David could “see” beyond his natural sight. I believe this is figured
not only in the source of his ammunition (the stones were retrieved from Living
waters), but in the number of stones that he chose to carry.
How good is your sight?
In order to really win a fight,
you must envision the victory. David already saw Goliath’s head rolling into
the valley.
Sight is very important when you
are fighting the enemy. Without sight, you are blind.
Jesus asked the disciples in
Matthew 11 three times, “What do you see?”
7As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. 10For this is he of whom it is written:
‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.’
Without vision, we cannot see what God is doing. We cannot understand
the things that happen right before our eyes if we do not study the word.
How do we receive vision?
By studying the word of God.
Ephesians 4:14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,
It is so easy to be tossed around and carried away with every doctrine
that is out there. False teaching on when Jesus is coming, about the rapture,
or going to heaven. We must be able to understand the scripture, divide it
rightly. Jesus confronted the disciples by asking them three times, “What do
you see?”
We must understand the smoothness of the stones and its significance in
order to use it correctly. We must know that we have to get it from the living
waters; the river of God to be accurate in our interpretation. We don’t have
time to run after lies and hide in the shadows. No, we must understand the
times, and be part of the remnant that will break the hedge for others to
follow.
The significance of the five smooth stones carries a grace with it that
can be wielded once you understand God’s word. It is effective and powerful. It
carries with it an authority that only the Davidic company can use.
Grace and peace to you.
Day One / Day Two / Day Three / Day Four / Day Five/ Day Six /
Day Seven / Day Eight / Day Nine / Day Ten / Day Eleven / Day Twelve
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