I have to imagine that a few onlookers snickered when David donned Saul's battle gear as he was preparing to go out to fight Goliath. David probably reluctantly accepted the offer from Saul not wanting to offend his king. It would seem pretty obvious to everyone by the Bible's description of the two men, that the armor of Saul, who was tall and muscular, would not fit David's diminutive physique. In fact, 1 Samuel 17:38 tells us that David could barely walk in that getup!
Given the obvious disparity of size between Saul and David I can imagine Saul offering his armor for a couple of reasons:
1) Saul was simply trying to redicule David and humiliate him in front of the royal family and guard. I am sure Saul was already embarrassed that none of his valiant men, including himself were courageous enough to go out and face Goliath;
2) Saul was giving David a chance to see his obvious physical inability juxtaposed to Saul's natural born strength and stature. Saul may have been trying to convince David he wasn't capable of fighting such a powerful foe.
Regardless of Saul's motivation, this scene once again shows the stark contrast of the hearts of these two men. Saul's unrepentant heart was far from God. He had broken fellowship with his Lord early in his reign. So, Saul's focus was clearly on the natural, physical, and visible. David, on the other hand, had spent many days and nights in the field tending sheep, talking to God, worshipping the Lord in song and poems, and quietly meditating on God's laws. His heart was close to God's. He was focused on the supernatural, spiritual, and invisible.
That's why we see in the very next verse after David throws off Saul's oversized clown suit, he grabs his staff, five smooth stones, and his shepherd's bag and goes out to face Goliath. But here's where many miss the boat when they look at this story. We hear all the time the allusion to David vs. Goliath in situations where an underdog faces a seemingly insurmountable opponent. When NC State defeated the University of Houston in the NCAA basketball championship, there were numerous commentators excitedly calling the victory David defeating Goliath. But when you really stop and think about it, who was the underdog here? If we understand the power of God, it certainly could not have been David. For scripture depicts David as believing HE was the prohibitive favorite in this UFC fight! And his actions showed it! Verse 48 is my favorite: "...David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine." WOW! He didn't wait for Goliath to come to him. He took the fight right at the Philistine champion!!
Individual talents, intellectual prowess, and physical strength are well and good. But God shows us through David that if He is on your side, those things mean nothing. Don't try and put on a suit of armor that doesn't fit who YOU are. Let God supernaturally use your simple shepherd's staff, smooth stones, and a pouch to do mighty things for Him!
PRAYER: Lord, help me to see You in such a way that allows me to hurry toward those challenges in my life, confident of Your deliverance. So in the end, You receive the glory. Amen.
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