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One man with courage can affect the majority in a great way, as David did when he stood his ground against Goliath. Goliath stood and shouted to the soldiers of Israel, and said to them, "Why do you come out to draw up in battle array? Am I not the Philistine and you servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will become your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall become our servants and serve us." Again the Philistine said, "I defy the ranks of Israel this day; give me a man that we may fight together." When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid. (1SA 17:8-11) In this passage we see the difference between those who think with Bible doctrine and have faith in God’s promises, and those who think with human viewpoint and fail at faith perception. Saul and all of Israel were greatly afraid. Saul’s cowardice was infecting the entire camp of Israel and they were defeated before they even stepped onto the battlefield. It was David’s faith in the promises of God and resulting ability to face the giant Philistine bully with only a few stones that inspired all the rest of them. So David arose early in the morning and left the flock with a keeper and took the supplies and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the circle of the camp while the army was going out in battle array shouting the war cry. And Israel and the Philistines drew up in battle array, army against army. Then David left his baggage in the care of the baggage keeper, and ran to the battle line and entered in order to greet his brothers. As he was talking with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine from Gath named Goliath, was coming up from the army of the Philistines, and he spoke these same words; and David heard them. (1SA 17:20-23) Notice in the next verse that Israel’s thinking still has not changed. Unless human viewpoint is replaced by Divine viewpoint, fear will continue day after day and will, in fact, get stronger with time. When all the men of Israel saw the man, they fled from him and were greatly afraid. (1SA 17:24) |
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