Smooth Stones – Week 4

JOKE:
The Sunday School teacher was describing that when Lot’s wife looked back at Sodom she turned into a pillar of salt, before see could finish little Bobby interrupted. “My mommy looked back once while she was driving,” he announced, “and she turned into a telephone pole.”
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Five Smooth Stones – Week 4: Our Response to Victory

David was able to experience victory over the giant in his path, but it only happened because he trusted that God was with him. In his own strength he never could have defeated Goliath, but just as Scripture tells us that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. When God calls you to something, God will equip you to accomplish what He has called you to.

His enemy was defeated. But what does it look like to respond well to victory? Who gets, who should get the glory for it?

Today, we are closing out our series, 5 Smooth Stones. We’ve been journeying through the well-known story of David and Goliath, and I hope these past few weeks have been encouraging to you.

The challenger was a nine foot tall giant named Goliath, who looked to be the favorite in the battle. I love those underdog stories don’t you? God chose David, a simple shepherd boy, with no real battle experience to fight against the giant of man named Goliath.

The battle required David to have his focus solely on his God. . .And today, we get to celebrate victory. It just his, but all of ours as well.
Story: I will never forget Cora and I had just been to a Tigers game where Miquel Cabrera came so close but didn’t quite make it. We were all rooting for him it was exciting at his every at bat. On one of those we were sure it was the one, but it was a foul ball. It wasn’t until a couple weeks later August 22, 2021 to be exact in Toronto that he finally hit home run number 500.

The excitement In that stadium. Watching it later in a video it was incredible to witness. Even Toronto was excited for him.

Let me just for a moment to explain that accomplishment. He is only the 28th player in Major League history to do such a thing. Let me really put that into perspective. As of that date the other 39 players on the Tigers roster had 416 career homers combined. The number 2 man behind Miquel had 159 and he’d been playing in the Majors for 8 years.

I shared that story because I think it’s important for us to celebrate the victories in our life, and even more so in a spiritual sense.

We talked last week about how God has provided all we need and one of the things He’s given us are the memories, the testimonies of His provision and goodness. As we remember Him, we honor and glorify Him in each and every victory.

Today, I want us to learn from the end of the David and Goliath story. When the victory happened, when all was said and done, what was the response?

Not just talking about the response of David and the Israelites, but also what was the response of the enemy.

Turn with me once more time to 1 Samuel 17. I want us to pick up at verse 40. . .

1 Samuel 17:40–54 (NIV): Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine. 41 Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. 42 He looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome, and he despised him. 43 He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals!” 45 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 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.” 48 As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. 49 Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground. 50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him. 51 David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran. 52 Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath and to the gates of Ekron. Their dead were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron. 53 When the Israelites returned from chasing the Philistines, they plundered their camp. 54 David took the Philistine’s head and brought it to Jerusalem; he put the Philistine’s weapons in his own tent.

These few verses are of extreme importance. Here’s the first thing I want us to see about victory. . .

Victory Sends the Enemy Running

You know, much of our discussion so far in this series has been around the Israelite army. But what about the opposing force?

Verse 51 gives us a glimpse into the immediate response of the Philistines after the victory. The Bible says they “turned and ran.” Why? Because their “champion” was now dead and they lost their hope.

I think this one phrase deserves a bit of our attention for a moment. If we put our hope and trust in a person other than Jesus Christ, I can guarantee we will eventually be let down.

Maybe for some, it’s a political leader. For others, we put hope in our coworkers. Maybe even someone in our family. and having trust in people is not bad. We actually do need that to have a good relationship wi5 them. But the truth is, if those people take God’s place in our life, we will be let down.

Look what Jesus says in Matthew’s gospel. . .

Matthew 6:19–20 (NIV): 19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

The Philistines seemed to store up their “treasures” in this human champion, Goliath. And when he exited the scene, they were completely lost.

The good news is, we have a God who is not only personal, but constant. He never changes or leaves us out to dry. Maybe you need to be reminded of Paul’s words in Romans 8:28. . .

Romans 8:28 (NIV): And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Works for the what. . .? Good

Romans 8:28 (TPT): So we are convinced that every detail of our lives is continually woven together to fit into God’s perfect plan of bringing good into our lives, for we are his lovers who have been called to fulfill his designed purpose.

We may experience seasons where we simply don’t know where God is. Those wilderness times where we seem to be walking by ourself. But I am here to let you know, from personal experience, God is still working even in those times, and He’s working for our good and His glory.

True victory, the kind ultimately won by God in your life, should not send you and me running, but the enemy should be in retreat. And that’s exactly what happens in David’s case in our story. He understands when the enemy goes running, God deserves the glory. . .

And that bings me to point number two. . .

Our victory should give God Glory

1 Samuel 17:52 (NIV): Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath and to the gates of Ekron. Their dead were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron.
As I’ve already mentioned a few different times within this series, when God gives the victory, He deserves the glory for it.

Too often, we because of our own egos, try to take some of the glory for ourselves when victory is won.

Listen I’m not talking about a false sense of humility. You are allowed to say thank you, but as a believer realize that God helped you through. If someone tells me good message today, I’m going to say thank you. But if the message impacts you in such a way that it draws you closer to Jesus, which is by the way my ultimate goal, I’m thanking God for that.

Hear this church, If the devil cannot stop God from winning the victory in your life, and in case your wondering he can’t. He will at least try to distract you from praising God for it. And that is why our focus in every moment is so important.

The Hebrew word used in verse 52 for “great shout” is an interesting one. It is a battle term, speaking about both the physical and spiritual battles that we face.

It’s mentioned elsewhere by David, in Psalm 108. . .

Psalm 108:10–13 (NIV): Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom? 11 Is it not you, God, you who have rejected us and no longer go out with our armies? 12 Give us aid against the enemy, for human help is worthless. 13 With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies.

Here, David was asking the question, “Who will give us the victory?” He reveals his posture concerning this question in the final verse of Psalm 108, “With God’s help we will do mighty things.”

Do you believe that today?
I think we are sometimes guilty of trying to fight our own battles on our own strength. We take God out of the equation for a few moments, thinking we can do it on our own.

David understood where his help came from.

Psalm 121:1–2 (NIV): 1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Because his help and strength came from the Lord, that is who he and the Israelite army decided to give credit to. Victories won by God deserve all praise to God.

Finally, today, as we conclude this story, I think there is one more piece of post-victory behavior we need to discuss. It’s found in verse 53. . .

1 Samuel 17:53 (NIV): When the Israelites returned from chasing the Philistines, they plundered their camp.

This is point three. . .

Victory Requires us to Finish the Job

This step taken by the Israelites toward the camp of the Philistines is often skipped over by us, myself included.

Karen Hardin notes that, “Historically, whenever there has been a time of transition, there has been an opportunity and anointing to take the plunder. Plunder is that which has been stolen and which someone else now holds. But it is actually a provision to pay for the transition.”

This season in Israelite history was clearly one of transition. David was anointed the future king of Israel, even though Saul was still on the throne. This battle as well, one that included David leading the charge, would serve as a turning point.

Here’s what we have to see from this part of the story: the Israelites did not stop short. They finished the job. They plundered the camp. They overtook their enemy. They took back what the enemy had taken.

Often, we will ask God for freedom from a certain situation in our life and then not even step into it when it comes. God opens the door and we never walk through. Maybe it’s because we didn’t recognize it, maybe it’s because it didn’t happen the way we expected it, Whatever the reason we need to be more aware so we don’t miss what God is doing. Where God is leading.

This scene from our story essentially serves as the “bow on top” of the Israelite standoff with the Philistine army. God opened up the opportunity for the Israelites to move into a season of transition, but they first had to finish the job in front of them.

In our lives, we cannot afford to stop short either. It’s easy to get things mostly done, or almost finished. But just think for a moment about where we would be today if Jesus would have stopped short.

“Sorry, Father. The Cross just looks a little too painful. I know you said it would bring freedom for all people, but I think I’m going to stop here. . .I think I’m going to leave it almost done. I’ve taken a beatin surely that’s enough.”

If that had been Jesus’ attitude we would have zero reason to gather together today.

Thankfully, Jesus did complete His mission and with full confidence He was able to say on the cross, “It is finished.”

As our series comes to a finish, I want to take a moment to look back on some of the main points from the previous weeks.

In week 1 we learned about the challenger David faced. We learned there were numerous parallels between who Goliath was and who the devil is. And in understanding one, you can better understand the other. We learned that God will always help in fighting our giants, and we will have giants.

In week 2 we looked at David, the man after God’s heart, who in all things gave God the glory in his life. Throughout the story of David and Goliath we see how David was completely dependent on God and full of faith. He knew God would deliver him through each and every circumstance. He knew and we must learn that if God did it once he will do it again.

Last week we saw how David had all he needed to be victorious in his battle against Goliath. Someone else’s armor wouldn’t suffice. All David needed God already provided. And He does the same for us if we are willing to give Him what we have. We need to let go of the grip of some things so that God can use it to change the atmosphere around us and let others encounter Jesus through us.

And this week, we looked at the victory David won, and the responses to that victory.

David’s dependence upon God will continue throughout his life, with few exceptions. Was this the “secret” behind his success as future king of Israel?

Could David have accomplished all he did without God?

Let’s re-read one portion of our passage for the day;

1 Samuel 17:45–47 (NIV): David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 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.”

Consider this line, “All will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves. ..”

The story of David, and others throughout scripture are stories of God using improbable people to accomplish extraordinary things.

He does this so there is NO question as to who is responsible for the victory.

Where do you need to experience victory in your life?

In what areas are you trying to manufacture the victory on your own?

When was the last time you asked the Lord to deliver you in the battle?

Remember, there will always be another Goliath in your life.

Remember what God has already done, and all He has already given you.

And lastly, remember who you are and who your God is.

My God owns the cattle of a thousand hills, He is my provider, my healer, my all-in-all.