Today’s David slain by Goliath

David, the youngest of Jesse’s sons, obeyed his father who sent him bearing food to his brothers in the army of Israel.

When he got to the battlefield, he saw that the soldiers were quaking in fear before the army of the Philistines, whose champion, Goliath of Gath, was shouting challenges at the Israelites: “Send your champion down and if he kills me, then all the Philistines will be your servants! ... I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight! (I Samuel 17).

David was incensed that this “uncircumcised heathen” would dare to defy the soldiers of the Almighty. His older brother, Eluid, told him to be quiet.

But David replied that there was a cause and that he had a right to assert himself.

He went to King Saul and offered to fight Goliath. After some persuasion, Saul agreed.

David went to the battlefield, and as he passed by a brook, he stooped down and pick up five smooth stones, which he placed in his shepherd’s bag. Carrying his shepherd’s staff and sling, he approached Goliath.

Goliath was furious. He roared, “Am I a dog, that you should send this boy against me with a staff and a sling?’

David reached into his bag to take a stone, and his hand began to shake. He realized the awesome size of the man, the heavy armor that he wore so easily, the huge sword on his hip, and the man-sized shield he bore.

David began to shake more; beads of perspiration popped out on his forehead, and he dropped his stone. He stooped to pick it up, and Goliath advanced on him with sword in hand. David fumbled to put the pebble back in the sling, but his hand shook; fear was overcoming him.

He managed to set the sling, he wound the sling about his head and flung the stone at Goliath but missed!

Goliath was instantly upon him, and slew David with a single blow.

If this story had turned out that way, David’s saga would not be.

I relate it here as an allegory of the young people of Christian homes who are the Davids we send out into the world to confront the Goliaths of society.

They are equipped for their confrontation by the training and example of their parents and by the lessons they learned in the family of God, the Church. They must go out onto the battlefield and be faced by the Philistines of skepticism, cynicism and doubt.

How many of them have the confidence of David to know that God has not and will not ever abandon them?

Tragically, too many of them encounter the Goliaths of agnosticism and atheism, and are overcome by their lack of faith that God is always trustworthy.

Too often, frustrated parents have told me of their sons and daughters who were raised in the Christian faith, but who, upon facing pressures and distractions of the world, had become Philistines of cynicism and doubt.

Our children easily forget the majesty and absolute rightness of God.

Overwhelmed by what they think is “intellectual,” they begin to imitate, not God and godly people, but rather those who are godless.

Thus, they are so often slain by “Goliaths” of sin.

How tragic to play a game of pseudo-intellectualism allowing oneself to think that their human intellect surpasses the “unsophisticated” intellect of God and godly people.

Young people, beware that when you come down to the battlefield and confront the armies of the Philistines of this world, that you be like the true David, whose faith was unshakable.

David went into battle with no sword or shield, but used what he had, the whole armament of faith and trust in God. With these alone, he obtained the victory.

The immortal truth that our forefathers have preserved intact for us are not inventions of men.

They have their origins in Divine Revelation and are guided by the Holy Spirit. Our ancestors have been able to preserve them for us unchanged through the ages.

In an unbroken procession of historical integrity, we come to this present time, when you and I must face challenges of the “Goliaths” of this world either with faith or with fear. With fear, we are defeated before we can even begin. With faith, we are unconquerable.

The Rev. Daniel Rohan is pastor of St. Mark Orthodox Church in Liberty.