RSM789
Eminence Grise
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Post by RSM789 on May 9, 2019 12:23:23 GMT -8
In the "Intelligent Life" thread, MDDad made a comment about the number of devout Christians who are members of this forum. For some reason, it reminded me of a situation where my Freshman Religion teacher (I believe it was Father Fitzpatrick) was asked a question in regards to the Bible by one of his students. It is a simple question but is an interesting way to explore what we have been taught over the years and how sometimes it is worthwhile to view things with a different set of eyes.
Everyone with the exception of Dave can answer this question in the way that they learned it or how they know it to be. I will reveal the response that was given back in that classroom in 1977 after a couple of days of your posts. Dave is excluded because he & I already spoke about this about a decade ago on the old Register Forum. This is an open book test, you can look at any sources you want to or you can just go from memory. You can even discuss it with your fellow forum members, but do it as posts on this thread to keep everyone involved.
The question: What is the lesson to be learned from the story of David & Goliath?
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Luca
Master Statesman
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Post by Luca on May 9, 2019 17:23:53 GMT -8
Don’t bring a sword to a sling fight.
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MDDad
Master Eminence Grise
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Post by MDDad on May 9, 2019 21:23:42 GMT -8
The question: What is the lesson to be learned from the story of David & Goliath?Size doesn't matter. Actually, in the first chapter of his best-selling book David And Goliath, Malcolm Gladwell analyzes the confrontation and convincingly concludes it couldn't have ended any other way. |
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Bick
Administrator 
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Post by Bick on May 9, 2019 23:46:37 GMT -8
Hard to top Luca's, but I'll go with God is the great equalizer.
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davidsf
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Post by davidsf on May 10, 2019 7:26:20 GMT -8
To me, there are lessons on multiple levels and one of the lessons I take from it is, God doesn’t usually write what He wants us to do on a rock or across the sky.
God knew David’s heart, and COULD have sat him down to tell him, “O.K., here’s the plan...” but He did not. The fact is, David was just going about his life, doing what he was told by his father and others. He tended sheep, like he always did... he took food to his brothers, like he frequently did. Nothing out of the ordinary until God spoke to him.
Not in an audible voice, but in an impression, a thought, “look at those Philistines taunting God’s people.”
“Devout” Christians listen for and hear God’s voice. “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalms 37:4). David certainly delighted himself in the Lord and God gave him a desire to stop those Philistines. All,David had to do was trust also in Him (and allow) God to do it (Psalms 37:5).
Man’s plan was, “you need all this armor and all these weapons” but God had a different plan. When the Israelites approached Jericho in their retaking of their promised land, man’s plan was to storm the walls. God’s plan, to March around the city and blow horns was quite different, one might say “ridiculous,” but the walls DID come tumbling down. When the Israelites were fleeing Pharaohs army, they reviewed several plans, but with their backs to the Res sea, God told them, “you will walk through on dry land.” Again, “ridiculous.”
I’m sure everyone, on both hill tops, Israelite and Philistine KNEW what was going to happen when David threw down the armor, took his sling, and walked down to the stream to select five smooth stones. Man just knew the outcome of this plan...
But God had a different outcome in mind.
One of the morals of the story is, my job is to delight myself in the Lord. Follow Him, regardless of how ridiculous I think (or anyone thinks) it is.
Sometimes I miss the desire He puts in m6 heart. And sometimes, I ignore it. In so doing, I miss out on His greatest blessing. Had I heeded His direction, I might have seen my own Goliath fall. That’s unfortunate, but I don’t lament, because I know, another one will be along directly.
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Credo
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Post by Credo on May 10, 2019 16:21:34 GMT -8
David relinquished the armor and sword of his older brother and relied on God's assistance alone against a foe who, by man's accounting, was far superior.. In this way God used the weak to shame the strong. David is also in this way a foreshadowing (a "type") of Christ, who defeats the power of Satan and sin in laying down his life on the cross.
I'm sure there's also a "getting stoned" joke in there somewhere....
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Post by ProfessorFate on May 10, 2019 16:46:16 GMT -8
David used the talents God had given him. As a shepherd protecting his flock, he had plenty of practice using that sling to pelt approaching predators. He probably had plenty of time to practice his art in between those attacks.
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RSM789
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Post by RSM789 on May 12, 2019 20:43:20 GMT -8
Most who were brought up in parochial school or had Sunday CCD lessons were taught that the story of David & Goliath is one where David, filled with belief in God, stood up to Goliath & his insults against the Israelite's. While believing that God will guide & protect you if you serve in his name is told many times in the Bible, that really isn't the lesson of David & Goliath.
When David joined his brothers at the battle lines, it was at a time where Goliath would step out daily to challenge any individual from the Israelite army. Every day the response would be the same, Saul & all of the Israelite's would flee in terror. This day was no different, Goliath once again made his challenge and David heard every word. His response? The same as the toughest soldiers of the Israelite army, he fled. They all, including David, feared Goliath & wanted nothing to do with him.
It wasn't until later, back at camp, that David overheard other soldiers talking about a reward for the man who would fight & defeat Goliath. David approaches these men and asks them again what the reward is for killing Goliath. It is at this time, his interest piqued about the reward, that he says the line about "who is this uncircumcised Philistine" that all young boys remember. David's brother mocks him for talking with the soldiers, yet David turns away from his brother and asks one more time what the reward was for killing Goliath.
David had no interest in Goliath, he hadn't come to fight and he fled the first time he saw the giant. What David had interest in was receiving great wealth, marrying the princess and getting a great tax break. Going thru Goliath was just a process to get the things David wanted. His belief in God and the skills he had were the vehicle David would use to achieve that process.
So for many, the lesson of David & Goliath is not a spiritual one, but one that can be used in everyday life - "That what gets rewarded, gets done". Had Saul not offered a reward, David would most likely not have had a reason to step up and fight Goliath. Wanting to be rich, wanting to get the babe motivated David enough to attempt a very difficult & dangerous thing. But by being focused on the reward, by ignoring his brother & other naysayers, and by doing what he had trained himself for his entire life, he accomplished something the Vegas oddsmakers had listed at 100-1.
When my fellow student offered this take on the story of David & Goliath, the initial reaction by our teacher was one of indignation, that there was no way some teenage kid could tell him something he hadn't thought about such a well known biblical story. However, I think it made Father Fitz curious enough to re-read the story that evening, because the next day he commented on it again, saying that the lesson of what gets rewarded gets done was indeed an important lesson from the story.
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davidsf
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Post by davidsf on May 13, 2019 6:44:06 GMT -8
Your Tx of this passage completely ignores God’s direction in David’s life (and by extension, our lives).
Had God not been driving David, as you see in the narrative, Saul would not have let him go. His initial reaction was “you. No way, you’re just a kid.” Given what was at stake, Saul was right from man’s perspective. But God had something else in mind. He spoke into Saul’s spirit, and his mind changed.
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RSM789
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Post by RSM789 on May 13, 2019 14:39:27 GMT -8
I disagree. The influence by God on both Saul & David is a given. these were men of great faith. However, those are parts of the story, not necessarily the lesson that can be taken from it.
If Saul had not offered a reward for slaying Goliath, God's direction of Davids life would not have included slaying Goliath. It took a reward that motivated David to change from running in fear of Goliath to standing up and deciding to fight him. David always would have beaten Goliath, he had the skills and faith to do so. He just didn't have a reason to do so until he found out he could become rich, get a hot chick and skip out on taxes just by applying himself.
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MDDad
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Post by MDDad on May 13, 2019 14:49:53 GMT -8
He just didn't have a reason to do so until he found out he could become rich, get a hot chick and skip out on taxes just by applying himself. Are you talking about the biblical David or Donald Trump? |
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RSM789
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Post by RSM789 on May 13, 2019 21:12:26 GMT -8
Well Hillary does have many of the same characteristics as Goliath, including being uncircumcised...
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Credo
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Post by Credo on May 13, 2019 21:46:59 GMT -8
Like a number of significant biblical stories, I think there is room for multiple messages and interpretations.
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Luca
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Post by Luca on May 13, 2019 21:49:37 GMT -8
Well Hillary does have many of the same characteristics as Goliath, including being uncircumcised... Yeah, and the name does suit her: “Go, (and) lieth.” |
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davidsf
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Post by davidsf on May 14, 2019 14:13:36 GMT -8
I disagree. The influence by God on both Saul & David is a given. these were men of great faith. However, those are parts of the story, not necessarily the lesson that can be taken from it. If Saul had not offered a reward for slaying Goliath, God's direction of Davids life would not have included slaying Goliath. It took a reward that motivated David to change from running in fear of Goliath to standing up and deciding to fight him. David always would have beaten Goliath, he had the skills and faith to do so. He just didn't have a reason to do so until he found out he could become rich, get a hot chick and skip out on taxes just by applying himself. In reading some of the other exploits David accomplished in God’s name, I believe Saul’s reward was but a footnote to the story. someone referred to as “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14), is not persuaded by such things. |
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