Proclaimer Blog
Well known stories trip us up
I'm enjoying studying 1 Samuel at the moment. It's stretching me as I think about preaching and encouraging my heart as I reflect on the wonder of the king Yahweh has given us – his own Son!
And yet I'm convinced that familiar stories can often trip us up. Take David and Goliath (probably pronounced, according to my Hebrew lexicon, Gal-yat, but try selling that one to your congregation!).
Go on, admit it. This is the picture you imagine.
Here's little David in Saul's oversized armour. It's a lighter moment in the story and heightens the amazing faith that David displays alongside the victory he will win.
But is that what the text says? All the way through David is described as young, but not small. And not even Saul would have given him his armour to wear if he were this big. He's not stupid. And what does the text say about the armour? It says that David "tried walking around, because he was not used to [it]. 'I cannot go in these' he said, 'because I am not used to them.' So he took them off." (1 Sam 17.38-39)
It's a good example of where (dare I say it?) Sunday School familiarity as rather infantized the story. David is not portrayed as a comedy stooge who comes good, but the obedient son who alone understands that "this uncircumcised Philistine…defies the armies of the living God" (1 Sam 17.26). This is the defeat of Yahweh's enemy by the one whom Yahweh has chosen to be king.
Gloriously, it's still amazing to teach the right truths when we mis-represent the text. But there's no need, really. Watch out for these traps. The answer is always in careful study of the text.