WHO IS THIS ___ PHILISTINE?

WHO IS THIS UNCIRCUMCISED PHILISTINE?

I Samuel 17:26 And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying,.... for who [is] this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?

Jesse had sent his youngest son with some supplies for his three oldest brothers who were with King Saul in a war with the Philistines. Jesse and David had not known that for 40 days there had been no fighting done. Instead, the giant Goliath had appeared daily with a bellowed challenge to Saul's army. If they would send only one man to fight with him, each man would fight for the respective army. The winner takes all.

It looked like a "lead pipe cinch" for the Palestinians. Their man was "bigger and better" than any which Israel could produce. It is always that way.

David found the soldiers terrified with fear. They knew they were doomed, but were going to "put it off" as long as they could. Nobody did anything, aside from wringing their hands, or biting their finger nails.

Fear has a paralyzing effect on people. Saul and the army had been in its vice-like grip for over a month.

I can hear those soldiers murmuring among themselves.

"They're gonna forbid us to hold Church services one of these days."

"They're gonna confiscate and burn our Bibles pretty soon."

"They're gonna force us into a cashless society, and we'll have to have a mark or a number to buy groceries. It'll be a tattoo mark, or a computer chip under our skin. The mmmaarkk of the bbbeast-- shhhure as annnythhing."

"Antichrist is gonna come and "sweet talk" us into following him. Then he'll double cross us after three and a half years, and we'll really be in trouble."

"The Sun's having Super Novas, and is about to burn out and go cold and dark. What'll we do then?

"The earth is wobbling on its axis right now, and the orbit is going egg-shape already."

"Boys, we might as well "call a spade a spade", and admit we're done. The only thing that'll save us now is for some force to come and snatch us out of here to keep us from being annihilated."

But, David hadn't heard about those things. He'd been out with the sheep, singing, worshiping God. He had experienced the Power of God enabling him to kill a bear, then a lion. He has learned to sling a stone into a "bull's eye" at fifty feet. He had learned what Faith in God could do. God was BIG, in David's eyes.

His God is invincible. His God will vindicate His Name. David's God will deliver His People in answer to their faith in Him. David will act on his faith, and attack the giant.

David doesn't know about the wobbling earth. He doesn't know about the Super Novas. He doesn't know-- he hasn't been told-- about antichrist, or the cashless society, or the "great tribulation" and the embedded computer chips.

David knows his God in a deeper dimension than the trained warriors do. He depends upon God's power instead of weapons fashioned and used by man. He isn't bogged down by teachings about doomsday and defeat. His faith is in the ability of his God, and the honor of His Name.

Any one of those soldiers could have whipped Goliath if their faith had been in God instead of themselves, and their weapons. Petitions, Marches, and Drives will not stop giants.

Who are these people and forces that we are afraid of today? Most of them are no more than "paper tigers" on stakes along the side of the path. They are not real, never have been, never will be.

Can even the real ones successfully defy our God and His people?

Not if our trust is in the right place.