CSI: Philistine
"Who's our vic today, Doc?"
"Male, Middle Eastern, old enough to be fighting wars since he was a young man. Bone length indicates he was six cubits and a span tall, but now he's a head shorter."
"How did he die?"
"Well like I said, he lost his head. However, that's not what killed him. It's strange, he was in full armour, with a dense coat of mail. There's no other recent damage to his body, and no possible way for him to be injured."
"Maybe he was taken by surprise?"
"Well, no, he was in armour, in a battle. One does not simply 'take a Philistine soldier by surprise'."
"Who could have killed him?"
"They must have been big and strong, tall enough to reach his neck to decapitate him. They must have been skilled in swordplay, experienced in battle, as well as heavily armoured. How else could they have killed such a champion?"
---
"Sir, our men have recovered the head, and arrested a suspect."
"Let me see that. The head shows a single wound to his forehead, edges indicating he was struck by something smooth and round. A rock probably. My God, that was a shot of precision. You say they arrested a man?"
"Yes sir, David the son of Jesse the Bethlehemite."
"Ah, he must be one of the sons who was a soldier in Saul's army."
"No Sir, he is the youngest son. His job is listed as 'Shepherd'."
"Is a shepherd trained in swordplay? Is the youngest son experienced in battle? Is a young man tall enough and strong enough to battle a man over 6 cubits tall? Does a shepherd even have access to armour?"
"Well no Sir."
"So he's not who we're looking for! Fool, if it was David who killed Goliath, then God himself must have thrown that stone!"
---
Reading through the start of David's story, the thing that struck me most was the "otherness" of God. The way God sees people is just so different to how people see people. Look at how people viewed David. His father didn't see him as important enough to be present for the priest's visit, and later as anything greater than a fast food delivery boy. His brother Eliab was angry that he had left his sheep behind. The men of Israel were unimpressed, shown up by this young upstart calling them out for their lack of courage. Goliath disdained him, calling him a dog. My paraphrase, complete with interrobang, "I asked to fight a man, and you send me a boy?!"
Yet God saw in this young man a heart of trust, shaped by years of God protecting him through encounters with lions and bears. This was a fierce trust, that challenged those around him. What do you mean, this man insults you people and the true God, and you're going to stand there and let him? You're going to let him keep on believing that his sword is stronger than the Lord of heaven? I'm going to trust him, even if no one else does. I don't need armour; God is enough.
Where men see lack, God sees space to work. God saw the trust in David, and placed his Spirit in David. And that was more than enough.
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