David & Goliath... the forgotten detail!

David and Goliath is an epic biblical story most of us learned at an early age. With such an inspiring message of the underdog overcoming impossible odds, there is no wonder why this story is referenced in both the sacred and secular arenas.

Unfortunately, there is one seriously important element that is regularly overlooked while telling the story. What is this missing element? David not only carried his sling to fight the giant... but the first weapon he grabbed was his staff! Why is the staff typically forgotten and what significance could it possibly add to the story?

     1 Samuel 17:40
     "Then he took his staff in his hand... and with his sling in his hand, approached the 

     Philistine."

Hebraic understanding reveals 2 purposes for the "staff":

1. A tool and a weapon - used to prod sheep as well as a club to fight off predators

2. A written (engraved) testimony of God's acts - both personal and family

The staff was a wooden rod that carried the inscribed genealogical record of a family (Num. 17:2). And from that list of Patriarchal names, the historical acts of God could be recounted and retold throughout that family's lineage - passing on the family heritage and keeping alive the testimonies of God's on-going protection and blessing. Ultimately, this "stick of testimony" became an valued treasure of inheritance that was passed from generation to generation.

I am sure that David used his staff daily to guide and protect the sheep. Yet, at other times, David must have used his staff to recount and remember God's record of faithfulness over the years. It is for this reason - the staff bearing a record of David's family experiences with God - that I believe David took his staff into battle to fight Goliath. Not so much to be used as a physical weapon, but more as a personal reminder that since God had already proven to bless, protect and provide in times past, then He will do it again. I believe that David's staff reminded him that "just as God was with my family then, He is with me now!"

So the picture of David taking his sling AND his staff to face Goliath becomes more clear and complete. The sling represented David's 'skill', but the staff was his 'testimony' that reminded him of "God's faithfulness" - both of which we must be equipped with as we face our giants and fight forward every day.

The POINT: Relying on our skills alone will get us killed, because there are giants bigger and stronger than our ability to overcome. On the other hand, expecting God alone to work everything out for us without applying our own effort leaves us 'dead' (James 2:17). However, once we learn to exercise our skills while trusting in God's faithfulness... GIANTS DIE, ARMIES RUN and God's KINGDOM WINS!!