The Words of Goliath

Read I Samuel 17:8-11, 16

Goliath shouts his words to the ranks of Israel. He openly defies them. His words terrify and dismay this gathering of men.

We are only told a portion of the words that were spoken by this immense-looking warrior of the enemy. Can we imagine what other types of mockery and other tantalizing curses were heard?

And this wasn’t just one day. Before David arrives on the scene, these men of Israel were listening to what was being said for 40 days and nights.

What was happening to the self-esteem of these men at the receiving end of this visual and verbal attack? Their leader, King Saul was in the same psychological prison. He was beaten down within his mind and soul so he was not able to lead a charge against Goliath. One man, with a big mouth, was paralyzing an entire army.

I wonder if any of us has escaped the impact of unkind, untruthful words or accusations made against us. What have we heard in our childhood? As we’ve grown and added years to our lives, how many words from others have shaped our attitudes? Have there been words of advice that were not in our best interest and we were kept from following a direction we were meant to travel?

Several years ago I went through a situation where I was told that I was “no damn good”. It was said to me more than once. My environment and circumstances at the time had me at an all-time low and these words shouted out at me hit the core of my soul. The impact thrust me deeper into a pit of self-doubt and thoughts of unworthiness.

When a child, I grew up with the phrase, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” That’s a lie. Unkind words can hurt. And we have an enemy, Satan, who knows just when to use someone or a situation to make that piercing statement of words to crush our inner confidence.

If we are weak in our soul and spirit, it can be hard to stand up and fight, even if we know we are on the right side of the battle. Even if we are strong in soul and spirit, the enemy can use someone and/or a situation to keep battering tantalizing words against us to wear us down. There are days that we are stronger than others. There are days when certain words will impact us more than others. Whether weak or strong today, strategic words from the enemy can be thrust at us to try to paralyze us, even abort something we know we need to do.

There may even be words that tantalize us to do something we shouldn’t. Have we heard the words, “I dare you, I double dare you”?

Let’s flip this a moment… Did Goliath have any clue that he was being used by the enemy? Could he have been so focused on his features that provided accolades to his ego that he couldn’t see past being used? Could he have been groomed to the point that he was so lifted in pride that he couldn’t see the price that he would eventually pay? His life?

This point is harder to focus on as it has us look at what our words may be doing to others. Could we be a Goliath to someone else? Could our words be igniting the strife causing someone to be paralyzed in fear?

Oh, dear friends, the power of our words!

But here’s the good news. This tactic used by the enemy is now exposed. If we see an area where we are either on the receiving end, giving end, or even both, we have the solution. We have a Savior that can forgive the sin that results from harmful words. Along with that, we have the Holy Spirit within us to help guide us through the healing process. We have only to ask. That’s the power of prayer. In addition, we have a handbook, the Word of God to provide instruction.

In my situation, soon after I was told those hurting words, the person who said them, within a couple of days, came to me to say they were convicted. They shouldn’t have said those words to me. This confession didn’t help me at the moment as it seemed to be more of a way to ease their guilt. I did not believe that they were truly sorry. Thus those words echoed within me for years. But as I came out of that season of my life, I finally saw that even if the deliverer of the words didn’t give me a resolution, the Lord did. The Lord wanted me to know that this statement was not truth. Those hurtful words needed to be replaced with a healing truth.

Satan is a liar. He uses words against us, tantalizing us in ways to take us off course. The goal is to cause fear to swoop us up into mental torment if he can. He does this through people’s mouths and other methods to get destructive thoughts and words into our minds. The lies need to be replaced with truth. Not a twisted so-called truth, but pure truth.

Pure truth can be found in scripture that is provided in the Bible. Yes, the enemy can use men to twist words in the Bible as well. That’s why we need to get in there ourselves and seek wisdom and discernment with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. When we ask the Lord to reveal the truth in what we need to hear in our specific situations, He is faithful to provide it.

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:26-27

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. The Lord is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one. Psalm 28:7-8

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Psalm 46:1-3

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; Isaiah 43:1-3

When going through a situation that feels crippling due to words spoken against us, let’s not be discouraged. Oh, how we desire the situation to be resolved right now, at that moment. Here’s another place where we need to Trust God in His perfect timing and solution. Just like in the refining process, He can use the situation to build us up, and others as well.

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. He’s the author and finisher of our faith. Romans 3:3-5

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. Hebrews 12:1-2

It may seem like the situation we are in will never end. But each season does not last forever. Trust that the Lord will use our current situation not only to build us up in our faith but also to impact others, to His Honor and Glory. There is truly a spiritual battle that we are dealing with.

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I Timothy 6:12

Now let’s go back to verse 16 where we are told that these mocking words were heard from Goliath for 40 days and nights. Do some of those words remind of us another story in the Bible that mentions 40 days and nights? What about Noah and the ark in Genesis 7? The rains came to torment what was on the earth. Yet, at the end of 40 days, it stopped. It was time for restoration and a new season.

Our story will now turn to David. It is time for the torment of mocking rain to stop and a new turn in events. What is about to happen impacts every heart and soul in this scene. We have more lessons to learn on how to handle a Goliath’s words, get past his appearance, and destroy the enemy’s strategy over situations in our lives.