David and Goliath

Richard B. Hays, in his book Echoes of Scripture in the Letters of Paul argues that Paul's interpretation of the Old Testament is ecclesiocentric, that is, it talks about the Church. Therefore, many stories in the Old Testament are for the edification of the Church. One example that Hays gives is the way that Paul uses the story of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar as an allegory about the people of God (see Gal 4:22-31). I want to apply the eccliocentric method to the story of David and Goliath, which I think might help us to understand the destiny of the Church. It might point to a postmillenial eschatology, which is the belief that the Church will be triumphant on earth, that it will win people and nations for Christ and will have a large cultural impact, that the earth will be filled with the knowledge and love of the Lord as the oceans are full of water. After this happens, Jesus will return again.

In this story, Goliath the giant is the champion of the Philistines and he challenges the champion of the Israelites to a duel. If Goliath wins, the Israelites must serve the Philistines, and vice versa. The Israelites are all terrified and none of them will fight. Then David comes and says, "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?" (1 Sam 17:26b) After a bit of trouble in the Israelite camp, David goes out with no armor against Goliath, looking quite weak and tiny compared to the giant. Yet wit his unexpected weapon, a sling and some stones, he slays Goliath and then cuts of his head with his own sword, whereupon the Israelites storm the Philistines and kill them all.

In this story David is a type of Christ, and the great enemy is Satan and death. Just as David defeated Goliath, so Christ has defeated Satan. He has cast him out of this earth (John 12:31ff; 14:30ff). We also know that Christ has defeated all enemies, for the last enemy to be defeated is death (1 Cor 15:26), which Christ has already defeated in the resurrection. Once Christ defeated the great enemy, then there was only a "mopping up"[1] victory to do, and now Christ's army, the Church, will conquer its enemies. In the New Testament, however, we fight a different battle and so our weapons are different: "For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete" (2 Cor 10:4-6). Christ will be praised from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth.