When Champions Battle

By Pastor Christian on 12/5/09

This blog is about the third message in the Ultimate Fighter series, “The In-Between.” For more information about The Ultimate Fighter or to listen to messages, watch videos, and read other blogs visit our Ultimate Fighter Page by clicking here.
_________________

This morning, one of Brandon’s comments about Saul and this story got me thinking – “why would Saul allow David to represent Israel as the Champion?!”

According to Goliath’s taunting in 17:10, it would seem that the whole battle might come down to the outcome of two fighters and that is a lot of outcome to trust to a boy that you do not know!

Then I remembered a lecture in Seminary by the revered Dr. Douglas Stuart about the ancient near east (ANE) and champion battles.

In a nutshell.

In the ANE, each champion represented much more than their fellow soldiers, they represented the God that their country worshipped. So this was not really a battle between men, but rather a battle between gods. In this case it would have been perceived by all present to be a battle between Yahweh and the Philistine god Dagon.

Think about it, this makes sense of David’s outrage and his response to Goliath’s taunting. The failure of the other Israelites to respond to Goliath was a failure to believe Yahweh could vanquish Dagon. That is why in verse 45, he told Goliath that he would “come against him in the name of Yahweh Almighty” and in verse 46 “that the whole world would know there is a God in Israel.” Again in verse, 47, so that “all will know that it is not by sword or spear that Yahweh saves, for the battle is His!’

It also makes sense of Saul’s response. That means he was not putting his trust in David, but rather in Yahweh. It doesn’t mean that David is not to be praised for his courage. It just means that Saul was ultimately putting his trust in God not in the skills of a shepherd boy!

It’s also worth noting that the “champion battle” did not finish the war, it simply indicated to both sides which God was superior. Thus the winning side was encouraged to pursue the looser, and the looser persuaded to run away! You will note that Israel pursues and kills Philistines all day long.

I guess what I most want you to notice is that is mostly another victory for Yahweh and not for David or Saul. It is Yahweh who is proven good, Yahweh who is proven strong, Yahweh who is the victor.

Dagon never stood a chance ;) Every time this false God was stacked up against Yahweh, his misguided worshippers were embarrassed. Check out chapter 5 for a great example. The last time Dagon met Yahweh, his deaf dumb statue fell face down and broken before the real God of the universe.

Yahweh is always the true hero.

Peace,

Christian

Back to Top