The Sword That Killed Goliath

So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. (1 Samuel 17:50-51)


As we discussed the story of David and Goliath this morning, Pastor quickly squeezed in a comment at the very end. This verse is not merely about the story of Goliath being trounced by a young whipper-snapper.

The reason Satan had power was because of God's own word to Adam and Eve: In the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die. God had said it. Adam had transgressed. The punishment must be exacted. It wasn't Satan being an ol' meanie. It was that God's word always is true. God said they would die, and they would indeed die.

God became man and took the punishment that man had to bear for his sin. David (the type of Christ) had no tool to kill Goliath. Instead, he took the sword from Goliath (as Jesus took the sword of the law from Satan's misuse) and used it to defeat the one who would not have anything to do with God's grace and mercy. Goliath's own sword was used to chop off his head. The law which Satan tried to use to damn man was the law used to chop off his head: He shall crush your head, and you shall bruise His heel.