Tale of the Tape (Part 3)

 Continuing with our past study of David’s battle with Goliath, we finish with the final three stats.

WEAPONRY

Goliath: Goliath was well prepared for battle as he had three weapons. The first was the “…target of brass between his shoulders” (1 Samuel 17:6). The Hebrew word here is the same which is used for “spear” in Joshua 8:18. Therefore, this was probably a javelin which was made from brass or something very similar. This was a long distance weapon. He also used a large spear as we read“… staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron…” (1 Samuel 17:7). The thickness of the beam was the thickness of the beam of a weaver’s loom. While the size of the weaver’s beam is not known it was thought to be around twenty six feet long. We do know the weight of the spear’s head. It was six hundred shekels of iron with equaled out to around seventeen to eighteen pounds. This was a medium range weapon. Goliath also carried a sword, which will be mentioned more in detail later. We know this as David acknowledged that Goliath carried such as David said, “…Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield…” (1 Samuel 17:45). This was used for close combat. Goliath had all of his bases covered concerning the types of weapon he was able to use.

David: David seems to be at the disadvantage yet again. Goliath had three different types of weapons but David only chose one type. He did not have a sword at his disposal. Saul tried to provide David with a sword but it was too cumbersome for the lad to use with Saul’s armor. Instead, he chose a long distance weapon for use in this battle. “And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:40). Some would say that this was not a smart move on the part of David. David is fighting against this giant individual but he chooses five smooth stones and a sling as his weapons instead of others. It should be noted that the sling in the hands of a well trained individual can be a very dangerous thing. Seven hundred left handed men of Benjamin were very proficient in the use of a sling (Joshua 20:16). Also, there is preparation seen on the part of David as he intended to use one rock on Goliath and possibly the other four on Goliath’s brothers (2 Samuel 21:15-22). Still, when one compares the in the field of weaponry, Goliath has the advantage because he has weaponry for any type of combat whereas David only has one long ranged weapon.

Advantage: Goliath.

YEARS EXPERIENCE

Goliath: Before allowing David to try on his armor it seems that Saul doubted David’s ability to battle against the Philistine. “And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth” (1 Samuel 17:33). While David was a young shepherd, Goliath had been trained in the art of battle since he was a child.

David: David, while not an expert in armed combat, was no stranger to fighting. “And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God” (1Samuel 17:34-36). It is one thing to be able to kill a lion or bear. It is an entirely different thing to kill both in the same battle. It takes someone who is not only courageous but strong as well. Still, Goliath still had the advantage over David as he was trained from childhood.

Advantage: Goliath.

CORNER

Goliath: Goliath had his armor, weapons, experience, and size in his favor. Goliath had an entire army who was pulling for him. His brothers were behind him. Yet, there really was no one in Goliath’s corner. He was readily relying on his own strength to pull him through this battle. “And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field” (1 Samuel 17:44). His mentality was, “I will defeat the champion of the Israelites. I will make this a victory for the Philistines. I will make the Israelites our slaves.” After all, he is the one who posed this challenge to Israel. He trusted in his might and his might alone to win this victory.

David: This is where so many battles are decided. In the past, there have been many men who have won battles, when according to the tale of the tape, each should have lost. A strong corner can be the deciding factor. Who was in David’s corner? His brothers were not in his corner as his eldest brother rebuked him for coming to the location of battle (1 Samuel 17:28-29). What about the Israelite army? They were too busy cringing in fear concerning the giant hurling insults in their general direction (1 Samuel 17:24). Surely, Saul, the king of Israel, was behind David. To a certain extent he was as he allowed David to take part in this battle. But David did not rely on these to be his strength and shield in this battle. “David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee” (1 Samuel 17:37). God was ultimately in David’s corner. Goliath relied on himself to win this battle but David relied on God. “Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands.” (1Samuel 17:45-47).

                                             

Advantage: David.

The scorecard reads 5-1 in favor of the giant of the Philistines. Were these five advantages enough to secure the victory for the Philistines? The Bible is quite clear in giving us the answer. “And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled” (1Samuel 17:48-51). There were two strikes in this battle. David struck Goliath with the stone from his sling and Goliath struck the ground. He had no chance of winning this battle because Goliath chose to fight against more than the Israelite army. He chose to fight against the One True Living God.

Let this be a lesson to those who choose to fight against God. To battle against God is to choose failure. Goliath could have been twenty or thirty feet tall. God would have prevailed. David could have faced off against the Philistine by himself while Israel watched. God would have prevailed. At the same time, there is a lesson to be learned by the child of God. Sometimes, things may seem tough. We may have our own personal “giant” before us. Trust in God as David did and you will prevail. “And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him” (Psalm 37:40). The “Tale of the Tape” may put you as the underdog but the child of God will prevail, ultimately to a reward in Heaven.

Tale of the Tape (Part 2)

With an idea of the battle at hand, one must consider the Tale of the Tape.  Looking at the two adversaries, there are a few things of note that normally appear on any sports stars tape. Height, weight, and Years Experience will be considered. As this is not a normal sporting event but rather a battle to the death there are other things which will be considered: any Armor which is worn, the type of Weaponry the combatants would choose to use, and those who would be in the Corner. As these are covered, it will be noted who has the advantage.

HEIGHT

Goliath: “And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span” (1 Samuel 17:4). This does not translate well for those of us who go by feet and inches. A cubit was the length from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger (around one foot and six inches). A span was the length from the top of the middle finger to the end of the thumb (around nine inches). That would have made Goliath anywhere between 9’9 and 9’11.

David: We are told neither David’s height not weight. It is best not to speculate about that which we are not told. We do know that God told Samuel: “Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). This was spoken when Samuel was looking over David’s brothers concerning who was to be king of Israel. We do know from other verses concerning David that he was not close to the height as Goliath.

Advantage: Goliath.

WEIGHT

Goliath: We do not know the exact weight of Goliath because nothing is said concerning the matter. As will be noted again in the next point, the armor of Goliath weighed almost two hundred and seventy pounds. A lightweight would not be able to carry such cumbersome armor, much less move about in it. Considering the “super-heavyweight” division of kickboxing is only for those over two hundred pounds and Mixed Martial Arts consists of those over two hundred and sixty five pounds, one cannot simply place Goliath into a weight class. After all, his armor weighs more than a “super-heavyweight.” We do not know his exact weight but we do know that he had to be a colossal man to move about with such heavy armor.

David: As with his height, there is nothing said about David’s weight. Regardless, if one were to do a weigh in on these two, David’s weight would not come close to that of Goliath’s weight.

Advantage: Goliath.

ARMOR

Goliath: “And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass. And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and…one bearing a shield went before him” (1Samuel 17:5-6, 7b).  Goliath was very well protected as brass is known for its strength. His head was protected by a helmet. Chainmail consisted of small rings hooked together, forming a mesh pattern. The main job of this armor was to protect against the sharp points of arrows and swords while offering freedom of movement to its wearer. Greaves are a type of armor which was worn around the area covering the shins. He also carried a shield, which would rest between his shoulders when not engaged in battle. This is not the “target” which was between Goliath’s shoulders but something else. This piece of armor was used for offence and defense as there was a sharp point, somewhat like a dagger, in the middle. This could be used as a bludgeon against an unprepared foe.

David: While Goliath was well armored, David had no armor to call his own. Saul tried to resolve this glaring issue. “And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail. And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him” (1Samuel 17:38-39). Sadly, David was not able to wear the armor as he had not “proved” or been trained to move about in the armor.

Advantage: Goliath.

So far, it looks as if Goliath has the advantage over David but there are still three categories left to cover. These will be covered in a few days.

The Tale of the Tape (Part 1)

The Tale of the Tape

There is a term in the sports world called “The Tale of the Tape.” This is a term commonly used in boxing and MMA style fights but used in other sports under a different name. In boxing, it is the prefight measurements of each competitor while in other sports it is essentially statistics given to compare two competitors or entities. The purpose of the comparison is to give the audience an idea of who has the greatest advantage during the fight. It should be noted that “The Tale of the Tape” is not the factor which decides the victor. The battle must still be fought. Throughout history there have more than a few times that the underdog has overcome the odds. One such occurrence is found in 1 Samuel.

THE VENUE

The setting for this battle is found in 1 Samuel 17. At the beginning of the chapter one would notice two opposing forced ready to do battle. “Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephesdammim. And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines. And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.” (1 Samuel 17:1-3). While this would seem like any number of normal battles which would be fought in the course of history, this battle stood apart for a number of reasons. Most battles are fought by two or more opposing armies. Instead this battle was to be decided by two men. This battle of strength was initiated by a Philistine soldier whom we will refer to as “The Challenger.”

THE CHALLENGER

“And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span…And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us. And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.” (1 Samuel 17:4, 8-10). The premise of this battle was very simple. Goliath, the challenger, would battle with one man from the army of Israel. The winner of said battle would reign victorious over an entire nation. What was the reaction to said challenge? “When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid…And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.” (1 Samuel 17:11, 16). There was only one who was willing to accept the challenge.

THE CHAMPION

There was one person willing to accept the challenge made by Goliath. Was it Saul, the king of Israel? No. Jonathan? No. The only person willing to accept the challenge was a son of Jesse. Eliab? No. Abinadab? No. Shammah? No. In fact, it was not a member of Saul’s army who accepted the challenge but a young shepherd boy named David, the youngest of Jesse’s sons. David was sent by his father to run an errand. He was to deliver certain goods to his brothers and check on their well being. “And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them.” (1 Samuel 17:23). Again, the army of Israel cowered as Goliath spoke. David, on the other hand, did not. After being told of the gifts to be given to the man who defeated Goliath David essentially asks, “Who does this Philistine think he is to challenge God’s army?” “And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17:32).

Now that we know the two combatants, we will examine the Tale of the Tape next week.

Thought of the Week: But Don't Take My Word For It

As I child I constantly watched Alabama Public Broadcasting. One of my favorite shows was Reading Rainbow with Levar Burton. At the end of every show was a segment in which children would review different books called “Reader Review.” Before the segment actually began Burton would say, “But don’t take my word for it.” He encouraged children to actually read the books instead of taking his word at face value. This is a statement many need to take in consideration concerning the Bible. Instead of taking one man’s word at face value, each of us should make sure that he is preaching the truth found in God’s Word. This was the mindset of the Bereans who “…received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11). If those of Berea double-checked the preaching of an apostle, what should we do? We should be ever ready to search the scripture and verify a “Thus saith the Lord.” …But don’t take my word for it.

What is My Worth?

Suicide is at an all time high. There are different reasons why individuals commit such a sad crime. One particular is a feeling that one lacks self worth. There may be times an individual feels like he or she is worthless. It usually occurs when each faces a harsh strife. “I have no job” or “I failed a friend” or any other reasoning that makes one say, “I am worthless.” To that individual I would like to say, “You are wrong.” You have a great amount of worth to man and to God. In fact, the Bible tells us that you MUST have worth in the eyes of God. You must have worth in the eyes of God because….

He Created You. David understood this truth as he was, “…fearfully and wonderfully made…” (Psalm 139:14). The fact that you have life and were created gives proof that you are important in the eyes of God. One can even look further into the creation and notice that man is something special in the eyes of God. What is it that separates man from the rest of creation? After all, God created the trees, animals, insects, and the cosmos (Hebrews 11:3; Genesis 1:1-25). Are we on the same level as these? God forbid we think such things. Before the creation of man it was God who said, “…Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth” (Genesis 1:26). God made man in His image (Genesis 1:27). Can a horse, mountain, ant, or sycamore say that it was created in the image of God? No, only man can lay claim to this title. One can also notice the title that man was given over the rest of creation. Man has dominion or rule over everything else that was made. Man is also separate from the rest of creation in the fact that he is the only being which has a “living soul” given by the very breath of God (Genesis 2:7). What is our worth in the eyes of God? You must be worth something because you were created. You must have worth in the eyes of God because…

He Paid a Heavy Price For You. Have you ever stopped to think about the price God paid for mankind? He gave His only begotten Son as a sacrifice for sins (John 3:16; Hebrews 10:12). Obviously, man has value in the eyes of God in order for Him to pay such a price for man. Peter made it more personal for Christians when he wrote, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot…” (1Peters 1:18-19). While money has plenty of value on this earth, it is not enough to buy salvation. Neither are the empty traditions of the Jewish fathers of old. Only the blood of Christ is strong enough to wash away the sins of mankind and to redeem or purchase mankind from the cruel master of sin. Do you have any worth? God thinks so. You must have worth in God’s eyes because…

He wants you to go to Heaven. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). God, in His mercy, is waiting for mankind to repent of his sins and come to God in obedience so that he might have a home in Heaven with God. Paul wrote of God as one “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 2:4). Not that God WILL save all mankind or that it is God’s Will that all men be saved. If that were the case every man would find salvation whether he were obedient or not. Instead, it is God’s wish or desire that mankind obey Him and be saved.

What is your worth? God created you. He paid a heavy price for you. He’s waiting for you to come to Him in obedience. If can you do so, you know that you WILL have a home with Him in Heaven. How do you come to Him? Hear His Word and have faith in it (Romans 10:17, Hebrews 11:6), Repent of Your Sins (Acts 17:30), Confess Christ (Acts 8:37), and Be Baptized for the Remission of Your Sins (Acts 2:37). All you have to do from that point on is live a faithful life until death (Revelation 2:10).