“And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me.” (1Sa 21:9 AV)
There is no record of how big the sword of Goliath was. We know the spear of Goliath was easily three times the size of one used by a normal-sized man. It was twenty-six feet tall with a seventeen-pound head on it. The shaft was 2-2 ½ inches in diameter. That is really huge. A pole vaulter’s pole is anywhere from 12 feet to 16 feet. Goliath’s spear was twice the length and ten times the weight. Someone like that who would wield a spear of that size had to have an equally impressive sword. According to the Bible, it took multiple men to carry Goliath’s armor to the battlefield. No doubt! When I think of David attaining Goliath’s sword for battle, I have to chuckle. Remember, David is a little guy. He was fair-skinned and not much to look at. When he picked up that sword, it was clearly not fitted to the man carrying it. It was more than he could handle and more than he needed. But what this brought to mind is what the word of God is to the child of God as we battle our spiritual battles. Far more than we need at any given moment and equally powerful against our foe or trial.
The size of the weapon is an indication of the fight in the man! Regardless of whether he can wield it or not, the capability is a manifestation of the possibilities. One of my favorite YouTube channels is Kentucky Ballistics. Scott’s specialty is firearms that kick really hard. I have to admire him. He fires things I wouldn’t dare consider. Especially at my age, I would probably dislocate my shoulder. Or worse! One of my favorite firearms I enjoy watching is the punt gun. This shotgun is massive. It takes a specially built cradle in order to aim and fire it. It is so large, that you cannot shoulder it. The shotgun weighs well over one hundred and fifty pounds. It is nine feet long. It fires a one-pound lead ball. The felt recoil is 23,000 pounds. That means if you were standing behind it and tried to anchor it, you most likely would not survive. Another of his long guns is called the four-bore. This gun can be shouldered and fires a four-gauge projectile. This is the largest production rifle available today. When Scott fires that rifle, it throws him back a few feet. The destructive power of these firearms is indescribable. The transfer of energy is massive. But what I admire about Scott is his interest in more recoil in a measure of the fight in the man. So much so that he almost lost his life when firing another rifle with over-pressured rounds. He should not have lived through that, but the fight in the man was greater than the weapon he used.
If we only understood the resource we have in God’s word! The word of God is supernatural. It is that which the LORD has provided to fight any and all battles we will face. The problem is our faith. We have to believe it can perform miracles in the mind, heart, and soul. We have to believe the words we are reading are the words of our Creator-God who gave them to us, translated them for us, and preserved them through the ages that we might hear from Him any time we open its pages. The word of God is a miracle. It should not naturally exist. Mankind has tried to destroy it many times over. Without success, I might add. The word of God is to us what the sword of Goliath was to David. Found in the house of God, the man of God took it with him wherever he went. It was on his side ready to be drawn from its sheath whenever it was needed. It would always be larger than any opposing sword it would face. We have, at our disposal, all that we need to live our lives for the glory of God. We have at our side all we need to slay whatever giants come our way. We have at our side God’s holy word. His voice. His commands, encouragement, and timeless truth. The adversary may scoff. He may snort. He may bellow out threatenings. But no adversary can withstand the sword of the LORD!
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