Creekside Church, Sunday, October 12, 2025
Slayer
Locations & Times
Creekside Church
660 Conservation Dr, Waterloo, ON N2J 3Z4, Canada
Sunday 8:25 AM
Sunday 9:45 AM
Sunday 11:15 AM
Welcome to week 2 of our series on the life of David.
Last week, we looked at David's anointing. Today, we're looking into the famous story of David and Goliath from 1 Samuel 17.
This is the tale of a young David, probably 16-19 years old, stepping up to face a giant that everyone else feared.
We'll take two passes at this story: first, the familiar underdog version, and second, a deeper look at its place in the Bible's bigger narrative. The goal is to see not just a heroic tale, but a pointer to our ultimate need for a Savior.
Pass 1: The Underdog Story - Faith Over Fear
This is how many of us remember the story: a classic underdog triumph. David, a teenage shepherd, faces Goliath, a massive Philistine warrior—described as over 9 feet tall in some texts, or at least 6 feet 9 inches in others. Goliath is armed to the teeth, taunting Israel's army for 40 days, and no one dares to fight him.
The Israelite soldiers, including King Saul and his men, are trembling in fear. But David arrives on the scene, delivering food to his brothers, and hears Goliath mocking the living God and His people. David is outraged and steps forward.
David's Confidence Came from Past Experiences
David wasn't acting out of blind arrogance. He remembered God's faithfulness in his own life. As a shepherd, he had protected his flock from wild animals.
1 Samuel 17:34-37 (NIV):
"But David said to Saul, 'Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.'"
David's confidence wasn't in his own strength but in God's deliverance. He didn't think, "I can win this on my own." Instead, he knew God had been faithful before and would be again.
This reading inspires us: When you're up against impossible odds—a health crisis, financial giant, or personal struggle—have faith like David. The enemy may be loud and intimidating, but if you're connected to God, the source of all power, victory is possible. Be strong and courageous; tell that giant it's not fighting you, but God Himself.
There's nothing wrong with this encouragement, but let's go deeper to color it in with the Bible's full story.
Pass 2: The Deeper Context - The Search for the Snake Crusher
To fully understand David and Goliath, we place it in the Bible's overarching narrative. From the beginning, Scripture is a story of humanity's fall and God's promise of redemption.
The Proto-Gospel and the Theme of the Snake Crusher
It starts in Genesis 3. Adam and Eve are tempted by the serpent (Satan), eat the forbidden fruit, and bring sin, curse, and death into the world. But God promises victory.
Genesis 3:15 (NIV):
"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."
This "proto-gospel" (first good news) sets up the Bible as a search for the "snake crusher"—the one who will defeat evil, temptation, and the serpent's power once and for all.
Throughout the Old Testament, we see candidates rise and fall. Saul, Israel's first king, defeats a man named Nahash (meaning "snake" in Hebrew), hinting he might be the one. But Saul fails other tests, disobeys God, and is rejected.
Then comes David, king #2.
Symbolic Elements in David vs. Goliath Point to a Spiritual Battle
The narrator layers this physical fight with spiritual symbolism, echoing the Garden of Eden vs. the wilderness.
The Setting: One side is the Israelite camp at the border, a defensive position with thorny bushes and walls—like a tilled, protected garden. The other is the Valley of Elah (terebinth trees), fertile and tree-lined, but a place of conflict. It's Eden-like abundance versus wilderness temptation.
40 Days of Taunting: Mirrors periods of testing, like the 40 days of rain in Noah's flood or Israel's 40 years in the wilderness.
Goliath's Appearance: His bronze armor has scales, and "bronze" shares a Hebrew root with "serpent." He's like a serpentine sea creature or dragon.
David's Rejection of Saul's Armor: David trusts God, not human defenses.
The Victory: David strikes Goliath, who falls face down in the dust (echoing the serpent's curse in Genesis 3:14 to crawl on its belly). David cuts off his head—crushing the "snake."
In the scene with Saul and David holding Goliath's head, we wonder: Is David the snake crusher? He resisted temptation, trusted God, and delivered Israel.
David Succeeds... But Ultimately Fails
David starts strong, but like Saul, he eventually falters. He defeats the loud, armored "snake" shouting threats, but succumbs to a whisper of temptation—taking Bathsheba, who wasn't his wife (as we'll see later in the series).
King after king fails, continuing the search for the true snake crusher.
The Ultimate Snake Crusher: Jesus
The story marches on until Jesus. He is the offspring of the woman from Genesis 3:15.
Jesus Faces and Defeats the Serpent
Jesus is tempted by Satan for 40 days in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11), but resists perfectly.
He goes around preaching and demonstrating the kingdom: giving sight to the blind, freedom to captives, forgiveness to sinners, and justice to the oppressed. He confronts the serpent's work—healing the sick, casting out demons, and setting people free from sin's grasp.
The Cross as the Decisive Victory
On the cross, it seems the serpent strikes Jesus' heel—He dies. But through His death and resurrection, Jesus crushes the serpent's head once and for all.
Colossians 2:15 (NIV):
"And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross."
Jesus wins the battle we couldn't.
We Are Not the Hero - We Need the Substitute
One way to read this is: "Be like David—crush your giants with faith!" But even David got crushed by sin eventually.
A better reading: We're not David. We're the trembling soldiers, or like Saul—proud at first, but failing, riddled with sin like a serpent wrapped around our hearts. We're broken humans who have failed to bear God's image.
We need a substitute—someone to fight for us. That's Jesus. He comes to us with holes in His hands, saying, "I defeated the serpent for you. Now live in My victory."
Present and Future Hope in Christ's Victory
Romans 16:20 (NIV):
"The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you."
The verses before this echoes the smooth talk of deception (like the serpent's), the battle between good and evil, and ultimate crushing victory.
Because of Jesus, your enemies—sin, temptations, cycles of failure, those against you—are under your feet. There's victory now: recovery, healing, freedom. And future hope: full restoration when Christ returns.
Don't try to be the hero. Rest in the One who subbed in for you.
Last week, we looked at David's anointing. Today, we're looking into the famous story of David and Goliath from 1 Samuel 17.
This is the tale of a young David, probably 16-19 years old, stepping up to face a giant that everyone else feared.
We'll take two passes at this story: first, the familiar underdog version, and second, a deeper look at its place in the Bible's bigger narrative. The goal is to see not just a heroic tale, but a pointer to our ultimate need for a Savior.
Pass 1: The Underdog Story - Faith Over Fear
This is how many of us remember the story: a classic underdog triumph. David, a teenage shepherd, faces Goliath, a massive Philistine warrior—described as over 9 feet tall in some texts, or at least 6 feet 9 inches in others. Goliath is armed to the teeth, taunting Israel's army for 40 days, and no one dares to fight him.
The Israelite soldiers, including King Saul and his men, are trembling in fear. But David arrives on the scene, delivering food to his brothers, and hears Goliath mocking the living God and His people. David is outraged and steps forward.
David's Confidence Came from Past Experiences
David wasn't acting out of blind arrogance. He remembered God's faithfulness in his own life. As a shepherd, he had protected his flock from wild animals.
1 Samuel 17:34-37 (NIV):
"But David said to Saul, 'Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.'"
David's confidence wasn't in his own strength but in God's deliverance. He didn't think, "I can win this on my own." Instead, he knew God had been faithful before and would be again.
This reading inspires us: When you're up against impossible odds—a health crisis, financial giant, or personal struggle—have faith like David. The enemy may be loud and intimidating, but if you're connected to God, the source of all power, victory is possible. Be strong and courageous; tell that giant it's not fighting you, but God Himself.
There's nothing wrong with this encouragement, but let's go deeper to color it in with the Bible's full story.
Pass 2: The Deeper Context - The Search for the Snake Crusher
To fully understand David and Goliath, we place it in the Bible's overarching narrative. From the beginning, Scripture is a story of humanity's fall and God's promise of redemption.
The Proto-Gospel and the Theme of the Snake Crusher
It starts in Genesis 3. Adam and Eve are tempted by the serpent (Satan), eat the forbidden fruit, and bring sin, curse, and death into the world. But God promises victory.
Genesis 3:15 (NIV):
"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."
This "proto-gospel" (first good news) sets up the Bible as a search for the "snake crusher"—the one who will defeat evil, temptation, and the serpent's power once and for all.
Throughout the Old Testament, we see candidates rise and fall. Saul, Israel's first king, defeats a man named Nahash (meaning "snake" in Hebrew), hinting he might be the one. But Saul fails other tests, disobeys God, and is rejected.
Then comes David, king #2.
Symbolic Elements in David vs. Goliath Point to a Spiritual Battle
The narrator layers this physical fight with spiritual symbolism, echoing the Garden of Eden vs. the wilderness.
The Setting: One side is the Israelite camp at the border, a defensive position with thorny bushes and walls—like a tilled, protected garden. The other is the Valley of Elah (terebinth trees), fertile and tree-lined, but a place of conflict. It's Eden-like abundance versus wilderness temptation.
40 Days of Taunting: Mirrors periods of testing, like the 40 days of rain in Noah's flood or Israel's 40 years in the wilderness.
Goliath's Appearance: His bronze armor has scales, and "bronze" shares a Hebrew root with "serpent." He's like a serpentine sea creature or dragon.
David's Rejection of Saul's Armor: David trusts God, not human defenses.
The Victory: David strikes Goliath, who falls face down in the dust (echoing the serpent's curse in Genesis 3:14 to crawl on its belly). David cuts off his head—crushing the "snake."
In the scene with Saul and David holding Goliath's head, we wonder: Is David the snake crusher? He resisted temptation, trusted God, and delivered Israel.
David Succeeds... But Ultimately Fails
David starts strong, but like Saul, he eventually falters. He defeats the loud, armored "snake" shouting threats, but succumbs to a whisper of temptation—taking Bathsheba, who wasn't his wife (as we'll see later in the series).
King after king fails, continuing the search for the true snake crusher.
The Ultimate Snake Crusher: Jesus
The story marches on until Jesus. He is the offspring of the woman from Genesis 3:15.
Jesus Faces and Defeats the Serpent
Jesus is tempted by Satan for 40 days in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11), but resists perfectly.
He goes around preaching and demonstrating the kingdom: giving sight to the blind, freedom to captives, forgiveness to sinners, and justice to the oppressed. He confronts the serpent's work—healing the sick, casting out demons, and setting people free from sin's grasp.
The Cross as the Decisive Victory
On the cross, it seems the serpent strikes Jesus' heel—He dies. But through His death and resurrection, Jesus crushes the serpent's head once and for all.
Colossians 2:15 (NIV):
"And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross."
Jesus wins the battle we couldn't.
We Are Not the Hero - We Need the Substitute
One way to read this is: "Be like David—crush your giants with faith!" But even David got crushed by sin eventually.
A better reading: We're not David. We're the trembling soldiers, or like Saul—proud at first, but failing, riddled with sin like a serpent wrapped around our hearts. We're broken humans who have failed to bear God's image.
We need a substitute—someone to fight for us. That's Jesus. He comes to us with holes in His hands, saying, "I defeated the serpent for you. Now live in My victory."
Present and Future Hope in Christ's Victory
Romans 16:20 (NIV):
"The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you."
The verses before this echoes the smooth talk of deception (like the serpent's), the battle between good and evil, and ultimate crushing victory.
Because of Jesus, your enemies—sin, temptations, cycles of failure, those against you—are under your feet. There's victory now: recovery, healing, freedom. And future hope: full restoration when Christ returns.
Don't try to be the hero. Rest in the One who subbed in for you.