"David had no sword in his hand" VS "David held the Philistine's (Goliath's) head in his hand"

 

"David had no sword in his hand" VS "David held the Philistine's (Goliath's) head in his hand"

1 Samuel 17:49 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.

1 Samuel 17:50 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.

1 Samuel 17:51 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.

 

Comparison Item	David had no sword (Saul's) in his hand	David held the Philistine's (Goliath's) head in his hand
Prefiguration	Rejection of reliance on human methods and weapons	Relying on God for victory and seizing the enemy's power
Significance	Demonstrates not relying on human strength and wisdom	Symbolizes complete victory, God's power overcoming the enemy
Distinction	Passive rejection, putting down human weapons	Active victory, seizing the enemy's authority
Explanation	David refused to use Saul's armor and sword because he hadn't tested them	David used his familiar weapon (sling) to defeat Goliath, then used Goliath's sword to cut off his head
Example	"Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. 'I cannot go in these,' he said to Saul, 'because I am not used to them.' So he took them off." (1 Samuel 17:38-39)	"Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd's bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine. ... David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine's sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword." (1 Samuel 17:40, 51)
Application	1. Don't rely on worldly methods to solve spiritual problems 2. Recognize and use the unique gifts God has given us 3. Don't try to imitate others, but become who God created you to be	1. Face the "giants" in life with faith 2. Proclaim God's name and power 3. Attribute victory to God, witnessing His glory
Related Scriptures	"Saul replied, 'You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.'" (1 Samuel 17:33) "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.'" (1 Samuel 17:34-35)	"David said to the Philistine, 'You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.'" (1 Samuel 17:45) So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him." (1 Samuel 17:50)

 

This table summarizes David's weapon choices at two different moments and their deeper meanings. From this, we can see David's trust in God and how he faced challenges in his own way. This comparison highlights several important spiritual lessons:

 

l   Trust in God rather than human methods: David's refusal to use Saul's weapons demonstrates that he did not rely on human strength, but completely trusted in God.

l   Use God-given gifts: David chose to use the sling he was familiar with, teaching us to recognize and utilize the unique talents God has bestowed upon us.

l   Fight for God's glory: David viewed this battle as an opportunity to demonstrate God's power, not just as a personal victory.

l   Complete victory: David not only defeated Goliath but also cut off his head with Goliath's own sword, symbolizing a thorough victory and God's omnipotence.

 

This story encourages us, when facing the "giants" in our lives, to firmly trust in God, use the gifts God has given us, and make glorifying God our ultimate goal.