David and Goliath

David was the youngest of Jesse’s sons and he did not have a glamourous job. In Lesotho today shepherding is done by the poorest boys in the country. But God seems to have a soft spot for shepherds. Angels announced the birth of Jesus to shepherds (Luke 2:8-20).

David made the best of the situation he found himself in. On more than one occasion he risked his life to protect his father’s sheep. Killing a lion and a bear was no mean feat (1 Samuel 17:34).

Do you see someone who does good work? That person will serve kings (Proverbs 22:29).

The Israeli minister of defence, Moshe Dayan, was of the opinion that “David fought Goliath not with inferior but (on the contrary) with superior weaponry; and his greatness consisted … in his knowing how to exploit a weapon by which a feeble person could seize the advantage and become stronger.”

Nevertheless, there must have been others in Israel who could use a sling. And slings were used in war before the days of David. 

Among all these men there were 700 who were left-handed. Each of them could sling a stone at a hair and not miss. (Judges 20:16)

But David was agitated that “this uncircumcised Philistine” was allowed to bring dishonour on “the armies of the living God”. He was convinced that God would help him if he risked his life for the sake of God’s honour (1 Samuel 17:36). No wonder that the Lord said of David that he was “a man after his own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14).

He chose his servant David. He took him from the sheep pens. … He made him the shepherd of Israel, his special people (Psalm 78:70-71).

Knowledge of good and evil

Adam and Eve were very different from the rest of creation. Except for humans, everything in the world was created by God saying: "Let there be ...". But Adam's soul was born when God breathed into his lifeless body. One can imagine God's breath to have acted like a channel which reproduced his life in the body of clay which he had made.

One of the ways in which we humans are like our Creator, is the fact that we need to love and be loved. There was a need for another person like Adam. Together, more so than separately, Adam and Eve were a reflection of God, having been made in his image. The first humans had qualities identical to those found in God. Only beings who have a will and are able to choose are capable of giving love. Robots just follow instructions, doing what they are programmed to do. Animals live by instinct which may be regarded as biological programming.

Our ancestors Adam and Eve exercised their free will to disagree with their Maker regarding what was good for them. After eating of the forbidden fruit they became more like God, knowing good and evil. But at the same time they became less like him because they were not perfect reflectors of his character and glory anymore. They died spiritually, became separated from their Source and more autonomous than they were created to be. They had each become like a little god, competing with the Almighty.

Because we are born in sin (Psalm 51:5) it is now necessary for every human being to learn the difference between good and evil (Hebrews 5:14). We do not fully escape our sinful nature while in a body of flesh and blood (1 John 1:8). Thank God for Jesus and his Holy Spirit (Romans 7:24-8:2).