Episode Transcript
[00:00:03] Speaker A: Welcome to today's weekday podcast.
Today, Chuck will challenge the theory that David was an actual underdog.
So settle in and grab a cup of encouragement with Pastor Chuck Allen.
[00:00:18] Speaker B: Hi, everybody, and welcome to the weekday podcast. I'm Chuck Allen and I was thinking about David and Goliath.
We're talking a little bit about underdogs these days as we kick off the summer, and I. I think the whole concept of David not believing he was an underdog is fascinating. We. We use David and Goliath as the story about underdogs all the time. Several years ago, Clemson University was playing in the national championship against Alabama, I believe, and they interviewed coach Dabo Sweeney before the game and he looked into the camera and they were asking him what it felt like to be an underdog to Coach Saban and the Al Crimson Tide. And Dabo look back into the camera and immediately said, we know dang underdog. And ever since then, every time I see Dabo, that's what I think about, we know dang underdog. Well, I don't think David thought he was an underdog because we've heard this story a thousand times. Sunday school flannel boards, veggie tales, sermons about facing your giants, about how David picked up five smooth stones because he thought David had Goliath, had four brothers, and all the other stuff that went with the story.
But the thing that fascinates me is that I don't think David thought he was an underdog.
What if we've been reading it wrong the whole time? What if David wasn't an underdog and all? And what if in the whole story isn't about actually being an underdog? In 1st Samuel 17, we find this shepherd boy standing in front of a nine foot warrior named Goliath. Everybody's terrified. The entire Israelite army is paralyzed with fear. And we assume David should be afraid too, right?
Because look at the facts. Goliath, nine feet tall, bronze armor, javelin like a weaver's beam. David, teenage shepherd, no armor, five smooth stone. You know, it seems right. But here's what's fascinating. David never got the memo. He never received the underdog script. Listen to what he says. In 1st Samuel 17:26, the armies are cowering and David asks, who is this pagan philistine anyway that he is allowed to defy the armies of a living God? Did you catch that?
Who is this pagan philistine anyway?
That's not underdog language. That means dismissive language. That's not. I'm scared, but I might try this. That's who does this guy think he is? I'm about to take him out.
And it gets better. When King Saul tries to. To talk him out of it, David doesn't say, well, I'll try my best. No, he says, I've been taking care of my father's sheep and goats. When a lion or a be bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. I'm like, dude, that's a man. I mean, that's intense. And then he says, the Lord who rescued me from the claws of a lion and the bear would rescue me from this Philistine.
See, in David's mind, this wasn't David versus Goliath.
This was God versus some loud pagan.
And that's. Well, that's not even a contest. And if you're still not convinced, look at what David says directly to Goliath in verse 45.
You come to me with sword, spear and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of heaven's armies, the God of the armies of Israel whom you have defiled. Then he adds, I love this. Today the Lord will conquer you, and the whole world will know that there's a God in Israel. See it. David never believed he was the underdog, not for a stinking second.
From David's perspective, Goliath was hopefully unmatched. I mean, there was no way. The giant just didn't know it yet.
So what if. What if the story isn't about the underdog winning against impossible odds?
What if it's about seeing reality correctly? What if it's about understanding who actually has the power?
Because here's what's fascinating about us humans. We're absolutely magnificent at creating narratives based on what we can see. We look at circumstances, the size of our problems, the credentials of our opponents, the apparent limitations of our resources, and we craft a story that says, poor me. I'm the underdog here. But David. David was operating from a completely different narrative, one where the living God determined the outcome of every battle. One where physical size and military experience were totally irrelevant details. And this changes everything about how we should face our own giants. Because maybe, just maybe, we're not called to be brave underdogs. Maybe we're called to be, well, his people, the people who see reality correctly.
Maybe we're called to look at our seemingly impossible situations and ask, who is this pagan Philistine anyway that he's allowed to defy the armies of the living God. What might happen if we stopped accepting the underdog script? What if instead of saying, this problem is so big, but I'll try my best, you know, poor me, what if we started saying, who does this problem think it is, standing against the purposes of the living God?
David never knew he was an underdog. I really believe that. And perhaps, perhaps that's the whole point of the story. For me. For you. Well, for David. This is Chuck Allen, and thanks for listening to today's weekday podcast.
