Defeating the Goliaths of Today

During the February 16, 2019, Bible Study on David and Goliath, it was quite surprising to me to find out how much the Philistines harassed, oppressed, and invaded the land of the Israelites. It was pointed out that the Philistines here represent the tactics of error, the operation of the human mind that always seeks to dominate.

As part of their control over the Israelites, the Philistines demanded the payment of taxes. They also managed to disarm the Israelites by controlling the production and repairing of weapons: “Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears.” (1 Sam. 13:19) Error always attempts to take our weapons and use demoralizing taunts, as Goliath did to the Israelites for forty days. It uses discouragement and fear to cause us to surrender to its control.

Interestingly, every time the Israelites drifted away from God, they came under the control of the Philistines. “And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, so the Lord gave them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.” (Judges 13:1) It was their own disobedience that made them easy prey.

But the Bible Study also discussed how to stand up and conquer those erroneous suggestions to stray from the laws of God. We have many spiritual tools and weapons we can use daily in our warfare with error. We don’t have to lose our freedom to evil’s despotic control. Mrs. Eddy writes, “Slavery is not the legitimate state of man. ... Love and Truth make free, but evil and error lead into captivity.” (S&H p. 226)

The Israelites were able to free their nation when Samuel, and then David, through the guidance of God and with moral courage, were able to defeat the Philistines. “Then Samuel took a stone, and set it ..., saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us” (ISam. 7); then later on, “And David did so, as the Lord had commanded him; and smote the Philistines.” (IISam. 5:25) It was pointed out that it took but one small stone, precisely aimed, to take down the giant. One small truth, clearly understood and lived, will take down the arguments of evil every time.