The Lion and Bear

Every young person who has ever attended one Sunday School class has heard the story of David confronting the Philistine Goliath.  I would say that even a vast majority of secular society has some concept of the story.  You hear the analogy used in sports every time a "nobody" is taking on a perennial favorite.  The story line is always the same.  The underdog  who doesn't have much of a chance at all is going up against the one who is most likely going to crush them.  We see the illustration in terms of a miracle, against all odds, cinderella type of story that creates an imagination of "what if".  What if the underdog can actually pull this off?  What are the chances they can actually stand a chance?  

The illustration that we've learned in Sunday School about David and Goliath is a powerful example of what happens when God is for you!  Nothing is impossible!  It's a very true perspective.  But I believe there is another perspective of this story that needs to be told, even more than the story of David and Goliath.  I believe the real story that needs to be told isn't the one where David is valiantly taking on the enemy in the valley between the two nations at battle.  I believe the real story of David and Goliath is seen in a narrative much earlier that is told in 1 Samuel 17:32-37.  

David arrives after to the battle field to bring relief to his brothers after being anointed by the prophet Samuel.  David was anointed by Samuel to be the next king of Israel, but David's heart remained faithful in the simple things.  It's important to note that David didn't change his assignment, even though he had been anointed by the prophet.  Being faithful is one of the greatest characteristics of any true leader.  Samuel arrives to see the giant Goliath attempting and succeeding in intimating the children of God.  He saw Goliath parade himself in front of them, knowing they wouldn't send anyone to confront him.  His size and reputation was enough to keep them at bay.  But in 1 Samuel 17: David volunteers his services to go and confront this giant who defied the God of Israel.  David recognized that someone was going to have to do something for this to change for the people.  Intimidation, fear and anxiety is no way for a people who had covenant to live.  David presents himself to Saul saying that he would confront Goliath.  When looking at this from the natural perspective, Saul looks at this as laughable.  How could a young boy ever be able to contend with the champion giant?  David qualifies his position, not by pleading his skills in combat, but in what he's done in private when he was tending to his father's sheep.  David says, as if it was a normal thing, that when a lion or a bear came to take a lamb out of the flock, that he would strike them down.  As if killing a lion or a bear isn't impressive enough, David goes into a little more detail by saying that he would "grab it by it's beard" and would kill it!  Take a minute to contemplate what he just said.  He said, he would physically grab a lion or a bear and strike it!  That takes major courage or a supernatural measure of love to place yourself in between sheep and certain destruction.  It was all for the sake of saving the sheep of his father, who treated him as if he was the forgotten child on the hillside. From this narrative I've asked the Lord many questions, but one of them would change my depth in viewing David. 

I asked the Lord, "Why would someone stand between lions and bears, just to save some smelly sheep?"  Very gently, He would speak back to me, "BECAUSE I WOULD". 

Looking at it from that vantage point, it revealed to me, what it means when it says, "David was a man after God's own heart"  

When asking people, "What does it mean to be a man after God's own heart" when it pertains to David, most people have a different conclusion.  Most people will reference the fall of David when it comes to illustrate his heart for the Father.  They would say that his heart was so sensitive to right and wrong, that he was quick to repent.  But it took Nathan the prophet to bring to light the issue within him that caused him to fall into sin with Bathsheba.  So in that we see the humanity come alive when he ignored personal responsibility.  He should have been out to battle with the other kings, but instead he stayed at home.  This became an open door to the enemy. If the enemy can have an open door, he can blind us even from the things that matter the most to us.

I would say that the better illustrating why David was called "a man after God's own heart" is better seen in the story of the lion and bear.  At the core of David's heart was a desire to do what was right, no matter what it was going to cost him in his own life.  When it came to protecting what was his father's he was willing to stand between the sheep and destruction. You can't help but see the certain parallel to Jesus!  How great was His love for the Father and His sheep that He would endure the cross to save us from certain destruction!  That was always at the heart of salvation!  

Looking back to the story of David and Goliath;  
David didn't try to strategize a battle plan against Goliath.  He simply knew what side of victory he stood on!  He knew that God had used him before with the lion and the bear and would use him again against the giant. The key for each of us from this story is this.  Before you are ever qualified to go against a Goliath, you must first kill the lion and the bear.  It's easy for us to think that we will have a moment where God will use us to slay some giant for all the people to recognize and sing our praises.  We all want to be used to deliver a nation from oppression.  But are we all willing to fight the fight that qualifies us for that battle?  Are we willing to fight the real fight, when no one is watching?  The fight with the lion and bear is much more personal for us than we realize.  I asked the Father, "What does the lion and bear represent to all of us "Davids" who want to be used to defeat Goliath?  He said, there are two enemies you must defeat to ever be used like that. 

Lion's typically travel in "prides" and bears are synonymous with the concept of hibernation or sleeping extended periods of time.  He spoke to my heart and said to me that we are no different.  Each of us will have to fight against PRIDE and COMPLACENCY before we are ever qualified to slay the giants in the land. Pride tells us, that it's about us.  Complacency will cause us to not do anything to change our condition.  



What fear would you have of an oversized human, when your background is in defeating vicious animals with your bare hands when there was no one to witness your struggle?  To someone who has grabbed the beard of an animal, seen it's teeth and even felt it's powerful breath, what is a man that you would fear him?  The real story isn't David and Goliath, the real story is the lion and the bear.  David understood that, so he didn't have any fear concerning Goliath.  

I want to encourage you, the reader to focus on the "lions and bears" in your life.  What areas of your life have you let pride keep you back or complacency keep you passive?  If we are ever going to see a nation delivered and living in freedom as David did, we must have the courage to confront the wilderness.  We must be willing to win the battles in private before we can ever win the ones in public.  When David won against the lion and bear, no one was watching, but when he defeated Goliath, a nation was set free!  

I say, do it again Lord.  Bring the David's off the hillside who have killed the lion and bear and willing to bring down any enemy that stands against God's people! The time is now when a nation needs set free!  DAVID COME OFF THE HILLSIDE!