5 Smooth Stones

The history of David and Goliath shows us many important spiritual lessons. 

During this time, the armies of Israel and the Philstines were facing off in battle. The people of God were mocked and taunted daily by the Philistines and their main warrior Goliath. Israel was intimidated and afraid.

David was tending sheep during this time. He wasn’t learning warfare from King Saul or his army. He was just in the wilderness with a few animals. But during this time God was preparing him.

David’s brothers were soldiers in Saul’s army. They probably felt important about themselves. They thought they were doing great things. David came to give some food to them. When he gave food to his brothers, they all mocked him. They made fun of him for leaving his sheep. 

David felt confused about his brothers and the other Israelites. He wondered why were they so intimidated by Goliath. Didn’t they know that they could defeat Goliath by the power of God? 

David said that he would defeat the giant.

King Saul gave David his armor and told him to wear it. This was probably the best armor Israel had. David put it on. But he quickly realized that this armor wouldn’t help defeat Goliath. It was a false covering that wouldn’t help. This armor represented doing things in Saul’s way. If David wanted victory, he would have to do things in a new way. 

David took off Saul’s armor and laid it aside. He took a sling, a shepherd’s bag, and a shepherd’s staff. These were things that he picked up during his time in the wilderness looking after sheep. These things appeared totally unrelated to war or defeating giants. But God was going to make these simple things more useful than all the weapons in Israel’s army. God takes the weak and foolish things of the world to confound the strong and mighty.

David also took 5 smooth stones out of the brook. 

The brook is a rushing stream of water. In the Bible, streams of water often represent the Holy Spirit. There is a river that flows out from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1). This river brings life to wherever it goes (Ezek. 47:1,9). This river makes glad the city of God (Psalm 46:4). Jesus said that rivers of living water (the Holy Spirit) would flow out from us (John 7:38). The flowing of the Holy Spirit brings fruit, power, miracles, and peace. It brings the presence of God. 

The 5 stones David selected from the brook were smooth stones. David needed smooth stones for his sling. The slightest rough part on the stone would cause the stone to fly out of the sling in the wrong direction. It would miss its mark. A smooth stone would leave the sling perfectly and hit the mark. 

These stones were smooth because they had been in the bottom of the brook. In the riverbed they rubbed against each other, and all the rough edges were worn off. 

Christians are compared to living stones that are being built up into a house for God (1 Pet. 2:5). When we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, we will sometimes come into the deep part of the river. This is a place we are unable to cross (Ezek. 47:5). The water is over our heads. Then our life depends on God, not on ourselves. 

In the riverbed, the stones were prepared for David’s sling because they became smooth. In order to be useful in God’s house, we must have our hard edges broken off. Then we will fit into the place that God has for us. These hard edges are broken off by friction. 

God uses friction to perfect his plans in our lives. In the river, stones rub against each other. God leads us into this. In close relationships with other believers our rough edges are exposed. We all have faults and sins. We usually try to hide these things from others. But in close relationships these things are harder to hide. This is an opportunity for repentance and for our rough places to be made smooth.

Stones on the side of the river bank don’t experience much friction. They stand alone on the riverside. This may be easier. These stones may be more attractive to the world. They will be more easily seen by people. But for killing giants, these stones will not be useful. If you want to be useful for God, you must be willing to sacrifice your independence and individuality in order to be equipped for the Master’s use. You must be willing to go into the river and get yourself dirty in the nitty-gritty of life in Christian fellowship.

It is possible to feel a lot of love and unity with someone that you don’t really know. You may see them from a distance and feel united with them. This often happens in churches or in ministries. This is a false unity because when you get close to that person you find out that their faults are very annoying. Then the superficial unity breaks. Superficial unity is too weak to overcome challenges. It lacks power.

True unity comes when people are willing to take up their cross. Self-sacrifice produces the unity that the early church experienced when they were all of one heart and one soul (Acts 4:32). This unleashes the power of God.

David is a symbol of Christ. God is preparing his hidden saints at this time to do a mighty work in the earth. They may be in the riverbed. Many of God’s chosen people are not widely heard of. Not many people know about them. But they are being trained and equipped by the Holy Spirit to slay giants.

When Israel faced Goliath, King Saul was facing many problems. Saul had disobeyed God and did things in his own way. He was tormented by demons. And yet he was the king of Israel. He was still leading God’s people. But his disobedience caused him to become very weak.

It was time for the old order in Israel to pass away. David’s victory over Goliath was part of this change. Saul was falling down, and David was being exalted. 

This change will also happen in the church. Dead religion will be replaced by the living work of the Holy Spirit. Saul’s armor will be put off, and the work of the Holy Spirit will dominate as the church prepares for the coming of Christ.