“David said, ‘There is none like it’” (1 Samuel 21:9).
THE SERPENT’S PLAN FOILED
The serpent deceived the woman in the garden, and God allowed it to happen.
Later on in the divine tapestry we observe that Jesus, “disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross” (Col 2:15). We see pictures of this in the Scriptures.
Jesus, again, allowed Satan’s planned scenario to play out because it would be ultimately turned against him. “He who leads the upright along the path of evil will fall into his own pit, but the blameless will inherit what is good” (Prov 28:10). These are eternal principles that apply to all.
David asked Ahimelech the priest if there was a weapon. “Is there not a spear or sword on hand here? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business was urgent” (1 Sam 21:8).
Ahimelech said, "The sword of Goliath the Philistine" was available.
Jesus came among us he emptied himself of what he has in heaven, he was on God’s urgent business. Jesus, “emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross” (Phil 2:7).
This is the weapon that Jesus used—Satan’s own tactics.
David knew of Goliath’s sword because he himself had used it. “David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran” (1 Sam 17:51).
No wonder that when David was told by Ahimelech about Goliath’s sword being available he said, “There is none like it”. It was a trusty weapon, made of the finest metals that did their intended job.
In a similar way the cross of Christ, was the effectual weapon that he needed to destroy the work of the enemy. “The devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work” (1 John 3:8).
Goliath was beheaded with his own sword, and the prophecy of Jesus was that he would maim the head of the serpent. “He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel” (Gen 3:15). Yes, the serpent bruised the heel of our Saviour on the cross, but Christ used the cross to disarm the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
These are good lessons for us because, “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph 6:12).
The Lord will give us all we need to combat our foes. Jesus told his disciples, “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt” (Luke 9:3). We walk in faith trusting that God will bring his will to bear upon our lives as we walk in faith before him, praying “Thy will be done” for it is God who reigns and no one can fight against him and win.
“The LORD works out everything to its proper end— even the wicked for a day of disaster” (Prov 16:4).