The Five Stones of David

By:  Dale Weckbacher

1 Samuel 17:40

Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the brook and put them in his shepherd's pouch. His sling was in his hand, and he approached the Philistine.

(ESV)

The story of David and Goliath is a classic account of the underdog coming out on top.  However, those of us who have placed our faith in God know that David was anything but an underdog for he had God on his side.  Another interesting thing about the story in Scripture is that David took five stones with him when only one was necessary to slay the giant.  This is because David had God on his side, making sure that one stone did the job. 

While the mighty men of the Armies of Israel ran in fear when Goliath entered the scene, David saw Goliath as a beatable enemy (1 Samuel17:24-26).  David knew that no matter how small in stature he was, or how small the armies of Israel appeared next to Goliath and the Philistine army, with God on his side, they had all they needed to defeat Goliath and the Philistines. 

David’s five stones symbolize his faith a faith consisting of,

1)      Faith in God – One of my favorite New Testament verses is Mark 11:23 which reminds us that faith in God can move a mountain.  It is hard to imagine the energy that would be necessary to move a mountain but perhaps the closest thing we have is the eruption of Mount St. Helens where the eruption blew out one side of the mountain.  (1)  However even this massive demonstration of force only moved part of the mountain.  Jesus tells us that our faith in God has enough power to move the entire mountain into the sea.  I believe the faith stone was the one David placed in his sling and due to his faith in God had sufficient power to slay the giant.   

2)      Alignment with God’s Will – While faith in God has great power, it is most effective when it is in alignment with the will of God.  Therefore, I believe one of the stones in David’s pouch was the stone of alignment with God’s will which made the stone of faith even more powerful.

3)      Intimacy with God – David had an intimate relationship with God and most likely spent much time in prayer and meditation while tending his father’s sheep.  I believe it is this close relationship that caused David’s reaction to Goliath to be one of faith while the other soldiers ran in fear.  The closer we draw to God, the easier it is for us to have confidence in God knowing that he will supply our needs, even if that need is to slay a giant like Goliath (Philippians 4:19). 

4)      Time in God’s Word – Ephesians 6:17 lists the Word of God as a sword.  However, a sword is useless unless a soldier knows how to use it.  Jesus resisted temptation by using the Word of God (Luke 4:1-13).  Our time in the Word of God helps us get to know God better and prepares us to use our sword when it becomes necessary.

5)      Help and support from other believers – Hebrews10:25 warns us about not meeting regularly with other believers because our getting together brings encouragement.  We live in a world full of giants trying to discourage us.  Therefore, we must carry the stone of fellowship with others of like faith to support and encourage our faith. 

Faith is the stone that slew Goliath but is effective when supported by the other four stones.  Therefore, each day let us not forget to pack our five stones of faith so we can slay any giants that come our way. 

1. Futurism. Earthquake Swarm Shakes Mount St. Helens. futurism.com. [Online] Futurism. [Cited: February 15, 2017.] https://futurism.com/earthquake-swarm-shakes-mount-st-helens/.