M il it a r y strategy has always placed supreme im portance upon having a tnorougjh knowledge of the size, strength, and strategy of the enemy. Jesus Christ adds His word of warning to us along this line when He says, “What man of you goes to war without first dis covering the strength of his opposition?” “And there went out a champion . . —I Samuel 17:4 Goliath certainly presents to us a fearsome sight. He was probably four feet taller than David. He was well protected by heavy armor — an experienced fighter — a champion — he was accompanied by a bodyguard. It is not particularly surprising that none of the soldiers in Saul’s army were anxious to accept Goliath’s challenge — they were not cowards; they were just realists. They knew that they were no match for this overgrown mountain of a man. His strength, armor, and battle experience offered an awesome contrast to even the largest, strongest, and most seasoned soldier in Israel’s army. Their judgment was sound. Goliath was unques tionably too strong for any one man. “ Goliath drew near morning and evening and pre sented himself forty days.” — I Samuel 17:16 His brutish character is revealed in the fact that his favorite pastime was shouting out threats and insults every morning and evening for forty days against the army of Israel. The number “ forty” has a peculiar significance in Bible teaching in its association with testing. Moses was forty years in Pharaoh’s court and then forty years in the backside of the desert. He was forty days on the mountain top. Israel was forty years in the wilderness. Christ was forty days in the wilderness tempted of the Devil. The early Church spent forty days between the resurrection of Christ and the time in which they gathered in the upper room. Each of these cases is characterized by teaching and testing. How clearly the tenacity of the enemy is revealed in this forty day trial. Saul’s army had to face Goliath’s cruel and mocking challenge every morning. Then before fear of it had died out, they had to listen to it again each evening. They were haunted in the dark hours of the night by this taunting specter. The echo of his awful voice seemed to reverberate throughout the camp in the black and endless night hours. So it is, Satan rests neither day nor night. Those whom he cannot defeat during the hours of the day he conquers under the cover of darkness. Many a Christian is so harassed by the evil One that he has no rest. The appearance of Goliath morning and evening is suggestive of the necessity of beginning each day with humble and acknowledged dependence upon God. Even so, each day should be closed with a committal of the night hours into His hands. Victory in the morning watch can assure victory throughout the day. To underestimate the size, strength, or strategy of our enemy can but lead to defeat — yet it is possible that we are doing that very thing every day. The fact that we “ 1 am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly .” — John 10:10
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