“You shall take the case to the sanctuary of the Lord your God, to the priests and Levites, and the chief judge on duty at the time will make the decision. His decision is without appeal and is to be followed to the letter. The sentence he imposes is to be fully executed. If the defendant refuses to accept the decision of the priest or judge appointed by God for this purpose, the penalty is death. Such sinners must be purged from Israel. Then everyone will hear about what happened to the man who refused God’s verdict, and they will be afraid to defy a court’s judgment” (Deut 17:8-13; NLB)

As David went to fight Goliath, he surely remembered the story of Ichabod. He knew the truth. Even if the army of Israel loses against the Philistines, Jehovah can never lose against Dagon. That can never happen! His faith was in God alone. He was ready to die to honor God! He knew God’s promise: ‘if you honor God and you give Him all the glory, God shall honor you!’ Face to face with Goliath, David has a glimpse of his destiny, of his ministry. This life on earth is not about giants or about solving problems! This was his decision: He shall live his life in such a way that people will see him and give God all the glory! His own glory did not matter! Let God have it all! This was a destiny moment for David. This was his holy secret that made him ‘a man after God’s heart’. In life or in death, he shall serve the Living God! He shall fulfill ‘God’s purpose in his generation’ by giving Him all the glory! Others shall see him and do the same! That shall be his heritage! That shall be his memorial! That shall be his eternal reward!

“I will honor those who honor Me, but those who despise Me will be disgraced” (1Sam 2:30)
To honor God means to glorify God. To despise God means to dishonor Him by being proud in His presence. The result of such a stubborn attitude brings down God’s judgment on the unrepentant sinner. A man can also despise God by dishonoring His servant. It is like treating with contempt a judge in his own court. In the Old Testament, the punishment for open, willful disrespect against the high priest or the authority representing God was death.

This is what David believed: Goliath has insulted Jehovah! Goliath has insulted God’s servant! It does not matter that David is just seventeen years old…God is on his side! By faith, David stood as God’s ambassador, priest and judge! He announced the decree: because Goliath has despised the name of God in God’s own ‘court’, Goliath has to die! And the judge’s hammer fell with the sound of holy anger! The sling and the stone was just the picture of that hammer!

How long ago did you taste pure victory in spiritual warfare?
How long ago did you feel the mantle of God’s sovereign authority on your small shoulders?
Do you know that you are a king, a priest, a judge and an ambassador of Jesus?
Do you walk in that knowledge?
Do you walk in that anointing?
What is your testimony?
What is your heritage?
How will your loved ones remember you after you’ve gone?

In Christ I declare:
Dagon has fallen!
Babylon has fallen!
It can never rise again!
This is the decree of the Lord!
As for me and my household, we shall serve and honor the Lord!
I shall live all my life conscious of the presence of God!
It is my responsibility and my privilege to give God all the glory!
In Jesus name
Amen!