You are Not David!

What is the Bible? | Studying the Bible | 1 Samual 17 | TJ Torgerson

When I was much much younger, just an elementary-aged kid (if I remember correctly), a pastor came up to me at church and said something to the extent of, "You know what? You remind me of David in the Bible. The Bible says David was a man after God’s own heart." I’m not sure what prompted him to say that, but one thing I do know is that I believed him and I stood a little taller that day. Now, whenever I tell this story, I like to add this statement: Parents, adults, be careful what you say to your kids because you never know what they are going to believe.

In fact, I believed these words so much that I think they have, in some ways, been formative in my life. Ever since then, I have read the story of David a little bit differently.

About 12 years ago, Matt Chandler was invited to speak at Elevation Church during their “Code Orange Revival.” It was at this event that Chandler preached a sermon that began to circulate fairly quickly on the internet. In this sermon, he famously shouted out to the crowd gathered there, “You are not David!” Since then, this simple line, “You are not David!” has been a mantra of sorts in some circles. This theme was even highlighted in the 2018 documentary “American Gospel.” You can watch a clip of it here.

The thing about Chandler’s message is that it was spot on. It has been many years now since I have seen it, but I do not recall anything significant in it that I would have disagreed with or that I would have preached much differently (putting aside, of course, personality differences as well as differences in theological backgrounds). The point of the sermon and this idea is simply that we are not the hero of the story. God is, and God will always be, the hero. The point of the message was to fight against the narcissism or self-centeredness that is prevalent in the church (and all of humanity). Again, the message was spot on. Yet whenever I hear that jingle being jangled, “You are not David!” Something with in me shouts back,  “Am too!”

I am too David, and you can’t convince me otherwise. On one hand, I fundamentally agree with Matt Chandler and all the others that cry out with much energy and conviction, “You are not David!” But on the other hand, well, “I am too David.”

Does this mean I think that the Bible is all about me? No, not at all. The Bible is an epic, collaborative story about God, the Creator, seeking out His children. When the story is told, it acts as a beacon that leads His kids to Him. The bible is a trail of crumbs that leads to the Bread of Life, Christ.

I also believe the Bible is the primary way in which God continues to speak to us. So with that in mind, it is important to carefully, reverently, and accurately study and apply Scripture. When we look at a passage, we consider it within the story of the whole Bible. We consider it within its historical setting, its immediate literary setting, and we look at what words are used and how they are used. We consider genre. We do as much as we can, within our own abilities, to gain an accurate understanding of the text. We try to enter the story as much as possible so along with using our intellectual muscles we also need to use our childlike imaginative muscles. We should imagine the sights, the smells, the emotions, the struggles, the cool breeze that blew through the campground at night, and the sun beating down on our backs. I wonder what did Goliath’s voice sound like as he challenged the Israelites each day. When Saul told David of the situation did his voice shake? When David stood before Goliath did his knees shake? We become part of the story. We recognize that even though it is not a story about me, it is my story. And we recognize that even though it is not a story about me it is indeed still somehow a story about me.

That is when, in the midst of our studying and imagining, we become David. And we become not David. It is that moment in the story when we are both David and not David that we can begin to explore the question “What does all this mean to me and for me?”

Here is the thing. I love Chandler’s message from 2012 (at least what I remember about it). His point was that we are not the heroes of the story. It is not about us; it is about God. And to that, I say a hearty and heartfelt amen. But since God is the hero and not me, doesn’t that mean David is not the hero either? And if David is not the hero why can’t I be David? Wasn’t David  just a guy who dared to trust God when those around him were not, and as a result, God’s name was glorified? Man, I want to be that guy! You should also want to be a person like that. Someone that trusts God in all the moments in life where everything and everyone shrinks back. Someone that trusts God when the circumstances require it and God’s voice demands it.

But at the same time as I enter the story as David, I also enter the story as Saul hiding in my tent. I enter the story as the jealous brothers. I enter the story maybe even as Goliath. The story of the Bible is a story of God's big plan to redeem all of creation, all the Cosmos. And the REALLY GOOD NEWS is that plan includes me. So am I David? No, of course not. But I am David. And not only am I David, but I am also Jeremiah, Isaiah, Peter, the woman at the well, Adam and Eve, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judas, the Pharisees, the nation of Israel, Matthew, Paul, the Corinthian church, the thieves on the cross, the onlookers at Pentecost, Elijah battling the evil prophets, and running scared from Jezebel. And dare I say that sometimes, when reading about the life of Jesus, I put myself in His shoes, recognizing He is the goal.