Take a Stone, a Smooth Stone—Oh, and Make It More Than One

Asked to speak at a church in Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico, Auntie Trinie and I made the six and a half hour drive from Cuernavaca, an exhausting trip made longer, of course, by stops along the way and lots of harrowing curves. There I heard Auntie Trinie give an unusual message. She talked about the stones David picked up on his way to fight Goliath. Five in number, she equated them to five basic precepts in the Christian's life. Although I don't remember the precepts to which she paralleled them, years later those five stones began to bug me, turning and churning in my mind, tickling my spirit, letting me know that Auntie was onto something more than a touch of whimsy.

The Word of God, though written by many different men, was written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16). Over and over again, and in many ways, the Scriptures lay out the fact that God is precise. The language used to record a moment in biblical history is not haphazard. There is a reason for every single item written in God's Word.

Sometimes God gives revelation about His Word by having us compare Scripture with Scripture. Like when Jesus quoted Psalm 8 substituting the word "praise" for the word "strength," giving us to understand that praise and strength are synonymous. Then there are times when the Holy Spirit simply opens our eyes as He did the disciples' on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:30-31) through context, intent, setting, and more. Maybe Auntie's take-off using David's five stones as a representation of tenets of the Christian life seems a bit whimsical, but there had to be a reason why David picked up that number of stones. The writer could have said, "several" or "many." But he didn't. He used a precise number: five. Let's study on it, as the old timers used to say.

First of all, why stones? Well, duuuhhh. Clearly they were needed for David's preferred method of fighting, the sling. In picking up those stones, David was getting his sling ready, binding his faith to his strengths. He unwittingly modeled how God uses us with the specific strengths with which He has endowed us (Philippians 2:13). King Saul tried to get him to use traditional armor along with a sword, but David had no expertise with those conventional armaments (1 Samuel 17:38-39). He couldn't do it. To be successful, he had to be himself. God doesn't expect us to act or do as someone else does, no matter how successful they are. God desires to use us in our strengths, in the strengths He has given us.

Second, note that David picked up smooth stones. He didn't look for whatever. No, he looked for the very best of the things that he needed. As it turns out research-wise, smooth stones were the kind best used in a sling, a deadly weapon used effectively by ancient men of military might. In the hands of a skilled slinger, those stone missiles could be shot at over 100 miles per hour. David's selectivity gives us a peek at how God expects us to perform the tasks that He assigns us—with wisdom and knowledge. The Old Testament tells us that Moses looked for skilled artisans to construct the tabernacle and all its accompanying paraphernalia (Exodus 35:10). While God does look at the heart—which is why the widow's mite was worth more in God's eyes than the offerings of those who gave out of their plenty (Mark 12:41-44)—He also expects our very best. If we're going to sing a special in church, it should not only be from the heart, but also laced with practice in order to offer God the best that we can give Him.

There's also the little niggling fact that smooth stones don't get that way from one day to the next. To be fit for use, those good stones have to go through the lengthy and arduous process of being worn down by the elements. Our dear friend, missionary Dr. Oscar Brooks, has had young men approach him to ask that he lay hands on them so that they can minister in the strength and anointing that is his. He prays for them, but he also explains to those young men that a good teacher or minister does not attain mastery with the snap of the fingers (or, in this case, the laying on of hands). While it is definitely good to be commended unto God through prayer, the aspiring minister must also invest in good ol' elbow grease—praying, studying, fasting, submitting to God. These elements have to do their work on the prospective minister for him to shine. The process is never instantaneous; it is the result of practice, practice, and more practice in seeking God. While the stones were passive recipients of the elements and the time needed to perfect them for use, David was not. He actively pursued the discipline necessary to excel with the sling. Practice, practice, practice. God did not use him for this glorious story when David was just starting out protecting sheep. He let him get loads of experience under his belt before He brought him before the big guns.

Third, David picked up five stones. One giant, five stones? Why so many if there's only one giant? 2 Samuel 21:15-22 gives the names of two of Goliath's brothers, refers to a third, and infers the possibility of a fourth. Some think that this is the reason for the five stones, that David was preparing in case Goliath's giant brothers decided to make an entrance. The problem with that vein of thought is that the brothers are not mentioned in the David vs Goliath passage (1 Samuel 17). I think it is safe to infer that the number of stones tell us that David was preparing for the possibility of missing. His words show his absolute confidence in God to give him the victory; the victory was not in question. It was the fact that, as excellent in the use of the sling as he was, David was a realist. He knew it's best to be prepared—even great hunters can miss.

David had killed bear and lions—but he knew that there were times when he missed the mark and had to redouble his efforts. While he knew God would give him the victory, he prepared for every eventuality. Jesus, talking about the cost of discipleship, said, "For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Let haply, after he hath laid the foundation ... is not able to finish" (Luke 14:28-29). Anything done for the Kingdom—or anything regarding earthly matters—requires forethought and adequate planning. That's just wisdom. David got five stones. If by chance he missed once, he'd still bring that giant down.

And let's not forget that neat little feature we've learned about Hebrew numbers. Unlike our plain Arabic numerals that are just representations of numbers, Hebrew numbers are represented by letters of the Hebrew alphabet and carry an inherent meaning. As it turns out, the number five is related to grace, favor and redemption. Research it. There are sooo many beautiful things in the Bible related to that number. Surely this meaning is part of why David was inspired to pick up not one, not two, but five stones. This remarkable story of redemption in his life and the life of the people of Israel was made possible only by the grace and favor of God.

Auntie had it right. Those five smooth stones do tell a story. They speak of confidence in God, planning, using the strengths God has given us, doing our best for Jesus—and knowing that our every victory is a given, covered by the grace and favor of the Living God.

So go, ensure your victory—pack more than one stone. And make sure they are the good ones, smooth and fit for the Master's use.

"For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope" (Romans 15:4).