Facedown!

The other day, I learned an amazing Biblical truth from my friend, Pastor Meng Pu. We were studying the story of David and Goliath, in a paraphrased textbook. It said that when David threw the stone, it hit Goliath, and he fell down and died. True enough, right? But Meng Pu directed me back to the un-paraphrased Scriptures, which, in I Samuel 17:49b, says: "The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground." Through some creative sketching and gesturing, Meng Pu drew my attention to the word "facedown." He expressed that the laws of physics would say that if a force comes against you from the front - particularly to the forehead - the highest part of your front side, then your natural trajectory would be to fall backward. So the fact that Goliath fell facedown shows something incredible:

GOD KILLED GOLIATH.

He knocked him over, stopped his heart, ended his life. This victory was not the work of a stone, a sling, or a simple shepherd boy. And I am sure David wouldn't mind me saying so, since he said it himself to the Philistine before he keeled over: "All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands." (v.47)

Praise God that the battle - every battle - is the Lord's. We do not have to fight alone. As long as we stand for Him and wear his armor, he will have the victory. And the old Enemy, who mocks him and defiles his name and his people, will fall facedown every time.