Greetings. One on the most widely known Bible story, is that of David and Goliath, yet this does us no Spiritual good if we do not know how the story symbolize something about the character of man. Goliath represent our carnal mind which comes against God's word to make us fear our own thoughts.  Our own spirit mocks the things of God even as Goliath mocked by defying the Israel. 1 Samuel 17:24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.    1 Samuel 17:10 And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together. When read the Bible we are going into battle against a Goliath or the carnal thoughts of men and this opposition can come in many forms.  1 Samuel 17:28And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? And with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle. In the above verses David the future king of Israel is criticized by his eldest brother Eliab. But David knew something the eldest brother did not, which we must know if we are going to ever defeat our fleshly way of seeing the Bible. 1Samuel 17:47  And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands. Whenever we pick the Bible at that  very moment you are in a battle. The flesh versus Spirit: your thoughts verses God’s thoughts. If you do not realize this you have already lost the battle and will be like young David eldest brother Eliab who feared GoIiath.   Isaiah 55:8  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. Remember you are going into battle with your own carnal thoughts that envy the Lord’s thoughts which are His word. 1Samuel 17:4  And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. These Goliaths in our carnal mind are huge in height, in fact you believe your thoughts are like the most high: God thoughts.  Isaiah 14:14  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. By taking thought or by adding our thoughts on God’s word, men and women think they can grow spiritually. Luke 12:25  And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? The carnal mind of man boasts of great swelling words of what it’s going to do against God’s word or Israel. Israel represents God’s word and not some physical place in the far east, and you will not find God by making a physical trip over there. John 1:47  Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him,and saith of him,Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! A true Israelite is a person speaking the reveal word of God and not their own thoughts or guile. We must learn to wait on the Holy Ghost for His interpretation and this takes great faith. Zephaniah 3:13  The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down and none shall make them afraid. The remnant of this is a people that Spiritually can understand God's word: our own wisdom cannot interpret a Spiritual Bible and only speak a lies. The remnant also represents God's word.  Samuel 17:8  And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. God’s has an army and so does the carnal mind, multitudes of thoughts array waiting in a valley your mind. Joel 3:14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. What man can go up against his own thoughts and not trust them? They are our weapons, like brass in our mind. Psalm 52:7 For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me. 1Samuel 17:4  And there went out a champion…1Samuel 17:10  And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together. Now our carnal thoughts are well protected by our skull, in Goliath case: a helmet of brass and brass armor. 1Samuel 17:5  And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass. The military slang for high ranking officers is called the brass. These generals and commanders make all the most important decisions that effects the troops on the ground. The common foot soldier probably will never meet them face-to-face. Isaiah 48:4  Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass.  Our thoughts or commanders like to stay hidden by having you to think you have the mind of Christ and are filled with the Holy Ghost. We are not and only filled with ourselves and made our thoughts[ spiritual children] like the most high. Isaiah 14:14  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the most high. We are going up against a Goliath or high thought  as a man and you will die in battle. Goliath was asking for man to fight with.  Isaiah 47:3  Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man. Goliath or us also represents all our physical gifts: water baptism, tongue, altar calls, this amour will not protect from God's wrath and one night: you will find yourself spiritually naked. This amour are all the physical things or gifts that blinds us and makes one think they are saved. Proverbs 15:27  He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he hateth gifts shall live. We become spiritually greedy thinking we know God just because we can quote a few scriptures. Revelation 16:15  Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. God come as thief to strips man of his amour, or his self-righteousness. Deuteromony 32:41If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me. Since man rules over everything’s he sees, naturally he thinks he can rule over God’s word he cannot spiritually see. This is hatred hidden behind a target of brass where a hard heart resides. 1Samuel 17:6And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders. David knew what his eldest brother did not that the battles the Lord.  1Samuel 17:47  And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands. Sword and spears symbolize something physical things, we do to try and save ourselves like: water baptism, going to a physical altar, talking in tongues, which is not the tongue God's speaks.  Isaiah 28:11  For with stammering lips and another will He speak to this people. Noticed the verse said this people and not God's people why? Spiritually we become weary when we try to speak God's words the way He sees them. Isaiah 28:12  This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to reat; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.  We cannot be refreshed by God's word became we want to hear it our way. When God starts revealing His word to you, boasting has no place. There is no certificate of Biblical Theology given to show your friends. You will not be strutting your stuff as a spiritually Goliath boasting about coming against God's words. You have receive something the natural man cannot see. Isaiah 45:3  And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. God’s treasures are hidden from man darken mind, that’s why he cannot comprehend anything spiritually. Colossians 1:21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled . Enemies in the mind? Goliath got struck with a stone in forehead and the stone we reject will be the stone that destroys us.  Matthew 21:42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, the stone  which the builders rejected. We all are Goliaths telling God what we're going to his word. 1 Samuel 17:49  And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth. Now a stone is also a rock: David knew what he held in his hand. Psalms 62:2  He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved. Michael Rudolph Hodges 12/25/2016

AMENDMENT 2/20/2019/ Amendment 2/26/2021/ amend 5/20/2021/ amend 2/11/2022/  3/14/2022