Rev Z – We Must Be Familiar With Our Gear

And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.

And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved [it]. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved [them]. And David put them off him.

And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling [was] in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.

This passage is from I Samuel 17:38-40. It tells of the events just prior to David entering into battle with the Philistine giant Goliath. In the first verse Saul wanted to outfit David with his armor and sword. Since Saul was a king, certainly his armor and weapons would have been the best  available. However in the second verse, David states that he cannot use Saul’s gear because he had not “proved them”.

The message here is that if we ever hope to protect anyone or anything, we must be familiar with our gear and make sure the things we are relying on are proven to us. Just because someone else can shoot a certain firearm well doesn’t mean that you can. Just because it is the best available doesn’t mean it is the best for you. Prove the things that you may be required to trust your life to.

As a closing thought…he chose 5 stones. Is that an Old Testament version of a high capacity magazine?

Rev Z

photo credit: Jos van Wunnik via photopin cc