When hearing the story of David and Goliath I have often asked the Lord, "Why five smooth stones?" Why not one, sharp branch, thrown like a spear or one, huge boulder rolled down a cliff? I mean really, the Bible does not record either that David stopped to pray about taking down Goliath. He did not march around him like Joshua and the walls of Jericho or fast about the situation like Queen Esther did about the evil plans of genocide by Haman. No, this giant was defeated quickly and strategically by a confident, forward attack in the sure hand of a shepherd with staff in one hand and five smooth stones in the other. Bam!
Okay, but why 'five' stones? Perhaps each stone foretells of the 5-fold ministry? For instance, there are five ministry expressions listed in Ephesians 4:11, ...he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; Also, are we not defined as 'living stones' in the Body of Christ? It says in 1 Peter 2:5, 'Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.' And further in Ephesians 4:16, 'from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love..' we are defined as a unit.
Still, the question remains, why 'smooth' stones? Answer: smooth stones fly accurately! These stones had been in the river long enough to have become smooth. They had undoubtedly been jostled, knocked about and been broken in the river. For a long time they bumped against other stones in the water, becoming chiseled, accurate weapons for a future coming king.
Beloved, I believe we are those five smooth stones. We are being jostled, bumped, and broken in the water (the Spirit) chiseled to be smooth and to be accurate. We are designed and purposed to work together to be an effective and apparently a lethal weapon against our common enemy but also for the loving support and vitality of one another.
Let us accept our shape (function) and our part on the team. Let's not forsake the smoothing process. Let's stay in the river. I'm just saying...
1 Samuel 1:40
