July 31,
2007
Rise up,
LORD, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee
before thee. (Numbers 10: 35 KJV)
1 Samuel Chapter 17 Author:
Unknown KJV Part
1
One of
the most famous stories of the Bible and one of my favorites. To me David is a perfect example of
being totally in love with God.
David will sin as we all, but David is first and foremost a lover of the
Lord. If I were to put three people
other the Jesus Christ to look up to as an example, they would be David, Stephen
the first martyr of the Christian faith and Job. They are all three excellent
examples, but we Christians should strive to become more like
Jesus.
The
battle below is with the Philistines a constant enemy of the
Israelites.
(1 Samuel 17:1-3 KJV) "Now the Philistines gathered together
their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which
belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in
Ephesdammim. {2} And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together,
and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the
Philistines. {3} And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side,
and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley
between them."
The two
armies went out each morning in full battle array and they would verbally taunt
one another.
(1
Samuel 17:4-7 KJV) "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. {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. {6} And
he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his
shoulders. {7} And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's
beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one
bearing a shield went before him."
Goliath, a
monster of a man would also come out for the Philistines. A first look at him would make you thing
that you would not want to go against him.
The Israelites could not look past Goliath and see any
vulnerability. Certainly his armor
was impenetratable against their smaller swords if they even could get close to
striking range. Neither were javelins were not heavy enough to do the job. Goliath was a formidable for and all of
the Israelites knew it as well as King Saul.
(1
Samuel 17:8-11 KJV) "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. {9} If he
be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if
I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve
us. {10} And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day;
give me a man, that we may fight together. {11} When Saul and all Israel
heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly
afraid."
Saul was
more afraid because he would have been the likely candidate to go up against
Goliath because he was the leader and because he stood head and shoulders above
all of his soldiers. Saul could not
see past Goliath because the Spirit of the Lord had departed from him and he
could only see the human side of the equation.
(1
Samuel 17:12-15 KJV) "Now David
was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehemjudah, whose name was
Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man went among men for an old
man in the days of Saul. {13} And the three eldest sons of Jesse went
and followed Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons that
went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab,
and the third Shammah. {14} And David was the youngest: and the
three eldest followed Saul. {15} But David went and returned from Saul to
feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem."
As you recall in the last lesson Saul had requested David into his service because he was a skillful musician and when the evil spirit came upon Saul David’s music dispersed that spirit from him. As David was not needed all of the time, he went back and forth from the Saul’s home to his father’s home to tend the sheep. David had a true shepherd’s heart which would be a great asset to him all of his life
The
oldest three brothers of David went to war with Saul, the scripture says nothing
of the other four. It seems they
could have watched the sheep when David was gone, but watching sheep was a lowly
job. I suppose the four brothers
were to good to watch sheep.
(1
Samuel 17:16 KJV) "And the
Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty
days."
For forty
days Goliath came in front of Israel’s soldiers both morning and evening to
demoralized them. They were totally
frightened of this man.
Forty is a number
that is mentioned throughout the Bible for judgment and testing. It rained forty days and nights with
Noah, the Israelites wandered forty years in the desert, Jesus fasted in the
wilderness for forty days and rose into heaven forty days after his
resurrection.
(1
Samuel 17:17-19 KJV) "And Jesse
said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched
corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren; {18}
And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and
look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge. {19} Now Saul, and
they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting
with the Philistines."
(1
Samuel 17:20-24 KJV) "And David
rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and
went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was
going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle. {21} For Israel and
the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army. {22} And
David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into
the army, and came and saluted his brethren. {23} And as he talked with
them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by
name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same
words: and David heard them. {24} And all the men of Israel, when they
saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid."
Notice how
conscientious David is of his sheep; he gets them a shepherd before he leaves to
go see his brothers. Apparently the
other four brothers could have cared less about the sheep. When he arrives at
the Israelite camp, he leaves the presents he brought with the supply clerk then
goes to greet his brothers. About
that time Goliath came out and starting shouting obscenities to the men and to
the God of Israel. David did not
like what he heard.
(1
Samuel 17:25 KJV) "And the men of
Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he
come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will
enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his
father's house free in Israel."
The soldiers are torn between being scared and talking about the reward Saul has promised to anyone who would go up and kill Goliath. They are thinking about that reward, but they failed to look to God. Things have gotten so bad that Saul has to offer a bribe.
(1
Samuel 17:26 KJV) "And David spake
to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth
this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is
this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living
God?"
David hears
about the reward but is more concerned about God’s honor and removing the
disgrace from Israel as this uncircumcised Philistine was defying the armies of
the living God David was
angered by Goliath and he did not show the fear of all of the
men.
(1
Samuel 17:27 KJV) "And the people
answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that
killeth him."
The men once
again make it known to David that the man killing Goliath would receive a
reward.
(1
Samuel 17:28 KJV) "And 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."
David’s
older brother scorns him for coming to visit, that he was there for the blood
and guts of the battle, that he had a wicked heart. Jesus was also one that was not accepted
by his brothers when he spoke in his hometown of Galilee. Many others have been ridiculed by their
brothers and sisters when they came to a saving knowledge of Jesus, or tried to
tell them of His saving grace.
Eliab was
upset with David 1.) Because David was an insignificant member of his family and
had no right to speak 2.) He felt he knew David had a motive of pride 3.) He
felt David was trying to provoke someone into fighting Goliath and 4.) David was
right.
David was hurt by
Eliab’s remarks, but he could have blown it by losing his temper to his
him.
(1
Samuel 17:29-30 KJV) "And David
said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause? {30} And he
turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner: and the people
answered him again after the former manner."
Instead of
saying “Can’t I even speak?” the King James reads; “Is there not a cause?” David has a different perspective
of things than do the Men and King Saul.
David is thinking of this travesty before his Holy God more than own
personal safety or honor. David is
very passionate for the cause of God.
David was pretty
courageous in his speech so courageous that Saul got word of it and commanded
David to come and see him.
Where did David get
his courage?
It
had been born in secret and nursed in solitude.
David had a real relationship with God. God was as real to him as his brothers
were, or even as Goliath was. “There is no short cut to the life of faith, which
is the all-vital condition of a holy and victorious life. We must have periods
of lonely meditation and fellowship with God . . . Thus alone can the sense of
God’s presence become the fixed possession of the soul, enabling it to say
repeatedly, with the psalmist, ‘Thou art near, O God.’”
(Meyer)
It
stood the test of daily life.
David was following the simple, humble instructions of his father. “Go take
these things to you brothers,” and he did just that. We often think that we must
be delivered from the normal cares of life before we can be used of God.
But God wants to use us in and through the normal cares of life. (David
Guzik)
It
bore meekly misconstruction and rebuke.
When David was misunderstood and rebuked, publicly, by his own brother, probably
amid the laughs of the other soldiers, he could have blown it. But he showed the
strength of the armor of God in his life, and replied rightly. He didn’t care
about his glory or success, but only for the glory and success of the Lord’s cause. Goliath was a dead man
right then! This is where the battle was won! If Eliab’s hurtful words can
get David in the flesh, and out of the flow of the Spirit of the Lord, then David’s strength is gone. But
when David ruled his spirit and answered softly, he was more in step with the
Spirit of the Lord than ever. You
could start digging Goliath’s grave right then! (David
Guzik)
“Immediately
before the encounter with the Philistine he fought a battle which cost him far
more thought, prudence, and patience. The word-battle in which he had to engage
with his brothers and with king Saul, was a more trying ordeal to him than going
forth in the strength of the Lord to smite the uncircumcised boaster. Many a man
meets with more trouble from his friends than from his enemies; and when he has
learned to overcome the depressing influence of prudent friends, he makes short
work of the opposition of avowed adversaries.” (Spurgeon)
(1
Samuel 17:32 KJV) "And David said
to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight
with this Philistine."
(1
Samuel 17:33 KJV) "And Saul said to
David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for
thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth."
When Saul
heard David, he had to shake his head and say, “This can’t be happening”. This
teenager who has never been in battle wants to go out and kill Goliath?
(1
Samuel 17:34-37 KJV) "And David
said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and
a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: {35} And I went out after him,
and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose
against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
{36} Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised
Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the
living God. {37} David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of
the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of
the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with
thee."
The Lord was
preparing David during his sheep herding days. David had no problems protecting his
sheep. Most sheep herders probably
would not have gone after the lion or bear, but David was true to his calling
and went up against the wild beast and did what he had to do. Saul could not speak out against the
Lord because David was living proof that he came out on the winning end killing
animals mush stronger and powerful than even Goliath. This is how God uses people in his
redemptive plan. If we are faithful
in smaller things, he gives us bigger things to do.
“I
charge you, therefore, my beloved brethren and sisters, who know the Lord, be up
and in earnest to slay your lions and your bears, that you may learn how to kill
your Philistines: that is to say; — serve God with all your heart, and patiently
bear the cross for his name’s sake, so that when the time shall come for you to
stand as a lone man for Christ, you may do it gloriously, and may bring honor to
your divine Leader.” (Spurgeon)
We’ll
end here and pick up tomorrow
24 The LORD bless thee, and
keep thee:
25 The LORD make his face shine
upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
26 The LORD lift up his
countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
27 And they shall put my name
upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them.
Numbers 6 KJV
Have
a blessed day
Lee
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