By: Pastor Daniel Brito
Title: David, the Young Man Who Put His Trust in the LORD
Text: 1 Samuel 17:1-11
“The Philistines mustered their armies for war, concentrating their forces at Soco, a town in Judah. They encamped at Ephesdamin, located between Soco and Azekah.2 For their part, Saul and the Israelites also met and, camping in the valley of Elá, ordered their ranks for the battle against the Philistines.3 With the valley in between, the Philistines and Israelites took up positions on opposing hills.
4 A famous warrior, a native of Gath, left the Philistine camp. His name was Goliath, and he was almost three meters tall. 5 He wore a bronze helmet on his head, and his breastplate, which weighed a hundred and fifty pounds, was also of bronze,6 as were the leggings that protected his legs and the javelin he carried on his shoulder.7 The shaft of his The spear resembled the roller of a loom, and it had an iron point that weighed almost seven kilos. Before him walked a squire.
8 Goliath stopped before the Israelite soldiers and challenged them: “Why are you lining up your ranks for battle? Am I not a Philistine? And are you not in the service of Saul? Why don’t you choose someone to stand against me?9 If he is able to stand against me and kill me, we will serve you; but if I defeat him and kill him, you will be our slaves and serve us.”10 The Philistine further said, “Today I challenge the army of Israel! Choose a man to fight with me!” 11 When Saul and all the Israelites heard what the Philistine said, they were dismayed and very afraid.”
Introduction
We continue with our THROUGH THE BIBLE BOOK BY BOOK series, and now studying the book of 1 Samuel. Our lesson tonight is based on the Text that is probably one of the best known to people. The story of David and Goliath. This story is not just “historical”, rather it shows us the SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD in the matter. Again we can see that JEHOVAH is the TRUE GOD, and the victory is against the false gods of the Philistines. There are several lessons that we find in this precious lesson.
Lesson
1. The background. – Some time would have elapsed between chapter 16 where David had been taken to the king’s court to play the harp, thus relieving the evil oppression that came upon him, and chapter 17, where we now see that David had been sent back to his father’s house, and had busied himself once more with the care of the sheep.
2. An exemplary young man. – (1 Samuel 17:12-15) «David was the son of Jesse, an Ephrathean who lived in Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse was very old in Saul’s time, and had eight sons.13 His three eldest sons had gone to war with Saul. The firstborn was named Eliab; the second, Abinadab; the third, Sama.14 These three had followed Saul because they were the greatest. David, who was the youngest, 15 used to go to where Saul was, but he would return to Bethlehem to take care of his father’s sheep.”
(a) In a world where juvenile delinquency is so common, it is refreshing to be able to study from a young man who set a good example in his responsibilities as a son. The fact that he had been chosen to play the harp in the king’s court had not filled his life with pride, but when it was time to return, he did so by returning to his humble work as a shepherd. That says a lot about his character, and about his FEAR OF THE LORD.
3. The Philistines threaten Israel again. – Not long ago we could see that the Philistines had been defeated by the people of Israel, in a battle that had been won because JEHOVAH had intervened before the battle began (1 Samuel 13 and 14). Now the Philistines have returned to the battle, occupying land from the tribe of Judah, and Israel has readied itself for war, with a valley between the two armies.
(a) The Philistines brought with them a giant warrior, who appears to have been almost THREE meters, or 9 feet 9 inches tall. For 40 days both armies had been facing each other, without going to war. This is where the giant Goliath had gone out every day, and had challenged the army of Israel to send a man to fight him.
Yo. Goliath was a native of the city of Gath, and if we remember our past lessons, that was one of the cities where the Ark of the Covenant that had been carried by the Philistines, had caused the great epidemic of “tumors” by JEHOVAH. It was a city of giants, but even the giants, as we have said, were affected by the JUDGMENT of GOD.
(b) Battles for “champions” were not foreign to the ancient world. These battles differed from “duels” in that there were great consequences for entire armies and peoples. The champion of each town fought to the death, representing all of his town. The victory of one man was a victory for all. Those combats between two champions were based on the belief that the gods of each army fought or decided the battle.
Yo. That is the example we have with Goliath and David. It was not a coincidence that David arrived from the field at the time he arrived, but that JEHOVAH Himself, was showing once again that JEHOVAH is the only True GOD, through David.
(c) King Saul was the tallest man of the people of Israel, yet he had not accepted the challenge of going to fight Goliath. Saul had experienced the wonders that JEHOVAH had done when they went to war earlier, but his trust was not in JEHOVAH as he should have been, but in his own strength. If the king, who at the same time was the tallest man in the village, was afraid, then we can be sure that all the people were also afraid. How quickly people forget the WONDERS that GOD does in their midst! It is the same that we can see in our times.
4. Challenging the Armies of JEHOVAH. – (1 Samuel 17: 17-27) «The Philistine went out morning and evening to challenge the Israelites, and he did so for forty days. 17 One day Jesse said to his son David, “Take this bag of toasted wheat and these ten loaves of bread, and go quickly to the camp to give them to your brothers. 18 Also take these three cheeses for the battalion commander. Find out how your brothers are doing, and bring me proof that they are safe. 19 You will find them in the valley of Elah, with Saul and all the Israelite soldiers, fighting against the Philistines.” 20 David complied with Jesse’s instructions. He got up early in the morning and, after entrusting the flock to a shepherd, he took the provisions and set out on his way. He reached the camp just as the soldiers, shouting war cries, were coming out to take up their positions.21 The Israelites and the Philistines lined up facing each other. provisions, and ran to the ranks to greet his brothers. 23 While they were talking, Goliath, the great Philistine warrior from Gath, came out from the ranks to repeat his challenge, and David heard him. 24 When the Israelites saw Goliath, they fled terrified.25 Some said, “Do you see that man going out to defy Israel? Whoever defeats and kills him, the king will fill him with riches. Also, he will give him his daughter as his wife, and his family will be exempt from taxes here in Israel.” 26 David asked those with him, “What do you say they will give to anyone who kills that Philistine and thus saves the honor of Israel? Who does this pagan Philistine think he is, who dares to defy the army of the living God? 27 “Whoever kills him,” they repeated, “will receive the announced reward.”
(a) We must observe a few things about David:
Yo. First of all, we can see that he FEARED JEHOVAH. That says a lot about his father Jesse and his mother.
ii. Second, David trusted in the POWER OF JEHOVAH.
iii. Third, David was zealous for JEHOVAH.
(b) David understood very well that Goliath, as a Philistine, was outside Israel’s Covenant with JEHOVAH. In other words, David was sure of PROTECTION from GOD for his People for being within the Covenant as the people of Israel. That security was based on his trust in JEHOVAH.
5. Jealousy and envy as opposed to humility. – (1 Samuel 17:28-32) “Eliab, David’s older brother, heard him talking to the men and was furious with him. He demanded: “What have you come here to do?” With whom have you left those few sheep in the desert? I know you. You are bold and ill-intentioned. Surely you have come to see the battle! 29 —And now what did I do? David protested. I have barely opened my mouth! 30 Departing from his brother, he asked others, who told him the same thing.”
(a) David’s older brothers were jealous of him, probably because he had been taken to King Saul’s court to play the harp, and had spent some time there.
Yo. Eliab, David’s older brother, accused David of abandoning the flock. In other words, being lazy. Something that, as we have already said, was not true.
ii. Eliab’s other accusations are usually used to describe human disobedience to GOD (Deuteronomy 17:12; Jeremiah 7:24). We know that accusation was not true. Rather, David had come guided by the SPIRIT OF THE LORD.
(b) In opposition to those claims, we can see that David answered him well. David’s humility is evident in the way he responds, and leads his life.
(c) LESSON: David is there because the Sovereignty of GOD had guided him. David was in the middle of GOD’s plan, and his brothers were being a stumbling block.
(d) LESSON #2: Fighting between blood brothers and sisters is so common in our day. There are so many times that we can witness those sons and daughters who are fighting with their brothers and sisters because of an “inheritance”. The LORD JESUS CHRIST warned about that very thing, and called it “greed” (Luke 12:13-21).
(e) LESSON #3: David’s first obstacle was his own blood brothers. If David had not overcome that obstacle, and had gone to his people, there would not have been that great victory that GOD had for him.
Yo. The believer must remember that many times the first obstacles we face come from family members and people close to us.
ii. It is important to be like David, who did not let the first obstacle stop him, or make him go backwards. So too we must not allow obstacles to be the cause of a fruitless Christian life.
6. The corresponding armor. – (1 Samuel 17:31-40) «Some who heard what David had said, told Saul, and Saul sent for him. philistine! I’ll go fight him myself. 33 “How can you fight this Philistine alone? Saul replied. You are but a boy, whereas he has been a warrior all his life. 34 David replied:
“It’s my turn to take care of my father’s flock.” When a lion or a bear comes and takes a sheep from the flock,35 I chase him and beat him until he lets go of his prey. And if the animal attacks me,…