I Samuel 17:41-58
In his book Fuzzy Memories, Jack Handey writes:
There used to be this bully who would demand my
lunch money every day. Since I was smaller, I
would give it to him. Then I decided to fight back. I
started taking karate lessons. But then the karate
lesson guy said I had to start paying him five
dollars a lesson. So I just went back to paying the
bully.
Too many people feel it is easier just to pay the
bully than it is to learn how to defeat him.
Well, today we are finally going to get to the action of the
story of David and Goliath. The moment we have all been
waiting for.
Let’s pray and ask God to help us see the Scripture with
fresh eyes. Let’s ask Him to help us know Him more
deeply and be obedient to what He calls us each to do.
I Samuel 17:41-44
David’s Foe
Goliath noticed David coming toward him, so he moved
toward David with his shield-bearer.
From Goliath’s view it wasn’t an even matchup at all. 2
adults against one boy.
One giant with all of his armor and weapons plus his
shield-bearer versus a young shepherd boy.
It doesn’t seem like a fair fight at all.
Before the physical fight, Goliath engaged in some
psychological warfare.
When Goliath saw David, the Bible says he disdained
him.
Disdain means to treat someone as unworthy of your
consideration or respect. David was handsome, but just a
youth.
It’s interesting that Goliath describes David with almost
the exact same words as he was described in I Samuel
16:12 “…Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and
was handsome.”
Goliath was looking at the outward appearance of David.
God already told Samuel NOT to do that.
God saw David’s heart and He knew David would have
faith to stand up to the giant as long as he had God on
his side.
Goliath couldn’t see David’s heart, he only saw a boy.
Goliath taunts David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?”
The term dog is almost always a term of derision in the
Bible.
Goliath then curses David by his gods. Remember, one
of Goliath’s gods was Dagon. Remember what happened
to him when they captured the ark of the covenant and
put it in the same place as Dagon? Dagon fell face down.
They propped him up and the next day he had his head
and arms cut off and was lying face down again.
Goliath challenges David to come to him.
He threatened David to see what happens if he fights
against this giant. Goliath said he was going to give his
flesh to the birds and the beasts.
We see this reference to defeat elsewhere in Scripture.
Deuteronomy 28:26 “And your dead body shall be
food for all birds of the air and for the beasts of the
earth, and there shall be no one to frighten them
away.”
I Samuel 17:45-47
David’s Faith
Part of Faith is the way we look at situations.
Goliath looked at the battle between him and David as a
mismatch. He thought he was assured of victory.
David viewed the battle differently. He saw a mortal man
going up against the eternal God of all creation who
spoke everything into existence.
David knew this giant had no chance against his God.
Church, how do you view your giants?
Do you see them through man’s eyes or God’s eyes.
David’s faith is evident. Worldly weapons are no match
for God!
You come to me with a sword and a spear and a javelin,
but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts.
You denied him, now you are going to pay.
David then tells Goliath what is actually going to happen.
This day the Lord will deliver you to me.
I am going to strike you down.
I’m going to cut off your head.
I’m going to give the dead bodies of your army buddies
to the birds and the wild animals
All the earth will know that the Lord saves not with sword
and spear.
The battle is the Lord’s.
We are going to win.
You are going to die.
I wonder if David thought of what God told Israel in
Deuteronomy 20:3-4 “and shall say to them, ‘Hear,
O Israel, today you are drawing near for battle
against your enemies: let not your heart faint. Do
not fear or panic or be in dread of them., for the
Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for
you against your enemies, to give you the victory.’”
I Samuel 17:48-51
David’s Fight
David didn’t run from the fight like his brothers and the
other Israelites had been doing twice daily.
He ran toward his enemy. He wasn’t afraid.
Remember, he was filled with righteous indignation
because this Philistine has defied the armies of the living
God.
“If we say we trust, we demonstrate the reality of
our trust (faith) by our obedience.” Wayne Barber
David demonstrated his faith by running into battle,
trusting the Lord.
Remember what David said in the verses we studied last
week.
“The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and
from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of
this Philistine.”
David is not afraid to fight. He is trusting God to keep
Him safe.
In verse 40 we read that David picked out five smooth
stones from the brook and put them in his pouch.
Those stones would be hurled toward his enemy at a
speed of over 60 miles an hour. Remember, these stones
were the size of a tennis ball.
David pulled out one of the stones and put it in his sling
and flung it at Goliath. And it was a direct hit. The first
stone.
It landed right in the center of his forehead and knocked
him face down on the ground.
This makes me think of Dagon in the temple with the ark
of the covenant. Face down, unable to do anything.
David won his battle without even using a sword.
But then David ran over to the giant and stood over him.
He took the giant’s sword and killed him and then cut his
head off just like he told the giant he was going to do.
Sweet victory! The Lord’s way.
When the Philistines saw that Goliath was dead they fled.
It’s an interesting turn of events. For the first time in 40
days the Philistines are the ones running in fear.
Also, notice how they didn’t keep the word of their
champion. He promised that if Israel could deliver a
warrior that could defeat him, his army would be Israel’s
servants. They didn’t keep their end of the bargain.
I Samuel 17:52-54
David’s Favor
Once David defeated the giant, the soldiers took off after
the Philistines to kill them. They chased them all the way
to Gath and Ekron.
When Israel returned they went back and plundered
them.
Not only was David able to defeat the giant, but he got
the spoils of war too.
To go along with the loot, David also collected a souvenir,
the head of Goliath.
The Bible says David brought the head to Jerusalem.
This is another one of those times where the events
aren’t in chronological order. The Scripture mentions
David going to Jerusalem in 2 Samuel 5, but not before.
We know that Jerusalem was occupied by the Jebusites.
Of course David would eventually set up his throne in
Jerusalem and overthrow the Jebusites, but for now he
would hold on to the head of Goliath.
I Samuel 17:55-58
David’s Family
After Saul saw David go out to fight the Philistine he
asked Abner “whose son is this youth?”
Abner had no idea.
Saul wants to know who David’s dad is.
I think he knew David’s name, but he forgot his dad’s
name.
I believe there are two reasons for this:
He is going to need to know where to send the prize that
he promised for beating the giant.
He wants David to work for him as his armor bearer.
We see that back in chapter 16, which I think happened
after chapter 17.
A possible third reason, that is speculation, is that he
wanted to know if David had any other brothers that
were as brave as him.
When David returns Abner brings David to Saul.
Saul asks him “Whose son are you, young man?”
and David tells him I am the son of Jesse the
Bethlehemite.
APPLICATION
Our application is to consider the question Saul asked
David,
Whose Child are you?
When we face our giants we must remember whose child
we are. We don’t have anything to fear because:
We are children of the living God.
The maker of heaven and earth has made us in His own
image.
When we trust in Jesus as our Savior and Lord we
become joint heirs with Jesus and receive our inheritance
in heaven.
Because we are children of God, nothing in this world
should scare us. Jesus tells us that in this world we will
have trouble, but He has overcome the world.
Take heart church. You are a child of the one true king.