Samuel chapter 17. So 1st Samuel 17.
Today I'm going to be reading to you just verses 48 and 49. To do that, I'm going to pray, ask the Lord's blessing, our time, and then we're going to be working through the entire chapter. Okay, so 1st Samuel 17 starting at verse 48.
Okay? So please hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Word says. When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. David put his hand in the bag and took out the stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead.
The stone sank into his forehead and he fell on his face to the ground. Okay, so that's God's word for us this morning. Let's pray.
Lord, I do pray. We pray that you would indeed speak. We pray that through the power of your spirit, through your holy word, and through the folly of preaching that you would speak to us this morning. God, please help me have good communication skills. Please help the congregation have good listening skills.
And Lord, we pray that you might use this time to draw our hearts to Christ. In his name we pray. Amen. Okay, so this morning as we gather together, we come to probably the most famous story in our study of 1st Samuel, which we started last summer, which is a story of David and Goliath. Now, this is a little longer story for us.
So I debated this week kind of how to best work through it. It would be better to maybe work through this in a few smaller chunks or just keep it together in one longer sermon. And Atlanta just keeping it together because I think that's kind of how the story is meant to be read. So because it's a little bit longer story, we're going to actually jump into things a little bit more quickly. And as we jump in, all I'm going to do, if you're new with us today, is I'm just going to walk us through the passage and just kind of retell this story.
And then at the end, when we get done doing that, I'm just going to give you or give us three vantage points. I think it's helpful for us to consider this story from okay, so because of some time constraints, the only review that I'll be giving you this morning is basically where we left off. So Israel has two kings. Both of them are at this famous scene. In this famous story, the one king was Saul, who stated several times in our study was the people's choice, and he was not a Good king.
He was someone who had many issues. He was captured by sin. He was proud, he was possessive. He ruled for his own glory rather than for the glory of the Lord. Then the other king was David.
This was God's choice, a man appointed by God to be the king from God's very heart. We'll see in our text today. As he lived out his life, he tried to do so in ways that brought glory to the Lord. So, that being said, look back with me starting at verse one of this famous story. So look back there, we see the arch nemesis of God's people in the first book of first Samuel is back on the scene, the Philistines.
And we see that they're back once again, ready for war. In fact, not only are the Philistines ready for war here, in many ways they've already declared war because our text tells us they were encamped in Judah. And as the Philistines were encamped between Soco and Azekah, which is in the western part of Israel, we see that they were not alone. Like, they're not the only army encamped in this region in our text. In the story, we read that Saul, Israel, also was encamped in the region of the valley of Elah.
And as these two parties set up camp, they drew up a battle line, drew up a line ready for battle, which in verse three meant the Philistines were on one mountain, and then Israel was on the other mountain, and then there's a valley in between. And as each party set up their camp, we see they entered into a bit of a staring contest with each other. Now, it was clear that war was on minds of both the camps, but also was clear that neither side wanted to make the first move in this war that would require them leaving the high ground of their mountain and head into the valley to go on the attack, which, military speaking, this would have put them in an awful vulnerable position. Verse 4, as the two camps engaged in the staring contest, we see that the Philistines had a warrior's warrior, a champion's champion who was starting to get restless, a warrior famously named Goliath. Now, let me mention, in this time period, when there's a bit of a stalemate between two warring parties, what they would do is each side would put forward a champion to represent them.
And as each side's champion fought against each other, whichever of the two champions would win that battle, that would actually give a victory for the entire army. So that's what Goliath is doing here in verse Four. So he's getting restless. He's sick of sitting in the camp. The staring contest is not amusing to him.
So he's wanting to settle the dispute on his own by taking on whoever Israel had to represent them. Now, what we famously know about Goliath, the reason why he was such a great champion was because of his incredible size, which our text tells us that he was six cubits tall or nine feet, which could have been nine feet standing from head to toe. Or potentially the nine feet is referring to his height after he put his armor on. So from like toe to the top of his helmet, nine feet. Either way, this is a massive man, gigantic in size.
Verse 5. Not only was Goliath gigantic, we see that he also was very well equipped for battle. He had like the best armor of the day, which our text tells us is made out of bronze. In the text in the story we see that he had a helmet, he had a coat of mail which weighed 5,000 shekels, which is a significant weight. He had armor on his legs.
He carried a javelin between his soldiers. And it's a javelin that was so well crafted. Our text tells it was like a weaver's beam. We see in the text that at the end of this well crafted beam, this javelin, that the spear, they had a spear made of iron that weighed 600 shekels. Text also tells us Goliath had a shield bearer who went before him into battle.
So a massive man who is incredibly well equipped for battle. Verse 8.
As Goliath is getting ready for fight, to fight, we see, understandably, he like, he's pretty prideful, he's pretty full of himself. We see in the scene, he's like overflowing with confidence, with arrogance. So in the story, what he would do is he would go stand within earshot of Israel and basically he would trash talk them. He would mockingly call out to them to come out and meet him for battle. Even mockingly shouting out to Israel, saying in the text, am I not a Philistine?
You don't think this lowly despised Philistine. And are you not servants of Saul who, like, think you're so much better than us? If this is all true, then why don't you find someone in your camp and send him down to fight me? Verse 9. And if he is able to fight me and somehow kill me, then yes, we will be your servants.
However, if I prevail, which I'm sure Goliath, his camp, probably even Israel assumed was going to happen, however, if I prevail, If I win, if I kill whoever you send to fight against me, then you will be slow servants to serve us. Just here, just reiterate, this is historical expectation when it came to champions, the representative, the figurehead, whoever would win, the entire people who represent who were under the representation would also be on the receiving end of the full benefits of the victory. Verse 10, as Goliath reiterated the cultural expectation. Like he starts at up his trash talk game like he's really trying to egg on Israel here. And so he like shouts out to the other end of the valley, telling them, he said, hey, I defy the ranks of Israel this day.
Give me a man that we might fight together now for us. It doesn't take a lot of imagination to picture this scene here. Keep saying it's a massive man all decked out in armor, standing at the foot of the mountain, shouting out to Israel. Such force that his voice like echoes through the entire valley. And he's taunting them, he's daring them, he's doing all that he can to try to provoke them into a fight.
In verse 16, particular is there if we see he would do this day after day, like at least 40 days, day after day, mocking, defiling Israel and the God of Israel, by the way, in the text, just take note of the word defy, how he says he comes to defy them. This is kind of like a key word in this passage, actually comes up multiple times. Okay, verse 11, as Israel heard Goliath, or better said, heard and saw Goliath, we see in the text, they're like gripped by silence. Our text tells us they're dismayed, they're greatly afraid, which we would have been as well, right? Listening and watching this angry, gigantic man trying to pick a fight.
Like, this is a bleak situation for Israel. This is yet another hopeless situation for God's people. In First Samuel, day after day, this would happen. Verse 12, you see, there's a little bit of a change of scene here which takes us from the battlefield and now over to Bethlehem, which was like 15 to 25 miles away, depending on like the exact location where the armies were encamped. As the story takes us back to Bethlehem, it now zeros in on David, who we met in chapter 16.
As mentioned briefly last week, there's a little bit of debate on the historical timeline of the events of Chapter 16 and 17, when they took place. Perhaps the events in Chapter 17 historically took place before Chapter 16, at least the second half of Chapter 16. So it's hard to know that. But what we do Know what we see in this change of scene is in the author of First Samuel basically retells the backstory of David. We see in the passage that he was assigned the apophyte of Bethlehem in Judah, a man named Jesse.
We also see that this man Jesse had eight sons. And at the time of the scene, we also see that in the days of Saul that Jesse was an older man. Now he's advanced in age. In verse 13 we also see that as Israel and the Philistines were in their military starry contest, that three of Jesse's older sons, oldest sons, which I'll let you read their names. In verse 13 we see that they're on the scene.
Also verse 13 reminds us that son of Jesse, of all the sons of Jesse, that David was the youngest son, which I think is an important detail for us to see and remind ourselves of. This like further sets up the story for God to see or for us to see how God works in ways that we would not expect. Now back to the story. After taking us to Bethlehem to reintroduce David to the story we see the author now takes us back to the battlefield. As mentioned, the older brothers of David are there and they're with so many Saul, they're present in the camp.
And while the older brothers camped out with Saul, we see that David was signed to be a bit of like a delivery driver. I think he worked for maybe like ancient Doordash we see in the text because he would go back and forth from the field in Bethlehem where his father's sheep are grazing and to the field where his brothers were encamped. And the reason why this is like ancient door dash, because 17 and 18 tells us that he'd go back and forth and he gives supplies to his brother, supplies to those who are under his brother's command. And these were supplies of food. And as David brought the food to his brothers, which by the way our small group pointed out this week included cheese, which makes us here in Wisconsin happy.
As David gave the food to his brothers, we also see that Jesse asked David to bring basically a token from his brothers from the encampment when he returned back to Bethlehem. Presuming so Jesse gave like a peace of mind that his oldest sons were doing okay. We don't know how many times the Doordash delivery happened, but it kind of feels like this is happening like at least a few times right back and forth. For David on this 15 to 25 mile one way trip, this is a day commitment just to get on the scene and because this is such a distance, we see in verse 20 that David had to set his alarm clock pretty early in the morning so he could get up to get there. And by the way, here I do wonder this week if any of the psalms where David wrote, if some of them as he's maybe thinking about this journey back and forth in the morning.
So Psalm 5 says, oh Lord, in the morning you hear my voice. In the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you to watch. Psalm 19 that many think David wrote says this. I rise before dawn and I cry for help. I hope in your words.
So impossible to know if those words were written by David on the journey, but at least for me, kind of found it something interesting to consider as he's getting up early to go back and forth in the text. As David made this trip back and forth, we see he'd drop off supplies with the keeper of the baggage and then he would write down some notes was taking place from the battlefield, which he did, I'm assuming, not just for his own interest, but but probably also for the interest of his father Jesse, who wanted to know what's going on in verse 23. One of the times when David was talking to his brothers as he was getting the report, we see in the text that Goliath comes out of his ranks and Goliath is about ready to give his daily mocking and shaming to Israel. In the text, as this giant man bellows out his giant trash talk, it stops the conversation between David and his brothers. In the text, David basically takes his pen and paper that was used for recording the report and he sets them down because he wants to listen in to hear what Goliath is saying.
And as David was listening to the mocking of Goliath, he began to observe how the rest of Israel was processing what was happening. As he heard this from Goliath. And in David's observation, it was obvious that God's people were scared because he could see them flee up the mountain to hide in fear. And as David observed the army of Israel flee in fear up in the mountain, David then becomes aware of how Saul was like trying to coax them out of where their hiding place. As Saul basically puts before anyone who would be willing to take on Goliath who is seeking to defy Israel, that he said, anyone who would go forward with this in verse 25, that there would be a reward Saul's offering this man who would be willing to take on defeat Goliath such a reward that there'd be great riches.
Our text tells Us, Saul's daughter would be given over to this man in marriage and there'd be freedom to his father's household if they would go and fight Goliath. And by the way, the freedom here presumably was like freedom from taxes, which presumably were pretty high at this time is what we've heard about Saul in past sermons. So in the scene here. So David's hearing and watching all of this take place, like Goliath is defying the Lord, Israel is hiding in fear. Saul is referring to some type of appeal to earthly riches to try to get someone to fight, and it's not going anywhere.
And as he's watching all this take place, David's now getting emotionally charged up. Like, none of this is impressive to David. So in the text, David, like, speaks up to the camp, like, who's going to do something about this? Tell me plainly, tell me plain what would actually be done for this man who takes on the Philistines? You know, this Philistine continues to fight the armies of the living God.
Tell me plainly what will happen? The text which the people responds back to David by referring what he said in verse 25. Yes, David, all the riches that was promised would go to this man's way if he was able to defeat Goliath. Now this is all happening as David's getting all emotionally charged up in the passage, we see that his older brother Elab was there watching this take place. And as he's watching this take place, he can kind of sense where David's going to go with this.
So as he watched his kid brother get stirred up, older brother is getting more and more frustrated and angry. So big brother pulled kid brother off to the side for a little conversation, to have a little talk to put David into his place. The passage in the story. David, what are you doing? Remind me again, why have you come down here?
Is it not simply just to deliver us food and bring a report back to dad? Tell me, why should you be more worried about what's happening here? Your worry is to be what's happening with those you entrusted to watch the few sheep. David, I gotta tell you, I know you. I know how presumptuous you can be.
I know how evil your heart can be. I know you've come down here not just simply to obey dad. You're not fooling me here, David. I know the reason why you're here is you want a piece of the action. You want to see the battle.
You want all the fame and all the prestige. You want all the riches. You want all the glory for yourself. But David, what do you think this is right now? Big brother to kid brother?
This is not a kid's game. This is real. This is life and death. This is growing up stuff here, David. And David, I gotta tell you, you getting yourself all stirred up right now.
This is not helping us in the hopeless situation we are finding ourselves in. David, if you don't calm yourself down and understand your role, you are going to get yourself and others hurt. So sit down, keep your mouth shut and let the grown ups figure this out.
Verse 29, as David is rebuked by big brother, David ain't having it. So David like clapped back at his big brother Elab. Now what have I done? Tell me, what have I done here? I'm just talking, I am just stating the obvious here.
And as he claps back to his big brother now, David turns to the crowd to continue the conversation. I mean, he is still fired up, perhaps now even more fired. Fired up. And as David is all fired up now, word gets back to Saul. Verse 31, Saul sends for David like he wants to hear.
What is David so excited about? Why is he causing such commotion in the camp? As David gets to Saul, we see in verse 32, almost immediately it seems like he volunteers himself to enter into the valley to take on the giant. I think we can just like picture this here. You can just like picture David kind of being like led along by the arm by some of Saul's bodyguard, you know, over to Saul where David's like, you know, trying to push them away, yelling them, hey, take your hands off of me.
And as soon as he sees Saul, he instantly changes from like yelling at the bodyguards and now starts like yelling towards Saul, let me go. Let me go so I can fight him here. He's like, he is ready to take on Goliath. David won't stand for Goliath speaking this way towards the Lord. Now the story is Saul is hearing this from David.
Eventually gets David to quiet himself down so that like Saul could respond to him. Just basically, you, David, you're gonna fight him youthful. You, you are wanting me to send you into the valley to take on this great warrior, this great champion who has been at war from his youth, perhaps even before you were born, David. Young fella, I gotta tell you, I know you're excited. I know you're fired up right now, but slow down, get some perspective.
You're not going to fight this giant. Man, if I send you into the valley, not only get yourself killed, but kid, you losing the battle is going to require us to submit ourselves to the Philistine. Settle yourself down, young fella. To which David now clapped back towards Saul, you know, maybe even more fired up as he's now being rebuked by Saul in the text. Well, Saul, let me tell you something about myself that maybe you're not aware of.
Now, you know that I'm a shepherd. But did you happen to know, at times like lions and bears would make their way into the flock, and you know what happened to them when they sought to bring harm to my little flock? So I didn't run and hide in fear like your army's doing right now. Rather, I took them straight on. And you know what?
I killed them. And, Saul, I gotta tell you, what I did to them, that's the exact same thing. I'm now going to Goliath. You might be scared of Goliath, the rest of your army might be scared of Goliath, but, Saul, I am not. I, too am a champion.
Verse 36. And if big old Goliath came against me, this is what I'm going to do. Saul, Saul, I'm going to grab him by his nasty beard and I'm going to strike him with a death blow, just like I did to the lions and the bears. So, no, Saul, I ain't going to quiet down. No, Saul, I'm not going to idly sit back and do nothing as he defiles the army of the living God.
Saul, I am here to fight.
As David gave this passionate response to Saul, it, like, clearly blows Saul away. In this scene, this wasn't like a young man who was, like, talking tough, like, filled with fake muscles, filled with testosterone. Rather, he's like, serious here. David's ready for battle, and Saul believed that he actually might win. So then in verse 37, all Saul could do to respond back to young David was given the word go, and the Lord be with you.
And as Saul commissioned David to represent the people in battle, we see in verse 38, Saul now tries to equip David for the battle at hand. So Saul gave David the best military equipment that he had, giving David his own personal armor, which our text tells us included a bronze helmet, also a coat, a male. In verse 39, as David tried to strap the sword over the armor, he came to a problem. David didn't test them. Now, perhaps he couldn't test them because baby armor was something that David never wore before, and so he didn't have time to get trained on how to use it properly.
His inexperience and have the knowledge. Or perhaps David didn't test some simply because armor is too big for him. So remember when we first met Saul? Remember all we read, he was like a head taller than the rest of Israel. So his armor would have been for a tall man, not seemingly a smaller young man who was still growing into his body.
Maybe for us to think of a visual, maybe like a 7 foot tall professional basketball player, like coming to us, he wants to help us play basketball. So he gives us his size 17 or 18 shoe and he gives us his own uniform. And he said, okay, now you go play basketball. They ain't happening. Ain't gonna work that way in her text.
Whatever the reason, it was clear the armor of Saul was not going to work. This is not actually going to help David in battle. So David had no choice but to take it off, which I bet which is pre was his preference anyway. So as David took the armor of Saul and put it on the ground, verse 40, we see him pick up his shepherd's staff, pick up five smooth stones from a nearby brook, which he put into his shepherd's pouch. And as he grabbed onto those things, we see he also put grip to his trusty sling.
No doubt the same items he held possession of when he fought and killed the lions and the bears. The text and the story. With the shepherd equipment in hand, he approached the giant and he headed into the valley. Which by the way, I also wonder if this scene, you know, if this may be what David had in mind when he penned the famous Psalm 23 as he entered into the valley here. Remember, Psalm 23 tells us, even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, but your rod and staff are with me.
The text that David entered into the valley of death as he got ready for the fight of his life, we see Goliath is like incredibly underwhelmed by his opponent. So underwhelmed in verse 42 that a disdain for David now quickly sprouts up in Goliath's gigantic heart. Like Goliath didn't take the last 40 days of trying to egg Israel to fight a youth where textiles is already in handsome appearance. Goliath, he wanted to fight a warrior. He wanted to fight a champion.
So Israel sending David felt like a huge insult to Goliath. So in verse 43 he shouts out, am I simply a dog that you want to fight against with sticks? Is this really all that you think of me? This is insulting. This boy is a waste of my time.
Send me A man to fight, not this child.
As Goliath shares complete utter disappointment in his appointment or in his opponent, he now starts to evoke curses on David. So now here, Goliath, like, he's about as mad as he can be. Like, he's raging mad. And in his anger, in his disdain, Goliath tells David what he's about to do to him and how he's going to take out his anger on David. Verse 44.
Boy, come here. Ready yourself, because I'm about to tear you limb from limb. I'm going to take your body and then I'm going to feed it to the birds of the air. I'm going to feed it to the wild beasts of the field. Which is about as insulting a way that one can die, right?
Impossible to give a proper burial. In the story, you know, this rage of Goliath, he's maybe trying to, like, intimidate David by telling him what he's going to do to him to maybe try to get David to, like, run off back into the mountain. So maybe a man would come fight against him, if that's what Goliath's trying to do. He's trying to intimidate. It's not working.
In fact, it even seems to spark more righteous anger and determination in David. So now David claps back to the giant. Yeah, giant. Yeah. Goliath, come at me with your sword because I'm gonna tell you what's gonna happen.
It's not gonna be me who's gonna be torn limb from limb rather than the text. I'm gonna come at you in the name of the Lord of hosts and the one true and living God who you feel like you can continue to defile. And as I come at you in his holy name for his great glory, Goliath, just know in the valley, you're not going to be fighting against me. No, you're going to be fighting against the Lord himself. And as the Lord enters into the valley for this battle, mark my words, Goliath, he will deliver you into my hands.
And, Goliath, I will strike you down. God will shut you up in my hand. And as the Lord fight against you, I promise you, Goliath, it's not gonna be my body that's torn apart. Rather, when I strike you down, it is your head that we cut off. And I will be the one serving the birds of the air and the beasts of the field with your dead body.
In fact, not only your dead body, the dead body is an entire host of the Philistines. That will be their meal today.
Goliath, cocky, proud, arrogant Goliath. As the Lord takes out his righteous anger on you as he gives this great victory, just know all of the earth will know that there indeed is a God in Israel. And as all the earth knows this reality, they will see that the Lord, the Lord alone, he is the one who saves Goliath, you fool. It will not simply be sword and spear that will determine the outcome of this battle. Rather, a passage tells us, the battle, the victory belongs to the Lord.
He alone will decide how this will churn out. What an incredible back and forth here. I would have loved to see the reaction on both camps as David claps back here. What an incredible sight to see. Verse 48, we see that the time of talking was now over.
And we see that Goliath made his move and he starts to comment at David. And as Goliath made his way through the valley, David now also runs back at the giant man. He's not backing down. He's not just like talking tough here, only to chicken out when push comes to shove. Rather, by faith, with great courage, David goes at Goliath.
And as David ran at the giant man, we see in verse 49, he put his hand into his bag, into his shepherd pouch. And as he's putting his hand in the bag, he pulls out a smooth stone which he places into a sling. As he takes the sling, the he starts to like spin it around his head several times, you know, trying to create momentum and speed. And at the right time, David lets the sling go, sending the stone flying through the air right at the giant. And in the providential hand of God, as God carries the stone that's cut, cutting through the air, it strikes Goliath right between the eyes, just missing the helmet.
As the stone struck the giant, it penetrated into his forehead. It immediately drops the massive man to the ground where he falls face first. Which I think this detail here is meant to take our minds back to 1st Samuel 5. Remember when the Lord struck down the statue of the pagan God Dagon? Remember that scene, how the pagan God Dagon fell face first into the ground?
Same thing here as the Lord once again fights for his people. Verse 51. As Goliath fell with a thunder to the ground, at this point it seems like maybe he's just stunned. So David like runs over the body where he stands over the mass of Goliath. In an act of judgment and irony, he reaches into the sheath of Goliath to take out the sword of Goliath to Strike him with a kill shot.
A kill shot that's so violent that had such incredible force tied to it that that actually cuts off the head of the giant, just like David said it would happen. By the way, this cutting off the head. I think this also tells the story of Dagon in chapter five. Now back to the camps on both sides of the mountain. Can you imagine how far their jaws must have fell when they saw this?
Like no one, no one on either side of the mountain would have saw this coming. I mean think about this nine foot tall Goliath decked out with the best military equipment, a champion's champion being killed by a young shepherd boy with a sling. Now for you here, they're sports fans. You know, we hear about like David and Goliath matchups, David Goliath stories like a weak team takes on a powerful team in the field of competition. So whatever David Goliath story in sports you can think of where there's a shocking result with a weak team winning, I promise you that is not as shocking as this actual story here, what took place in the text.
This is a complete utter shock. Then at verse 51 as the Philistines stood in shock at what happened, we see in short order they start to connecting the dots here and then they see that they're coming to fear and what's going to happen is like they see like they. I gotta, we gotta get out of here. So verse 52, they're like, they flee. 51, 52, They're fleeing, they're getting out of there.
And as they're fleeing we see like they're actually being chased because the men of Israel were so inspired what took place through David they actually like develop a backbone like filled with some courage. So we see they rise up and they shout with an incredible shout and, and they start to chase after the Philistines all the way back to Gath and the gates of Akron, which is in the territory of the Philistines. Like they run the Philistines completely out of the area. And as they did that we see that Israel plundered the Philistine camp. Part of the spoils of War.
Verse 54. If I take rise, there seems also additional part of the spoil of war. We see that David now takes the severed head of Goliath along with Goliath's armor which he puts into a tent and he goes to Jerusalem. Now the severed head here, I think this is like actually a form of intimidation. So at this scene Jerusalem is still under control by the Jebuites.
So it seems like David actually taken the head of Goliath to Jerusalem to intimidate them here. Actually, later on in David's reign, we do see him capture Jerusalem. This may be him saying, like, hey, like, there's a new sheriff in town here and you're next. The armor that he put into tent, it seems like this is maybe like an offering that David wanted to give to the Lord to offer that up. Finally, this incredible story ends in verse 55.
Starting there, we see how Saul, as this great scene ended. Saul now goes to the commander of his army, a man named Abner, which the man we actually met kind of briefly in chapter 14, part of, like, Saul's family. And he wants to go to Abner to ask, like, who in the world is this David? Now, Saul clearly had met David. So in a scene, he knew who David was.
But maybe here he's like, trying to figure out, like, so who is this David? He's maybe trying to get details in order for the promised reward of killing Saul, or I'm sorry for killing for Goliath. But at least to me, this seems more like Saul is starting to see that David's a different cat. You can see that David's so far different than everyone else around him. So he thought perhaps Abner would know just who this David was in terms of family lineage.
He's trying to figure out, why is David so special? You know, to me, I wonder if the scene is Saul is like, starting to slowly piece together that David is the one who the Lord is going to hand his kingdom over to, the one who Saul or Samuel informs saul in chapter 13 and 15 of this man coming from God's own heart. So in this passage in the story, Saul wanted Abner to bring him clarity. Verse 35, Abner has no clue on David. So Abner simply tells Saul, saul, as your soul lives, O King, I have no idea who this is.
I couldn't tell you. To which Saul responds back by sending Abner on a little investigation. Check the record books, look into ancestry.com, figure out just who is this David. Which Abner decides to do by actually going right to the source. He goes right to David and brings David to Saul for Saul to ask him the questions directly.
David, who are you? Who is your dad? Who do you belong to? To which David simply, humbly responds, I am the son of your servant Jesse, the Bethlehemite. Which ends this incredible story.
Incredible story where the people's King Saul standing in confusion, uncertainty. But God's King David just brought forth an incredible Victory for God's people. Now, as I mentioned at the start, I want to reflect through this story by seeing this story through a few different vantage points. I actually have three. This is actually, I want to close our time quickly here.
So as you read through the story, as you think through the story, read the story as David being David, okay? And what I mean by that is to see this passage is through the lens of the original context, which is all the things we just worked through. As we look through this vantage point, we should be incredibly encouraged to see that through David, God yet again fought for his people. That through David, God yet again shamed the proud with the weak. As we think through this story in this context, we see yet again God will make his name known to all of the nations of the earth.
We see again in this story, the man of God's own heart proved to be a blessing to God's people. But when you read this story, this great story of David, we are to see these things and these should encourage our hearts, in fact, so encourage our hearts that we see just how God works to care for his people. So as you think through the story, think from that vantage point. Think of the original context. Think about all the things God's doing in the original context.
Read the story of David being David. That's not the only way you should read the story. Second, read the story with you being David. Now we know this is a unique story of David here. So we need to be careful.
Taking unique stories to make them like exact blueprints for our own lives where maybe we start to test God. So we do need to be careful here. That being said, I think this story of David getting all fired up, of David taking God at his word by walking by faith to take on even death itself. I think this story is to get us fired up as well. Like you and I, we should be so inspired by David to see God work in such a great work through him.
It should like grow our faith, our confidence and excitement and our hope that God could work through us as well, that we could be a David like figure. So read the story, see David's faith and be inspired. And for the glory of God, take on whatever giant is in your life, whether it be a giant sin, a giant struggle, maybe a giant worry, a giant disappointment, a giant insecurity.
Maybe some type of giant step of faith you need to take. Like, maybe like going to your neighbors and sharing your faith. That could be a huge giant that you need to slay. Maybe you need to take on some type of giant that's standing your way from being, like, generous with your finances this week. I was thinking even, like, baptism for some.
That's giant that you have to get over and get baptized, you know, whatever it may be. Like, you and I, I think we're to read this text and we're to put ourselves in David's shoes and likewise trust that the Lord might use us to fight the good for fight of faith. And by the way, as you do that, I really do find it interesting that as David took on Goliath, notice how he did so. He did so by being faithful with that which was given to him. He went into the valley with a shepherd's staff, a pouch, stones, a sling.
He didn't try to take on glass. And he was trying to be something he wasn't, which I think Saul's army pictured. That is a temptation for us to fall into. Like, where we try to do things that are so far outside of, like, who we are, what we know. Don't fall in that trap.
Rather be David and just walk by faith with what God has already given to you, trusting that God can use you in great ways. That's the second vantage point. Get fired up, see yourself as David. Third vantage point. As you read this story, see David as a pointer to Christ.
Now, there's a lot of ways that David actually points us to Christ where he's Christ. Like in this passage, David has righteous anger. David was rebuked by his family. David is, like, misunderstood and doubted by those around him. David was humble, overlooked, right?
All Christlike things. But the primary way I think we were to see Christ through David was that in the end, we know this. Jesus is the true fearless king who goes into the valley of death as a representative, as a substitute for his people to be their great figurehead. And we know as he goes into the valley of death to represent his people, we know he was mocked and he was jeered. And even though Jesus himself was sinless, he becomes defiled for us on the cross to take on our defile as he fights on the greatest of all of our enemies, sin and death and the devil.
Yet even though Jesus went into the valley of to die on the cross, we know that on the third day he rose again from the dead. And because he rose again from dead, he is victorious. He has forever crushed the head of the serpent, our great enemy, in Genesis 3. So now through Jesus Christ, through our faith in him, all of our sin that defile our hearts is now washed away, cleaned by the power of his great love and his incredible forgiveness.
So by Christ representing us his people, by being our great and eternal figurehead for all who put their faith in Him. Now we stand with him as victors. His victory becomes our victory in every way.
Friends, David Goliath is a great story for many reasons. But why it's so great? Because in the end it is a pointer to the greatest of all stories. The stories of Jesus Christ where we see God saves his people. Only God can do that which he does in a most glorious way.
So that through Jesus, through his great salvation, all of the earth may know that. That Jesus. He is. Lord. As I close this morning, if you have not yet received the story of Jesus Christ into your life, I want to invite you.
Actually, I want to plead with you to do so right now. To confess your sin. Even your most ugly and defiled sins and give those to Jesus Christ. Let him nail those to his cross and victory. Listen, you cannot win the victory over your own sin.
But Jesus can.
This is the Lord's battle. Only he can win it. Let's pray.
Lord, we're thankful for Jesus Christ.
Thank you. That he is indeed the great representative of his people.
Thank you. That Jesus is the one who went into the valley of death for us. So that through his death and his resurrection from the dead we might find forgiveness of sin.
That we might know the great gift of eternal life.
So God, please help us to read and think through this story. Well, God, please use this story to stir our hearts.
God, I pray that you might use our humble little church family to do a great work for your great glory all the way to the ends of the earth.
We pray this all in Jesus name. Amen.