Lessons from King David: Goliath

At some point David has returned to the fields and his sheep.

Goliath was a giant

1 Samuel 16:17 tells us that Jesse’s three oldest sons {Eliab, Abinadab and Shammah} have followed Saul into battle.

The Philistine’s are torturing Saul and his men. For forty days he “drew near morning and night”.

Jesse asked David to take his brothers some food. David does as he is told and as he is talking with his brothers, the Philistine, who is named Goliath, comes out and again begins to taunt the men.

Goliath enjoyed taunting the Israelite’s

“Every day a giant came out of the camp of the Philistines, and dared some one to come from the Israelites’ camp and fight with him. The giant’s name was Goliath. He was nine feet high; and he wore armor from head to foot, and carried a spear twice as long and as heavy as any other man could hold; and his shield bearer walked before him. He came every day and called out across the little valley.”

The name Goliath means to uncover or reveal.

David ask the men what is to be done about Goliath, after all this man is unclean and coming up against the people of God. {1 Samuel 17:26}

David was not afraid of Goliath

Eliab, the eldest, is angry at David. “I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.” {1 Samuel 17:28}

“And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?” {1 Samuel 17:29}

Saul tells David that he is too young and inexperienced to go against Goliath. {1 Samuel 17:33}

David then reveals that he has “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.” {1 Samuel 17:36}

David approached King Saul

David reveals that he has killed a lion and bear while protecting his sheep. He then proclaims that Goliath will be next.

Notice, he says “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.” {1 Samuel 17:37}

David reveals that it is not in his own power, but in that of the Lord’s that he was able to defeat the lion and bear. He then declared that the Lord will also allow him to defeat the Philistine.

Saul then gives him the go ahead and dresses him in full armor. But, the armor is too stiff and David can’t move so he takes it off.

David prepared his sling

David is dressed in his shepherding garb and chooses five smooth stones from the brook. {1 Samuel 17:40} Most likely while guarding his sheep, he practiced with his slingshot. This was how he passed his time and may even be how he defeated the lion and bear.

When Goliath saw David, “he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.” {1 Samuel 17:42}

The Philistine is full of himself and makes all kinds of threat.

But, David stands up to him. He uses the strongest weapon he has, ” Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.” {1 Samuel 17:45}

David has faith that God will deliver this giant to him this day and tells Goliath so, even as

Goliath was hit between the eyes

the Philistine continues to laugh and taunt him.

“And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.” {1 Samuel 17:49}

David takes his sling and stone and swings it until it struck or hit the giant.

“So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.” {1 Samuel 17:50}

“And David ran toward the Philistine, as if to fight him with his shepherd’s staff. But when he was just near enough for a good aim, he took out his sling, and hurled a stone aimed at the giant’s forehead. David’s aim was good; the stone struck the Philistine in his forehead. It stunned him, and he fell to the ground.”

Goliath lay dead

David killed the Philistine with nothing but his sling and stone.

But, David isn’t finished. “Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.” {1 Samuel 17:51}

“While the two armies stood wondering, and scarcely knowing what had caused the giant to fall so suddenly, David ran forward, drew out the giant’s own sword, and cut off his head. Then the Philistines knew that their great warrior in whom they trusted was dead. They turned to flee to their own land; and the Israelites followed after them, and killed them by the hundred and the thousand, even to the gates of their own city of Gath.”

From there the men of Israel and Judah pursued the Philistines until they had victory.

David then took and posted the head of Goliath and kept his armor.

David looked like an ant compared to the giant Philistine. If someone were given odds for a bet, they would have clearly been on the giant.

David cut his head off

But, David had the greatest weapon of all. He had God on his side and he knew that he could not win this battle without the Lord.

There are times in all of our lives when we face a variety of different battles. Whether we are facing an inward enemy or an outward enemy, there is only one place in which we can find our strength and power to defeat the enemy.

That is the same place where David discovered his strength and that is in the Lord.

Who do you turn to for strength?

 

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