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The story of David and Goliath is in 1Samuel 17, this story is 55 verses long, so I won't post the whole chapter.
This is a well known Bible story, it seems either David and Goliath, or Noah and the Ark is usually the first Bible story most children learn.
Most of know the story, David killed Goliath with a sling and a stone. But is there more we can get from this story?
1Sam 17:3; The Philistines stood on the mountain on one side while Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with the valley between them.
1Sam 17:4; Then a champion came out from the armies of the Philistines named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
1Sam 17:5; He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was clothed with scale-armor which weighed five thousand shekels of bronze.
1Sam 17:6; He also had bronze greaves on his legs and a bronze javelin slung between his shoulders.
1Sam 17:7; The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and the head of his spear weighed six hundred shekels of iron; his shield-carrier also walked before him.
1Sam 17:8; He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel and said to them, “Why do you come out to draw up in battle array? Am I not the Philistine and you servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves and let him come down to me.
So here comes Goliath, most modern day scholars put his height at somewhere between 9 and 9 1/2 feet tall. ( 286 centimeters approx )
He comes out to taunt the Israelite army. "Why are you even dressed for battle?" "Don't you see that I'm you enemy?"
But of course as we know the Israelites are too afraid to come fight Goliath.
1Sam 17:12; Now David was the son of the Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, whose name was Jesse, and he had eight sons. And Jesse was old in the days of Saul, advanced in years among men.
1Sam 17:13; The three older sons of Jesse had gone after Saul to the battle. And the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and the second to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.
1Sam 17:14; David was the youngest. Now the three oldest followed Saul,
1Sam 17:15; but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s flock at Bethlehem.
1Sam 17:16; The Philistine came forward morning and evening for forty days and took his stand.
1Sam 17:17; Then Jesse said to David his son, “Take now for your brothers an ephah of this roasted grain and these ten loaves and run to the camp to your brothers.
Now of course David's family is from Bethlehem, where Jesus would be born many years later. David had 7 brothers, but David was the youngest. 3 of the brothers were in Saul's army.
Goliath had been coming out and taunting the Israelites for 40 days now. ( Interesting that Jesus was tested for 40 days - more could be said about that ) so one day Davids father asks
him to bring some food to his brothers.
1Sam 17:22; Then David left his baggage in the care of the baggage keeper, and ran to the battle line and entered in order to greet his brothers.
1Sam 17:23; As he was talking with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine from Gath named Goliath, was coming up from the army of the Philistines, and he spoke these same words; and David heard them.
1Sam 17:24; When all the men of Israel saw the man, they fled from him and were greatly afraid.
1Sam 17:25; The men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who is coming up? Surely he is coming up to defy Israel. And it will be that the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father’s house free in Israel.”
1Sam 17:26; Then David spoke to the men who were standing by him, saying, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God?”
So of course David goes down to meet his brothers, and he over-hears Goliath taunting the Israelites. You gotta love David here. The whole army is afraid of Goliath, but not David.
He says "For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God?” - who does this guy think he is taunting those who belong to the living God?
When you are in the Army of your country, ( I was in the military many years ago here in the US ) it isn't just you. You're part of a team now. A large force. Usually wars aren't personally fought between two people.
Usually the military resources of one country fight against the military resources of another country. You just happen to be one of those resources. Whether you know it or not, you are in God's army. You have a uniform on
and instead of saying "US Army" it says "God's Army". When the enemy comes up against you, he isn't just fighting you. He is fighting God. You belong to God. I am reminded of an old war movies where the hero is surrounded
by hundreds of bad guys, and says he is isn't going to give up. He says he is going to fight to the end, but his gun is out of bullets and the enemy knows it, so the bad guys ask him "You and what army?".
A few seconds later dozens of tanks, helicopters, humvees, and hundreds of troops come up over the hill.
1Sam 17:28; Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger burned against David and he said, “Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your insolence and the wickedness of your heart; for you have come down in order to see the battle.”
1Sam 17:29; But David said, “What have I done now? Was it not just a question?”
It's interesting that David's oldest brother rebukes David here. Why are you even here? Who's taking care of your sheep that you deserted? It seems sometimes when we want to stand up to the enemy, there are plenty of Christian brothers
and sisters who we think would be on our side, telling us to go away and mind our own business. Sometimes our own people, who are in the same army we are in, discourage us and try to keep us from doing anything.
... to be continued.
This is a well known Bible story, it seems either David and Goliath, or Noah and the Ark is usually the first Bible story most children learn.
Most of know the story, David killed Goliath with a sling and a stone. But is there more we can get from this story?
1Sam 17:3; The Philistines stood on the mountain on one side while Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with the valley between them.
1Sam 17:4; Then a champion came out from the armies of the Philistines named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
1Sam 17:5; He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was clothed with scale-armor which weighed five thousand shekels of bronze.
1Sam 17:6; He also had bronze greaves on his legs and a bronze javelin slung between his shoulders.
1Sam 17:7; The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and the head of his spear weighed six hundred shekels of iron; his shield-carrier also walked before him.
1Sam 17:8; He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel and said to them, “Why do you come out to draw up in battle array? Am I not the Philistine and you servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves and let him come down to me.
So here comes Goliath, most modern day scholars put his height at somewhere between 9 and 9 1/2 feet tall. ( 286 centimeters approx )
He comes out to taunt the Israelite army. "Why are you even dressed for battle?" "Don't you see that I'm you enemy?"
But of course as we know the Israelites are too afraid to come fight Goliath.
1Sam 17:12; Now David was the son of the Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, whose name was Jesse, and he had eight sons. And Jesse was old in the days of Saul, advanced in years among men.
1Sam 17:13; The three older sons of Jesse had gone after Saul to the battle. And the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and the second to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.
1Sam 17:14; David was the youngest. Now the three oldest followed Saul,
1Sam 17:15; but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s flock at Bethlehem.
1Sam 17:16; The Philistine came forward morning and evening for forty days and took his stand.
1Sam 17:17; Then Jesse said to David his son, “Take now for your brothers an ephah of this roasted grain and these ten loaves and run to the camp to your brothers.
Now of course David's family is from Bethlehem, where Jesus would be born many years later. David had 7 brothers, but David was the youngest. 3 of the brothers were in Saul's army.
Goliath had been coming out and taunting the Israelites for 40 days now. ( Interesting that Jesus was tested for 40 days - more could be said about that ) so one day Davids father asks
him to bring some food to his brothers.
1Sam 17:22; Then David left his baggage in the care of the baggage keeper, and ran to the battle line and entered in order to greet his brothers.
1Sam 17:23; As he was talking with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine from Gath named Goliath, was coming up from the army of the Philistines, and he spoke these same words; and David heard them.
1Sam 17:24; When all the men of Israel saw the man, they fled from him and were greatly afraid.
1Sam 17:25; The men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who is coming up? Surely he is coming up to defy Israel. And it will be that the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father’s house free in Israel.”
1Sam 17:26; Then David spoke to the men who were standing by him, saying, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God?”
So of course David goes down to meet his brothers, and he over-hears Goliath taunting the Israelites. You gotta love David here. The whole army is afraid of Goliath, but not David.
He says "For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God?” - who does this guy think he is taunting those who belong to the living God?
When you are in the Army of your country, ( I was in the military many years ago here in the US ) it isn't just you. You're part of a team now. A large force. Usually wars aren't personally fought between two people.
Usually the military resources of one country fight against the military resources of another country. You just happen to be one of those resources. Whether you know it or not, you are in God's army. You have a uniform on
and instead of saying "US Army" it says "God's Army". When the enemy comes up against you, he isn't just fighting you. He is fighting God. You belong to God. I am reminded of an old war movies where the hero is surrounded
by hundreds of bad guys, and says he is isn't going to give up. He says he is going to fight to the end, but his gun is out of bullets and the enemy knows it, so the bad guys ask him "You and what army?".
A few seconds later dozens of tanks, helicopters, humvees, and hundreds of troops come up over the hill.
1Sam 17:28; Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger burned against David and he said, “Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your insolence and the wickedness of your heart; for you have come down in order to see the battle.”
1Sam 17:29; But David said, “What have I done now? Was it not just a question?”
It's interesting that David's oldest brother rebukes David here. Why are you even here? Who's taking care of your sheep that you deserted? It seems sometimes when we want to stand up to the enemy, there are plenty of Christian brothers
and sisters who we think would be on our side, telling us to go away and mind our own business. Sometimes our own people, who are in the same army we are in, discourage us and try to keep us from doing anything.
... to be continued.
