Man After Gods Own Heart

But David was unfazed, and probably disappointed that no soldier was stepping up for GOD, so in v 32 David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.”

Saul expresses doubt to David, you are no match for this Philistine, he’s been tested in battle, a warrior since his youth, you’re just a young man. All the more David is challenged –

“Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”

God had given David countless hours of practice while tending his sheep, countless hours of hit and miss until he perfected that sling shot. David was already attacked by a lion and a bear. The bear probably was as tall as Goliath. David was confident of his skill because he knew GOD prepared him for such a time as this!

Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”

Saul offered his coat of armor to David but after trying them on, he told King Saul that he’d rather not wear it as he was not used to it. David settled to what he was used to – staff, sling and stones. As he approached the Philistine, Goliath looked over and saw his opponent. I’m assuming that Goliath felt insulted and disappointed at his enemy!

The Israelite army, probably were in shock as well, they might have thought, oh no. we’re doomed! Why this little man! Probably some even thought, let’s get out of here before it’s too late. His brother Eliab might have hid in his tent knowing what the outcome of the battle would be!

Then comes the classic psychological verbal banter before a big fight. Which by the way, is every holywood action movie formula for success to heighten a battle scene.

Lets read it in V 43:

He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. Goliath most likely said all the verbal insult and curses known to man - “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals! ”

David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals,

And then DAVID prophesies the reality that we know today – “and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”