Ah, the Power of Cheese
1 Samuel 17
Introduction
A. When I was planning this morning’s message last month, I ran across a curious little phrase in 1 Samuel 17:18 that reads “take along these ten cheeses to the commander of their unit. Here we see the scenario of David delivering some cheese to his brothers in the middle of a war. His father commissions him with responsibility. “See how your brothers are and bring back some assurance from them”. David will deliver some cheese as an act of responsibility and in turn God will end up bringing relief to a country cowering in fear. Ah the power of cheese. An act of good will turns into an act of deliverance.
a. Little did I realize that this text would be so apropos for the weekend following the devastation in the Gulf Coast. We have all been following the complete and utter ruination of an important city to the life of this nation. We have seen the loss of lives, homes, businesses and the spirit of a marvelous city.
b. While we see the gas prices rising around us, we still do not know the full effect this hurricane will have on the economy and conveniences of commodities we take so much for granted.
c. Our nation sits in a precarious position that could linger for several years. Who will bring the cheese to those who are decimated by this destruction?
B. Today I want to talk about the precarious situation facing the life of the nation of Israel. Turn with me in your Bibles to 1 Samuel 17. Most of you will recognize this chapter as the story of David and Goliath. It is so much more than that. It is the story of a nation on the brink of potential disaster. It is the story of a nation ready to lose its identity as the people of God. It is the story of God using one young man to take responsibility to deliver some relief to the army and finds his own role in the plans and purposes of God. We want to approach this story with fresh ears this morning. It has so much more to teach us than a young boy with a sling shot that takes down an overgrown bully. It is even more than the story of a bold heart of faith. It is the story of responsibility to brothers and sisters and the effort it takes to bring relief.
C. Look with me at 1 Samuel 17:12-18. David is the youngest son of Jesse. David has three brothers who are in the army. This story happens at a fascinating time in history. There are all kinds of socio-political economic realities that play as the backdrop the story.
a. This story happens at the dawn of what is called the Iron Age. What on earth is the Iron Age? Let me give you a brief reminder. Here is world history in a nutshell. War is happening all the time. How many of you have noticed there are a lot of battles and bloodshed in the Old Testament? It is the story of civilizations in conquest. For thousands of years nations fought with wood because that is all that you had. Battle after battle you would go into battle against nations that had similar weapons as you. They may be pointed sticks or arrows or clubs. All are available to all the nations. It is a pretty level playing field as far as war goes. Who knows who will win? That is why nations would often call upon their gods to be warriors.
b. Property was of critical importance. So there would be a piece of land that you are fighting over and you would bring your weapons made of wood and the other army would bring their weapons made of wood. You would go at it until one army would prevail over the other. The battle was decided by other things than weaponry. It depended on military strategy and strength in the numbers.
c. Some time following the later Bronze Age people started experimenting with heating the carbon levels of metal and someone discovered the power of iron. This changed everything. Now when nations went to war the dynamics have changed. Your enemy has something that you have not seen before. With the invention of iron, you go to battle for the olive grove or vineyard with a distinct disadvantage. Your enemy is brandishing iron weapons. THIS IS TERRIFYING TO YOU. You are sitting on the eve of destruction because of the development of technology.
i. For those of you who have businesses, it would be like all of your competitors having computers and you didn’t. You would be at a distinct disadvantage. Iron is the computer of the day. It is the tool that would catapult a nation ahead of you. Listen to this detail in the text.
ii. Turn with me to 1 Samuel 13:19-22. When the Bible tells the story of the monarch of Saul, one of the details it brings up is that the Israelites did not have iron. The Philistines had iron. There is way more going on in the story than a boy bringing some cheese.
1. The group of Philistines that are known in the narratives of 1 & 2 Samuel were technologically advanced. This group of Philistines came into the Palestine area with the migration from the Aegean region of the Sea Peoples. It is the Sea People, these Pirates that are generally thought to be responsible for the fall of the Hittite Empire and the destruction of many cities along the coast of Syria and Palestine.
2. Coming from Crete, Greece and Anatolia, the Sea Peoples may have used Cyprus as a base to launch their attacks. Once before they had overrun Israelite territory in the battle in which the ark was taken (1 Samuel 4). During the reign of Saul there is continual conflict as Saul tries to rid the land of their presence and prevent further incursions.
3. Coming into battle with Israel, Goliath and the Philistines had a tremendous technological advantage—the use of iron and the emotional advantage – the use of derision and fear.
4. Goliath was the fear bringer. The scriptures describe Goliath in detail (1 Sam. 17:4–7). He stood over 6 cubits tall (over nine feet), carried a spear shaft weighing 600 shekels (about 15 pounds), and his scaled armor weighed 5,000 shekels (6,000 in some translations, about 125 pounds). To the Hebrew reader, this description told of more than Goliath’s size. Many scholars believe the repeated use of number six clearly identified Goliath with evil. And by describing his armor as “scaled,” the writer compared Goliath to the serpent, Satan, who tempted Adam and Eve. By contrast, David was an insignificant shepherd boy, herding sheep in the wilderness near Bethlehem. Shepherd boys were very young at that time, and David was probably only eight or ten years old. But despite his lack of strength and weapons, David had an unshakable faith in God.
5. Goliath was equipped with the latest weapons. He carried a sword, a javelin, an iron-tipped spear, and wore a suit of armor. His people were iron-working masters, an ability that allowed their culture to dominate the area in warfare, material prosperity, commerce, and other areas of technology as well. It is likely that the Philistines introduced iron-making to the Middle East. But instead of sharing their iron-making secrets, they used their technology as an advantage in battle.
iii. The Israelites, on the other hand, didn’t know how to work with iron. In fact, the Bible says, “Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel”(1 Sam. 13:19). The Israelites couldn’t even sharpen their own tools; they had to bring them to Philistine blacksmiths and pay high prices. On the day of David and Goliath’s battle, only two Israelite soldiers—King Saul and Jonathan—possessed a sword or a spear (1 Sam. 13:22). It is no wonder that the Israelite soldiers would not come forward to answer Goliath’s jeers. They are decimated in spirit. They are in danger physically, economically and religiously.
D. We must also think of this story in terms of geography for a moment. We must look at a map of the nation of Israel during the time of David to understand the importance of this confrontation. The Israelites occupied the mountain area and the Philistines had the coastal plain. The Philistines have the whole area along the water. The Israelites have the mountains.
E. There are some foothills in the middle that is called the Shephelah. Shephelah is a Hebrew word meaning “low” and is usually translated “lowlands” or “foothills.” The term refers to a twelve to fifteen-mile wide region in Judea, comprised of foothills that are located between the coastal plain to the west and the Judea Mountains to the east.
F. In ancient times, the four valleys of the Shephelah functioned as corridors between the mountains, where the Israelites lived, and the coastal plain dominated by the Philistines. They served as a place of contact—sometimes peaceful, sometimes violent—where the Philistines and Israelites often interacted.
a. In each of the Shephelah valleys, prominent cities developed. The Aijalon, the northernmost valley, was guarded by Tel Gezer. The Sorek and Elah valleys were guarded by Beth Shemesh and Azekah, respectively. And to the south, the city of Lachish stood over the Lachish Valley.
b. These valleys, and the strategic cities that overlooked them, were the location of many Old Testament battles. In the Shephelah, a godly culture and a pagan culture met, and whoever won control of the area was able to shape the culture of that region.
c. In the Shephelah there were four major valleys. When the Israelites and the Philistines went into battle it was usually in the valleys between Israel and the Philistines. When David’s father sends him to take the cheese they are camped out in the Valley of Elah (1 Sam. 17:19).
d. We learn in the story the battle is taking place at a critical spot. If you win the battle you control the Shephelah and the whole region. If you lose the battle, you lose control of the Shephelah. The winner controls the politics, economics and the religion of the entire area. There is a giant question mark in this area of the world at this time. WHO WILL WIN IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH?
G. 1 Samuel 17:20-22: David takes a responsibility to deliver the cheese to his brothers. No doubt Jesse was concerned about his sons and wants David to bring relief. David came to the camp with about half a bushel of roasted grain, loaves of bread and cuts of cheese, all of which were favorites to the common people. In Egyptian texts ten loaves and cheese represented a standard daily wage.
a. When he gets there a war is going on. Verse 23 -24. There is a huge warrior that awaits the Israelites. He has armament and an attitude. He shouts in defiance against the Israelites.
H. Religion was also heavily involved in the battle for the Shephelah. The Philistines worship a god named Dagon. Here is a representation of the god Dagon. Dagon was the god of fertility and war. When the Philistines go into battle, they do so on behalf of their god. When the Israelites go into battle, they go in on the behalf of Yahweh. Yahweh is portrayed in Scripture as the one true God. He is called The Lord of Hosts.
a. The one army represents Dagon and the other would be Yahweh. When nations would go into battle, they would send out their champion warrior.
i. At times in the Ancient Near East individual combat was used with the individuals viewed as representatives of their respective armies, so that the divine will of the cods could be expressed.
ii. Goliath would defy the people, the nation and the god of the people. He would say that Dagon is the ruler of the world. By not challenging Goliath, they are saying that Dagon is the god of the world. At stake here is the question – whose God is the God of the world?
b. Here comes this Shepherd boy who shows up with cheese against a god who is holding an iron spear. David’s defense does not stand a chance. Goliath knows how to cut the cheese.
c. 1 Samuel 17:25 – 26: Everyday Goliath comes out. All the nation of Israel is terrified of this giant. David steps up to take the role of a warrior. 1 Samuel 17:32-40. David was aware of the deliverance of the living God. Saul allows him to strap on the armament but it does not fit. David takes five smooth stones from the stream and a stick.
i. As David walked toward Goliath, he had no sword or spear. He couldn’t even wear King Saul’s armor because it was too large for his small body. Humanly speaking, this little boy had little to offer the Israelite army.
ii. But David still had an amazing advantage over the powerful Philistines. He had a powerful faith in God. And he also had a correct motive for entering battle—so that “the whole world would know there is a God in Israel” (1 Sam. 17:46).
iii. After proclaiming his faith in God before the giant Philistine, David did something he was gifted to do: He threw a rock. As a shepherd boy, David had probably hurled rocks from his slingshot hundreds of times. This time, David’s stone knocked the giant to the ground and allowed him to kill Goliath.
iv. David—who had little to offer from a human perspective—simply did what he was gifted to do. And because he did it for the right reason, God gave him the advantage over evil.
v. Here is this kid with a stick and a sling. Down in the valley is Goliath. To your right is your country and to the left is the country of the Philistines. Everyone is looking on what is going to happen to this critical area of the world. Here is a young boy that starts out just bringing the cheese and finds himself in battle over the center of the geo-political, religious epicenter of that part of the world. His attitude is BRING IT ON. I WILL TAKE ON GOLIATH. David took responsibility for the people at risk by bringing some relief and becoming a role model of trust in Yahweh.
1. 1 Samuel 17:41-47 – This young boy displays an unbelievable understanding of how the world works. There are two significant comments that he makes.
a. Not by sword of spear. These things are not decided by technology, but by the living God.
b. And the whole world will know. This is not a battle for the little valley. It is a battle for the honor of the living God.
2. 1 Samuel 17:48-50 – by the end of the day, he fulfills his role as a deliverer of the nation. God uses a boy delivering the cheese.
I. How does all of this relate to the unfortunate events that came on the Gulf Coast this past week?
a. Now is our time to take responsibility for people at risk by bringing relief to our brothers and sisters as we are able.
b. This is much bigger than Hurricane Katrina?
i. Why were the people at risk in the first place? They were told to get out of the city. They were told to evacuate.
1. It seems to me as I watch the news that the ones who were trapped in the city were the poor. Why?
2. Think about this with me for a few moments.
a. During hurricanes, floods and other natural disasters, those who have the least to lose are often those who lose the most. Why?
i. First, the dwellings in which poor people live are not as sturdy, stable, or safe as others. "Shotgun" shacks, mobile homes, and poorly constructed apartment buildings don’t do well in hurricane-force winds and tidal surges.
ii. Second, the places where poor people live are also the most vulnerable. The rich often live at the tops of hills, the poor in the valleys and plains that are the first to flood. The living conditions in these neighborhoods are also usually the most dense and overcrowded.
iii. Third, it is much harder for the poor to evacuate. They don’t own cars, can’t afford to rent them, and often can’t even afford a tank of gas - especially at today’s prices. They can’t afford an airplane, train, or even bus ticket. And, as one low-income person told a New Orleans reporter, they have no place to go. People in poverty can’t afford motel or hotel rooms, and often don’t have friends or family in other places with space to spare. In New Orleans, there were many people who desperately wanted to leave but couldn’t.
iv. Fourth, low-income people are the least likely to have insurance on their homes and belongings, and the least likely to have health insurance. If jobs are lost because of natural disasters, theirs are the first to go. Poverty makes long-term recovery after a disaster more difficult - the communities that are the weakest to begin with usually recover the slowest. The lack of a living family income for most people in those communities leaves no reserve for emergencies. New Orleans has a poverty rate of 28% - more than twice the national rate. Life is always hard for poor people - living on the edge is insecure and full of risk. Natural disasters make it worse. Yet even in normal times, poverty is hidden and not reported by the media. In times of disaster, there continues to be little coverage of the excessive impact on the poor. Devastated luxury homes and hotels, drifting yachts and battered casinos make far more compelling photographs.
v. The final irony of New Orleans is that the people who normally fill the Louisiana Superdome are those who can afford the high cost of tickets, parking, and concessions. Now its inhabitants are the poor, especially children, the elderly and the sick - those with nowhere else to go. Those with money are nowhere to be seen.
vi. The fact is, those who were well off were able to evacuate the city and those who were poor stayed behind. And those who are suffering and those who are dying are those very same poor people.
b. As the Gulf Coast now faces the long and difficult task of recovery, what can we do?
i. Pray. As Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco declared Wednesday "As we face the devastation wrought by Katrina, as we search for those in need, as we comfort those in pain and as we begin the long task of rebuilding, we turn to God for strength, hope and comfort." She urged residents in her state to ask "that God give us all the physical and spiritual strength to work through this crisis and rebuild."
ii. Give.
1. If you wish to make a contribution to help with disaster relief, contact one of the following agencies recommended by FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) or the relief organization of your choice.
2. Here is the number for the American Red Cross: 1-800-435-7669
3. Visit your local Wal-Mart or Sam’s Club to donate to The Salvation Army’s Hurricane Katrina relief effort.
Conclusion
A. In today’s world, disaster and poverty seem like a giant Goliath—impossible to defeat. And some Christians are so cynical or apathetic that they withdraw from the world altogether.
But Christians shouldn’t run away from the battle. We have a God that can use anyone—even those who seem insignificant and weak—to defeat giants. He asks each of us to use our particular gifts and skills, no matter how simple or advanced they may be, to influence culture for him.
B. Today, the Shephelah symbolizes the places where fear, hopelessness, poverty and suffering strangle the life out of those who have no power. Like the Israelites, we have a choice: to withdraw to the “mountains” or to be on the front line. Sometimes it takes a teenage boy delivering some cheese to lead the way. We have the opportunity in the “coastal plain” of our neighborhoods, cities, country, and the world to bring some relief. We can step up in the face of fear and trust God to deliver us not through swords but bread and cheese. Hope is not determined by technology but trust in the living God and his people who step out in times of crisis.
If we will, the whole world will know there is a God in our midst.
