`David series David and Goliath
1 Samuel 17:1-50
credit: This is an adaptation of Charles Swindoll's "David: a man of passion and destiny" Chapter 4. The flow and some exact text is from that chapter, however I added and edited it to make it my own sermon.
An archaeologist was digging in the Negev Desert in Israel and came upon a casket containing a mummy.
After examining it, he called the curator of a prestigious natural-history museum and said,
“I’ve just discovered a 3,000 year-old mummy of a man who died of heart failure!”
The curator replied, “Bring him in. We’ll check it out.”
A week later, the amazed curator called the archaeologist. “You were right about the mummy’s age and cause of death. How in the world did you know that he died of a heart attack?”
The archaeologist said, “Easy. There was a piece of paper in his hand that said, ’10,000 Shekels on Goliath.’”
The story of David and Goliath is perhaps the favorite of all the Bible stories for many people.
Certainly it is one of the best known, and most inspirational.
Everyone loves a story where the underdog wins against all odds.
Goliath had all the things that would normally impress and intimidate:
David was not impressed
David was not intimidated.
David knew something no one else noticed:
- that in this time of crisis
- no matter how big the giant might be, And
- no matter how powerful he might be,
David understood, what we need to understand:
God is greater.
God is all-powerful.
That when we stand for God
God’s enemies ought to be scared
God’s enemies will be defeated
Now, with that in mind, let’s take a look at the battleground.
“Now the Philistines gathered their armies together to battle, and were gathered at Sochoh, which belongs to Judah; they encamped between Sochoh and Azekah, in Ephes Dammim. 2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and they encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in battle array against the Philistines. 3 The Philistines stood on a mountain on one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, with a valley between them.”
- 1 Samuel 17:1–3
The Valley of Elah was more like a vast canyon:
It was about a mile wide, and
on one slope was the army of Israel and
on the other, the army of the Philistines.
Now let’s consider the major characters in our text from 1 Samuel 17
First there was Goliath, whose size and appearance were so impressive that the writer describes him in exacting detail.
1. GOLIATH
“And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.”
- 1 Samuel 17:4
Goliath was somewhere near 9' 9" tall . . . an enormous man:
- standing on his tip toes he would be taller than 10 foot high
- he could probably reach up to 13 feet in the air
- Goliath was a big man, But it wasn’t just his size.
“He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. 6 And he had bronze armor on his legs and a bronze javelin between his shoulders. 7 Now the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his iron spearhead weighed six hundred shekels; and a shield-bearer went before him.”
- 1 Samuel 17:5–7
Goliath was dressed for battle:
- his body armor weighed between 175 and 200 pounds.
- But Goliath also wore a bronze helmet, and
- bronze leggings (greaves) to protect his shins, and
- he carried a bronze javelin or spear slung between his shoulders.
- The head of his spear alone weighed six hundred shekels of iron, or about 20 to 25 pounds.
He also had a “shield-carrier” who walked before him:
Goliath had this fellow running in front of him,
carrying a man-size shield as double protection.
Certainly:
- Goliath was a battle hardened warrior
- having killed countless men
- been bloodied and victorious
With all that in mind:
- can you Imagine how frightening it would be to take Goliath on
- in a battle to the death?
- the odds would not be in your favor.
Notice what this warrior did.
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.
“Then he stood and cried out to the armies of Israel, and said to them, “Why have you come out to line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.”
- 1 Samuel 17:8–9
Goliath proposed a practice:
- commonly used in the Eastern world, and that is,
- a one-on-one fight.
- winner take all
Goliath proposed to fight whoever Israel brought him:
If Goliath won, the Philistines army won
If Israel’s warrior was victorious, so was the Israelite army
Goliath had no problem with confidence:
- “bring it on, let’s go, you Cowards!”
Goliath didn’t issue this challenge once and leave:
His challenge went on for forty days (17:16).
Every morning and every evening for well over a month,
he marched out there,daring someone to take him on.
That is similar to any “giant” we face!
- worry and fear don’t just come once and leave
- sins and addictions don’t come once and leave
- anxiety doesn’t just make one visit
- they come and come and come back to torment us.
The fears, worries and sins that torment us:
come and challenge us to fight them under our own strength.
Provoking us to believe that we can not win, but only lose.
Those GIANTS want us to believe the LIE
that we are on our own, and
that we will die trying and never be victorious
2. ENTER DAVID
- tending to the family sheep about ten or fifteen miles away, up in Bethlehem,
- He was too young to be fighting in the army.
- He probably had never even heard of Goliath.
- his three oldest brothers were off fighting in Saul’s army.
David’s father, however, was very concerned about his three eldest sons...
“Then Jesse said to his son David, “Take now for your brothers an ephah of this dried grain and these ten loaves, and run to your brothers at the camp. 18 And carry these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand, and see how your brothers fare, and bring back news of them.”
- 1 Samuel 17:17–18
David wasn’t going there to fight:
- He was just bringing some food
- and to check on their wellbeing,
“So David rose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, and took the things and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the camp as the army was going out to the fight and shouting for the battle.”
- 1 Samuel 17:20
As David gets to the edge of the Israelite camp:
- he sees the troops
- This has to be more exciting than watching the sheep
“And David left his supplies in the hand of the supply keeper, ran to the army, and came and greeted his brothers. 23 Then as he talked with them, there was the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, coming up from the armies of the Philistines; and he spoke according to the same words. So David heard them.”
- 1 Samuel 17:22–23
Think about it:
- David is standing there talking to his three brothers,
- when all of a sudden he hears yelling from the Philistine side
- it’s Goliath, challenging God and Israel
And suddenly everyone around him is rushing to the rear and climbing in their tents—
“And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid.”
- 1 Samuel 17:24
Goliath has been challenging Israel for 40 days:
- but this is the first time David heard the challenge
- and everyone around him starts to run and hide.
- not one of them will stand up to Goliath
David sees Goliath, just like the all the other people saw:
- there is a giant, armored up warrior
- shouting threats and cursing God
- DAVID couldn’t take it,
- David wouldn’t take it!!!
Everyone else sees an enemy they can’t defeat,
but David sees an enemy God can defeat
Makes me think about Popeye:
- when he’d get worked up
- and need strength from his spinach
- he’d say “I’ve had all I can stand, and can’t stands no more.”
- then he’d pop open his spinach and gain super strength
Maybe David thinks:
- No one is going to talk that way about the God of Israel,
-So why is everybody running away?
- why doesn’t somebody kill this guy…..
A side note:
- in church there is a lot of work to be done
- and a lot of time we’re waiting for someone else to do it
- it might just be that somebody that needs to do the work is us!
David wasn’t impressed.
Nor was he intimidated.
Look at what he does.
“Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall 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 defy the armies of the living God?”
And the people answered him in this manner, saying, “So shall it be done for the man who kills him.”
- 1 Samuel 17:26–27
Here’s what King Saul promised to the guy who kills Goliathi:
- great riches,
- he promised him his daughter’s hand in marriage, and
- he promised to exempt his father’s house from paying taxes.
Those were all external motivations, and they didn’t motivate anyone.
Goliath has:
- come down his side of the hill
- crossed the ravine, and
- is coming up Israel’s side.
Chuck Swindoll writes:
“You see, if you tolerate a Goliath, he’ll take over your territory. He’ll move into your camp. He’ll take your thoughts that normally ought to be on God, and he’ll put them on himself. That’s why you can’t afford to tolerate giants; you kill them.”
David’s oldest brother Eliab takes a jab or two at his younger brother….
Eliab is:
the tall good looking
First born son of Jesse
The one God passed over in favor of David
“Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger was aroused against David, and he said, “Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.”
- 1 Samuel 17:28
Eliab isn’t happy to see David and asks:
“Why are you here, what do YOU want?”
“Who is watching the sheep, sheep boy?” (I added that last part)
Eliab was inviting a fight, but David didn’t say a thing:
- you see you don’t have to attend every fight you are invited to
- this wasn’t a battle worth fighting
Next we find King Saul and David are talking…
“Then David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”
33 And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.”
- 1 Samuel 17:32–33
David isn’t scared of Goliath and says “I’ll fight him”:
- Goliath’s appearance would be impressive
- but David had more confidence in God
Remember that God looks at the heart:
“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7
David was a man after God’s own heart:
- God’s heart and David’s heart walked in step
- because of that, God was able to do mighty things
- with a “not so: mighty man.
Anyone could see that:
- Goliath could smash David like a bug
- but what they couldn’t see is
- with God not enough becomes more than enough
David says to himself “if I’m on God’s side, I can’t lose.”
David then describes to Saul:
- how in the past God proved Himself faithful
- when David slew a bear and a lion.
“The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine”
- 1 Samuel 17:37
WE need to REMEMBER what David kept on his mind:
- God has been faithful to me in the past and he’s going to keep being faithful!
- God has saved me from certain death
- God brought me this far
- It is God who has sustained me
When your GIANTS call you name:
- remember that God loves you
- God is your strength
- you are not alone in Christ.
David basically says “I can defeat Goliath by God’s strength. It was God’s strength that saved David from the lion, the bear and would give him power over GOLIATH.”
Saul says, “Go, and may the Lord be with you.”:
- then Saul tried to get David to wear his armor
- it wasn’t how David was used to fighting
- David hadn’t had a chance to test it
- but it didn’t fit, it wouldn’t work
David put on his own clothes:
- picked up his sling and his staff - to do battle.
Then comes that crucial moment:
“Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine.”
- 1 Samuel 17:40
Charles Swindoll writes:
“The beautiful thing about this story is that it’s a perfect example of how God operates. He magnifies HIS name when we are weak. We don’t have to be eloquent or strong or handsome. We don’t have to be beautiful or brilliant or have all the answers to be blessed of God. He honors our faith. All He asks is that we trust Him, that we stand before Him in integrity and faith, and He’ll win the battle. God is just waiting for His moment, waiting for us to trust Him so He can empower us to battle our giants.”
Goliath is still:
- large and dangerous
- ready to kill anyone who comes to him
- the threat is real…
Remember that simple faith is powerful in the face of REAL GIANTS...
David needed God and no one else:
After picking up the stones,
he approaches the gigantic Philistine warrior.
The shepherd boy made the giant smile.
Goliath thought it was a joke!
“So the Philistine came, and began drawing near to David, and the man who bore the shield went before him. 42 And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was only a youth, ruddy and good-looking. 43 So the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”
“Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.” - 1 Samuel 17:41–46
David was able to stand before this mighty man unintimidated!
- it wasn’t that Goliath wasn’t a threat
- it was that David had more faith in God than he had fear in him
Certainly we live in uncertain times:
- we can be intimidated by the fear of the future
- there are real threats to us
- but we must have more faith in God than we have fear within ourselves.
To be Giant slayers:
- we must look the giants in the eye
- and say to ourselves,
- this is a big old scary problem
- and I can’t handle this…..
- BUT MY GOD CAN HANDLE THIS
- and I will trust HIM
David had invincible confidence in his God,
David responded,
“that all this assembly may know the LORD does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the LORD’s”
- 1 Samuel 17:47
There it is. That’s the secret of David’s life. “The battle is the LORD’s.”
We must fight our battles God’s way:
God is saying to you, “You do it My way and I’ll honor you. You do it your way and you’re doomed to fail. The battle is Mine.” (Swindoll)
David just ran to meet Goliath:
- the way I read it
- it says that David would have just killed Goliath
- but he needed to make a point first
- the point is that the Battle is the Lord’s.
David made it a point to put the pressure and the glory on God (X2)
“Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth. 50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David.”
- 1 Samuel 17:49–50
David went after Goliath:
- not with his own limited power
- but with the unlimited power of the limitless God.
“whoosh, whoosh, whoosh”:
- a single stone flew through the air
- it struck Goliath right between the eyes, and
- Goliath fell to the ground like a potato.
Then David cut off Goliath’s head with Goliath’s sword…..
Because of God’s power within David:
- an unwinnable battle was won
- an undefeatable enemy was killed
- a little faith went a long way…
Let’s pray…. Hope we have, gospel, resurrection - our offer to accept
