1 Samuel 17:44-51 NKJV
“The Battle is the LORD’s”
June 4, 2023
Up to this point in history, God had ruled the nation, raising up judges as they were needed. This was how things operated all the way from the time of Moses through the days of the Prophet, Priest, and Judge Samuel. God warned them that elevating a man to the throne would bring political corruption and trouble, 1 Samuel 8. But they demanded a king like the Philistines had! When a man named Saul from the tribe of Benjamin was chosen to be their king, the people were elated. Saul was a fine physical specimen, standing head and shoulders above anyone else in Israel, 1 Samuel 9. While he may have been a giant among men, he was a spiritual dwarf! Saul was a jealous man, who lived for the praises of the people. He tended to overstep his boundaries and was guilty of gross disobedience to the commands of the Lord. As a result of Saul’s rebellion, God chooses a new king to rule over Israel. He chooses a young shepherd named David, son of Jesse, son of Obed, son of Ruth. He was anointed by Samuel as a boy but did not ascend the throne for another 25 years. During that time, he faced battles from his family, battles from the enemy, and battles from within. And from each challenge we learn that when the Battle is the LORD’s the victory is ours.
THE DOUBTERS - God sent Samuel to a specific city called Bethlehem, to a specific family of the line of Judah and then to the specific boy He had chosen to be the next king. After Ruth’s grandson, Jesse, only brings his seven oldest sons to be considered before the Prophet Samuel and after all being rejected, Samuel asks, “Is there is yet another son?” He is told of the youngest and he is with the sheep. He is so insignificant within the family that he is not even summoned with the rest of the boys, but he is left out of the feast and the sacrifice. He is out there doing the job of a humble shepherd. In fact, when he is mentioned by his father, he is not even called by his name; he is simply called “the youngest.” When he walks in, Samuel sees a handsome, young man and God tells the prophet to anoint the young David, for this is the one! The one rejected and passed over by his family is the very one picked by the Lord!
Even though the oil from Samuel’s horn was poured over David in the presence of his brothers, it was his family that couldn’t see his anointing. It’s those closest to you that often doubt. His brothers were standing right there when the Prophet anointed his head. His father, Jesse, when told to bring all his sons in before Samuel, they were “sanctified,” v. 5. In other words, their clothes were washed, and they are made ready for worship. When David is finally brought, there is no time for him to be washed, but he is sanctified nonetheless! His clothes may have been soiled from the pasture, but his heart was clean! God sees what man cannot see! Even Samuel was impressed with the oldest son, but God wasn’t. Even the Prophet is still looking at men through human eyes. We are the same way. When we see a youth who is good looking, well-spoken and intelligent, we look at them and say, “That young person would make a fine leader someday.” The problem is, we cannot see their heart! While the one we think will amount to little, they might just be the one used by the Lord in a mighty way! You see, God makes His choices based not on what He sees about our outward characteristics, but on what He sees within the content of our hearts. One would have thought that at least the Prophet would have learned from his experience with tall, strong and handsome King Saul, who proved to be, exactly the kind of king the Lord had warned the Israelites of. A selfish and jealous king, Saul stated his rule well but his pride and disobedience in worship moved God to choose another, “A man after God’s own heart.” So, God removed His anointing from Saul and placed it upon the young David. The Bible says in 1 Timothy 4, “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”
THE DANGER - In chapter 17 we are introduced to the Philistine champion, and he is a giant. His name is Goliath, which means “splendor,” and he was a splendid physical specimen. Goliath was not an ordinary soldier.
He stood 9’ 9” tall, v. 4.
He wore body armor weighing nearly 150 pounds v. 5
His spear was long, and the head was made of iron weighing 20 pounds by itself.
Goliath was a very formidable soldier. No doubt everyone who saw him feared him. No one wanted to face him in battle. He appeared indestructible and unconquerable. He mocks them and calls them cowards, says when Israel heard the taunts of Goliath, they were “dismayed, and greatly afraid.” BUT DAVID knew he was anointed, for he believed Samuel when he prophesied that he would be the next king in Israel. David knew that one day, he was going to receive Saul’s crown. When God is allowing this danger to rise to power among the Philistines, He is training a Shepherd with Lion and Bear! God did not train David with sword or spear, He trained with a rock. David wrote in Psalm 61, “When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I!” in Psalm 62 he wrote, “God alone is my rock and salvation.” God removed David’s fear of the hand of the giant by delivering him from the paw of the lion and paw of the bear. Why Lord would you send Lion and Bear when other shepherds only had to deal with coyote or wolf? David tells King Saul that he sees no difference between those beasts that he defeated in the field and the giant that stood before them. In verse 37, David states his absolute confidence that just as God gave him victory over the lion and the bear, God would give him victory of the giant. When the king heard David, he joined the chorus of doubters. But David was steadfast, so Saul tried to suit David up in armor. But David rejected Saul’s armor because he had to go to battle with the rock he had learned to depend on! The king needed to learn that “Safety is not in the absence of danger; safety is in the presence of the Lord!”
THE DECLARED – David declared that he would go into battle with the things that had always worked for him in the past. David knew that his God was greater than any giant. So, when David went out to fight, he took his sling, five smooth stones, and the Sovereign Promises of God. We have tried many methods to defeat the giants in our lives. We have attended the latest seminars. We have read the newest books. We have prayed the “prayer of Jabez.” We have outlined a purpose driven life. But, when it is all said and done, giant killing is simple. It all comes down to this one simple, basic truth: The just shall live by faith, Habakkuk 2:4 & Romans 1:17! David walked down into that valley directly into an impossible situation. He was doubted by his family; He was ridiculed by the giant; Yet, by faith David declared the victory and the glory of God before the battle was even fought! I will strike you and remove your head so that all of Israel will know that the Lord does not save with sword or spear! For the Battle is the LORD’s and He will give you into our hands! That is faith! David declared the head of the giant but did not bring a sword! Faith will allow you to give your victory speech before you even fight the battle! Faith made David run toward the enemy; faith made David face what everyone else feared; faith made David hurl that stone; And faith watched a giant fall to the ground! The battle is not yours! The Battle is the LORD’s! Look again at verse 51. Where is the giant? He who was once 9 feet tall is now not only 9 feet long! You can stand on a giant like that! You see, faith will take that which is over your head and will put it under your feet!
Jesus taught us in the Old Testament about declaring before it was done so that when we see Him do it in the New Testament, it wouldn’t surprise us. Paul wrote, “thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Remember, Jesus said to the man on the cross beside Him, “This day you shall be with me in Paradise!” He declared it before it was! Because He knows who he is! He is the Anointed One of Israel, the Son of David, the Christ, the Son of God!
