Lessons from David and Goliath
The story of David and Goliath begins with the philistines gathering for war in Israel’s territory. Let’s start reading in 1 Samuel 17:1-3.
1 Samuel 17: 1-3
17 Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled… in Judah.
They pitched camp at Ephes (ee fus) Dammim (Damem). 2 Saul and the Israelites…camped in the Valley of Elah.3 The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them.
The philistines chose the valley and lined up on a hillside. (photo) But the valley is about one mile wide where it would take place. The 2 armies were on opposing hills. This is 25 miles from Jerusalem.
Between them stood the valley...for war! 1 Samuel 17:4-5
4 A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. His height was (9 feet and 9 inches tall) 5 He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of armor…weighing (120 pounds).
This is the bronze age, and the poor farming community of Israel did not have the benefits of bronze. Goliath was covered with a coat of armor and even shining coverings for his shins. His spear head weighs 15 pounds. Historians say the man could have weighed 500 pounds. 1 Samuel 17:8-11
8 Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.”
10 …“This day I defy the armies of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other.” 11 On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.
As Goliath was taunting the Israeli soldiers, David was in Bethlehem. 1 Samuel 17:12-24
12 Now David was the son…Jesse, who was from Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons... 13 Jesse’s three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war: The firstborn was Eliab; the second, Abinadab; and the third, Shammah. 15 but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.
16 For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand.
-------------17 Now Jesse said to his son David, “Take this…roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp. 18 Take along these ten cheeses to the commander of their unit.
See how your brothers are... 19 They are with Saul…in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.”
----------------------20 Early in the morning David… loaded up and set out... He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry.
22 David left his things with the keeper of supplies, ran to the battle lines and asked his brothers how they were.
---------23 As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it. 24 Whenever the Israelites saw the man, they all fled from him in great fear.
What seemed like an ordinary day turns into a God lead event. This is why it is important to have time with God in the morning, so we are prepared for these surprises God leads us into.
What was the soldier’s reaction to Goliath? (PHOTO) Vs 24 They fled.
1 Samuel 17:25-26
25 Now the Israelites had been saying, “Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his family from taxes in Israel.”
---------26 David asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
Goliath has made a challenge- 1 fight between him and a man of their choosing then the winner takes all. This is better than hundreds of men dying. But King Saul NOR any other soldier, even Jonathon, nor Abner, the leader of the army offered to do it. What was David’s reaction? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine. Why is he allowed to defy the armies of the living God? Doesn’t he worships a wooden god, and the Jews have a LIVING God that can protect them.
Where is David’s eye? Looking upward… on a spiritual plane.
Lesson: Keep your eyes on God in a problem. See through 2 lenses: the real situation and God’s perspective.
So what problems are you encountering? Have you prayed about it? Where are your eyes?
1 Samuel 17:
28 When Eliab, (EE lie-ab) David’s oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.”
29 “Now what have I done?” said David. “Can’t I even speak?”
Eliab, the oldest son is having problems with jealousy. He is trying to belittle David about his work: few sheep not a herd. He uses inflammatory words: conceited, wicked. Remember: words hurt. You can’t take them back. They will always be there.
For David…. It was an attack, but hear me: This is a side issue: Sometimes, it is difficult to keep yourself on the goal instead of the side issues. David could have argued with him and gone home, upset with Eliab. He could have let the side issue overwhelm him …. But he ignores him and keeps the goal in the front vision. Goliath.
Lesson: Keep your goals and don’t get entangled with the small stuff
1 Samuel 17:30,32-33
30 He then turned away…
32 David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.”
33 Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”
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34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 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.
36 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. 37 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.”
So why does David know that he can fight Goliath.?? (PHOTO) 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear.
Because of his past victories. How had God prepared David for this fight with Goliath? Bear and a Lion both were bigger than him. Syrian Bear - 500 to 1000 pounds, a lion is 300-500 pounds.
God is on my side. Goliath is just like the lion and bear.. God has already helped me kill both and He will do it again. (Faith)
Sometimes we start seeing our problems as huge and threatening. We see ourselves as:
• Small, not of value or worth, insignificant
And that is the goal of Satan. He wants you to lose the TRUTH. BUT what is the TRUTH?
Together, Jesus and you are significant and complete.
Lesson: God has prepared you for today’s battle with the stepping stones of the past. And with God, you can do it together. FAITH
Saul’s reaction?
Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”
Then Saul tried to put armor on the teenage boy and it was awkward. It didn’t fit.
1 Samuel 17: 39-40
39 David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around...
“I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.
Notice… he did not take a sword.
41 Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. 42 He looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome, and he despised him.
------ 43 He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals!”
---------45 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. 46 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 the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 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.”
When Goliath looked at David, he saw a healthy good lookin’14-15 yr old. It made him angry. He saw that David held a stick, probably a rod that he used to throw or even hit a coyote. Goliath felt belittled that they would send out a child instead of a soldier and it made him hoppin’ mad.
But David had a few words too. First, David rebuked the Philistine for blaspheming God. He was letting the world know that this was also a spiritual battle and there was only one living God. . 2nd point in his speech is I will win this battle because my God is greater. And his 3 point is That God will save them, and it wasn’t through the sword or weaponry., but by His MIGHT and power!
48 As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. 49 Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.
50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand, he struck down the Philistine and killed him.
No sword… but the power of God. But then
51 David ran and …He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword.
Shock fell over both sides.
When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran.
They forgot about the deal Goliath had made. They ran home.
52 Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines… Their dead were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron.
54 David took the Philistine’s head and brought it to Jerusalem; he put the Philistine’s weapons in his own tent.
Side notes in the story:
55 As Saul watched David going out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is that young man?”
I always wondered. Did Saul not know David? But the question was… whose family is David from. Because he would be marrying Saul’s family.
57 As soon as David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with David still holding the Philistine’s head.
58 “Whose son are you, young man?” Saul asked him.
David said, “I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem.”
Take Aways
1. Important: God is powerful and with Him, I can defeat Giants
Focal point in the story.
2. Faith, (not strength, money, job, power, etc...) is more important when facing a giant.
a. Asking God for His discernment in a problem.
3. What Giants are you facing today? Give it to Him.
