Pastor Dave Martin, Cross Creek Community Church, June 1, 2003
“David – Be a Giant Killer”
Part 3 1Sam 17
(Be reading & studying 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 Chronicles, 1Kings 1-2)
Review from Previous weeks:
** Prerequisite for God’s blessing is being a person after God’s own heart!
** Proof of having a Godly Heart is Wholehearted, Joyous, Obedience!
** Success Formula: God (Preparation + Opportunity) = SUCCESS
Everyone face “Giants” in our lives:
· Impossible situations or people.
· Irreconcilable relationships or differences
· Irresistible temptations or sins.
· Possibly haunting memories of the past.
Background: (1Sam 17:1-19)
Two armies meet on opposite sides across a mile wide valley named Elah, 15 miles from Bethlehem. Forty days of a stalemate confrontation with the giant yelling threats two times per day.
1. Israelite army led by king Saul.
· A man after HIS OWN heart.
· Saul & his armies were terrified, dismayed, great fear, “lost their heart” – vs 11, 24, 32
· Lost confidence by depending upon himself and not the Lord.
· “The bravest men, are no more than what God makes them” - Matthew Henry
2. Philistine army led by their champion giant.
· Stood 9 feet 9 inches tall (Some scholars say possibly 11’ 4”. Possibly weighing 475 lbs) Peoples Almanac Book: Lists 13 people over 8’ tall, 4 people over 9’ tall and one of those was married to a 98 lb woman! There are 3 people listed over 1000 lbs!
· Coat of armor weighed 125 lbs. defensive armor, brass plates laid over one another, like fish scales
· Spear weighed a total of 32 lbs. (weaver beam weighed 17 lbs and the spear head weighed 15 lbs)
· The giants name was Goliath, the “best-known heathen” in the Bible!
How to kill Giants…
1. Start by doing COMMON things uncommonly well. Vs20-22
1 Samuel 17:20-22 Early in the morning David left the flock with a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had directed. He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry. 21Israel and the Philistines were drawing up their lines facing each other. 22David left his things with the keeper of supplies, ran to the battle lines and greeted his brothers.
· “Common” - character, integrity, obedience, trustworthiness, responsibility, faithfulness, preparation
· Before honor there is humility. These common things characterized the life of David.
2. View LIFE from God’s perspective. Vs 23-27
1 Samuel 17:23-27 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. 24When the Israelites saw the man, they all ran from him in great fear. 25Now 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 father’s family from taxes in Israel." 26David 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?" 27They repeated to him what they had been saying and told him, "This is what will be done for the man who kills him."
· Thunderous voice of Goliath scared the Israelites deeply – no courage, faith failed, great fear.
· Even Saul (who was a head taller) was shaking in terror.
· David exhibited holy indignation – Goliath is not defying us but God!
. David saw God! Get your eyes off the giants and gaze upon the Lord. Look how little Goliath is in comparision to God!
. How Big is your God? We serve an Awesome God!
3. Allow the cause to OVERCOME the criticism. Vs28-30
1 Samuel 17:28-30 When Eliab, 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 desert? 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?" 30He then turned away to someone else and brought up the same matter, and the men answered him as before.
· David was brow beaten, verbally abused by his brothers. Jealousy produced anger and criticism.
· Understand carefully – if you are in the fray for Jesus you will be criticized then when you are criticized you better have a cause bigger than the criticism or you will quit. (Criticism will often come from people closest to you)
· “Is there not a cause” “Can’t I even speak” – David then turned to someone else, he didn’t quit.
· David ruled his spirit well; he handled criticism, jealousy and anger from his brothers well.
. Fear = Bondage. Fear of man made Saul coward while the Fear of God made David a conqueror!
4. Lose your fear of INVOLVEMENT. Vs 31-32
1 Samuel 17:31-32 What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, and Saul sent for him.
32David said to Saul, "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him."
· There is no impact without involvement – make it happen!
· Walk by faith not by sight (which sometimes is scary). Launch out, step out, get involved for Christ!
5. Remember PAST private successes to get PRESENT public confidence. Vs 33-37
1 Samuel 17:33-37 Saul replied, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth." 34But 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, 35I 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. 36Your 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. 37The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine."
Saul said to David, "Go, and the LORD be with you."
· If God helped me do that then He can help me do this!
· “Many have missed God’s best through the misuse of their leisure”
· Look back in your life and list all the “Spiritual markers” – grows your public confidence for today!
. David slew the Lion & David slew the bear now unto Goliath!
. We go from victory unto victory - the little things (lions/bears) before the BIG things!
6. Utilize your PREPARATION to meet the opportunity. Vs 38-40
1 Samuel 17:38-40 Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. 39David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them.
"I cannot go in these," he said to Saul, "because I am not used to them." So he took them off. 40Then 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.
· God doesn’t ask us to do something we are unprepared for. David was not used to Sauls weapons.
· The Philistines had the mastery of building metal weapons unlike the Israelites. (1Sam 13:19-22)
· David (prior preparation) would use the sling & stones not modern weaponry (unproven to him).
. Our weapons are not carnal but spiritual!
. Go forth in the name of the Lord! God’s weapons are invisible yet invincible!
7. LOOK the enemy in the eye. Vs 41-44
1 Samuel 17:41-44 Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. 42He looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him. 43He 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 of the air and the beasts of the field!"
· “Kept coming closer” - Goliath now cursing David by his false gods they worshiped – fish, flies, etc.
· There comes a time when you MUST face your giant. You can’t run from the giant any longer.
8. Rely on God as your SOURCE of strength and Confidence. Vs 45-47
1 Samuel 17:45-47 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. 46This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47All 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."
· Correct confidence is the result of God reliance. There is POWER in the name of the Lord! God will do…therefore I will trust and obey…
· David’s victory was a miracle – a triumph of faith in the Lord from a “behind the scenes” man.
· God accomplished the victory - using the humble, little, insignificant, lowly shepherd to overcome the warrior giant.
· I have always shunned public appearances, even standing here this morning I’m scared. It’s the Lord’s strength in me that allows me to preach to you. My confidence not in myself but in the Lord.
· Strength & confidence in our public life is found in our private lives where we run & cry out to God.
. You may be just plain and ordinary in plain common, everyday kind of wrapping - with the Lord you can defeat any giant that comes your way!
9. Attack the enemy without DELAY. Vs 48-49
1 Samuel 17:48-49 As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. 49Reaching 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.
· When it’s time it’s time. – David “ran quickly” - His preparation, trust, courage, etc.
· Be offensive, active, engage the enemy without procrastination.
10. DECIMATE your enemy completely. Vs 50-51
1 Samuel 17:50-51 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. 51David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the scabbard. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran.
· When we engage the enemy do the job right. Gain total victory. (Gulf war1 and recently Gulf war2)
· Gain total supremacy over the enemy, not being a yo-yo swinging from victory to defeat and back/forth. The Philistine dead was strewn along the road!
· Military’s “smart” weapons, lock onto the target and directs all focus there until target is decimated!
· There was no more from Goliath or the Philistines for a long time.
11. Watch your VICTORIES light a fire under others. V52
1 Samuel 17:52 Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath and to the gates of Ekron. Their dead were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron.
· Success, boldness, corage, confidence, victories has a way of stimulating & encouraging others – the army that was just quaking in fear was now in hot pursuit of the Philistine army who was literally ripped apart by the Israelite army.
· When you experience victory over a giant in your life – be assured, it will affect others.
Resulting in…
12. Giants being killed! (decapitated)
. You grow Spiritually! (matures, grows, strengthens)
. People know & rejoice! (World will know)
. God is exalted & glorified! (God will not share His glory)
1 Samuel 17:46 “This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head…and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel”.
Application
· Impossible situations or people.
· Irreconcilable relationships or differences
· Irresistible temptations or sins.
· Possible haunting memories of the past.
Next Week: “David, Keys to a True Friend”
Let’s Pray
