It was a cool, brisk morning in the desert area of Shocock in the land of Judah. This would be a very special day filled with much adventure and real danger. The year was 1020 B.C. and the clouds of war were in the air.
The battle lines had been formed with the mighty Philistines standing on one side of the valley and God’s chosen people, the Israelites, on the other side. It would be a day when a man could either die in battle, or survive and live the remainder of his life as a hero.
For a young shepherd boy named David, this day would be like all the rest. His job was to take care of the sheep, and perhaps for the most part, his days were more boring then they were filled with adventure. Every day for David was more or less the same – lead the sheep to grass and then to water, then to grass again and then to the pen.
Now I’m not sure how much you know about sheep but I suspect it’s similar to raising cattle. Being a sprawling, farming county, I suspect that you do know more than most. One thing that I have learned for sure since moving to Bedford County is that I don’t want Brother Dewey to be the one to teach me. He’s always talking about sticking a pitchfork or shovel in my hands and giving me work in the barns loading hay and shoveling fertilizer!
Anyway, back to the sheep. Brother Larry told me that sheep are a lot like Jessie – they are not known for their smarts! As a matter of fact, they are considered to be a rather dumb animal. If they don’t have the shepherd to direct their paths then they’ll walk right off the mountain.
David had no clue as to what this day held in store for him. There had been times of excitement in his past. He remembered the day that he had to defend his sheep from the lion that had attacked them, and also the time the bear had come after his flock.
But today, the only members of his family facing any excitement were his three older brothers. They were in the army and in battle against the mighty Philistines. How exciting, he thought, it would be to trade places with them or to just find out what was happening at the battlefront. It had been 40 days since his brothers had left and he didn’t know how they were doing or what was happening in the war.
David soon found out that he wasn’t the only one wondering. His father, Jesse, was also worried and concerned. Jess wanted to know how his three oldest boys were doing so he sent David to deliver some provisions of corn, bread and cheeses to them, and to find out what was happening in the war. Let’s look at 1 Samuel 17:20-24 for a minute.
20. And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle.
21. For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army.
22. And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren.
23. And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them.
24. And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.
Now Goliath was not your usual soldier. He was not even your usual big soldier. The Bible tells us that he was 6 ½ cubits tall, which translated into our measurements would be 9 feet, 9 inches tall! He was huge, enormous and a true giant!
Goliath wore armor on his chest and stomach that weighed 110 pounds, perhaps as much as David weighed himself at that time. The head of the spear that Goliath carried weighed only 3 pounds less that an Olympic shot put ball weighs.
Now I suppose that had I been David, and having seen Goliath, I might have said, “I’ve seen enough. I hear the sheep calling. I’ve got to go! See you later!” But David was not afraid – look what he said in verse 26.
26b. “who is this “uncircumcised” Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
David was angry because he knew the armies of Israel were the armies of God. Goliath had dared the armies of his God to fight. David was angry, enraged, and as a result he stepped forward to fight. David wanted to stand up for the honor of God! Was he afraid? Let’s look at verses 45 and 46.
45. Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
46. This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth might know that there is a God in Israel.
Whew! Every time I read this story I get excited – filled by the Holy Spirit! What great courage and trust in God he had. He was angry and anxious to defend the honor of God, and he was willing to put his life on the line against what appeared to be insurmountable odds. No one – NO ONE!! – was going to defy his God, the God of Israel. David had drawn his line in the sand. He had drawn a line in the sand against wrong – a line that he would not cross.
In verse 48, Samuel tells us “the Philistine moved closer… (and) David ran quickly towards the battle line to meet him.” David didn’t try to out fight Goliath like Muhammad Ali used to fight. It wasn’t going to be “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” It wasn’t going to be “rope a dope.” It wasn’t going to hit and run. David was ready to defend the honor of God, regardless of the cost. He had drawn his line in the sand and he was anxious to fight to defend the honor of God. David ran towards the battle line, ran towards Goliath.
Let’s look at verse 49 and 51:
49. And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.
51. Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.
Unfortunately for us, too many situations we face in life are not always as clear and distinct. Sin is not always a nine foot, nine inch big hairy giant who tells you he wants to rip off your head. Sometimes sin is a lot more subtle and a whole lot more attractive. And sometimes we want to draw a line, but it is not so clear where to draw it.
I have shared with you the story of young David, a courageous servant of the Lord, but now I am going to share with you the story of an older David. Turn with me, if you will, to II Samuel, 11-1-4a please.
1. And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still in Jerusalem.
2. And it came to pass in an evening tide, that David arose off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.
3. And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, is that not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?
4. And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her…
When we look at these two events in David’s life and compare them, it raises plenty of questions about drawing lines. Now, I don’t want you men to think about this too long, especially you, Larry and Jessie, but we know that Bathsheba was not at all like Goliath. She was a very beautiful woman to look upon.
Now this older, more middle-aged David obviously failed to draw a line in the sand this time. In fact, my guess is that he didn’t even think about drawing a line. Instead of drawing a line he was probably using a line, much like many men do today. He was intent on bringing the beautiful Bathsheba to his Palace.
Now let me pose this question to you. Where do you think David should have drawn the line? Where would you have drawn the line? Let’s review these verses again. Verse 1 says that there is a time when kings go out to war. This was work time. This was the time when kings led their troops into battle to defend their country. Did David cross the line when he decided to stay home instead of doing his job?
Verse 2 says that he was wandering around on the roof of the Palace. I wonder why he was there? Did his conscience bother him and he was unable to sleep? For whatever reason, he was on the roof and while looking around he saw Bathsheba bathing. He looked at her long enough to realize she was a beautiful woman. He looked at her long enough to begin to desire her. Lust filled his heart. Did David cross the line when he looked at her too long while she was bathing?
Verse 3 tells us that he sent his messenger to find out about her for him. The messenger reported back to David that her name was Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the “wife” of Uriah the Hittite. Is this where David should have drawn his line in the sand, when he found out she was married?
Verse 4 tells us that even though he now knew she was married, and even though her husband was one of his own loyal soldiers, he still sent for her, brought her to the palace and laid with her. Was this where David should have drawn his line in the sand, or was this where he crossed the line?
Perhaps there are some of you here this morning that think he crossed the line when he built his wonderful, comfortable palace – a palace that made him so comfortable that he no longer wanted to lead the armies of God, the armies of Israel to war, and a palace too comfortable to leave.
I suggest to you that this is where the rubber meets the road. He had built a very beautiful palace, a comfortable palace, but Israel was God’s nation, His chosen people, and it was the custom of the day for Israel’s kings to lead the soldiers into battle at this time each year. When David made the decision to stay home in his comfortable palace instead of going to war to defend or expand the borders of Israel, he was thinking about himself and his own comfort, not about God’s work.
If there is one truth in life, this is it. Sin will carry you a whole lot farther then you ever intended to go. It wasn’t wrong for David to build a beautiful and comfortable palace. God wants good things for His people. What was wrong was that David placed his desire for comfort above his responsibility to do God’s work.
Had he led his troops into battle to do God’s work he wouldn’t have been on that palace rooftop. He would not have seen Bathsheba bathing. Lust would not have filled his heart. He would not have had the opportunity to send a messenger to inquire about her. He would not have had the opportunity to summon her to the palace. He wood not have had the opportunity to lay with her. He would not have had the opportunity to father an illegitimate child by her and he would not have found it necessary to have an innocent man murdered in battle. David failed to draw a line in the sand and his sin carried him a whole lot farther than he ever intended to go.
When we look at these two stories we find two different Davids. The young David who fought Goliath was thinking about the honor of God. Young David was not concerned with his personal comfort and he was not satisfied with the situation he was witnessing on the battlefield. Neither was he afraid to draw a line in the sand and stand for God. His faith and his trust rested solely in the Lord and in the Lord’s ability to deliver him from any circumstance.
But the older David was thinking about his own selfish desires, desires that brought honor to neither himself or to God. He became complacent and comfortable in his beautiful palace. He was satisfied to let others lead the battles that he should have led. He had lost his yearning to do God’s work and was no longer willing to stand for God and he certainly wasn’t intent on drawing a line in the sand.
Older David could have realized his mistake quickly and changed the direction in which he was going, but he let sin enter in. The end for the older David resulted in sexual immorality and eventually murder.
Paul tells us that sin starts a long time before we actually commit the act itself. It begins in our thoughts. This is why we must set our minds on heavenly things. We must put our faith and trust wholly in God, for He alone has the ability to deliver us from any circumstance. When we are tempted, he is able to give us the strength to turn away from sin.
It is my opinion that we rarely get to draw a line in the sand nowadays like young David did with Goliath. The monsters we face are more subtle and more appealing. This is why our lines need to be drawn first within us, in our head, in our hearts.
Let’s use alcohol as an example. We have been taught since day one that this is wrong. Our parents told us it was wrong. Our teachers told us it was wrong. God’s Word told us it was wrong. And then we start thinking about it in our head. Then we begin convincing ourselves that maybe it’s not so wrong. Then we decide that when we have an opportunity we might just taste it, just to see what the fuss is all about. Then we like the way it makes us feel and we want more. Then we become addicted to it and it begins to control our lives. It takes over our thoughts, actions and bodies. Then it destroys our relationship with our spouse, children and friends.
So where should we draw our line in the sand? We set our mind on Heavenly things. If you wonder whether or not something is wrong, it probably is or you wouldn’t wonder about it. Set your mind on heavenly things. Perhaps you might say, “I can’t, I’m not strong enough.” That might well be true. In your own strength you are not strong enough, but I know a man who is. His name is Jesus, and the Apostle Paul wrote, “When I am weak, He is strong.”
Setting our thoughts on Heavenly things is the same as drawing that line in the sand. It means that we are depending on God for the courage we need to stand for Him and for His deliverance when we face that big, hairy giant called sin.
