David fought one of the most historic and greatest of all battles when he confronted Goliath. Yet, this did not happen without him receiving the adequate training. God did not send David against Goliath just like that. God trained David through smaller battles that he had to win before he confronted his greatest battle. Today, God wants to prepare us to win great battles and that’s why he advises us to “fight the good fight.” But before we can do that, we must conquer a few battles that are critical to our ability to win the greatest of them all. What are the battles God is preparing us to fight and conquer? When we read about David, we learn about them. These include:
I. THE BATTLE OVER THE TONGUE
“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.’” (1 Samuel 17:28)
A. David’s brother Eliab bothered him for no reason
1. Called David conceited and evil
a. Conceited: To have an excessively high opinion of oneself; marked by unrestrained imagination rather than by reason and experience
b. Evil: Morally very bad; likely to cause harm, distress or trouble
2. Accused David of being irresponsible
a. He asked about the well being of the sheep rather than that of his father
3. He blamed David of simply wanting to watch the battle
a. Eliab did not ask David why he had come
b. Eliab ignored his own father had sent David to find out how they were doing
4. Eliab’s only reason for verbally attacking David was that he burned with anger
B. David did not respond in the same manner
1. David had already been anointed as king of Israel
a. Eliab was present on that day
“So he asked Jesse, ‘Are these all the sons you have?’ ‘There is still the youngest,’ Jesse answered, ‘but he is tending the sheep.’ Samuel said, ‘Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.’ So he sent and had him brought in. He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the LORD said, ‘Rise and anoint him; he is the one.’ So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah.” (1 Samuel 16:11-13)
2. Eliab’s attitude was enough to infuriate anyone
a. His accusations were unfounded
b. His anger was enough to provoke unleashed anger
3. Though David could have answered in anger, he refused
a. He simply walked away
b. David knew there was a bigger enemy that had to be defeated
c. David was unwilling to lose this small battle
d. He knew God was preparing him for a greater battle
4. If David would have lost this battle, he would have lost his greatest battle too
“He looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him. He said to David, ‘Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?’ And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. ‘Come here,’ he said, ‘and I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!’” (1 Samuel 17:42-44)
C. Today, we must also win the battle over our tongue
“No man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.” (James 3:8-10)
1. Without a doubt, throughout our life, we’ll find people like Eliab
a. People who will accuse us of being evil, conceited, vain, worthless, gossipers, lazy, untrustworthy, etc.
b. They will criticize with cruelty all that we do
i. The example of Mary who anointed Jesus
2. The sad thing is that we will find people like Eliab even inside the church
a. Eliab’s name means “to whom God is father”
i. Still, he did not behave as a child of God
b. Understand that though people call themselves Christian, it does not mean God is their father
“If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.” (James 1:26)
c. They will not care about what God has said about you
i. Though God has called you
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9)
ii. Though God has commanded you to seek their well being
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)
3. The reason for their uncontrolled tongue will be the putrid state of their heart
“The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45)
i. You cannot expect clean water to come out of the sewer!
4. Another reason for this type of behavior could be explained by the following quote:
“The Essex survivors had entered...the ’cotton-mouth’ phase of thirst. Saliva becomes thick and foul-tasting; the tongue clings irritatingly to the teeth and the roof of the mouth. Even though speech is difficult, sufferers are often moved to complain ceaselessly about their thirst until their voices become so cracked and hoarse that they can speak no more. A lump seems to form in the throat, causing the sufferer to swallow repeatedly in a vain attempt to dislodge it. Severe pain is felt in the head and neck. The face feels full due to the shrinking of the skin. Hearing is affected, and many people begin to hallucinate. Still to come...were the agonies of a mouth that has ceased to generate saliva. The tongue hardens into...a senseless weight, swinging on the still-soft root and striking forcibly against the teeth. Speech becomes impossible, although sufferers are known to moan and bellow. Next is the "blood sweats" phase, involving ’a progressive mummification of the initially living body. The tongue swells to such proportions that it squeezes past the jaws. The eyelids crack and the eyeballs begin to weep tears of blood. The throat is so swollen that breathing becomes difficult, creating [a] terrifying sensation of drowning.” (In the Heart of the Sea, pp. 126-127)
a. These words were written by Nathaniel Philbrick in 1820
i. His whaling boat was sunk by a whale
ii. He had to travel about 3,000 miles for 93 days in open sea and under the scorching sun
iii. He was one of the very few survivors
b. Those that are far from the fountain of living waters cannot produce anything good
“On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.’” (John 7:37, 38)
i. They have not even noticed their ship has been sunk
ii. They float about aimlessly and confused
iii. They complain and become bitter
iv. They can’t even notice their end is near
c. The only way to keep in contact with the living waters is by drawing closer to Jesus
i. Through the reading of the Bible
“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.” (Psalm 1:1-3)
ii. Through gathering together with others to worship Him
“O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.” (Psalm 63:1-4)
5. No matter what you hear, watch out how you respond
a. Do not respond in anger!
“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Proverbs 15:1)
b. Harsh words and attitudes will definitely be reason enough to grow angry
i. But don’t allow it to control your life
“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:31, 32)
ii. Don’t repeat those words you hear
“Do not go about spreading slander among your people. Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the LORD.” (Leviticus 19:16)
c. Bless before you condemn
“But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44)
6. Finally, if all else fails, walk away and do all you can to keep peace
“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:1-3)
“For, ‘Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” (1 Peter 3:10-12)
7. This will all help us conquer our greatest battles
“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)
David had to fight one of his greatest battles when he confronted Goliath. Yet, God did not pull him out of obscurity to immediately confront such a foe. He trained David in small and apparently insignificant battles. But they all served to prepare for greater ones. Today, God is preparing you to win. You may be confronting battles with those who talk about you and what God wants to teach you is to control your tongue. How easy it is to curse those who rip into shreds our integrity! That is the way the world handles its battles. But God wants you to be like David and walk away or wait upon Him. Though you may be called a coward, this is exactly what God wants you to learn in preparation for greater battles.
