NIV 1 Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Socoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Socoh and Azekah. 2 Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines. 3 The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them. 4 A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. He was over nine feet tall. 5 He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels ; 6 on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. 7 His spear shaft was like a weaver's rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels. His shield bearer went ahead of him. 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 Then the Philistine said, "This day I defy the ranks 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. Now, this is a battle scene I would think you would see on an old movie. Soldiers lined on the side of one hill, a valley in between and then the other army on the opposite hill. But unlike a Hollywood movie, instead of running down the hillsides into hand to hand combat, one huge, 9 foot warrior steps out wearing about 150 pounds worth of armor. He’s a crusty, war hardened soldier, “Killing is his business and business is good” to quote Damon Wayans from the movie “Major Payne.” This one warrior challenge would not have been a strange sight in the days of David and Goliath. It was acceptable for one chief warrior to challenge another, then the army of the loser submit. In this particular passage, we note that the Philistines sent their largest warrior. We know from I Sam 9: 2 that Saul was Israel’s tallest and was their envied warrior. But Saul is terrified and all Israel knows it. This brought incredible humiliation to the people. In those days people really believed when they won a battle it was because their god was stronger. Sooooooooooo, when no one from Israel steps out, then the Philistines conclude that Israel’s God is weak and their gods are supreme. So this was not just a challenge for the nation of Israel but a challenge for Israel’s God.
12 Now David was the son of an Ephrathite named Jesse, who was from Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons, and in Saul's time he was old and well advanced in years. 13 Jesse's three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war: The firstborn was Eliab; the second, Abinadab; and the third, Shammah. 14 David was the youngest. The three oldest followed Saul, 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 ephah of 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 and bring back some assurance from them. 19 They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines." Often in the Old Testament we find repeated information about heritage and families. We do find statements here about David’s background that has been given in prior chapters, this was a common practice. I don’t think it’s really that uncommon today, often I hear people repeat information when they tell a story, especially if that have what I call part-timers. J David is sent on a servant’s errand. This is truly a story of an underdog becoming the hero. David is obedient, Jesse could have sent one of his servants but he sends David as a servant. I sometimes talk to Christians who think they are not doing anything for God’s Kingdom because they aren’t a missionary, a pastor, a singer, they “only” make sure the building is clean and ready for service; they teach five year olds; they empty trash or take meals to the sick – they are “only” servants. Oh, how I wish they could realize what heros they really are.
20 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. 21 Israel and the Philistines were drawing up their lines facing each other. 22 David left his things with the keeper of supplies, ran to the battle lines and greeted his brothers. 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. David was not a part of this battle and was oblivious to what was happening. Vs. 16 says that every morning and evening for forty days Goliath repeated his challenge and David missed it, simply because he was somewhere else. How much do we miss because we are not at the front lines of the battle? How much do we miss when we are apathetic to what’s happening with God’s Kingdom and His people. When David takes food to the front lines he hears the challenge. He sees the fear, he hears of the reward, he gets in on all that’s going on. And he becomes involved. Are you on the front lines…
24 When the Israelites saw the man, they all ran from him in great fear. 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 father's 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?" 27 They repeated to him what they had been saying and told him, "This is what will be done for the man who kills him." 28 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?" 30 He then turned away to someone else and brought up the same matter, and the men answered him as before. 31 What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, and Saul sent for him. David when he hears Goliath is angered because he trusts God. Maybe it takes someone fresh and new to join the front lines to help remember who’s Almighty. Seeing conversions of sinners ignites a church and a passion to do God’s work. David’s brother gets angry at him. The brother has been there fighting, the brother knows what’s going on, knows who the soldiers are and how they should respond, and David’s not a soldier, how could he possibly make comments! Could folks who have been in the church take this stance with new Christians when they come in with new ideas. David ignores the brother and continues to ask why, why, why? Finally, it gets to the top soldier, Saul. Saul attempts to explain the situation and why they are in fear, the magnitude of the consequences, the strength of the enemy and the inexperience of David. David is right on top of that, unknown to anyone in the world God has been preparing David for battle with his own experiences. How often do we discount new Christians from being part of the “leadership” because of their lack of training or experience or whatever? David has confidence in the preparation God has given him. We see a rare glimpse into the sane Saul, here as he gives permission and blessing. Saul was staking the nation on this boy and his faith in God. Are we courageous enough to stake our church on maybe some of the new believers, or new ideas and bless them?
38 Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. 39 David 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. Saul attempts to give David what Saul thinks he needs. How often do I attempt to cram all of my years of walking with Jesus to a new Christian, instead of patience, love and time? David tries to use the armor but can’t, David must rely on what God has equipped him with and Saul has to trust that. David learns he can’t be another person. And Saul, maybe part of the reason he wanted David to wear his armor was because it was suppose to have been HIM fighting Goliath. Could it be that we want others to shoulder our burdens… surely not.
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. 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 only a boy, ruddy 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 of the air and the beasts of the field!" 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 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. 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." 48 -49 That roused the Philistine, and he started toward David. David took off from the front line, running toward the Philistine. David reached into his pocket for a stone, slung it, and hit the Philistine hard in the forehead, embedding the stone deeply. The Philistine crashed, facedown in the dirt. 50 That's how David beat the Philistine—with a sling and a stone. He hit him and killed him. No sword for David! 51 Then David ran up to the Philistine and stood over him, pulled the giant's sword from its sheath, and finished the job by cutting off his head. When the Philistines saw that their great champion was dead, they scattered, running for their lives. 52 -54 The men of Israel and Judah were up on their feet, shouting! They chased the Philistines all the way to the outskirts of Gath and the gates of Ekron. Wounded Philistines were strewn along the Shaaraim road all the way to Gath and Ekron. After chasing the Philistines, the Israelites came back and looted their camp. David took the Philistine's head and brought it to Jerusalem. But the giant's weapons he placed in his own tent. 55 When Saul saw David go out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, commander of the army, "Tell me about this young man's family." Abner said, "For the life of me, O King, I don't know." 56 The king said, "Well, find out the lineage of this raw youth." 57 As soon as David came back from killing the Philistine, Abner brought him, the Philistine's head still in his hand, straight to Saul. 58 Saul asked him, "Young man, whose son are you?" "I'm the son of your servant Jesse," said David, "the one who lives in Bethlehem." The story of David and Goliath are so well know sometimes we can miss very important points.
- The Philistine was defying God when he defyed Israel, taunting God, in fact. Such arrogance was bound to meet divine punishment eventually; and this gave David a source of faith and courage.
- David was already well able to protect his father’s flocks from predators. The present situation was not different in kind: the nation of Israel was the flock of God and Goliath was no more than a predator. It is symbolically appropriate that David killed Goliath with a shepherd’s weapons.
- David did not underestimate the danger, but he saw it in the perspective of God’s purposes and goodness.
- In the whole episode there is a lesson that God brought the right man on the scene a the right time.
- David put his whole trust in God; though it is important to note that this did not mean that he would fail to use his own weapons and the skills he had acquired.
The enemy does attack, the enemy will attack. David runs to meet him head on, using what God has given him. He totally finishes the job that God gave him. I wonder how often I have embedded the stone only to leave the head in place of the enemy so that later he can get back up. All of us stumble in our walk with Christ, but we can be defeated if we don’t kill the enemy. Example: if I have battle with gossip and the Lord speaks to me and I repent, then immediately I need to let those whom I talk with most know of my battle and repentance, so they can help me be accountable, kill the enemy. Once the enemy is completely overthrown, the rest of the army scatters. Remember David did this in full sight of everyone, no secrecy in overcoming the enemy. Do we often attempt to keep things secret while we battle? If so we will probably loose, or fail repeatedly. Kill the giant, whatever it may be.
