David - Part IV

Preparation and Apppointment

After David’s great loss at Ziklag, he realigned himself with God, and sought God in all things. His renewed relationship with God eventually lead to David becoming King over all of Israel, David capturing Jerusalem, and David leading Israel to victory over the Philistines.

Having subdued the worst of his enemies, David set his sights on recovering the Ark of the Covenant and moving it to Jerusalem. Before we delve into that process though, let’s examine the Ark, and also recall why David did not already have the Ark.

The Ark of the Covenant is mentioned many times in the Bible, and yet is it a great mystery. For example, we find instructions concerning the Ark in several verses.

Exodus 25:10-22 - “They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. You shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and outside shall you overlay it, and you shall make on it a molding of gold around it. You shall cast four rings of gold for it and put them on its four feet, two rings on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it. You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. And you shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark by them. The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it. And you shall put into the ark the testimony that I shall give you.

“You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth. And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat. Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. Of one piece with the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on its two ends. The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be. And you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you. There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel.

Exodus 37:1-9 - Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood. Two cubits and a half was its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. And he overlaid it with pure gold inside and outside, and made a molding of gold around it. And he cast for it four rings of gold for its four feet, two rings on its one side and two rings on its other side. And he made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold and put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark. And he made a mercy seat of pure gold. Two cubits and a half was its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth. And he made two cherubim of gold. He made them of hammered work on the two ends of the mercy seat, one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. Of one piece with the mercy seat he made the cherubim on its two ends. The cherubim spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat were the faces of the cherubim.

Exodus 40:20 - He took the testimony and put it into the ark, and put the poles on the ark and set the mercy seat above on the ark.

Deuteronomy 10:8 - At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord to stand before the Lord to minister to him and to bless in his name, to this day.

Deuteronomy 31:26 - “Take this Book of the Law and put it by the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against you.

If nothing else about the Ark was mentioned, then we would be curious beyond belief. However, we also read

Joshua 4:18 - And when the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord came up from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up on dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks, as before.

Leviticus 16:1-34 - The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they drew near before the Lord and died, and the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat that is on the ark, so that he may not die. For I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat. But in this way Aaron shall come into the Holy Place: with a bull from the herd for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. He shall put on the holy linen coat and shall have the linen undergarment on his body, and he shall tie the linen sash around his waist, and wear the linen turban; these are the holy garments. He shall bathe his body in water and then put them on. And he shall take from the congregation of the people of Israel two male goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering. ...

Jushua 6:1-5 - Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.

Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.”

We also recall the things that occurred that lead to the Ark being captured from the Israelis when they foolishly decided to carry the Ark into battle without seeking God’s will (1 Samuel 4). This occurred before the time of Samuel, and long before the lives of Saul or David. The Philistines dealt the Israelis a huge defeat that day, and they captured the Ark and took it back to their cities. Unfortunately, the Ark caused them to suffer greatly from its presence among them, because Holiness cannot abide sin. So, the Philistines sought to send the Ark back to Israel, and it was eventually set down in the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh.

1 Samuel 6:19-21 - And He struck some of the men of Beth-shemesh, because they looked upon the ark of the Lord. He struck seventy men of them, and the people mourned because the Lord had struck the people with a great blow. Then the men of Beth-shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? And to whom shall He go up away from us?” So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying, “The Philistines have returned the ark of the Lord. Come down and take it up to you.”

In the King James version, verse 19 says

And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter.

The Ark did not reside with the Israeli people during the entire reign of Saul, and David decides to it is time to bring the Ark back. So, David attempts to bring the Ark to Jerusalem.

2 Samuel 6:1-10 - David again brought together all the able young men of Israel—thirty thousand. He and all his men went to Baalah in Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name, the name of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim on the ark. They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart with the ark of God on it, and Ahio was walking in front of it. David and all Israel were celebrating with all their might before the Lord, with castanets, harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums and cymbals.

When they came to the threshing floor of Nakon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down, and he died there beside the ark of God.

Then David was angry because the Lord’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah.

David was afraid of the Lord that day and said, “How can the ark of the Lord ever come to me?”

He was not willing to take the ark of the Lord to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite.

I want you to look closely at the first verse. I’m sure you notice something very significant there. David has assembled a huge group of people to bring the Ark to Jerusalem. He and 30,000 men are traveling with the Ark, and the verse describes David and all of Israel “celebrating with all their might before the Lord, with castanets, harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums and cymbals.”

How much planning do you imagine went into this process? It must have been considerable. The logistics were surely a nightmare, and I can only imagine the celebrations that were planned in advance of the Ark coming to its intended resting place. It’s too bad that David did not take care of the essential preparation that was needed to transport the Ark. Otherwise, there would not have been any accidents. Everyone would have known NOT TO TOUCH the Ark. Everyone would have known that the Ark had to be handled in very specific ways. If David had inquired of the Lord, he would have surely been reminded that there were specific teachings associated with handling the Ark. It is quite possible that David’s past successes led him to believe his great talents could be used to accomplish anything. In the midst of these thoughts, David momentarily lost sight of God, and relied too heavily on himself and other people.

Have you, or people you know, prepared everything except the essential items associated with an important endeavor, and then failed? David failed that day. But then, look at what happened next.

2 Samuel 6:11-19 - The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the Lord blessed him and his entire household.

Now King David was told, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God.” So David went to bring up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing. When those who were carrying the ark of the Lord had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets.

As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart.

They brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the Lord. After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord Almighty. Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women. And all the people went to their homes.

I get the feeling that David must have done his homework before he tried a second time, and he surely discussed the matter with God. And, in the process, surely David felt another renewed closeness with God, and it led him to desire to build a temple for the Ark.

2 Samuel 7:1-3 - After the king was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.”

Nathan replied to the king, “Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you.”

But, then, as we read further in 2 Samuel, we see that things do not go as planned.

2 Samuel 7:4-17 - But that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying:

“Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in? I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling. Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’

“Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men on earth. And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies.

“‘The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you: When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 1I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. 1But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.’”

Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation.

I’m guessing that most people would feel some pain and disappointment when they received this message. But that is not what we hear from David. We read David’s prayer in the remainder of 2 Samuel 7, and clearly, David feels blessed. His cup is more than half full. God has given him so much in life, and he is both humble and grateful.

2 Samuel 7:18-29 - Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said:

“Who am I, Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? And as if this were not enough in your sight, Sovereign Lord, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant—and this decree, Sovereign Lord, is for a mere human!

“What more can David say to you? For you know your servant, Sovereign Lord. For the sake of your word and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made it known to your servant.

“How great you are, Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears. And who is like your people Israel—the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for himself, and to make a name for himself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt? You have established your people Israel as your very own forever, and you, Lord, have become their God.

“And now, Lord God, keep forever the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised, so that your name will be great forever. Then people will say, ‘The Lord Almighty is God over Israel!’ And the house of your servant David will be established in your sight.

“Lord Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to your servant, saying, ‘I will build a house for you.’ So your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. Sovereign Lord, you are God! Your covenant is trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant. Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, Sovereign Lord, have spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever.”

Like David, we are nothing without the God’s blessings. Our talents are great gifts from God, and we must find time daily to thank God for His many blessings, and His hand in our lives.  

David was abundantly blessed by God, and this may have caused his humanness to overreach. 

I pray that you will receive God’s calling on your life, and when you overreach God’s calling, you will find the blessing and love that David found in His rebuke.

David - Part III

The Long Road from Anointment to Appointment

Brevity is one of the great problems associated with any written account of a person’s life. In real life, there are 24 hours in a day, 365 days in a year, and many people live to old age. And yet, we often read written accounts of lives in a few short pages. This certainly occurs in 1 Samuel. At the beginning of the book, Eli and his sons are still ruling Israel, and Samuel has not been born. Shortly thereafter, Samuel is born, he receives prophesy from God in his teen years, and has grown to be a respected man before Eli and his sons die. Then, he rules over Israel, grows to an old age, and the elders of Israel come to him to ask for a king to rule over them. Then, God has Samuel anoint Saul as King of Israel, and according to most Bible historians, Saul reigns for 25 or more years before he falls from God’s favor and David receives God’s anointing as the future King of God’s people. David eventually comes to live with Saul in his palace, forms a close relationship with Saul’s son Jonathan, becomes a very successful military leader in Saul’s army, and spends approximately seven years with Saul and his family before he flees from Saul’s jealous rage and murderous attempts on his life. Then David spends 4 years running from Saul in the wilderness, and another 4 years in the land of the Philistines, before Saul and Jonathan are defeated by the Philistines, and both die in battle. A remarkable amount of time has passed, and yet 1 Samuel can be read in less than 2 hours.

Ultimately, this makes the book difficult to understand and digest, because the casual reader is not keeping track of time and thinking about what must have transpired for circumstances to transition from one thing to the next. As a result, the reader is sometimes left with such a brief view of Saul that they don’t notice that he was a successful King of Israel for many years, and it was many years before he fell from God's grace. Saul was also known as God’s anointed. David would have heard this and many wonderful stories during his early years about the success of Saul’s rule, the wealth Saul brought to the nation of Israel, and the victories Saul won. Saul ruled for several years before David was even born, and he was all that David knew as King for all of his growing years. Then, although David was anointed as the future King of Israel, he was not yet appointed, and it had been impressed on his heart that Saul was God’s anointed.

It is important to keep this in perspective as we read of the death of Saul and his son Jonathan. Although these events led to David becoming King, they also marked the end of a great period for Israel, and surely David and all of Israel understood the implications for their future. With that in mind, let’s recount the events in 1 Samuel 31.

1 Samuel 31 - Now the Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many fell dead on Mount Gilboa. The Philistines were in hot pursuit of Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua. The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him critically.

Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and run me through and abuse me.”

But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it. When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him. So Saul and his three sons and his armor-bearer and all his men died together that same day.

When the Israelites along the valley and those across the Jordan saw that the Israelite army had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their towns and fled. And the Philistines came and occupied them.

The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. They cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and they sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temple of their idols and among their people. They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan.

When the people of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, all their valiant men marched through the night to Beth Shan. They took down the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth Shan and went to Jabesh, where they burned them. Then they took their bones and buried them under a tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.

The reference to the people of Jabesh Gilead is a reminder of Saul coming to their recue nearly 40 years earlier. Of course they were sad! They would not be alive if it were not for Saul.

Now let’s take a close look at how David learns of Saul’s death in 2 Samuel 1:1-12.

2 Samuel 1:1-12 - After the death of Saul, David returned from striking down the Amalekites and stayed in Ziklag two days. On the third day a man arrived from Saul’s camp with his clothes torn and dust on his head. When he came to David, he fell to the ground to pay him honor.

“Where have you come from?” David asked him.

He answered, “I have escaped from the Israelite camp.”

“What happened?” David asked. “Tell me.”

“The men fled from the battle,” he replied. “Many of them fell and died. And Saul and his son Jonathan are dead.”

Then David said to the young man who brought him the report, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?”

“I happened to be on Mount Gilboa,” the young man said, “and there was Saul, leaning on his spear, with the chariots and their drivers in hot pursuit. When he turned around and saw me, he called out to me, and I said, ‘What can I do?’

“He asked me, ‘Who are you?’

“‘An Amalekite,’ I answered.

“Then he said to me, ‘Stand here by me and kill me! I’m in the throes of death, but I’m still alive.’

“So I stood beside him and killed him, because I knew that after he had fallen he could not survive. And I took the crown that was on his head and the band on his arm and have brought them here to my lord.”

Then David and all the men with him took hold of their clothes and tore them. They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the Lord and for the nation of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.

At this point, the casual reader naturally asks, why is David and his men are so sad about the death of Saul? After all, Saul has been pursuing and trying to kill David for many years. Well, this brings us full circle to the comments that I made at the beginning of this writing. Saul was Israel’s first king, he was anointed by God, and led Israel successfully for many years before losing favor with God. Saul was all that David and his men had ever known. He and Jonathan were their heroes for many years. The news of their death was indeed grave!

I’m quite certain that the messenger expected a great reward for bringing this news to David, and I am reminded of a phrase that I heard many times years ago. “He told a lie when the truth would have done better.”

1 Samuel 1:13-16 - David said to the young man who brought him the report, “Where are you from?”

“I am the son of a foreigner, an Amalekite,” he answered.

David asked him, “Why weren’t you afraid to lift your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?”

Then David called one of his men and said, “Go, strike him down!” So he struck him down, and he died. For David had said to him, “Your blood be on your own head. Your own mouth testified against you when you said, ‘I killed the Lord’s anointed.’”

At this point, David pours out his heart for Saul and Jonathan, and we hear something far removed from some of our modern day sappy love songs, in the verses David writes in their honor.

1 Samuel 1:17-27 - David took up this lament concerning Saul and his son Jonathan, and he ordered that the people of Judah be taught this lament of the bow (it is written in the Book of Jashar):

“A gazelle[a] lies slain on your heights, Israel.

    How the mighty have fallen!

“Tell it not in Gath,

    proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon,

lest the daughters of the Philistines be glad,

    lest the daughters of the uncircumcised rejoice.

“Mountains of Gilboa,

    may you have neither dew nor rain,

    may no showers fall on your terraced fields.[b]

For there the shield of the mighty was despised,

    the shield of Saul—no longer rubbed with oil.

“From the blood of the slain,

    from the flesh of the mighty,

the bow of Jonathan did not turn back,

    the sword of Saul did not return unsatisfied.

Saul and Jonathan—

    in life they were loved and admired,

    and in death they were not parted.

They were swifter than eagles,

    they were stronger than lions.

“Daughters of Israel,

    weep for Saul,

who clothed you in scarlet and finery,

    who adorned your garments with ornaments of gold.

“How the mighty have fallen in battle!

    Jonathan lies slain on your heights.

I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother;

    you were very dear to me.

Your love for me was wonderful,

    more wonderful than that of women.

“How the mighty have fallen!

    The weapons of war have perished!”

Amazing. Clearly, David’s feelings for Saul are rooted far from the circumstances of Saul’s insanity in his later years. David had great respect for Saul’s anointing from God, and great love and admiration for both Saul and Jonathan. As for David’s statements concerning Jonathan, it is unfortunate that a portion of this verse is sometimes perverted by people who completely miss the meaning of the phrase “Your love for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of women.” I can only imagine that they have never experienced intimate love, or their only interpretation of intimate love is of a sexual, and far less meaningful nature.

After these events, David became King over the tribe of Judah (2 Samuel 2), and Israel is suddenly divided. The House of Saul still reigned over a large portion of Israel, and Abner (Saul’s cousin) arranged for Saul’s son Ish-Bosheth to reign as King outside of the portion of Israel controlled by either David or the Philistines. A 7.5 year war between the House of David and the House of Saul takes a great toll on the nation of Israel. During this time, the House of David continually grows in strength, and the House of Saul steadily weakens. At some point, Ish-Bosheth and Abner have an altercation that leads to Abner meeting with the elders of Israel to seek their approval to make David King over all of Israel, and Abner arranges a meeting with David to make plans for this to transpire. However, before David is appointed, Abner and Ish-Bosheth are both murdered and mourned by all of Israel. Then David finally receives the appointment associated with a much earlier anointment, to be King over all of Israel.

David eventually captures Jerusalem from the Jebusites (a Canaanite tribe), builds his palace, and solidifies his rule by defeating the Philistines. In everything that David does during this time period, he seeks God’s approval and assurances, and God blesses his actions, giving him victory over his enemies at every turn. It has not been so many years from the time that David nearly lost everything (including his relationship with God), and his eyes are firmly focused on following God, obeying his commands, and honoring God’s appointment on his life.

Have you thought about God’s anointment for your life? You will probably not become the King of a great nation, and you may never have earthly riches. But God has wonderful plans for you, and you have the opportunity to fulfill God’s plans for your life every day. Don’t judge your life through the eyes of humans. God’s thoughts are different from our thoughts, and things that you view as insignificant can make a tremendous difference for those around you. Also, keep David’s story in mind. Anointment and appointment are words that sound alike, but there is often a considerable amount of time that separates the two. God anoints us, and then he prepares us before He appoints us. We don’t have to be ready for our appointment to receive God’s anointment. We just have to give ourselves over to God, and seek His plans for our lives.  

I earnestly pray that God will show you the plans He has for your life, and I hope you will join me in this prayer. Ask God daily to transform you into the man or woman that He desires you to be. The Kingdom of God is all around us. Earnestly seek God, and reach out in love to all people. Your life will be blessed beyond earthly comprehension, and you will receive all that truly matters. 

David - Part II

God Meets Us Where We Are

Nearly all of our study comes from 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel, and today’s study comes from the second half of 1 Samuel.

Innocence Lost – David’s life becomes infinitely more complicated after he slays Goliath.

Timeline: Approximately 15 years.

We are incredibly unprepared for most things in life. I’ve had people ask me when they would know they were ready to have a child, and I’ve told them, you won’t be ready until the experience makes you ready. This is true of love, relationships, responsibilities, leadership, etc.

Life was simple before David slayed Goliath. He was the youngest of 8 sons, and he spent his time worshipping God, playing his harp, and tending his father’s sheep. He was known to be brave, and a great warrior, and the Lord was with him (see 1 Samuel 16:18). But after he slayed Goliath, he was thrust into the limelight. Everyone loved him.

1 Samuel 18:6-7 - When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with timbrels and lyres. As they danced, they sang:  “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.”

David was living in Saul’s palace, Saul’s oldest son formed a strong relationship with David, and Saul’s second oldest daughter fell in love with David. Saul was hearing David’s praises sung from every direction, and surely the words of Samuel continued to ring in his ears.

1 Samuel 15:28 - Samuel said to him, "The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors--to one better than you.

Saul was driven to extreme jealousy, and yet he was also somewhat enamored with David. David was given great responsibility and leadership over large groups of soldiers. He continually defeated the Philistines, and eventually Saul offered his daughters to David in marriage. David eventually married his second daughter, Michal.

Then things get ugly. Saul became bent on killing David. There were at least 2 occasions when he tried to kills him with a spear, and then he tried to enlist Michal’s help.

David fled to Samuel in Ramah. Saul pursues him there, and the Lord saved him by His spirit, causing Saul and his men to prophesy.

David tries one last time to reconcile with Saul through his son Jonathan, but he eventually left the palace and spent many years running from Saul. In his desperation, he went to Ahimelek the priest, and we see the beginning of an eventual unraveling of David that has consequences for him and many others.

1 Samuel 21:1-3 - David went to Nob, to Ahimelek the priest. Ahimelek trembled when he met him, and asked, “Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?” David answered Ahimelek the priest, “The king sent me on a mission and said to me, ‘No one is to know anything about the mission I am sending you on.’ As for my men, I have told them to meet me at a certain place.

Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever you can find.”

Unfortunately, one of Saul’s servants tells of seeing David there, and Saul has all of the Priests and their families killed for helping David, except for Ahimelek’s son, who escaped to be with David.

Then David went to Gath (the land of the Philistines) and acts crazy before the son of their king, out of fear for his life. At this point, he was already toying with the idea of switching sides...

1 Samuel 21:14-15 - Achish said to his servants, “Look at the man! He is insane! Why bring him to me? Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here to carry on like this in front of me? Must this man come into my house?”

David leaves Gath and escapes to the caves. His family joins him, along with hundreds of men and families in distress. In his anguish, he leads them, but he leaves his family with the king of Moab. At that point, a prophet tells David that he must return to the land of Judah.

So, David and many men return, and although they continue to be on the run from Saul, David learns of the people of Keilah being attacked by the Philistines. David inquires of the Lord, and saves the people of Keilah from the Philistines. But when Saul learns of this, he pursues him at Keilah. Fortunately, David again inquired of the Lord, and he was told that the people of Keilah would betray him to Saul. 

So, David left with 600 men and kept moving from place to place. At one point, they are surrounded by Saul’s men, but they are saved by a message that the Philistines are attacking. David’s men continue to wander, and we see the first instance of David’s murderous rage in his encounter with Nabal. A good woman (Abigail) saves him, but David is clearly teetering on the edge.

Over the next few years, David has at least 2 chances to kill Saul. He spares Saul’s life in a cave, and also at an encampment, saying in both instances that he cannot kill God’s anointed. At this point, David decides that it is better to just leave Israel and go live with the Philistines, and this time, he does not inquire of God.

1 Samuel 27:1-7 - But David thought to himself, “One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.” So David and the six hundred men with him left and went over to Achish son of Maok king of Gath. David and his men settled in Gath with Achish. Each man had his family with him, and David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal. When Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him. Then David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let a place be assigned to me in one of the country towns, that I may live there. Why should your servant live in the royal city with you?” So on that day Achish gave him Ziklag, and it has belonged to the kings of Judah ever since. David lived in Philistine territory a year and four months.

So, they seemed to have a home, but they didn’t belong there. The prophet had told David that he was to dwell in Judah. He was nothing but an imposter in the land of the Philistines. David and his men raided from Ziklag daily, and he lied about his actions. 

During this time, the Philistines grew in strength, and Saul’s power was waning. Saul had killed all of the priests and driven out the mediums. His people did not follow God, and it seems apparent that Israel is collapsing. Out of desperation, Saul tried one last time to inquire of the Lord, but he received no answer. So, he disguised himself and employed a medium to call Samuel from the dead. But the answer he received from Samuel is not one he wanted to hear.

1 Samuel 28:19 - The Lord will deliver both Israel and you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The Lord will also give the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.”

Ironically, David’s lies eventually led him and his men to line up in the service of Achish against the Israelis, prior to the battle in which Saul and his son Jonathan are killed, and the troops of Israel are destroyed. There is no telling where this would have happened to David if the Philistine leaders had not voiced their doubts and asked Achish to remove David and his men from the battle.

So, David and his men return to Ziklag, and they learn that while they have been gone, everything has been destroyed, and their families have been captured. At this point, David has lost everything!

1 Samuel 20:1-6 - David and his men reached Ziklag on the third day. Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned it, and had taken captive the women and everyone else in it, both young and old. They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way. When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. David’s two wives had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters.

And then, in the midst of everything that David has brought upon himself, he gathers himself and encourages himself in the Lord. Surely, David recalls all of the times that the Lord has saved him in spite of himself. David calls for the priest who was saved, and seeks the Lord’s guidance.

1 Samuel 30:7 - Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelek, “Bring me the ephod.” Abiathar brought it to him, and David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?” “Pursue them,” he answered. “You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue.”

I wonder… Was there more going on in that question. Was David asking God whether his life and prior calling would be restored? And like Jesus’ reunion with Peter on the beach, we see that our God meets us where we are, in spite of our actions, and he rescues us.

God is so much more than our father. I am often reminded of a story of the love of a father, and the responsibility associated with being a father. Fathers do more than glory in the success of their children. Their true worth is found in their response when their children fall, and need to be lifted up. God lifts us in our hour of need.

Of course, our actions have consequences, and David’s surely did. God did not reign fire down from heaven to kill the raiders who stole his wives and children, and those of his men. David and his men had to do the heavy lifting. But they recovered the important things of life; God and family.

At the same time, Saul and Jonathan both fall in battle, and the stage was set for David’s return and eventual kingship.

Closing Comments: It’s not always black and white. Faith is hard, and we don’t have all of the answers. People often tell us, if you’ll just read your Bible, then you’ll know what to do. They even call it “The Owners Manual.” Well, let’s take a little walk and see how muddy things can be.

In 2 Kings 5, we learn of general Naaman who serves a king of Syria. At the time, the rulers of Israel have mostly abandoned God, and the people of Israel have turned from God, but there are still some believers and the prophet Elisha. Now, Naaman was greatly successful in battle, but he was afflicted with Leprosy, and desperate for a cure. Fortunately for him, his men had captured a believer of God on a raid into Israel, and she knew of the prophet Elisha. So, to cut a long story short, Naaman goes to seek Elisha, he is eventually healed, and his life is forever transformed through his newfound belief in the one true God. But then it gets very interesting…

2 Kings 5:18-19 - But may the Lord forgive your servant for this one thing: When my master enters the temple of Rimmon to bow down and he is leaning on my arm and I have to bow there also—when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the Lord forgive your servant for this.” “Go in peace,” Elisha said.

What!!! Go in Peace? Elisha Blessed him. How many people of God would have handled that differently?

Seek God, cry out to him daily, and pursue is guidance in all things. Thank the Lord for all of the blessings in your life, and be aware that you are nothing without His great gifts. 

David - Part I

Note: Nearly all of the teaching in this series will come from 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel.

We have all heard about David. How could we NOT hear about David. He is mentioned over 1100 times in the Bible, and over 60 chapters are devoted to him in the old testament. In addition, many of the Psalms are attributed to David.

Let’s start with one part of David’s life that has been told and retold repeatedly.

1 Samuel 17:40-51 - 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 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.”

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.

⁵¹ David ran and stood over him. 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.

We’ll return to this shortly. First, let’s get some history. How does David come on the scene?

We have to go back a little further in time. Eli was a great man of God who lead Israel as a Priest and a Judge. Unfortunately, Eli was a poor father to his own children. He had his sons appointed to Priestly posts. They were evil men, and Eli did nothing to stop their actions.

1 Samuel 1, 12-15: Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard for the Lord. ¹³ Now it was the practice of the priests that, whenever any of the people offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand while the meat was being boiled ¹⁴ and would plunge the fork into the pan or kettle or caldron or pot. Whatever the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh. ¹⁵ But even before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the person who was sacrificing, “Give the priest some meat to roast; he won’t accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.”

1 Samuel 1, 22-25: Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ²³ So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours. ²⁴ No, my sons; the report I hear spreading among the Lord’s people is not good. ²⁵ If one person sins against another, God may mediate for the offender; but if anyone sins against the Lord, who will intercede for them?” His sons, however, did not listen to their father’s rebuke, for it was the Lord’s will to put them to death.

1 Samuel 1, 27-36: (communicated by a man of God who came to Samuel) Now a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Did I not clearly reveal myself to your ancestor’s family when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh? ²⁸ I chose your ancestor out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in my presence. I also gave your ancestor’s family all the food offerings presented by the Israelites. ²⁹ Why do you scorn my sacrifice and offering that I prescribed for my dwelling? Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?’

³⁰ “Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that members of your family would minister before me forever.’ But now the Lord declares: ‘Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained. ³¹ The time is coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your priestly house, so that no one in it will reach old age, ³² and you will see distress in my dwelling. Although good will be done to Israel, no one in your family line will ever reach old age. ³³ Every one of you that I do not cut off from serving at my altar I will spare only to destroy your sight and sap your strength, and all your descendants will die in the prime of life.

³⁴ “‘And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign to you—they will both die on the same day. ³⁵ I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his priestly house, and they will minister before my anointed one always. ³⁶ Then everyone left in your family line will come and bow down before him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread and plead, “Appoint me to some priestly office so I can have food to eat.”’”

In fact, Eli’s refusal to “handle” his sons leads to many Israelis losing faith in God. God finally has enough of this, and he makes it clear that he will replace him with a faithful priest. Indeed, it was already in the process of happening. 

We meet Hannah early in 1 Samuel. She is a God fearing woman who has been barren. She cries out to God and he answers her prayers by giving her a son, who she names Samuel. Hannah dedicates Samuel’s life to the Lord, and when he is weaned, she takes him to live and be raised by Eli. Eventually, God speaks to Samuel, and tells him that God has chosen him, and that Eli’s time is coming to an end. Shortly thereafter, the Philistines deal the Israelis a serious defeat where Eli’s sons are both killed, and the Ark of the Covenant is captured. When Eli hears this news, he falls from his chair and dies.

Samuel becomes the leader in Israel, as their judge, priest and a prophet of God. The people again follow God, and they defeat the Philistines and win victory after victory until Samuel becomes old. Unfortunately, Samuel’s sons were a problem, and this caused the elders of Israel to come to Samuel.

1 Samuel 8:5-9 - They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.”

⁶ But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. ⁷ And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. ⁸ As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you.⁹ Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.”

Samuel warned the people of what a King would bring, but they wanted one anyway. So, God gave them a king.

There was a man of approximately 30 years of age named Saul. He was perhaps the most handsome man in all of Israel, and he stood at least a foot taller than all other men (he looked like a king). As it happened, some donkeys of Saul’s father have gotten lose, and Saul was searching for them. He had his servant with him, and his servant persuaded Saul to see Samuel, because he was a man who spoke with God and knews everything. 

God tells Samuel that Saul is coming, and what he is to do.

1 Samuel 9:15-16 - Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed this to Samuel:¹⁶ “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him ruler over my people Israel; he will deliver them from the hand of the Philistines. I have looked on my people, for their cry has reached me.”

1 Samuel 9:27 - As they were going down to the edge of the town, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to go on ahead of us”—and the servant did so—“but you stay here for a while, so that I may give you a message from God.”

Note: Samuel was from the tribe of Benjamin. Do you find this the least bit interesting?

Samuel anoints Saul, and the spirit of God comes upon him.

1 Samuel 10:9-11 - As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart, and all these signs were fulfilled that day. ¹⁰ When he and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him; the Spirit of God came powerfully upon him, and he joined in their prophesying. ¹¹ When all those who had formerly known him saw him prophesying with the prophets, they asked each other, “What is this that has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?”

Saul is appointed king. Some of the people do not accept him, but he wins them over with a great victory over the Ammonites that saves the city of Jabesh.

1 Samuel 11:1-2 - Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh Gilead. And all the men of Jabesh said to him, “Make a treaty with us, and we will be subject to you.”

² But Nahash the Ammonite replied, “I will make a treaty with you only on the condition that I gouge out the right eye of every one of you and so bring disgrace on all Israel.”

Side note: The dead sea scrolls mentioned the wicked nature of the Ammonites, and the practice of the King of the Ammonites of gouging out one eye of each of his enemies.

Saul raises an army, inquires of God, and saves the city of Jabesh from the Ammonites. After his victory, all of Israel accepts him as their kind. Then Samuel reminds the people of their evil past, and how they rejected God as king, in favor of a man as king. But he also tells them that God will not reject his people, and he gives them a warning.

1 Samuel 12:20-25 - “Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. ²¹ Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. ²² For the sake of his great name the Lord will not reject his people, because the Lord was pleased to make you his own. ²³ As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. ²⁴ But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. ²⁵ Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will perish.”

Saul became king at 30, and served for 42 years. He had a great deal of success as a leader for some time, but he did not keep God’s laws, and he did not obey God. He was more focused on his own glory, and what others were thinking. For that reason, Samuel informed him that he lost God’s favor, and God has chosen another to lead his people.

Still, it appeared at one point that Saul might have another chance. Unfortunately, he blows it.

1 Samuel 15:1-3 - Samuel said to Saul, “I am the one the Lord sent to anoint you king over his people Israel; so listen now to the message from the Lord. ² This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. ³ Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”

1 Samuel 15:7-9 - Then Saul attacked the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, near the eastern border of Egypt. ⁸ He took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and all his people he totally destroyed with the sword. ⁹ But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs—everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed.

Samuel finished Saul’s business, and The Lord rejected Saul. Afterwards, Saul acknowledged that he had sinned, and he wanted Samuel to make it look like everything was still OK. But Samuel departed, and never saw Saul again.

Then God told Samuel to go see Jesse, and anoint one of his sons that God had chosen to lead his people. 

1 Samuel 16:1-13 - The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.”

² But Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.”

The Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ ³ Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate.”

⁴ Samuel did what the Lord said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, “Do you come in peace?”

⁵ Samuel replied, “Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

⁶ When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before theLord.”

⁷ But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lordlooks at the heart.”

⁸ Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” ⁹ Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, “Nor has the Lord chosen this one.” ¹⁰ Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The Lord has not chosen these.” ¹¹ So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?”

“There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.”

Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”

¹² So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features.

Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.”

¹³ 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 powerfully upon David. 

What does David do? He returns to his sheep. David was anointed, but not appointed.

In the meantime, Saul’s life starts to fall apart, and God uses this to begin giving David a larger role, and begin his training to become the leader of God’s people.

1 Samuel 16:14-23 - Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him.

¹⁵ Saul’s attendants said to him, “See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you.¹⁶ Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the lyre. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes on you, and you will feel better.”

¹⁷ So Saul said to his attendants, “Find someone who plays well and bring him to me.”

¹⁸ One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the Lord is with him.”

¹⁹ Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.” ²⁰ So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them with his son David to Saul.

²¹ David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armor-bearers. ²² Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.”

²³ Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.

Read verse 18 repeatedly! “…David is a brave man, and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine looking man. And the Lord is with him.” The first part of this conflicts so strongly with the picture that is typically painted of David in the Bible, up to the time he faces Goliath.

This leads us to the story of David and Goliath.

1 Samuel 17

Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Sokoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Sokoh 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. His height was six cubits and a span.^[a] 5 He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels^[b]; 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.^[c] 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 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.

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 very old.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^[d] 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.”

²⁰ Early in the morning David left the flock in the care of 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 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.

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?”

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 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?” 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.

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.”

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.”

Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”

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. 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 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 birdsand 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.”

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.

⁵¹ David ran and stood over him. 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.

Footnotes:

1. 1 Samuel 17:4 That is, about 9 feet 9 inches or about 3 meters
2. 1 Samuel 17:5 That is, about 125 pounds or about 58 kilograms
3. 1 Samuel 17:7 That is, about 15 pounds or about 6.9 kilograms
4. 1 Samuel 17:17 That is, probably about 36 pounds or about 16 kilograms

Look carefully at the first part of verse 26. What do you make of that?

Read verse 34 again! David was a fierce warrior! This coincides with what we are told in 1 Samuel 16:18, where he hear that David is a “brave man and a warrior.” He is NOT a boy! He does not look the part of a hardened soldier, but he is not a boy.

Also, we should make some notes about sling shots. People are typically intent on believing that David was not well armed. But God is NOT in the business of sending us to face the enemy without preparation.

Let’s look at some history of sling shots and the Israelis.

2 Kings 3:25 - They destroyed the towns, and each man threw a stone on every good field until it was covered. They stopped up all the springs and cut down every good tree. Only Kir Hareseth was left with its stones in place, but men armed with slings surrounded it and attacked it.

Judges 20:15-16 - At once the Benjamites mobilized twenty-six thousand swordsmen from their towns, in addition to seven hundred able young men from those living in Gibeah. ¹⁶ Among all these soldiers there were seven hundred select troops who were left-handed, each of whom could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.

1 Chronicles 12:2 - they were armed with bows and were able to shoot arrows or to sling stones right-handed or left-handed; they were relatives of Saul from the tribe of Benjamin).

From http://www.christiananswers.net/q-abr/abr-slingsforkids.html

Surprisingly, a good slinger hurled a stone as far and accurately as a good archer. Roman military texts recommended archery target practice at about 200 yards (183 meters). Slingers are known to hurl their projectiles even farther, as much as 440 yards (402 meters) (a quarter of a mile / 0.40 km).

As for accuracy, one ancient writer noted that the best slingers “would wound not merely the heads of their enemies, but any part of the face at which they might have aimed.” Experiments demonstrate that missiles leave a sling in excess of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h).

One Roman writer noted that opponents in leather armor were in far greater danger from sling missiles than arrows. Even if the stone did not penetrate the armor, it was capable of inflicting a fatal internal injury.

Unarmored bodies were easily penetrated by sling stones. An ancient medical book included instructions for removing lead and stone sling missiles from the bodies of wounded soldiers.

And, David had a strong belief in the Lord. I am convinced that Goliath was a great warrior. But David’s faith in God tipped the scales mightily!

Closing remarks:

1.      Saul remembers his transformation when the spirit of God came upon him. He is a believer, but it is easier to talk the talk, than walk the walk.

2.      Goliath came out to challenge the Israelis for 40 days. Our problems will not go away, and ignoring problems is never the solution.

3.      God does not always answer prayer or act in our time. I am reminded of the following versus.
Isaiah 55:8 - "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.
Proverbs 3:5 - “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”
There is no doubt that there were prayerful men with the Israelis, and they were certainly praying to be delivered from this giant. God delivered them in his time, and God’s solution did not look like the solution that men would have imagined.