Great Bible Truths Podcast Episode 143

Lessons from their lives talk 9:

David – When your problem could hardly be bigger!

Welcome to talk 9 in our series, Lessons from their lives. Today our subject is David, and in particular the story of David and Goliath found in 1 Samuel 17:1-53. The story is well known, so I won’t take time to read all 53 verses. As we’ve said many times in these talks, the victories won by God’s people in the Old Testament serve as illustrations of how we can be victorious over our spiritual enemies today. As we shall see, the principles are very much the same as we have recently learned from the stories of people like Gideon and Jonathan. Today we’ll be considering:

• The enemy (or the size of the problem)
• The person who defeated the enemy (or who solved the problem)
• The victory he accomplished (or the solution to the problem)

We’ll begin by reading vv 4-11.

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 armour 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.

In this passage we see:

• The size of the enemy
• The weapons he possessed
• The challenge he presented
• The persistence of his challenge
• and the effects it was having.

The size of the enemy

Goliath was over 9ft tall v4

– your problem could hardly be bigger!

The weapons he possessed

He was apparently invincible:

V5 his armour weighed 5000 shekels (over 9 stone – 126 lbs)

V7 his spearhead weighed 600 shekels (1 stone – 14 lbs)

The challenge he presented

v10 he defies God’s people

The persistence of his challenge

v16 it lasted for 6 weeks. The problem wouldn’t go away!

The effects of the challenge

V11   God’s people were terrified

In v24 they ran from the enemy.

Contrast David (48) who ran quickly towards him.

What was different about David?

Why was he victorious?

What can we learn about how to overcome our enemies?

1.   He saw the enemy for what he was – uncircumcised

26 Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

2.   He saw God’s people for what they were – armies of the living God

Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

3.   He saw himself for what he was:

a servant (32)

Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.

a servant with confidence in his own ability

17:34-37

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.

But note v 37 – The Lord who delivered me…

God’s chosen servant  

1 Samuel 16:1

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.’

He was indestructible until his destiny was fulfilled

a servant empowered by the Spirit

16:13

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

upon David in power

4.   He saw GOD for who He is:

Living (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.

Deliverer (37)    

The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.

Saviour (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.

Supernatural (47) – not sword or spear

Curses of no avail (43)And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

Cf. How can I curse those whom God has not cursed?

Numbers 23:8

Completely in Control (47)

for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our

hands.

To be known by all the earth (46)

and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.

victory is not just for us

51 David ran and stood on him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the scabbard. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran.

Simple…        sudden…        unexpected…            TOTAL!

• Stood on him
• Destroyed him with his own sword (cf. Jesus – Hebrews 2:11)
• Brought others into victory

52 Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines