David And Goliath

 Unlike the other Judges, Samson had never fought to glorify God, but always to accomplish his own goals, and the Philistines repeatedly attacked Israel under his leadership and under Eli’s.  After the defeat under Samuel’s leadership, they didn’t come again until Saul became king.  Like Samson, Saul was focused on his own goals and strengths, and while he had defeated the Philistines the first time, they were convinced they could still defeat him. 

 

The Philistines invaded Israel, and Saul went out to fight them, as described in I Samuel 17:1-3.  “Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephesdammim.  And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines.  And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.

 

In the previous fight with the Philistines, Saul had been afraid to attack, fearing god would not give the victory.  He had the same attitude when they came back, and a single man, Goliath was able to terrify Saul, and the entire army, as described in I Samuel 17:4-11.  “And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.  And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.  And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders.  And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him.  And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.  If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.  And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.   When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.”

 

Though David had served as Saul’s armor bearer, he was under age for military service, so when the Philistines Invaded Israel, David was sent home while his older brothers were drafted, as I Samuel 17:12-15 describes.  “Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehemjudah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul.  And the three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.  And David was the youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul.  But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem.:

 

Saul had dithered around, afraid to attack the Philistines for forty days, and finally David’s father sent him to check on his brothers and find out what was happening, , in I Samuel 17:16-21.  “And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.  And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren; And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge.  Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.  And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle.  For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army.”

 

The armies were all prepared to fight, but just as David arrived, Goliath challenged the Israelite and they ran away from him, as I Samuel 17:22-25 describes.  “And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren.  And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them.  And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.  And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel.”

 

David was stunned that for forty days, they had been prepared to fight but fear of Goliath had prevented them doing anything.  When he heard talk about a reward for destroying Goliath, it was apparent this was not something new and he enquired further, in  I Samuel 17:26-27.  “And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?  And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him.”

 

David couldn’t understand how they could have let a single man stop the entire army and his questions embarrassed his older brother, who accused him of running away from his own responsibility to come and watch the battle.  David kept asking his questions, and after a while, Saul heard about it, in I Samuel 17:23-31.  “And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.  And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?  And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner.  And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul: and he sent for him.”

 

It was embarrassing to have one man stop his entire army, but Saul was not about to start the fight himself, though he was the biggest man in Israel.  He was willing to do almost anything, and jumped at David’s offer to fight Goliath, especially after learning that David had fought a bear and a lion, in I Samuel 17:32-37.  “And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.  And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.  And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.  Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.  David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.”

 

Saul had the best weapons available, and afraid to go himself, he didn’t think David could possibly win without equally good weapons, so he gave David his own, in I Samuel 17:38-39.  “And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.  And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.”

 

David realized that the weapons Saul was giving him were more likely to get him killed than to save him, so he reverted back to what he was used to, trusting God to give the victory, as described in I Samuel 17:40.  “ And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.”

 

The Philistine was offended tht they didn’t take him seriously enough to send a full grown man out to fight him, as I Samuel 17:41-44 tells us.  “And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him.  And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.  And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.  And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.”

 

David’s response to Goliath reveals the difference between his and Saul’s attitudes.  While Saul was concerned about his own reputation, David was concerned about God’s reputation, as I Samuel 17:45-47 describes.  “Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.  This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.  And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hands.”

 

Without God’s support, there was no way that David could have defeated Goliath, but God cause the stone to hit exactly the proper place to knock Goliath out then use his own sword to behead him, in I Samuel 17:48-51.  “And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.  And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.  So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.  Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.”