Study the Bible
with Pastor Gregory

1. It Comes from an Overestimation of Oneself – vv. 1-7
   
   
1. We are introduced to the some of the ramifications of Saul’s depleted spiritual condition – the bravado of the enemy.
2. It had not been that long previous when Saul was heading the charge to completely destroy the Philistines after Jonathan’s tremendous route of the garrison – cp. 14:36
3. Perhaps in hearing of the "break-up" between Saul and Samuel and concluding that Saul was without the blessing of the God of Israel, the Philistines are emboldened to come up against them – "Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle … Saul and the men of Israel were gathered and camped in the valley of Elah, and drew up in battle array to encounter the Philistines."
4. The newly emboldened Philistines advance their own champion – "named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span" (roughly 9’ 9")
5. With reference to human terms, Goliath was simply unbeatable – incredibly powerful in stature and attitude.
1. Aside from being huge, he was completely protected by armor – from head to toe.
2. His "bronze helmet on his head" was something Israel lacked because of the monopoly of the Philisitines on metals – something that the Philistines had kept Israel from obtaining – cp. 13:19
3. "He was clothed with scale-armor which weighted five thousand shekels of bronze" – about 125 pounds.
4. "He also had bronze greaves on his legs" – shin guards
5. "… and a bronze javelin slung between his shoulders" – this was essentially "back-up" weaponry.
6. "The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and the head of his spear weighted six hundred shekels of iron" – about 15 pounds in just the head of the spear.
7. "His shield carrier also walked before him." – so there was protection provided even before you got to Goliath.
6. Goliath believed his own bravado – that because he was large, arrogant, and formidable that the people of God were no contest for him.
7. Thus, he defied the people of God – portraying that even their God was unable to deliver them out of his hand.
   
   
2. It Culminates in an Offensiveness to God – vv. 8-11
   
   
1. His challenge reflected an arrogance that matched his size – taunting the Israelite army to not be afraid "He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel and said to them, ‘Why do you come out to draw up in battle array? Am I not the Philistine and you servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves and let him come down to me’."
2. Essentially, he is stating that it is not necessary for more than one man to get hurt – he arrogantly assesses that there is no body among the Israelites up to the challenge and defies them to come out and fight – "I defy the ranks of Israel this day; give me a man that we may fight together."
3. He was so confident and arrogant, that "when Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid."
1. Instead of looking to God, they listened to the self-assessment of this defiant blasphemer.
2. It is often the case that men look at the size of the problem instead of the size of their God and are therefore "dismayed and greatly afraid" – cp. Joshua 1:9.
   
   

1. The Compliance with Obligations – vv. 12-16
   
   
1. David had begun to see life outside of the shepherd’s field – serving as the armor-bearer to King Saul.
2. Right at the time of extreme excitement, David was called back to Jesse to tend the Sheep!
1. We are told that "Jesse was old in the days of Saul, advanced in years among men" and was in need of the help of his sons.
2. Since "David was the youngest … and the three oldest followed Saul," David had to leave the court of Saul and help his father.
3. Consequently, "David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s flock at Bethlehem."
3. Instead of complaining about "missing the action," he complied with the duties and obligations assigned him and stayed home with his father’s sheep – cp. Proverbs 25:6
4. For over 40 days, David was kept wondering the state of the conflict between Israel and Philisita – "The Philistine came forward morning and evening for forty days and took his stand."
   
   
2. The Competence in Opportunity – vv. 17-22
   
   
1. Finally, the time came when "Jesse said to David his son, ‘Take now for your brothers an ephah of this roasted grain and these ten loaves and run to the camp to your brothers’."
2. In addition, he was to bring a gift to the "commander of their thousand, and look into the welfare of your brothers and bring back news of them."
3. David "arose early" – demonstrating the eagerness with which he would return to the army and "left the flock with a keeper and took the supplies and went as Jesse had commanded him."
4. He accomplished his mission by arriving at the most exciting portion of the day, "while the army was going out in battle array shouting the war cry."
5. David watches as "Israel and the Philistines drew up in battle array, army against army" – expecting something great to happen – so he "left his baggage in the care of the baggage keeper, and ran to the battle line and entered in order to greet his brothers."
6. It was unthinkable that Israel would not deal with the Philistines and be done with them – but instead, they just stayed put.
   
   

1. The Cause of the Offense – vv. 23-25
   
   
1. As David was talking with his brothers, "the champion, the Philistine from Gath name Goliath, was coming up from the army of the Philistines, and he spoke these same words; and David heard them"
2. He stood amazed as "all the men of Israel saw the man, [and] fled from him and were greatly afraid."
3. He immediately wondered how this could be happening – how what should have been an hour of great vindication and triumph in the name of the God of Israel had turned into an hour of cowardice.
4. As he stood wide-eyed, "the men of Israel said, ‘Have you seen this man who is coming up? Surely he is coming up to defy Israel."
5. Then David sees what is the issue based on the appeal of Saul to what was motivating them – all the members of the army of Israel had become preoccupied with their own well-being – "And it will be that the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father’s house free in Israel."
6. I think David was just as offended by the cowardice of the servants of God as he was by the challenge of the godless Goliath.
7. It was amazing to David to see the secularization of Israel – what they really cared about and focused on.
8. David comes at the matter from a theological perspective – not a secular one .
   
   
2. The Call for Objectivity – vv. 26-30
   
   
1. He immediately begins the process of calling for the men to recognize the real issue.
2. He does so by asking a question – "Then David spoke to the men who were standing by him, saying, ‘What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God’?"
3. For David, the matter was not who wanted to gain the blessings of Saul – it was a matter of who cared about the honor of God
4. However, the people were still stuck on a "realistic perspective" – that the situation was impossible and that no body could beat Goliath – "The people answered him in accord with this word, saying, ‘Thus it will be done for the man who kills him’."
5. His brother Eliab begins to catch where David is going with this – and reacts in anger – "Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliabl’s anger burned against David and he said, ‘Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know you insolence and the wickedness of your heart; for you have come down in order to see battle."
1. Eliab is clearly venting the jealousies that he had because he was not anointed instead of David.
2. He demeans David as someone who is merely a thrill seeker attempting to provoke a battle so that he might watch.
6. David’s response demonstrated the innocence of his question and that he had truly focused on the real issue: "what have I done now? Was it not just a question?"
7. He had struck a nerve with Eliab that caused him to react to the convicting power of David’s probing.
8. David continues to press the issue – possibly with the hope that it would make its way to Saul and that David would have a chance to speak directly to the king – "Then he turned away from him to another and said the same thing; and the people answered the same thing as before."
9. David had not yet gotten anyone to see the issue clearly – which caused agitation among the men of Israel who ought to have seen the spiritual and theological issues at hand.
   

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