Study the Bible
with Pastor Gregory

1. The Reassurance of Faithfulness – vv. 31-37
   
   
1. From the previous section, we understand that David was truly alarmed at the faint-heartedness demonstrated by the men of Israel.
2. He had attempted jar someone into a willingness to extend themselves for the sake of God’s honor – only to be confronted by his brother.
3. Finally, "when the words which David spoke were heard, they told them to Saul, and he sent for him." – providing David with a great opportunity.
4. Instead of confronting Saul concerning his own fainthearted-ness, David generalized it and challenged the men of Saul’s court to be assured, someone had been found who was willing to lay their life on the line – "Let no man’s heart fail on account of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine."
5. When Saul protests because of David’s youth, David responds by citing the various occasions in his life that he had seen God faithfully carry him through various dangers – "Your servant was tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, I went out after him and attacked him, and rescued it from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized him by his beard and struck him and killed him."
6. Having become the anointed of the Lord to shepherd the people of God, David most likely senses that the two scenarios are not that different – "Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God."
7. David then challenges Saul, that if he will not trust God with his own life, would he at least have enough faith to trust God with David’s life – "The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine."
8. Saul, already embarrassed by how inferior his faith is to the young man’s can hardly object – "And Saul said to David, ‘God, and may the Lord be with you’."
9. David’s perspective is the youthful idealism that springs from arrogance – but a voice of experience that had faithfully relied upon God in lesser challenges and had repeatedly seen God come through.
   
   
2. The Resources of Faithfulness – vv. 38-40
   
   
1. The human perspective was that David needed to have the benefit of what resources could be obtained – "The Saul clothed David with his garments and put a bronze helmet on his head, and he clothed him with armor."
2. David then "girded his sword over his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them." – finding himself uncomfortable with what other men felt was the strongest possible defense – cp. the description of Goliath’s armor.
3. But, David refused to rely on things that were not innate to his previous experience with the Lord – "’I cannot go with these for I have not tested them.’ And David took them off."
4. But demonstrating that his confidence was totally in God and not in his own performance, he "took his stick in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd’s gag which he had, even in his pouch, and his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine."
1. This clearly demonstrates that David was not interested in innovations to get the job done, but was confident in the Lord Himself.
2. He was aware that if the Lord was to fight for him, he needed nothing beyond what the Lord had proven in the past.
1. Without caution, courage becomes presumption
2. Without courage, caution become cowardice.
3. He took five stones, because we are told that Goliath had four (4) brothers whom David anticipated fighting as well – cp. 2 Samuel 21:18-22
1. Ishbi-benob – v. 16
2. Saph – v. 18
3. Goliath – (most likely the brother of Goliath) – v. 19
4. Six fingered man – v. 20
   
   

1. The Contempt by the Self-Reliant – vv. 41-44
   
   
1. As David approached him with the simple weapons of a shepherd boy, Goliath advances – "Then the Philistine came on and approached David, with the shield-bearer in front of him."
2. Having only the orientation of the "survival of the fittest," Goliath possesses contempt for the effort of the boy who would dare contest him – "When the Philistine looked and saw Dave, he disdained him; for he was but a youth, and ruddy, with a handsome appearance."
3. He is even angered by the thought that this was some kind of gesture by the King of Israel to insult him – "’Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?’ And the Philistine cursed David by his gods."
4. As a consequence, the arrogance and anger of Goliath fumed at David and "the Philistine also said to David, ‘Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field’.".
   
   
2. The Confidence of the Servant of God – vv. 45-47
   
   
1. In contrast to the self-reliant arrogance of a person who only has confidence in their own abilities and resources, David was careful to clarify that he does not come in his own strength at all – "You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted."
2. David was not fighting in his own strength, or in his own name, or for his own causes – rather, "This day the Lord will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel."
3. For David, the matter was an issue of the glory and honor of God – not who was the better fighter – "… and that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give you into our hands."
4. In these comments David reveals that his entire hope rests in God and in the power of God to overcome wickedness:
1. David’s authority comes from God
2. David’s hope of success rests in God.
3. David’s desire is for the glory and honor of God.
   
   

1. The Humiliation of the Haughty – vv. 48-54
   
   
1. The anger of Goliath at the "arrogance" of David caused a great opportunity for David, and instead of withdrawing, David charges – "Then it happened when the Philistine rose and came and drew near to meet David, that David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine."
2. As he is coming, "David put his hand into his bag and took from it a stone and sling it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead. And the stone sank into his forehead, so that he fell on his face to the ground."
3. We are told that David "prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and he struck the Philistine and killed him; but there was no sword in David’s hand."
4. It wasn’t a luck strike, or a chance hurl … it was a wonderful work of God’s grace that enabled David to kill the defiant enemy of God – "Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it."
5. The immediate consequence of this victory, was that the army of Israel was emboldened and the army of Philistia was put to flight – "When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. The men of Israel and Judah arose and shouted and pursued the Philistines as far as the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the slain Philistines lay along the way to Shaaraim, even to Gath and Ekron."
6. It was a complete rout – and "The sons of Israel returned from chasing the Philistines and plundered their camps" – it was a time of great festivity and rejoicing in the camp of Israel.
7. David took the head "and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his weapons in his tent."
8. These were tributes to the faithfulness and power of God’s enabling grace.
   
   
2. The Honoring of the Humble – vv. 55-58
   
   
1. Saul knew David well from the contact that he had with him while David was his armor bearer and musician.
2. However, he evidently had forgotten who was David’s father – an important issue in the reward of the son with the tax free status, etc… - "Now when Saul say David going out against the Philistine, he said to Abner the commander of the army, ‘Abner, whose son is this young man?’ … The kind said, ‘You inquire whose son the youth is’." 
3. David comes in carrying the decapitated head of Goliath – and Abner "brought him before Saul with the Philistine’s head in his hand."
4. It was now time for David’s family to receive their blessing –
1. He was to give him wealth
2. He was to give him his daughter to marry
3. He was to make Jesse’s family tax exempt.
5. So, "Saul said to him, ‘Whose son are you, young man?’ And David answered, ‘I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite’."
   

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