Title: David the Faithful
Bible Book: 1 Samuel 17 : 24-37
Author: Brian Horrell
Subject: Faithfulness; Commitment; Dedication; Confidence
Objective:
Introduction
The story of David and Goliath is a story that is widely known throughout the world. In fact, in the Western Hemisphere it is a story that is used to describe any situation that sees an individual or group overcome a seemingly insurmountable oppressor. The Biblical account of David and Goliath, however, is not a story so much about man’s courage or fortitude, but is a story of God’s power and provision displayed in the life of an individual who is completely sold out to God.
When we hear the story of David and Goliath and when we read through the account it is easy to become solely focused on the main event. David slew a giant. David did not just slay a literal giant, however. David showed faith well before he ever stepped onto the battlefield to face down Goliath. That is the part of the story that we are going to focus on today, because it is the part of the story that so easily gets overlooked.
We hear sermons all the time from pastors and preachers who encourage people by saying that no obstacle is too big for God and when we are faced with problems there is no problem that God cannot solve. All of that is true and all of that is encouraging, but that is not what I want us to take away from this passage today. We expect to face opposition from enemies. That is kind of what makes them enemies. We never really expect to face that same opposition from our friends, however.
When we are on the same side with someone we expect to have their support and to know that we can trust them. That is not always the case. Sometimes the most difficult thing that you can face does not come from outside the church but from inside the church. It is not from those who you most expect to be against you but from those that you least expect.
Today we are going to look at three demonstrations of faith from David before he faced down Goliath.
I. Faith Among the Soldiers - 17:24-27
Let me just really quick set the scene up for us at this point in the story. The Philistines have gathered together an army and have brought it to Socoh which is in Judah. So, Israel has been invaded by a foreign enemy. Israel gathers its armies and they encamp on one mountain overlooking the Valley of Elah and the Philistines encamp on the opposite mountain overlooking the Valley of Elah. At this point Goliath of Gath comes out from the armies of the Philistines and he begins to provoke the Israelites. He blasphemes God and he ridicules God’s people and he dares them to come out and face him.
Now on the surface Goliath is a big dude. He is about nine feet nine inches tall. He is wearing armor that is made completely of bronze which wasn’t exactly smart considering bronze lost its shape and its edge quicker than iron. His breastplate weighed 5,000 shekels. That is his breastplate alone weighed about 125 pounds. Just the head of his spear weighed 15 pounds. All of this to say that the Israelites take one look at Goliath and they hear the challenge that he is giving them, and they are terrified. They are scared to death of Goliath. No one wants to go onto the field to try and fight Goliath. So, every day Goliath comes out onto the field of battle in the morning and the evening and he gives the same challenge and the same insults to Israel and to God. For forty days Israel listens to this blasphemy and they allow it to go unchecked.
David’s three oldest brothers are with the army at this time and Jesse sends David to go and check on his brothers. David leaves his sheep with a caretaker and goes to check on his brothers and it is as he gets to the camp that he hears Goliath once again give his challenge to Israel and to God Himself. Once again all of the men of Israel hear the challenge come from Goliath and they are afraid, and they flee from him. They know exactly what he is doing. This is not a situation where they simply are misunderstanding what is happening. They realize that this man is challenging Israel and that he needs to be stopped. They are even going so far as to talk about what the man who slays Goliath will be rewarded with. They do not, however, seem to be very concerned with the fact that this Philistine is challenging them and their God.
David comes upon these soldiers and he begins asking questions. Who is this person who thinks that he can defy the armies of the living God? David is most concerned with the fact that this Philistine has issued a challenge to Israel and by extension to God Himself and nothing is being done about it. How can the armies of God not be moved to battle after forty days of threats, insults, and challenges? Something has to be done. David is not speaking in jest or mock outrage. He is genuinely upset that this Philistine would dare defy God and His people. David, in this instance seems to be the only person there who is genuinely outraged by this. His God is being challenged. How dare someone come into his land and challenge His God. David’s faith is on full display here as he is essentially saying to these soldiers, well if you guys aren’t going to do something then I will.
II. Faith Before a Brother - 17:28-30
So, David is showing faith amongst the soldiers who are discussing not the fact that God is being challenged by a Philistine, but that Saul is offering an incredible reward for anyone who can defeat the Philistine. At this moment David’s older brother Eliab becomes angry with David. Remember that Eliab is the first son of Jesse who was brought before Samuel. Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought that the search was over. God instead rejected this man and said for the search to continue. Eliab’s heart disqualified him for the right to rule Israel. Here we are going to see why.
David is showing genuine faith in the Lord and genuine love for the Lord in his statements to the soldiers. Eliab hears these statements and he gets angry at his little brother. Most likely he is angry because he sees that his little brother is responding to this challenge from Goliath with faith and a pure heart while he has responded just like everyone else, with fear. Eliab takes out his guilt and anger at being shown up by his little brother by accusing David of forgoing his responsibilities at home. He states that David ought to be tending the sheep rather than coming out to watch the battle. Essentially, he says to David, “You are just a little shepherd boy - what are you doing here?” That is a difficult thing to hear from your own brother. This was probably much more intimidating for David to face than Goliath.
Goliath was insulting God and challenging God. He had essentially already signed his own death warrant. Eliab, however, is the firstborn and he is David’s older brother. It is so much harder to stand up for God when you have to do it against people that you love than when you have to do it against strangers or enemies. David responds very well to his brother, however. David looks at his brother and says, “Well what have I done now? All I did was speak a word. I am simply trying to get information and you are accusing me of evil.” David is innocent of what his brother is accusing him of in this verse. He knows that he is innocent, and he does not waste his time trying to argue with his brother but instead he simply gives a small response and then walks away. David knew that there was not going to be any good to come out of this conversation with his brother. He does not back down, however. He is accused of evil and laziness and ineptitude by Eliab, but he does not allow his brother to dissuade him from what needs to be done. In an interaction like this we often want to think of ourselves as being David when in reality we are more often Eliab. We are afraid to do something in service for God. So, we come up with every excuse not to do it. But, then, when someone else comes along and begins serving the Lord humbly and in complete faith, it angers us. Why? Because we are ashamed that we did not do it ourselves. Eliab is ashamed that his baby brother is stepping up and faithfully facing a situation that he himself was too afraid to face. Rather than be proud of his little brother he is angry, so he tries to discredit David and cause David to return home.
David possibly shows more faith in this interaction with his brother than he does when he goes before Goliath. David takes what his brother says and brushes it aside, because he knows who he is. He knows who God says he is. Too often we allow others to dictate who we are rather than allowing God to dictate who we are. We are made in His image and we are being conformed to the image of Christ. David did not let the insult and anger of his brother cause him to lose sight of that truth.
III. Faith Before the King - 17:31-37
After this interaction with his brother David is sent to Saul. Saul has heard that David is outraged at the blasphemy of this Philistine and wants to face him in the challenge. So, David comes before Saul and says that he will go and face the Philistine. Not only that, but David tries to encourage all of the men around him not to let their hearts fail them. Literally he is asking them not to allow this one man to cause them to lose heart. The solution in David’s mind is for himself to go and face Goliath. Saul immediately turns David down. He says, “No, you cannot do it.” He says it in such a patronizing way. Saul tells David at this point that he is a mere youth and this Philistine has been fighting since his youth. We do not know how old David is exactly at this point, but he is certainly under 20 years of age because that is the age at which point Israel allowed men into the military.
Church you are never too old or too young to do something incredible for God. David is younger than everyone who is there at the battle front and yet he is the only one who is not outraged at Goliath’s taunts and is also ready and willing go out and fight him. Now, he is being told by the King that he cannot go against Goliath. Goliath is too big, and he is too strong, and he is too experienced. “David, you wouldn’t last a second against him.”
David has been discouraged from showing his faith in the Lord by his brother and now by his king. Most people at this point, especially teenagers, would have given up and simply returned home to tend the sheep. David, however, argues with Saul. He says, “Hey, I am not some helpless little shepherd boy who can’t take care of himself. I have protected my father’s sheep from lions and from bears. I have wrestled lions and bears and this Philistine is nothing more than just another beast that is biting off more than it can chew.” In David’s way of thinking, Goliath had already equated himself with the beasts of the field because he had blasphemed the Lord and challenged Him openly in front of the entire Israelite army. God had already protected David against a lion and a bear and God was going to protect David against this giant as well. David’s faith and courage were as extraordinary as his logic was simple. David was on God’s side and Goliath was not. There could only be one outcome. David’s faith led him to face not just Goliath but the faithless soldiers from his own army and his angry brother who tried to send him home and even the king of the nation who also tried to silence him.
Sometimes, God calls us to serve Him and it is in a way that seems different, crazy or impossible. When that happens, even Christians might look at you like you are irrational and try to talk you out of it. They will try to reason with you or convince you that you are wrong, but the only thing that you need too remember is that if God called you to it then it is right.
I know a young man who was accepted to college and he was intent on becoming a neurosurgeon. He had always served in ministry at church and done a great job, but he did not feel the call to go into ministry. So, he went to college and after three years at college he went on a mission trip to Romania for six weeks and when he came back he quit school and began raising support to become a missionary in Romania. People were shocked. There were people who were encouraging him and telling him how proud they were but there were also people who tried to convince him to put off going to Romania until after he had his degree. He was convinced, however, that this was what God was calling him to do and he could not put it off. He is currently in Romania working with the Roma gypsies.
Conclusion
David’s faith was greater than the giant on the other side of the battlefield, but his faith was also greater than the giants who were on his side of the battlefield. Is your faith strong enough to carry you through when others are telling you to give up and to quit? Maybe you are here today, and you know that God is calling you to something, but you have not submitted to it because you are afraid of what others might think or say. Or maybe you are here today, and you do not even know Christ enough to place your faith in him. Won’t you come forward today and submit to what God is leading you to do in faith.
