The Battle is the Lord's 1 Sam 17
Notes
Transcript
The Battle is the Lord’s 1 Sam 17
The Battle is the Lord’s 1 Sam 17
Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures.
The Philistines gathered their forces for war at Socoh in Judah and camped between Socoh and Azekah in Ephes-dammim.
Saul and the men of Israel gathered and camped in the Valley of Elah; then they lined up in battle formation to face the Philistines.
The Philistines were standing on one hill, and the Israelites were standing on another hill with a ravine between them.
Then a champion named Goliath, from Gath, came out from the Philistine camp. He was nine feet, nine inches tall
and wore a bronze helmet and bronze scale armor that weighed one hundred twenty-five pounds.
There was bronze armor on his shins, and a bronze javelin was slung between his shoulders.
His spear shaft was like a weaver’s beam, and the iron point of his spear weighed fifteen pounds. In addition, a shield-bearer was walking in front of him.
He stood and shouted to the Israelite battle formations, “Why do you come out to line up in battle formation?” He asked them, “Am I not a Philistine and are you not servants of Saul? Choose one of your men and have him come down against me.
If he wins in a fight against me and kills me, we will be your servants. But if I win against him and kill him, then you will be our servants and serve us.”
Then the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel today. Send me a man so we can fight each other!”
When Saul and all Israel heard these words from the Philistine, they lost their courage and were terrified.
An Unconquerable Foe
An Unconquerable Foe
And here they face off against one another again, but it is a standstill.
They were on opposites sides of the valley of Elah, the Israelites on one hill and the Philistines on another.
The Geography is important to know
The Philistines were encroaching on Israelite land.
They were in the land of Judah and if they won this battle they would have a foothold in God’s Promised land.
Now the Philistines had a warrior named Goliath.
And he was a Giant.
He stood over 9 feet tall.
He wore armor that weighed in at 125 lbs.
He had a spear that’s handle was the size of a weaver’s beam.
Unable to be used by a man of normal size.
The tip of the spear weighed in at 15lbs when normal spear tips weighed in at around 1lb.
And he had a sidekick.
His shield bearer was there to protect him from any projectiles thrown at him
Again the language used here is important
His armor is made of bronze and the author of 1 Sam wants us to know this so much in fact that he mentions it 4 times.
Why?
Because the word for bronze in Hebrew sounds like the word for snake or serpent in Hebrew.
Additionally, he is clothed in scale armor.
And this word is used to describe the scales of fish and serpents.
The author of 1 Samuel is really wanting the original readers to see Goliath not only as a unconquerable warrior, but also as a snake that has crept into their land.
and He wants to bring them into slavery and death.
Now, Where else in the Israelites history do we read about an unwelcome serpent that encroaches on Gods land and leads people into death and slavery?
Genesis 3.
Goliath’s description would make the original readers think back to that story in Genesis.
And it would cause them to think about whether he would be able to be overcome or if Israel would be subdued by the serpent once again like Adam and Eve.
It would cause them to think about and ponder on the coming messiah. Looking for the one that is going to crush the head of the serpent.
Representative Warfare
Him as champion against their champion
1 Samuel 17:8 “He stood and shouted to the Israelite battle formations, “Why do you come out to line up in battle formation?” He asked them, “Am I not a Philistine and are you not servants of Saul? Choose one of your men and have him come down against me.”
Goliath confident in his ability
What gave him confidence?
His size, his record, his weapons.
He was unstoppable, unconquerable.
1 Sam 17.10, defy—cast shame
Why was it shameful?
No one stood against him.
Not even the king who was chosen to fight for them stood against him
Fear ruled the Israelites hearts
Fear of being conquered
Fear of slavery
Fear of Death
1 Samuel 17:11 “When Saul and all Israel heard these words from the Philistine, they lost their courage and were terrified.”
They feared Goliath more than they trusted God
They had a wrong fear orientation
They needed a champion
They needed one who wasn’t afraid of death
One who would fight for them
and in verse 12-24, we are introduced to David the Shepherd boy
Not going to read all of that, but I will summarize what happens in those verses.
David’s older brothers were on the front lines of the battle.
Not old enough to fight <20 years old
David’s family was responsible for feeding their soldiers
David was tasked with bringin bread and cheese to his brothers
We do get some more information about Goliath and the Israelites
This tuanting by Goliath was non-stop
1 Samuel 17:16 “Every morning and evening for forty days the Philistine came forward and took his stand.”
Meanwhile, we the readers learn that this standoff between the Israelites and Philistines occurs twice a day.
And has everyday for 40 days.
80 times Goliath has come out and mocked the people of God.
80 times Goliath has come out and taunted the army that he knows is afraid of him.
80 times Goliath has mocked and ridiculed God himself.
80 times the Israelites and Saul cowered in fear.
For the 2nd time in this passage we read how terrified the Israelite army is of Goliath.
But things were about to change.
The number 40 in the bible usually describes a time of testing.
A time of trial.
And the Israelites have been tested for the last 40 days.
But God is providing for them a Savior.
Previously, an Israelite man had declared, “Do you see this man who keeps coming out? He comes to defy Israel. The king will make the man who kills him very rich and will give him his daughter. The king will also make the family of that man’s father exempt from paying taxes in Israel.”
David spoke to the men who were standing with him: “What will be done for the man who kills that Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Just who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
The troops told him about the offer, concluding, “That is what will be done for the man who kills him.”
David’s oldest brother Eliab listened as he spoke to the men, and he became angry with him. “Why did you come down here?” he asked. “Who did you leave those few sheep with in the wilderness? I know your arrogance and your evil heart—you came down to see the battle!”
“What have I done now?” protested David. “It was just a question.” Then he turned from those beside him to others in front of him and asked about the offer. The people gave him the same answer as before.
What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, so he had David brought to him. David said to Saul, “Don’t let anyone be discouraged by him; your servant will go and fight this Philistine!”
But Saul replied, “You can’t go fight this Philistine. You’re just a youth, and he’s been a warrior since he was young.”
David answered Saul, “Your servant has been tending his father’s sheep. Whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb from the flock, I went after it, struck it down, and rescued the lamb from its mouth. If it reared up against me, I would grab it by its fur, strike it down, and kill it. Your servant has killed lions and bears; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” Then David said, “The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”
Saul said to David, “Go, and may the Lord be with you.”
An Unlikely Savior
An Unlikely Savior
In this section, we hear that there is an astounding prize for the man that stands in between Israel and Goliath.
The King is offering to give his daughter in marriage.
He is offering riches.
And most tempting of all he is offering a tax free living for all the extended family of Israel’s champion.
Even with this enticing offer, no one steps up to the plate.
But David is curious about all that Saul is offering, so he starts asking around.
Saul over hears David asking about the reward for killing Goliath and invites David into his tent. v. 31.
And in 1 Sam 17:32, David volunteers to go and slay this giant “32 David said to Saul, “Don’t let anyone be discouraged by him; your servant will go and fight this Philistine!””
David heard Goliath’s taunts and responds in anger and frustration.
His people and his God are being mocked and defied by Goliath.
“Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the Living God?”
You can hear the anger and frustration in his voice.
Probably not only at Goliath, but at the army too.
They have forgotten who their God is.
They have forgotten what their God has done.
They have forgotten who has the power.
David isn’t afraid of Goliath.
He is ready to go an overcome this snake that taunts and tempts the Israelites.
But Saul discourages David, saying that he can’t go and fight Goliath b/c he is just a boy and Goliath is a warrior who has been fighting since he was David’s age.
In Saul’s eyes David doesn’t stand a chance.
David is going to get crushed.
David has no battlefield experience.
He hasn’t had to fight another man in hand to hand combat.
It doesn’t seem as if David has any chance at all of beating Goliath.
But God has been preparing David for this moment.
David recounts for Saul times where he has wrestled lambs from the mouth of lions and bears.
Where he has killed lions and bears with his own hands.
It’s interesting that David relates these experiences to Saul.
It’s almost as if God is telling us that David is doing what man should have been doing from the beginning of time.
David has dominion over the beasts of the field.
He is ruling over creation as God has intended.
He is not allowing it to rule over him.
And there is one more beast that he is about to subdue.
Goliath.
But he isn’t doing it in his own power.
No, he is doing it through the power of God.
The Lord is where David finds his strength.
The Lord is the one who delivered David.
The Lord is the one who is going to protect his people, but he is going to use David to do so.
So, Saul gives him the blessing to Fight Goliath.
They have been at a stand still for 40 days.
These men need to get back to their home.
They need to get back to their families.
The time of testing has come to a close.
Then Saul had his own military clothes put on David. He put a bronze helmet on David’s head and had him put on armor.
David strapped his sword on over the military clothes and tried to walk, but he was not used to them. “I can’t walk in these,” David said to Saul, “I’m not used to them.” So David took them off.
Instead, he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the wadi and put them in the pouch, in his shepherd’s bag. Then, with his sling in his hand, he approached the Philistine.
The Philistine came closer and closer to David, with the shield-bearer in front of him.
When the Philistine looked and saw David, he despised him because he was just a youth, healthy and handsome.
He said to David, “Am I a dog that you come against me with sticks?” Then he cursed David by his gods.
“Come here,” the Philistine called to David, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts!”
David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with a sword, spear, and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord of Armies, the God of the ranks of Israel—you have defied him.
Today, the Lord will hand you over to me. Today, I’ll strike you down, remove your head, and give the corpses of the Philistine camp to the birds of the sky and the wild creatures of the earth. Then all the world will know that Israel has a God,
and this whole assembly will know that it is not by sword or by spear that the Lord saves, for the battle is the Lord’s. He will hand you over to us.”
Stand-Off
Stand-Off
Saul tries to equip David as a warrior.
helmet, sword, armor
B/c that’s how Saul would go to war
But David isn’t Saul.
Saul and Goliath trust in the weapons of man, David wholeheartedly trusts in the Lord
David takes his sling and pouch down to the river and picks up an unlikely weapon
5 smooth stones
And he approaches the battle field.
Goliath is insenced that this boy would come to him.
1 Samuel 17:43–44 “He said to David, “Am I a dog that you come against me with sticks?” Then he cursed David by his gods. “Come here,” the Philistine called to David, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts!””
Goliath is confident in his own ability
he curses David and mocks the Lord
Goliath believes that this battle is all but over, and it’s insulting that David would even approach the battle field.
But David isn’t afriaid.
He’s confident in the Lord’s deliverance.
Epic Speech
1 Samuel 17:45–47 “David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with a sword, spear, and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord of Armies, the God of the ranks of Israel—you have defied him. Today, the Lord will hand you over to me. Today, I’ll strike you down, remove your head, and give the corpses of the Philistine camp to the birds of the sky and the wild creatures of the earth. Then all the world will know that Israel has a God, and this whole assembly will know that it is not by sword or by spear that the Lord saves, for the battle is the Lord’s. He will hand you over to us.””
David no doubt remembers the stories of God’s victories in seemingly impossible situations.
Abraham defeated multiple kings with 318 men.
God delivered the Israelites from the hand of Pharoah.
Joshua and the Israelites marched around the walls of Jericho and did not lift a finger to conquer that great city.
Gideon defeated the Midianite army with only 300 soldiers.
All those in the Israelite army, including their leader Saul, thought that the battle hinged on their own ability.
But David remembers that the battle doesn’t belong to them.
“The Battle is the Lord’s.”
He does the work.
He fights the battle.
He determines who wins and who loses.
And David is confident in God’s Victory.
So David is ready to battle.
David is ready for Victory.
When the Philistine started forward to attack him, David ran quickly to the battle line to meet the Philistine.
David put his hand in the bag, took out a stone, slung it, and hit the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown to the ground.
David defeated the Philistine with a sling and a stone. David overpowered the Philistine and killed him without having a sword.
David ran and stood over him. He grabbed the Philistine’s sword, pulled it from its sheath, and used it to kill him. Then he cut off his head. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they fled.
The men of Israel and Judah rallied, shouting their battle cry, and chased the Philistines to the entrance of the valley and to the gates of Ekron. Philistine bodies were strewn all along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron.
When the Israelites returned from the pursuit of the Philistines, they plundered their camps.
Victory
Victory
The telling of the battle is relatively short in contrast to the rest of the passage.
We, the readers, are meant to feel like Goliath is unconquerable.
The build-up to the battle leaves us in suspense.
Meanwhile, the actual battle takes 2 verses.
Showing us that what seems too much for us is nothing for God.
David Defeats Goliath with a sling and a stone.
Then to add insult to injury beheads him with his own Sword.
And David’s victory terrifies the other Philistines.
How the tables have turned.
When their champion lived they were confident, but once slain they were just as terrified as the Israelites.
And now emboldened, the Israelites chase after the Philistines
And they run for their lives.
They retreat.
And the Israelites chase them for roughly 10 miles.
David is Victorious.
He has conqured the unconquerable foe.
But how does this connect us to Jesus
Why are we hearing about David and Goliath on Easter Sunday.
David was a foreshadowing of Christ
He was a precursor of the Perfect Messiah.
Christ is the Better David.
Goliath is a picture of death
The undefeatable enemy.
We all stand gainst him and none of us could ever overcome him.
Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;”
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death...”
But then Jesus steps on the scene
He didn’t look like much
He wasn’t who would have been expected to overcome death and defeat our greatest enemy.
In fact, Isaiah 53:2–3 “He grew up before him like a young plant and like a root out of dry ground. He didn’t have an impressive form or majesty that we should look at him, no appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering who knew what sickness was. He was like someone people turned away from; he was despised, and we didn’t value him.”
However, like David he was the chosen one.
Anointed to do the work of providing salvation
He didn’t come to the battle with traditional weapons.
In fact, the way Jesus defeated death wasn’t from offense, but through the laying down of his life.
Like David’s sling, the cross of Jesus seems like a foolish weapon.
Dying doesn’t seem the way to insure victory, but Jesus was able to cry out
John 19:30 “ “It is finished.”
Jesus provides victory over death all on his own.
We didn’t lift a finger
He bore our sin, our shame, our penalty on the cross
2 Corinthians 5:21 “He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Jesus died to save us.
He layed it all on the line
We didn’t fight in the battle, but we get to participate in the victory
1 Corinthians 15:54–57 “When this corruptible body is clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal body is clothed with immortality, then the saying that is written will take place: Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, death, is your victory? Where, death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!”
We can celebrate b/c the victory has been won.
Christ overcame sin and death to set us free.
And he invites us in to be ambassadors of his kingdom telling others about this wonderful news.
B/c Jesus has won, we can live boldy
We participate in he mission of Jesus
That’s why we celebrate
The battle was won
Death was defeated
Have you trusted in him?
Placed your faith in the one who died to save you?
