David & Goliath

A Family Lesson

John McKeel
Sunday Morning Sermon
April 30, 2017

An Amazing Story of a Life Built Around Bold Faith

“Easily the most beloved story in 1, 2 Samuel—indeed, in all the Former Prophets—is the account of David killing Goliath. … But the biblical narrative is not primarily a story about human courage and effort; instead, it is about the awesome power of a life built around bold faith in the Lord.”[1]

1 SAMUEL CHAPTER 17

1. Israel’s ancient enemies, the Philistines, have encroached on the land of Israel. Two armies, the Israelites and the Philistines, are separated by a dry creek bed and by the Israelites’ fear.

2. David was too young to be part of the Army (Numbers 1:3), but his three older brothers are there. David’s father, Jesse, sends him to take provisions to them.

3. The Philistines have a hero – a single soldier. They want to avoid needless slaughter and instead they are suggesting the battle can be settled by one-on-one combat.

♦ Goliath is 9’9” tall (“six cubits” – a cubit = 18”, “and a span” – ½ cubit).
♦ While most Philistine wore a feathered hat, he wore a helmet.
♦ He wore a chainmail coat that weighed 126 pounds and bronze leggings!
♦ The word “javelin” probably describes a scimitar (Hebrew kîdôn) on his back.
♦ And he carried a spear as big as “a weaver’s beam, and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron.”
♦ On top of all that, he had an attendant that carried a full-body shield!

GOLIATH WAS ALSO A SPEECH-MAKER:

♦ He questioned their resolve.
♦ He explained representative combat (But see 18:30).
♦ He heaped shame on them.

NOW WE ARE INTRODUCED TO DAVID.

First, he tried to encourage others.

Perhaps for the first time in his life he heard the Lord being ridiculed.

David was an idealist.

But he was also practical.

He chose the weapons God provided: a stick and five stones.

Goliath was guilty of blasphemy and the penalty was stoning (Leviticus 24:16).

The fight was over quickly. Goliath “walked” but David “ran.”

Modern Goliaths

Are there any “Goliaths” threatening your life? Bold faith with the weapons God provides can still conquer giants!

John@GrotonChurch.org

Some Things to Think About

  • David knew God would protect him against Goliath because God had already protected him: ““The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine,” (17:37).
  • Fill-in the blank: “The Lord who delivered David from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from _________________________________ .”

[1] Bergen, R. D. (1996). 1, 2 Samuel (Vol. 7, pp. 186–187). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

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