David and Goliath

David is the youngest of the family of Jesse a Bethlehemite and a shepherd. According to E.W. Bullinger he is 16 - 17 years old at this time. The Israelites are being attacked by the Philistines again. The Philistines are encamped about 15 miles west of the Bethlehem in Judah. This time they have a warrior, Goliath, who is about 8 to 11.5 feet tall with a Chevrolet wrapped around him. Maybe it didn't weight that much but his armor was quite heavy by human standards. This guy was imposing and intimidating. For forty days he came down into the valley that separated the armies and called unto them saying if any man could defeat him the Philistines would be servants to Israel, if no one could than Israel would be servants to the Philistines.

I Samuel 17
:10 And the Philistine said,
        I defy the armies of Israel this day;
        give me a man, that we may fight together.
:11 When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine,
    they were dismayed, and greatly afraid .

Where did their confidence in God go? What happened to God fighting for them. They did not remain God minded and forgot what God had told them. They were relying on their king to deliver them, but he was afraid too.

Now David was sent to take supplies from Jesse, his father's house, to the armies and inquire about his brothers. After David dropped off the provisions he ran into the army to find his brothers and heard Goliath's rantings.

I Samuel 17
:24 And all the men of Israel,
        when they saw the man,
    fled from him,
    and were sore afraid .
:25 And the men of Israel said,
        Have ye seen this man that is come up?
            surely to defy Israel is he come up:
        and it shall be, that the man who killeth him,
            the king will enrich him with great riches,
            and will give him his daughter,
            and make his father's house free in Israel.

The soldiers had forgotten about the living God , they were sore afraid . They believed in what the saw, what their five senses told them, they didn't look at things spiritually.

:26 And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying,
        What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine,
        and taketh away the reproach from Israel?
            for who is this uncircumcised Philistine,
            that he should defy the armies of the living God ?

Uncircumcised Philistine according to the Israelites is like calling someone the dirtiest lowlife name in your culture (you think about what that may be). Circumcision is a token of the covenant between God and Abraham and the Children of Israel. With it they have God's covenant protection, without circumcision, there was no covenant protection by the living God (as opposed to a dead idol). This Philistine had no right to God's protection-so what are they worried about.

David was looking at a bigger 'might' than Goliath, Goliath had no covenant with God. David believed he had the covenant protection and Goliath did not. Do you believe that you are a son of God? David had already been anointed and had holy spirit within him, look at what David did with the Word of the Living God. God's Word believed is the manifestation of the power of God.

:27 And the people answered him after this manner, saying,
        So shall it be done to the man that killeth him.
:28 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men;
    and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said,
        Why camest thou down hither?
            and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness?
        I know thy pride,
        and the naughtiness of thine heart;
            for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.

David is being accused of being a busy body! But David is walking with God. David had a decision to deal with in his mind: what God said verses what others think.

David had already been anointed King over Israel, this must have helped him be strong and of a good courage.

:29 And David said,
        What have I now done? Is there not a cause?
:30 And he turned from him toward another,
    and spake after the same manner:
    and the people answered him again after the former manner.
            [repeated the Word of God]
:31 And when the words were heard which David spake,
            [who should defy the armies of the living God]
    they rehearsed them before Saul:
    and he sent for him.
:32 And David said to Saul,
        Let no man's heart fail because of him;
        thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.

David said this because he believed God and He was more powerful than any uncircumcised unbelieving dog Philistine. David relied on the power of God. He was no mighty warrior, he was a shepherd that protected the sheep of his fathers house.

:33 And Saul said to David,
        Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him:
            for thou art but a youth,
            and he a man of war from his youth.

This is a sense knowledge reaction from Saul, even the King of Israel didn't trust in the power and ability of the living God.

:34 And David said unto Saul,
        Thy servant kept his father's sheep,
            and there came a lion,
            and a bear,
            and took a lamb out of the flock:
:35   And I went out after him,
            and smote him,
            and delivered it out of his mouth:
        and when he arose against me,
            I caught him by his beard,
            and smote him,
            and slew him.
:36   Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear:
        and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them,
            seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God .
:37 David said moreover,
        The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion,
            and out of the paw of the bear,
        he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.
    And Saul said unto David,
        Go, and the LORD be with thee.

David was no dumb unbelieving kid. David had proven God that He would help him protect the Passover lamb. David knew the significance of what he was asked to protect. Without the Passover lamb, there would be no forgiveness of sin for his family. Add to that, David was only a kid!!

:38 And Saul armed David with his armour,
    and he put an helmet of brass upon his head;
    also he armed him with a coat of mail.     [another sense knowledge reaction by Saul]
:39 And David girded his sword upon his armour,
    and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it.
    And David said unto Saul,
        I cannot go with these;
            for I have not proved them.
    And David put them off him.     [David's spiritual reaction]

God does not expect David to go out with armour and swords because he is a shepherd whose weaponry consist of a staff and a sling. Shepherds used stones and their slingshot. They became very accurate and would send stones zinging from their slings right in front of the sheep's noses to bring them back. God works with us right where we are at .

:40 And he took his staff in his hand,
    and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook,
    and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip;
    and his sling was in his hand:
    and he drew near to the Philistine.

David went out with the tools he was used to. In a military sense David was "Alpo" - dog meat.

:41 And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David;
    and the man that bare the shield went before him. [may I ask what for?]
:42 And when the Philistine looked about,
        and saw David,
        he disdained him:
            for he was but a youth,
            and ruddy,     [do not be deceived by the 5 senses]
            and of a fair countenance.
:43 And the Philistine said unto David,
        Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves?
    And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
:44 And the Philistine said to David,
        Come to me,
        and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air,
        and to the beasts of the field.
:45 Then said David to the Philistine,
        Thou comest to me with a sword,
            and with a spear,     [senses power]
            and with a shield:
        but
            I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts,
                the God of the armies of Israel,     [invisible spiritual power]
                    whom thou hast defied.
:46   This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand;
        and I will smite thee,
        and take thine head from thee;
        and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day
            unto the fowls of the air,
            and to the wild beasts of the earth;
        that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel .

God gets the glory !!

:47   And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear:
            for the battle is the LORD'S,
            and he will give you into our hands.

The facts are plain (and intimidating)  BUT  David came in the name of the living God !!

:48 And it came to pass,
        when the Philistine arose,
        and came and drew nigh to meet David,
    that David hasted ,    [God didn't say hesitate]
    and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
:49 And David put his hand in his bag,
    and took thence a stone,
    and slang it,
    and smote the Philistine in his forehead,
        that the stone sunk into his forehead;
        and he fell upon his face to the earth.
                [should have fallen backwards and hit the back of his head,
                    or maybe did he do a somersault? Think about it.]
:50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling
        and with a stone,
        and smote the Philistine,
        and slew him;
    but
        there was no sword in the hand of David.
:51   Therefore David ran,
            and stood upon the Philistine,
            and took his sword, [Goliath's]
            and drew it out of the sheath thereof,
            and slew him,
            and cut off his head therewith.
    And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead,
    they fled.
:52 And the men of Israel
        and of Judah arose,
        and shouted,
        and pursued the Philistines,
            until thou come to the valley,
            and to the gates of Ekron.
    And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim,
        even unto Gath,
        and unto Ekron.

David walked with God, his heart was right.

Acts 13
:22 And when he had removed him,     [Saul]
    he raised up unto them David to be their king;
        to whom also he gave testimony and said,
            I have found David the son of Jesse,
            a man after mine own heart ,
                which shall fulfill all my will.

God had promised to David the kingdom but it took time to come to pass. Saul's heart and believing changed and he began to despise David and tried numerous times to kill him. God protected David. David stood steadfast and knew that he was anointed the next king of Israel. David's reign was successful because he was a man after God's own heart. He is referenced many times throughout the rest of God's Word, a very notable Believer because his heart was right !

Not many kings stayed faithful to God until the end of their days but David did. He received revelation on his death bed to have Solomon (not his oldest son) to be the anointed king.