How tragically
ironic that Israel had "rejected (abhorred, cast away, cast off,
despised, disdained, refused) (their) God, Who
delivers (Heb = yasha -
saves, helps, gives victory, preserves, avenges)
(them) from all (their) calamities and (their) distresses" (1Sa10:19)
for a human king, who chose to sacrifice rather than
obey (heed,
hearken to)
the voice of Jehovah (1Sa15:22)
and who thereby "rejected
the word of the LORD" Who in turn "also
rejected (Saul) from being
king."
The next time we are
sorely tempted to reject the Word of the LORD, let us by His Spirit's
enablement be quick to recall to our mind Paul's exhortation to the
Corinthians
"Now these things happened to
them (including Saul)
as an example & they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends
of the ages have come." (1Cor10:6,11).
May His Spirit write it on our hearts the
truth that...
"Sin will always take us farther
then we want to go,
Keep
us longer than we want to stay and
Cost us more than we ever intended to pay."
Sow a thought, reap an
action,
Sow an action, reap a habit
Sow a habit, reap a character
Sow a
character, reap a destiny.
It all started with a thought -
Watch over
(Heb = natsar - preserve, guard from danger, watch as a watchman over) your
heart with
all
diligence (Heb
= mishmar - act of guarding as a guard at a post keeping watch)
, for from it flow the
springs of
life. (Pr4:23)
"Anything that increases the authority of the body over the mind is an
evil thing." - Susanna Wesley
"Too many think lightly of sin , and
therefore think lightly of the Saviour. He who has stood before his God,
convicted & condemned, with the rope about his neck, is the man to weep
for joy when he is pardoned, to hate the evil which has been forgiven him
& to live to the honor of the Redeemer by Whose blood he has been
cleansed." (Spurgeon)
"I would rather pass through seven years of the most
languishing sickness, than I would ever again pass through the terrible
discovery of the evil of sin." (Spurgeon)
"Whatever weakens your reason.
Whatever impairs the tenderness of your conscious. Whatever obscures your
sense of God. Whatever increases the authority of your body over your
mind. Whatever takes away your relish for spiritual things, that to you is
sin no matter how innocent it is in itself." (Susanna Wesley responding to
Charles’ question about what is sin)
Read the following illustration of
what sin will do to a sinner or a saint (saved sinner):
"We need a
fixed reference point: During the 1980s five men spent 80 days
orbiting the Earth. There were many adjustments to make. 1) They had no
way to take baths so they had to wash with a damp towel. 2) During every
24 hour period they saw 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets. 3) Eating was always a
problem because you had to keep up with your food. If you started to put a
bite in your mouth and paused to say something your hand and fork would
stop but the food would proceed at the same rate and splatter all over
your face. 4) If you tried to turn a screw you would find your whole body
turning instead. 5) What they saw as the biggest frustration was their was
no point of reference. They were in a cylinder and there was no
way to tell which way was up. There was no fixed vertical. The
men came back confused, exhausted and miserable."
(Elizabeth Elliot.)
The preceding story is probably a
fairly accurate description of Saul and the Israeli army during those 40
days of intimidation by the "consequences of their sin".
Even as the Spirit of the LORD of hosts had departed from Saul leaving him
devoid of spiritual power, He in turn came mightily upon David from that
day forward. So when David walked into the scene of "dismay & great fear",
he came as a man empowered by the Spirit of the LORD of hosts. David did
not shrink back in fear from the giant because he had personal experience
with the presence & power of the LORD of hosts (see
note below)
& he understood the principle that our "Commander" "has
not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power & love & discipline" (2Ti1:7).
David like Paul
"did not shrink
from declaring... the whole purpose of God." (Acts20:27).
Little wonder that David would later write the encouraging words of
Ps 27:1
"The LORD is my light & my
salvation. Whom shall I fear? (Goliath?) The LORD is the defense of my life. Whom shall I dread ?"
(Spurgeon
#1,
#2).
Whatever
or whoever your "Goliath" is today recall to your mind the truth about the
LORD of the armies (hosts) remembering that
"If God is for
us, who is against us?" (Ro8:31),
that
"greater
is He who is in you than he who is in the world"
(1John 4:4),
that
"though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,
for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful
for the destruction of fortresses"...that "we are destroying speculations
and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God...taking
every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)
and that
"in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who
loved us."
(Ro8:37,
Spurgeon)
HOW DOES THIS
TRUTH PARALLEL ZECHARIAH 4:6-7?
Note these
events take place after 50,000 Jews had returned from Babylonian exile &
begun the rebuilding of the LORD's Temple 15 years earlier only to cease
the project because of external opposition & internal apathy toward the
LORD's work. In this passage note Who is personally encouraging Zerubbabel
that he has the "supplies" necessary to finish the Temple:
|
Zech 4:6
Then he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel
saying, 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the
LORD of hosts. 7 'What are you, O great mountain? Before
Zerubbabel you will become a plain & he will bring forth the top stone
with shouts of "Grace, grace (Lxx =
charis click for in depth study) to it!"' |
So clearly the
LORD's work will be accomplished in the LORD's power -- by His Spirit not
by the arm of flesh. As we have discussed above, David had been
clothed mightily with the Spirit (1Sa16:13).
Here in Zechariah 4 the LORD of hosts reminded Zerubbabel (and all believers
through the ages) that when faced with impossible odds & intense
resistance, we need to remember that the "mountain" will be made into a
plain not by our MIGHT nor by our POWER but by the Spirit of the LORD of
hosts. David had come to understand this empowering truth while pasturing
sheep and protecting them from predators. David recognized His source of
strength - yes, David personally had killed the lion & bear (Man's
Responsibility) but he understood that His deliverance was by the hand of
the LORD of hosts (God's sovereignty). And we too must learn this
same lesson in our private battles with predators, be they tempting
thoughts or ruthless enemies. Then we will be prepared to experience
victory in the public arena in the power of the Spirit of the LORD of
hosts.
HOW DOES DAVID RESPOND TO GOLIATH'S CHALLENGE?
|
1Sa17:32
..."Let no man's heart fail on account of him. Your servant
will go and fight with this Philistine." |
WHAT
OPPOSITION DOES DAVID ENCOUNTER? WHERE DOES OPPOSITION EMANATE FROM MOST
OFTEN?
|
1Sa17:28
Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men and Eliab's anger burned against David and he said, "Why have you come
down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I
know your insolence and the wickedness of your heart; for you have
come down in order to see the battle."
1Sa17:33
Then Saul said to
David, "You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with
him; for you are but a youth while he has been a warrior from his
youth."
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While David is
trying to encourage the army, his own brother Eliab (who incidentally had been
passed over by God for anointing by Samuel in
1Sa16:6-7) slandered his
character & wrongly judged his motives, trying to discourage him (v28).
Note that David proves himself to be a man after God's own heart (1Sa13:14,
Acts 13:22),
bearing the rebuke meekly
(Spurgeon's note below).
Whenever you step out by faith, others will often put obstacles in your
way. Our adversary the devil, always has somebody to tell us “it can’t be
done.” Saul also tried to dissuade David saying “You are not able to go
against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are but a youth while
he has been a warrior from his youth." (1Sa17:33).
In a sense Saul (unknowingly) was correct for David, in himself, was not
able, but in the power of the Spirit of the LORD of Sabaoth he was
equipped to overcome even the most formidable foe. (Phil
4:13; Eph 3:20–21).
David unlike his brother Eliab & his king Saul was walking "by faith,
not by sight" (2Cor5:7)
David believed what could not be proven at that moment, exemplifying
"the conviction of
things not seen."
(Heb11:1).
He may have sounded foolish to the skeptics around him, but he knew that
the LORD of Hosts Whom he served would show Himself to be the true and
living God, the mighty Warrior on behalf of His covenant people. (Ex
15:3
"The
LORD is a
Warrior. The
LORD is His
name.")
Spurgeon writes:
“Immediately before the encounter with the Philistine
(David) fought a battle which cost him far more thought, prudence, and
patience. The word-battle in which he had to engage with his brothers and
with king Saul, was a more trying ordeal to him than going forth in the
strength of the Lord to smite the uncircumcised boaster. Many a man meets
with more trouble from his friends than from his enemies; and when he has
learned to overcome the depressing influence of prudent friends, he makes
short work of the opposition of avowed adversaries.” (Spurgeon)
David Guzik echoes Spurgeon's
thoughts:
"When David was misunderstood and rebuked, publicly, by his
own brother, probably amid the laughs of the other soldiers, he could have
blown it. But he showed the strength of the armor of God in his life, and
replied rightly. He didn’t care about his glory or success, but only for
the glory and success of the Lord’s cause. Goliath was a dead man right
then! This is where the battle was won! If Eliab’s hurtful words can get
David in the flesh, and out of the flow of the Spirit of the Lord, then
David’s strength is gone. But when David ruled his spirit (see
Pr16:32)
and answered softly, he was more in step with the Spirit of the Lord
than ever. You could start digging Goliath’s grave right then!"
HOW DID DAVID CONVINCE SAUL THAT
HE WAS WILLING & ABLE TO FIGHT GOLIATH?
|
1Sa17:36-37
"Your servant has killed both the lion & the bear & this
uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has
taunted the armies of the living God." 37 & David said, "THE LORD WHO
DELIVERED ME from the paw of the lion & from the paw of the bear, HE
WILL DELIVER ME from the hand of this Philistine." And Saul said to
David, "Go & may the LORD be with you." |
Saul tried to
fit David with armor, but since he had not tested it, David refused. Saul
reasoned that if David was going to beat Goliath who was massively armed &
defended (v5-7),
he would need the best armor in Israel
- the armor of the king. Saul saw the battle with eyes of flesh while
David saw the battle with eyes of faith. David did not face Goliath
unarmed. To the natural man (1Cor2:14,
2Cor 4:18)
it looked that way. In fact David had much better armor than the king of
Israel for he possessed the supernatural armor of the King
of kings available to every child of the King! Saul had a bronze helmet,
but David had "the helmet of salvation" (Eph6:17).
Saul had armor, but David had a "breastplate of righteousness" (Eph
6:14).
Saul had a spear, but David had the "sword
of the Spirit, which is the
word of God." (Eph6:17).
Indeed, David had the "full armor" of God! (Eph
6:11).
That same armor was available to Saul & at one time he had it. But now,
Saul only trusted in man’s armor & that is why David is going out to face
Goliath, and Saul is on the sideline.
David had been
tested & prepared for this task by God with his private victories over the
lion & bear while caring for his sheep & these made possible the public
victories (v34–37)
to the glory of God. If we are faithful in our private battles, God will
see us through the public testing. Too often we faint at the smallest test
that comes our way, little realizing that the “little tests” are but
preparation for the bigger battles that are sure to come (see
Jer 12:5).
In 1 Samuel 17 we see that a seemingly trivial errand to provide provision
for his brothers led to a challenging situation that brought glory to God
& recognition to David. The point is that all believers should adhere to
the Boy Scout motto -- BE PREPARED.
As Paul exhorted young Timothy "Therefore,
if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for
honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work."
(2Ti2:21).
We never know when our opportunity
might come. If God has called you to a task, He'll equip you for the
completion. Use what He has given you, and you'll see what He can do with
little things. The Lord uses small tools to perform large tasks.
|
Use now
what God has given you,
Count not its worth as small;
God does not ask of you great things,
Just faithfulness--that's all! -- Bosch |
WHERE
WAS DAVID'S CONFIDENCE?
David focused on
the LORD of hosts, Who had delivered him in the past & Who he
affirms "will deliver me." Do we really believe that the LORD of
hosts will deliver us when "Goliath-like" adversity or adversaries
confront us? God will deliver us. He has promised to bring us to our
destination because
"He
who
began a
good
work in you will
perfect (accomplish, complete) it
until the day of Christ Jesus." (Php
1:6).
True, God may choose to deliver us FROM our trial or to deliver us
IN the midst of trial, but He will deliver us! (cf the
testimony of Shadrach, et al, when faced with fiery trial
Daniel 3:14-19)
The LORD of hosts to Whom David entrusted himself in his hour of great
need is the same yesterday, today and yes tomorrow (Heb13:8).
Let us run confidently into the immutable (see
God's
Attribute = unchangeable) Strong Tower of Jehovah Sabaoth & we will be safe.
HOW
WOULD YOU CONTRAST SAUL'S SOLUTION TO THE GIANT WITH DAVID'S SOLUTION?
|
1Samuel 17:38
Then Saul clothed David with his garments and put a bronze helmet on his
head, and he clothed him with armor. 39 David girded his sword over his
armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. So David said to
Saul, "I cannot go with these, for I have not tested (Heb = nacah -
"assayed", proved) them." And David took them off. 40 He took his stick in
his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put
them in the shepherd's bag which he had, even in his pouch, and his sling
was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine. |
Did you notice
that even after giving David a blessing (or prayer) in the Name of the
LORD, Saul still had to rely on human wisdom, reasoning that if David were
adequately equipped, he would have a better chance for victory. David
however as discussed above had already been clothed with the Spirit and
thus he had the full armor of the LORD. All David needed was the 5
"S's" - Stick, Stones, Shepherd's bag, Sling and Spirit, for he was
looking not at what could be seen but what was unseen (cf
2Co4:18
Spurgeon),
the LORD of hosts. As an aside, it is interesting to note that Saul was
from the tribe of Benjamin, the tribe specifically mentioned in (Judges
20:16)
"Out of all these people 700 choice men (Benjaminites) were
left-handed each one could sling a stone at a hair and not
miss." (Hebrew for "miss"
= chata translated elsewhere in Scripture as "sin" meaning to
"miss the mark"!)
This fact adds a touch of irony to
David's use of the slingshot as his weapon of choice to fell Goliath. Had
Saul, a Benjaminite, been trained to use this weapon?
HOW DID
GOLIATH DISDAIN DAVID?
|
1Samuel 17:41
Then
the Philistine came on and approached David, with the shield-bearer,
in front of him. 42 When the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained
(Heb = bazah - regarded w/ contempt, despised, consider worthless) him for
he was but a youth, and ruddy, with a handsome appearance. 43 The
Philistine said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?"
And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 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."
|
In essence
Goliath was not just cursing David but David's God, emphasizing that
although this was a battle between two men, in another sense it was
clearly a spiritual battle
"for our
struggle
(Gk = pale - wrestling - a contest between two in which each endeavors to
throw the other & which is decided when the victor is able to hold his
opponent down w/ his hand upon his neck) is not against flesh and
blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world
forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the
heavenly places" (Eph
6:12)
and we too like David need to daily "therefore take up (Gk = aorist
imperative - command to do this now, signifying the necessity & urgency of
the action commanded)
the full armor of God, so that you will
be able to resist
(Gk - anthistemi
- set one's self against, oppose, withstand, cf
Js4:7) in the evil day, and having
done everything, to stand firm." (Eph
6:13) (For more in depth
discussion on Spiritual Warfare click
Exposition of Ephesians
6:10ff)
WHAT WAS DAVID'S
STRATEGY? DAVID'S PROPHECY? DAVID'S ULTIMATE PURPOSE?
|
1Samuel 17:45-47
Then David said to the Philistine, "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.
46 "This day the LORD will deliver you up into my hands, (cf
Dt20:1-4) 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, 47 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." |
The terms of
conflict were not at all as they appeared. David perceived the battle to
be between blasphemous mortal man on one side and the power of the Lord of
hosts on the other. Goliath was outclassed but being a natural man, he did
"not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they (were)
foolishness to him & he (could not) understand them, because they are
spiritually appraised"
(1Co2:14).
David's
ultimate purpose was to bring glory to God throughout "all the world". To
give glory means to give a proper opinion of God & throughout the ages all
the world has heard about David's improbable victory because of his
Almighty God. Not only would the world know about God but Israel would
also understand that God's ways are
transcendent & are not like man's ways. God's deliverance is
never by the "arm of flesh" ("sword or spear") but by the arm of the LORD
of hosts, a mighty Warrior Who is over all the armies of heaven & earth.
The Battle belongs to the LORD. (midi
praise w/ words "The Battle Belongs to the LORD")
F. B.
Meyer in his devotional exposition on David lists characteristics of those
who do battle in the Name of the LORD:
(1)
Their motives are pure
-- Though David was accused of having evil motives, his motives were in
fact pure. He was motivated by a true love for the LORD, and for the glory
and honor of the Lord.
(2)
They are willing to let the Lord lead
the battle. David did this at the
prompting of God, not his own flesh.
(3)
They place no confidence in the flesh.
David would not wear Saul’s armor.
(4)
They are willing to stand alone.
David was willing to fight all alone.
When the
soldiers of Israel saw Goliath, they thought to themselves, “He is so big
that we can never kill him.” When David
saw
Goliath, he thought to himself, “He is so big that I cannot miss him."
David maintained a proper perspective because he focused on the Person of
His trustworthy covenant keeping LORD rather than upon the "problem" of
the taunting Philistine. Though Goliath was naturally equipped with
impressive size to which was added military attire, David was
supernaturally armed with "the name of the LORD of Hosts”. As we
have seen so often in the Names of God series, the name of a person
represents the totality of that individual's being. And so it was clear to
David, that the LORD over all the armies of heaven & earth dwarfed the
giant of flesh on earth
(v26,
36). By walking out
in faith that the Lord of Hosts was his strength & sufficiency, David was
clarifying that Goliath was not just confronting David but the Living God
Himself (v47).
LIVING IN THE LIGHT OF THE
TRUTH OF GOD'S WORD:
APPLICATION |
We need to ask God to search our
heart...
How big is the giant in my life? How big is God in my
life?
Whose arm am I trusting in?...the arm of flesh? ...or
the arm of the LORD of hosts
Where is my focus in the battle? ...on the "giants" or
on the LORD of hosts?
What is my perspective on the "giants" in my life?
Am I like Saul? ...It's
too big - there is no hope of victory.
Am I like David? ...It's
too big - I can't miss!
Am I remaining faithful in the private struggles that I
might be fruitful in the public battles?...that all may know there is a
God?
Both Hannah and David called upon the Lord of hosts and found
deliverance through His marvelous Name, Jehovah Sabaoth.. Deliverance is there for
us as
well - whatever our extremity. Every extremity is another opportunity to practice
living in the light of the truth that sets us free & sets us apart, making
us more like Jesus. But note that this name (or any of the other "Strong
Towers" in this study) cannot be used as an amulet or talisman around
one's neck and it cannot be spoken out as if it were a magical
incantation. It is absolutely crucial to remember that it is the RIGHTEOUS who run into
this Name & are kept safe
(Proverbs 18:10).
Study the other occurrence of the LORD of
hosts in
1 Samuel 4 below for insights into who can expect deliverance
in the Strong Tower of the LORD of hosts. This is crucial for every saint
to understand if we would truly bask in the experiential truth that we are
"more
than conquerors
through Him who loved us."
(Ro 8:37,
Spurgeon's note).
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By whom was David
taught,
To aim the dreadful blow,
When he Goliath fought,
And laid the Gittite low?
No sword nor spear the stripling took,
But chose a pebble from the brook.
'Twas Israel's God
& king,
Who sent him to the fight;
Who gave him strength to fling,
And skill to aim aright.
Ye feeble saints your strength endures,
Because young David's God is yours.
--From
Jehovah Nissi, the LORD My Banner
--by William Cowper |
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