It's ON! The battle belongs to the LORD!

Last week we saw the preparation for battle. David did his deep breathing exercises, so to speak, by remembering all the times God went out before him and was the Champion, not just for himself, but for Saul, and for the nation of Israel. He rallied the troops, inspired Saul, and stepped out in faith knowing who he was, a servant of the Most High God. This week we will see the actual battle itself and how it unfolded.  We join it as David left behind the arraignment of battlement and stepped out as what he was, a shepherd defending the flock of God.

Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine.

1 Samuel 17:40

This is one of the most powerful verses in all of the scriptures, yet people miss it. It is one that says so much with very few words. It paints a picture of might beyond what can be found in the alphabetic characters. Think about each group of words and the symbolism behind them. We’ve got a youth who steps out from an army of men with nothing but a staff, a pouch, and a sling in is hand, to go out against a gigantic warrior who is a tried and true champion. Eliab was probably trying to decide how to tell his father about how his little brother was killed, and how he let it happen. Saul was probably wondering if God was going to bring down a legion of angels to get this kid out of this mess. The entire Israelite army was aghast, and the Philistine army was probably laughing their heads off. But David didn’t care how the others reacted. He wasn’t there for them. He was there for God.

David took what God had given him. He took his staff. It was the weapon he’d used on the lion and the bear. It was the tool he used as an extension of his arm to keep the sheep in line. With a staff the shepherd could be gentle and tap or guide his charges, or he could be harsh and beat, if necessary, any adversary that challenged him. But David wasn’t going to use his staff in this battle. He wouldn’t be close enough to this beast to need the extension. God’s arm was long enough.

Next we see that David stopped and drew out of the stream five smooth stones. He drew out of the water five stones. Water does a lot to rock. It gradually wears it way through constant pressure causing it to break down in equal measure. It smooths it, polishes it, and makes it as aerodynamically sound as any man made devise could make it. The spiritual representation of water is clear. Water purifies, cleanses, and refreshes thus representing the Holy Spirit. Now, if David knew that, I don’t think so, I think he just knew that’s where he would get stones appropriate for his sling. God had already taught him where to go to ammo up, and the Spirit was already upon him.

Also, why five stones? And why does the Bible make specific count of the amount? Why doesn’t it just say he picked up stones from the stream? I do believe the number five is significant. I believe that five is the number representative of Grace. Grace is God’s favor. I believe David reached down, picked up a handful of stones and saw that there was five and knew, just knew, because of the amount, that the battle was a done deal. It was like God said to him, “Relax, Kid, I got this.”

The next few words I really love. I love that he put the stones in his shepherd’s pouch. I picture him placing those stones inside that pouch, and as it did it God placing all that David would need to face every other adversary that would come his way inside the Great Shepherd’s pouch, that is David’s heart. What went in there was the five things David, and all of us as believers, need to have to overcome the enemy. These things will be the focus of the studies to come after we complete this chapter of the story. We will look at these things in the scriptures and delve into what God says about them and how important they are in our arsenal for defeating sin in our life.

Then he took his sling in his hand; a sling says that he wasn’t planning to draw near enough to the enemy to allow the enemy to be able to overpower him. This is important for all of us to remember when we are facing the enemy. Sometimes we forget who the enemy is. The enemy is not Satan, or the World, or Self alone. The enemy is sin in whatever form it chooses to come at us. We need to think before we get too near to it. We need to think about how we can defeat it. If necessary, it’s best to stay out of arm’s reach of it, like little David did to Big Goliath.

“If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” Genesis 4:7

 So the Philistine came, and began drawing near to David, and the man who bore the shield went before him. And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was only a youth, ruddy and good-looking.  So the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.  And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!” 1 Samuel 17:41-44

        Enter Goliath, and he’s really upset that they send this kid to do battle with him. He wanted Saul, none other than the king to come out and fight with him, and who comes out but a shepherd boy with a stick and a sling, as if he was a wild dog to be chased away. He was rightfully insulted. He wasn’t worried about the sling because he was completely armored up. His shield’s man was in front of him, but I have a feeling Goliath pushed him away when he heard the laughter starting. He saw the staff and knew what it looked like. He wasn’t going to chase after David. He made that clear when he said “Come to me.” He was telling David that he was going to rip him to shreds, not chase after some stick.

        That’s the thing about the enemy. It knows us really well. It knows that it can stay put and call to us and we will come to it. We will find the sins we prefer even if in our own imaginations. As a teacher, I know that the issue isn’t video games. There are no video games in the classroom, but the kids are still playing them in their minds. All they needed was one hour with them to master the ability to entertain them. As adults, we’ve mastered the ability to entertain sin without detection by others. It calls to us, and we drop the stick and walk up to it gladly allowing it to rip us to spiritual shreds.

“Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with 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 defied.  This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.” 1 Samuel 17:45-47

        David back talks this Giant. Sometimes when kids backtalk I want to applaud them, sometimes. It shows that they’ve got passion, if they can do it in the right way. This was the right way. David called this guy out. He spit his own words back in his face. He did one of those, “Oh yeah, says you, well, says my God…” and just lets it roll right out of his mouth. He says, “you’re coming fully armed and you’re still going to lose because I’m coming with a really big God whose going to take you down. All those things you just said about me is what God is going to do to you. By your own words you’ve sealed your own fate!” David references the Lord no less than seven times, the number of completion. It’s a done deal.

“So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it.” 1 Samuel 17:48-51

        Goliath moved, David moved, the two warriors were about to go at it—NOT. As far as a match goes this was pretty anticlimactic. It was over before it really got going. One swoosh and a thud followed by the clang of the armored weight of the giant hitting the ground. Perhaps there was total silence on the side of the Philistines followed by a collective gasp. I’m certain jaws dropped on the side of the Israelites. David walked over to the body, maybe just in time to hear that last breath. He’d been there before, with the lion and the bear. And there he stood, with the eyes of thousands upon him from both sides. He had no sword to take Goliath’s head from him. He did the only thing he could do and used what was available to him. He used Goliath’s own sword, and cut his head off.

When we face our sins, we are facing God’s enemies. We also need to allow Him to direct our fight. His is the battle. His was the stone. His was the water that formed the stone. His was the weather conditions, the laws of physics, and Goliath’s forehead that the stone was able to penetrate. All of it was God’s from the moment David left Jesse’s house to deliver provisions. David was the means to God’s plan, and to Goliath’s end. Goliath taunted and mocked the hosts of God, and God would have no more of it! Plink! God swatted him, and took him down. David could not have done it without God, but David knew God had the victory before the battle lines were drawn. Where faith lies there was the victory. Shaking faith was not standing faith. David stood with Goliath’s head in his hand, not the other way around.

Next week we will take a look at the aftermath and how this victory of God’s affected man. Until then…

I will be on Periscope to answer questions about this blog, my book, my writing, and just to chat on January 3^rd at 4pm Mountain time, I’m near Albuquerque, NM. If you don’t know what Periscope is Google it.

On-Guard!

Last week we looked at David’s spirit of submission and obedience, and how that servant’s spirit served him and led him to be in the time and place he found himself in. We saw how his vision of the enemy was different than the rest of Israelites due to his experiences as being in the positions of the least instead of the greatest. The responsibilities he’d known in his life had prepared him to trust not in his own abilities but in the abilities of the one he submitted himself under. He began to rally the disheartened troops by reminding them who their enemy was, “this uncircumcised Philistine,” and who they were, “the army of the Living God”.  This week we see he wasn’t afraid to put his faith in action.

What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?  If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?  Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.  You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!  But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? James 2:14-20

What David believed about God shaped him from the inside out, just like it does all of us. If you want to know what a man believes it is revealed in his countenance. If he believes that his problems are overpowering him and his hope is no more than a raisin then that’s what his expression will look like, a raisin. He will be dried up and withering because his ripening has overpowered him. But if he is an overcomer, and his hope rests in the Lord, and he knows nothing can defeat his God, then he is ‘grapes’. What is on the outside will be smooth and pleasing to the eye and what’s on the inside will be able to be squeezed, if need be, into a pleasing sacrifice for others. He is fit for use whether he is consumed whole or squeezed out. He need not know the result because he’s still clinging to the vine. God is still working in him, and that work is evident on the outside.

 Now when the words which David spoke were heard, they reported them to Saul; and he sent for him. 1 Samuel 17:31

            Saul got wind that someone was shooting off his mouth in the camp about fighting the giant. It doesn’t say what Saul thought about it, if he was hopeful or fearful. He could have been hopeful that finally someone was standing up to the bully, and that maybe he’d overlooked a giant in their midst, someone even taller and stronger than him. He could have been fearful that the mumbling would reach the Philistine camps and they would assume the battle was on and come pouring into the camp before he could prepare for battle. He heard that David was calling them out, so Saul sent for him. He summoned his servant, this talker, this cheerleader, to find out what his plan of action was in getting the army to face Goliath. Like Eliab before him, he had to wonder if David just didn’t understand the implications of what this battle could cost in lives. Saul had seen the giant, Goliath, and had heard the threats, and knew that they were not idle. Goliath was not just talk. Saul had a healthy respect for the enemy, but what he lacked David possessed in spades. David had a healthy respect for Goliath’s enemy.

            With a lack of faith, we do the same thing. We tend to focus on the enemy against us, instead of focusing on our enemy’s adversary who is with us.

 Then David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.” But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.”⁷ Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!” 1 Samuel 17: 32-37

            The first thing we see here is that David is submitting to Saul by calling himself “your servant”. He is saying to him that he is going out under the command of Saul to fight for Saul and Israel, and not in his own name or for his own honor. He wasn’t in it for self. Now, Saul could have used this for a diversionary tactic, but he didn’t. He didn’t call in his generals and say, “Hey, while he kid is distracting the Philistines let’s circle round back and…” He didn’t have a plan like that. What he saw in David must have been something that let him know that David was sure he was going to be victorious. Saul’s response shows this because he reversed the roles. He became the armor bearer. He outfitted David for battle.  But first let’s look back at why the roles reversed and what it was that got to Saul. It wasn’t David. David simply did what he did to the troops. He reminded Saul whose battle it really was.

            David’s response to why he would win shows that he had faced big opponents before, and that he knew he should have been toast, literally. He told the story of defeating the lion and the bear. These animals are not circus lions and bears. These are wild lions and bears that David, a kid, defeated. I could not imagine the fear that must have gone through him when he came face to fang with those wild beasts of the field. His cry to God did not go unheeded. He says that he grabbed it by its beard and struck it. David didn’t have super human strength like Samson. When that animal fell dead he immediately knew his prayer had been answered. His faith was enormous in those moments. If you have ever had a lion or bear moment you know what I mean. Answered prayer is mountain moving prayer. David knew God slew the bear, God slew the lion, and it would be God who slew Goliath. That’s what he said, and that’s what he believed, and that’s what he was about to act upon. David’s faith resulted in action.

 So Saul clothed David with his armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail. David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” So David took them off. 1 Samuel 17:38-39

            David’s faith was so assuring to Saul that he, the king, forgot his position and became the servant. He armored David up for battle. The nice thing about faith in a defeating situation is that it can be contagious among believers. Saul, as weak in faith as he was, was still the anointed of God. He still knew that God did things in and for Israel despite his own frailties as a leader. He was, after all, still the kid that hid in the baggage when the nation was calling for him to be crowned king. Saul had faith too, his was just a little shaken at times. This was one of those shaking times for him. He put his armor on David. Why shouldn’t he? David was going out in his name too. Why shouldn’t he look like Saul’s emissary?  David was his servant. This was a way for Saul to save face and maybe from a distance it could look like Saul took a stand. Shaking faith is not standing faith.

The armor didn’t fit. It was too big. David was hindered by the size of it. While in the previous chapter of 1 Samuel, David had been anointed king of Israel, it wasn’t his time yet. He hadn’t been proven, or put through the training ground that he would need to go through to govern the people of Israel. God had lessons to teach David, hard lessons, about ruling by testing him. David recognized that things that hadn’t been tested weren’t appropriate for battle. It takes a seasoned warrior to defeat an enemy of Goliath’s caliber. David had learned a lot by coming so close to death before. Despite his limited experience, he knew how to fight such an enemy, and it wasn’t by the means Saul or the traditional warrior of the time was used to employing. This battle could not be fought hand to hand or he would be torn limb from limb. It would have to be an aerial assault.

 Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine. 1 Samuel 17:40

            David left behind all that Saul had given him. He stood as he had come. He left behind the army and the protection of his older brothers. David stepped out armed with his faith, just he and an Almighty God against a giant enemy, but it wasn’t just his enemy, it was his God’s enemy.

            Next week we will pick it back up at this verse. Until then let me know what you think so far in the comments section. Just click on the comments and leave one. God Bless! Happiest of Holidays to everyone!

Enter the Hero

When we left off we were discussing fear, and how we are all subject to it. It is a debilitating enemy that robs us of fulfilling the calling God has placed upon our lives. We saw that the Lord owns the battlefield, that He is with us, and has been victorious on it before. We saw the reproach of the enemy is usually waged in the appearance and in the words spoken against us, and that usually results in our reacting in fear. Yet, God is our champion. He promises us that nothing will overtake us that we can’t handle without Him:

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 1 Cor. 10:13

This week we’ll see that what God needs to defeat the enemy is the characteristics of submission and obedience.  When a person has those characteristics God can take a shepherd boy whose only claim to fame is being background music while the king tries to sleep, and make a hero for a distraught, disheartened people out of him.

Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem Judah, whose name was Jesse, and who had eight sons. And the man was old, advanced in years, in the days of Saul.  The three oldest sons of Jesse had gone to follow Saul to the battle. The names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.  David was the youngest. And the three oldest followed Saul.  But David occasionally went and returned from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem. And the Philistine drew near and presented himself forty days, morning and evening. Then Jesse said to his son David, “Take now for your brothers an ephah of this dried grain and these ten loaves, and run to your brothers at the camp. And carry these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand, and see how your brothers fare, and bring back news of them.”  Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. So David rose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, and took the things and went as Jesse had commanded him. 1 Samuel 17:12-20

David’s spirit of submission stems from him being the youngest of eight brothers of an elderly man. Many youngest children are submissive because they learn a lot by watching the older siblings. They understand the importance of just doing what they’re told to do. They get to see what happens when children try to go off and do wrong despite their parent’s warnings. This youngest son had also learned to be submissive by serving in the king’s household and learning from those who submitted to Saul’s will as well, even when Saul was troubled in spirit. We see this in 1 Samuel 16:14-23. David had learned how to be an armor bearer to Saul which was definitely a submissive position. It was a position in which he ‘cleaned the weapons’ and made sure that all Saul had for battle was kept at the ready. What is interesting about this passage of scripture is that it says that Saul loved David. It’s hard to love a rebellious kid, but to love someone who submits to your authority is easy. David’s experience as being the youngest was a blessing of God on his life.

Jesse’s three oldest sons had already had been conscripted into the army and were camped with their unit. David had returned home and was sent back out to shepherd the sheep since the family was shorthanded due to the brothers being in the service of the country. Yet, he was called in and sent on the errand of running supplies to his brothers, probably because he was familiar with and to the leaders of Saul’s army. They knew his face and he knew theirs, but that might have been about it. He was the harp player, the armor bearer, the servant.  Everything he’d experienced positionally in life was about being in a submissive role. He was quite used to it.  Taking supplies to his brothers was nothing new to David. It would have been something he would have done as an armor bearer to the king as well. As a shepherd he was used to running provisions around for sheep. He also knew one thing about provisions, without God there were none.

In our society being under submission is frowned upon. Everyone is supposed to be looking out for number one, which is usually one’s self in the world’s view. It’s not looking out for God’s interest according to man’s philosophy. It’s not even looking out for another person’s interests if it doesn’t benefit one’s self. Submission is the opposite of that. Submission has some benefits that we tend to forget in our society. First, submission provides a covering that keeps us from being exposed to things we can’t handle. Second, submission keeps us accountable to an authority, making us behave ourselves and perhaps act better than we would if left to our own devices. The final blessing is the provision we get from submission. When we are under submission it means we are not ‘where the buck stops’, and there is someone having to take it on for us. An authority has to make sure we have what we need to complete the task they’ve got for us. When we are under submission, it means we’re being taken care of so we can participate in the mission.  It is a blessing, if we choose to see it that way and not fear. It is a humbling yet wonderful position to be in.

In the midst of this errand there is the mention of Goliath still going out and mocking the army of God, which he had been doing for forty days relentlessly. Day after day this beast of a man mocked them, taunting, calling for them to send out a warrior to fight him, just one, and it would be over. Yet, not one Israelite had gone out to fight against him. It would have been different if there had been a slew of bodies piled up in the valley that Goliath had ripped to shreds. There was no such corpses filling the valley floor; just the relentless barking and growling of the threatening bite that wore on the anxious army gathered already in defeat.

 And he came to the camp as the army was going out to the fight and shouting for the battle. For Israel and the Philistines had drawn up in battle array, army against army. And David left his supplies in the hand of the supply keeper, ran to the army, and came and greeted his brothers. Then as he talked with them, there was the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, coming up from the armies of the Philistines; and he spoke according to the same words. So David heard them.  And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid. 1 Samuel 17:20-24

Enter our hero. David arrives, the servant of Saul, not dressed for battle, but on an errand for his father, delivery man. He comes, a very young man, possible a teen, to see that the army is arrayed for battle. He thinks the fight is on. I know a lot of teen boys because I’m a high school teacher. There is a lot of hormones that boil in these young men at the very mention of the word “battle”. The idea of a hand to hand, sword swooping battle was probably enough to make David’s face flush with excitement. He was too young to fight, but he wanted a piece of the action none the less. He expected the men to be the same way, but what he saw was that they pulled back at the sight of Goliath. His excitement waned, disappointment filled his heart, and something began to take hold of him that was missing from the other men around him--obedience.

For David it was clear there was a job to be done. There was a battle to be waged. It did not matter who the enemy was before them. God had sent them to fight this battle. David knew the history of the battlefield. He knew the enemy. He knew his king had defeated many enemies before this time. He also knew how it had been done because it had been done in his life, and he knew how to submit himself to the will of God. When he looked at the valley below him he saw what the others saw, but he saw it in the light of a submitted spirit. He knew that to obey willingly meant he would be provided for by God, because he’d seen it happen time and time again in his life. It took a lot of courage for David to speak up and say something at this point, since he was only a youth. Obedience is the working of the submitting spirit. It’s the complying with what must be done.  For David, it really was a part of his spiritual make up to just do what he felt called to do, which was to spur on the Israelites to fight.

 ^“ So the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel; and it shall be that the man who kills him the king will enrich with great riches, will give him his daughter, and give his father’s house exemption from taxes in Israel.”  Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” And the people answered him in this manner, saying, “So shall it be done for the man who kills him.” 1 Samuel 17:25-27

 I don’t believe David was asking what would be done for the man who would kills Goliath because he was interested in getting the reward. It wasn’t that he was interested in the riches, or the princess, or the tax exemptions. If we look at those one at time we can see that with the position he had through his submission to Saul and his obedience to those in authority over him, he had no need for any of those. He lived in the palace when he wasn’t with his father, so he had no need for riches. The exemption would be nice for his father and brothers, but being the youngest he had no real inheritance to be taxed. As for the princess, what would he have to give her? He was the least in his father’s house, and no princess would live where he kept the sheep. His question wasn’t meant for himself. His question was meant to rouse the aspirations of those disheartened soldiers who needed motivating. If they couldn’t see beyond their current situation, perhaps they could see the reward for the one who would step out, if only in the physical. Sometimes we have to be motivated by what’s in it for us in order to move. David’s question wasn’t self-serving, it was prophetic. David would have all those things because he would become king, not because he killed Goliath, but because he obeyed and submitted to God.

^“Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger was aroused against David, and he said, “Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.” And David said, “What have I done now? Is there not a cause?”  Then he turned from him toward another and said the same thing; and these people answered him as the first ones did.” 1 Samuel 17:28-30

This is an interesting exchange in the Bible between two siblings. This is the big brother giving the little brother a hard time. Eliab is a warrior in Saul’s army, and by this time has served for a while. Yet, he’s not on the floor of the valley fighting Goliath. There is little brother trying to rally the men. What an insult to this man of Jesse. He is the heir, yet his kid brother is there, by his father’s instruction, to give supplies to Eliab and his two brothers. Eliab’s anger is because David is trying to get the army motivated, and Eliab feels he’s being insolent because little brother is not the one that has to face the giant. Eliab believes David just wants to watch the fight for his amusement; that David’s youth is misguided and he doesn’t understand what’s at risk. Eliab isn’t wrong, but like my older brother says, he’s just not exactly right either.

        David responds by asking what he’s done now. He asks Eliab if there isn’t a cause for what he’s saying. Eliab doesn’t answer or reprove his little brother. He says nothing more. Perhaps he was too angry, or perhaps God spoke into Eliab’s heart in that moment and he knew that David was right; there was a cause, there was a reason, there was a fight, but it was not Eliab’s battle because of his own fear and the insolence within his heart.   David continues on to ask those in the Israelite camp about Goliath, to rally them, to bring encouragement to them, just by asking the question and in asking he’s getting them thinking, “What will be done for the man who KILLS this Philistine and TAKES away the reproach of Israel?” His question had an implication that victory was assured. In David’s mind it was because he knew his God was mightier than Goliath. He had a history with God that could not be argued. That’s what we will look at next week.

The Battlefield

To begin our study we should first spend a moment in prayer, so please take a moment to ask the Lord to send His Spirit upon us that we can share His word. I ask that you do this every time you open this blog to read what is written here.

Now, let’s get started.  We are starting in 1 Samuel 13 with the first 11 verses for this week. I’m using the NKJV version. You can use any version you want, but I won’t argue versions with you. I’m a literature girl, so if you want to argue semantics with me we’ll take it back to the Greek if we have to, but honestly, God speaks louder than versions anyway. It’s what’s being said to our hearts that matter. If, however, you’d like me to use another version weigh in and let me know.

I’ve divided this week’s text into three areas to draw our attention to: the battle field, the enemy, and the home team’s reaction.  So let’s jump in.

The Battlefield.

Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle. And they were gathered at Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered, and encampted in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in the line of battle against the Philistines. And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with a valley between them. 

There is a lot of interesting points that come into view about this battlefield. One of the first things we should see is that the Israelites had the home field advantage. This was their territory. The land belonged to Judah. This was land Saul was familiar with because it wasn’t that far from the place he’d grown up. Also, it was land with a historical significance for battles with the Philistines. This was the area where Samson had taken the jawbone of a donkey and slayed a thousand Philistines. (See Judges 15) God had already proved Himself faithful to Israel in this valley before. Still, the armies faced off, yet again. 

 On one side was the army of Israel under Saul, a proven fighter by this time. “So Saul established his sovereignty over Israel, and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, against the people of Ammon, against Edom, against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he harassed them.” 1 Sam 14:49  On the other side was the Philistine army with their champion. They stood on opposing hills with the valley between them. Along the valley floor was a stream, which more than likely both armies used as a water source, yet there is no mention of any hostilities taking place during the fetching of water. They were at a stand-off. Israel, who should have had the upper hand and been on the offensive, wasn’t attacking.

This is something for us to look at and apply to our own lives. How many times does our battlefields have these same characteristics? We are on our home turf, we’ve been there before, we know we’ve got this if we just trust God, and yet we’re not taking the offensive position.  We sit there in a stand-off with the enemy. Why do we do that? Are we lazy? Fearful? Do we think it will just go away?

The truth is there is three ways out of a battlefield: we either fight, we make peace, or we surrender to the enemy. We are not there to do the last two options with the enemy. We’re there to battle. Sometimes we need to remember that and enter in with that mindset, instead of exchanging pleasantries while fetching water.

The Enemy.

And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.  He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. And he had bronze armor on his legs and a bronze javelin between his shoulders.  Now the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his iron spearhead weighed six hundred shekels; and a shield-bearer went before him. Then he stood and cried out to the armies of Israel, and said to them, “Why have you come out to line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me.  If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.”  And the Philistine said, “I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.” 1 Samuel 17:4-10 

The champion of the Philistines was a giant of a man named Goliath. He was from an area of Philistine called Gath, which was one of five cities that formed the hub of the Philistine culture. Some say he was around nine feet tall, other say he was only around seven feet tall. Regardless of how tall he was, for that era he was enormous. His armor weighed 126 pounds. His spear head weighed in at about fifteen pounds. He wasn’t a tall thin man, this guy was all muscle to be able to support that kind of weight. He was a champion warrior, and he had a shield bearer who walked out before him just to let it be known he was coming. A shield bearer wasn’t a guy who was there to offer protection. He was a servant, sort of like a mascot, on the field, but not in the game. Goliath had his own mascot. Everything about Goliath was intimidating, completely intimidating, and he hadn’t even spoken yet. I imagine that when he came through the troops the Israelites thought a tree was moving through. Just the sight of him was enough to cause the Israelites to stop dead in their tracks. They immediately forgot themselves and let their eyes do the judging. Each one of them lost who they were in the shadow of who they were looking upon.

And then he spoke, and what came out of his mouth matched the intimidation of his physical presence. His voice isn’t talked about, but I’m sure if it didn’t match his height it would have been noted. Instead it was the words that he said that offered the threat. He starts out asking why they’re lined up for battle since he’s the only one on the field. It’s like he’s saying, “Hey, I’m only one guy, aren’t you an entire army? Does it take an entire army to defeat one guy?” Now this is a serious question. Does it take an entire army to defeat only one guy? Usually the answer is no, unless the guy has an entire army backing him. Goliath quickly points out that he doesn’t by calling out Saul. Yes, he called out Saul by saying that the army is made up of the servants of Saul; so Saul bears the responsibility of appointing a champion if he’s not going to take on Goliath himself. It’s also important to note that the reason that Saul was noticed to begin with when the people were looking for a king was because he was also tall. He was ‘Tall Saul, the good-looking Benjaminite.” He further insults Saul by asking for a man to fight with, implying that there isn’t one facing him.  Everything about him was insulting and yet…the Israelites didn’t allow that offense to provoke them into action. They were too intimidated.

Goliath was looking for a fight, and no one would fight him. He even proposed a deal. If he lost the Philistines would lay down their arms and become the slaves of the Israelites. His death would enslave his people.

How often in our lives do we allow the enemy to intimidate us into passivity, empathy, or even surrender? What’s worse is when we completely lose heart before we’ve even attempted to pull out our sword. We forget that the battle isn’t ours, it’s the Lords. We may be wounded, and we might even fall on the battleground, but we will have fought and stood there with the enemy taunting us. Have we forgotten who our champion is? Have we forgotten that He is Goliath’s creator? Are we judging with our eyes and ears?  Saul was being called out. We are being called out every day, and we need to decide how we’re going to answer back. Are we going to stand on the hill and wait for someone else to move, or are we going to allow God to have the victory and head for the field? Isn’t it interesting that with our Champion His life gives us life, and his death frees us from enslavement. If He’s leading we’re in a win-win situation.

The Reaction

 When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid. 1 Sam. 17: 11

The reaction of Saul and all Israel is that they were dismayed and worse than that, they were afraid. Fear is a great disability. It’s a handicap that can only be healed through the power of God. Do you remember being afraid of the dark as a child. I still get scared when I’m in the dark. It’s amazing what putting a little light on can do to make the situation bearable. What’s even better than that is when I put the word of God out there in the darkest places. When I’m scared I’ve got this app on my phone that plays the Word of God, “Faith Comes By Hearing”, and I just play it. It really takes my fear away. I also play worship music. The Lord inhabits the praises of his people. Rather than being disabled, I find ways to be enabled when it comes to defeating fear. What do you do to overcome fear? Weigh in and let us know.

Let us know your thoughts. Next week we’ll hit on the warrior who was willing to step onto the field. Y’all know who that was. 

the First

So...here's the Study

Let's begin by explaining what it is.  The Study is exactly what the title implies, a study on the word of God. I'm a teacher. It is my profession. I have a love for the word of God. So why not combine the two of them and go out on a limb here, take the proverbial leap of faith, and start a study. I've prayed about how to start and I have to admit that I go off on tangents. I have many topical studies I want to do, but one that God has put on my heart for years (and I do mean years) is to hit on what's been stewing around in my heart called "Five Smooth Stones." That's where I'm going to start.

So here's where you come in. I can write the Study, but you've got to comment on the study. I mean, a study is usually a small group of people who gather together to study the word together. This is a blog, so you can just read it, percolate on it, steam a little, have some chocolate, and even come back to it once it's really taken hold of you, and then...spill your guts in the comments section. Then we'll have some of your sisters come back and spill back. How fun will that be? No one even has to know who you are if you don't want them to know. You can go by initials or just your first name, or a screen name. Since it's a blog, you can go back to the comments in a particular blog and keep spilling if it's really speaking to you.

But here are the rules:

1. Be courteous. This is a Christian blog, so don't be all in each other's face about things. I don't care where you fellowship. I don't care who your pastor is because yeah, maybe your pastor is bigger than my pastor, but are you serving others? Are you willing to wash a few feet?  If you're willing to stand corrected then get in line, because you're on the path to Calvary just like the rest of us where we've got to die to self.  Eph 4:1-3

2. Use the word. It's a BIBLE study. Opinions are like belly buttons, everybody has one but that doesn't mean we all want to study each other's or pull the lint out of yours, or mine. So let's keep the main thing the main thing. This isn't to say you shouldn't ask questions or ask for clarification, because I know I've learned a ton at studies where I've gotten a new take on things from someone's use of the word in a way I never saw coming. The Holy Spirit speaks most clearly through other people. Let Him use you. Ps. 119:140

3. Give leeway. At times you'll have to give way to what others are trying to communicate. Don't assume someone is off their rocker. Ask questions. The problem with modern technology is we can't read body language and facial expressions, so we have no idea if someone is angry, excited, or just using those capitol letters for emphasis. By the way, I wasn't shouting Bible in number 2. I was using capitol letters for emphasis. 1 Thes. 4:9

4. Pray. No study should begin without prayer. We need to have our hearts right. I know I need to have my heart checked through prayer. Pray for accountability for me, for the others, and don't forget to pray for yourself too, that God would use you mightily. I want to learn from you, which is why I'm starting this study. 1 Thes. 5:17

So, those are the rules. Violators will be...towed, shot, hung...?  I don't know. I guess we'll have to wait and see what will happen to violators.
Our next Study will meet next Monday night. So let the guys have their football, we'll have our laptops and our time with God. See you then.

Every Blessing-

Juana.