1 Samuel 17:1-11,32,45
– Now the Philistines gathered their
forces for war and assembled at Sokoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim,
between Sokoh and Azekah. Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of
Elah and drew up their battle line to meet the
Philistines. The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another,
with the valley between them. A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the
Philistine camp. His height was six cubits and a span. He had a bronze helmet on
his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels; on his legs he wore bronze
greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. His spear shaft was like a
weaver’s rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels. His shield bearer went ahead of him. Goliath stood
and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for
battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. If he is able to fight and
kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you
will become our subjects and serve us.” Then the Philistine said,
“This day I defy the armies of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each
other.” On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites
were dismayed and terrified…David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight
him.”… David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and
spear and javelin, but I come
against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have
defied.
Deuteronomy
3:22 – Do not be afraid of
them; the Lord your
God himself will fight for you.”
1 Samuel 8:7 – And the Lord told him: “Listen to
all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but
they have rejected me as their king.
Exodus 14:14 – The Lord will fight for
you; you need only to be still.”
Numbers 14:9 – Only do not rebel against
the Lord. And do not be afraid of
the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their
protection is gone, but the Lord is
with us. Do not be afraid of them.”
Application:
- · David’s strength was his reliance on the Lord.
- · The fear of Saul and the Israelite army betrays a loss of faith in the covenant promises of the Lord. Their fear also demonstrates that the Israelites search for security in a human king had failed. On the basis of God’s covenant promises, Israel was never to fear her enemies but to trust in the Lord.
- · David’s confidence rests not in his own prowess but in the power of the living God, whose honor has been violated by the Philistines and whose covenant promises have been scorned by the Israelites.
- · The Lord’s power, not Israel’s unaided strength, achieved victory.
- · The sin of Israel in requesting a king rested not in any evil inherent in kingship itself but in the kind of kingship the people envisioned and their reasons for requesting it. Their desire was for a form of kingship that denied their covenant relationship with the Lord, who Himself was pledged to be their savior and deliverer. In requesting a king “like all the other nations” they broke the covenant, rejected the Lord who was their King and forgot His constant provision for their protection in the past.
- · “The Lord will fight for you” was a necessary reminder that although Israel was “ready for battle” and “marching out boldly”, the victory would be won by God alone.
- · There are no walls, no fortifications, no factors of size or bearing, and certainly no gods that can withstand the onslaught of God’s people when the Lord is with them.
All Scripture verses taken from NIV
No comments:
Post a Comment