David and GoliathPRIVATE 

1 Samuel 15:1-17:58

Key Verse 17:45

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.

This passage teaches us that faith in the Lord God Almighty is the key to shepherding over the flock of God, for it provides us with all things (like love, power, wisdom, etc.) that are necessary for serving the flock of God.

1. Read 15:1-35. What does this passage tell us about Saul's problem as a shepherd (24,30; Pro 29:25)? 

** He lost faith in the Lord. He then very quickly developed fear of men. Then along with the fear of men came desires for things of this world like a Mercedes Benz, etc. 

2. Read 16:1-13. Samuel is a nearly perfect man. Yet what does this passage tell us about Samuel's weaknesses as a shepherd (2, 6, 7)?  How did he overcome them?

** Again, he too had a fear of men problem. He also saw outward appearance  (i.e., height, muscles, etc.) But unlike Saul, he prayed to the Lord and overcame it. 

** Learn to overcome fear and other human weaknesses by constant prayer to the Lord. 

3. Read 16:14-23. This passage describes David serving Saul, rather than Saul serving David. Why did this happen? What does this passage tell us about the key to shepherding over the flock of God as a shepherd (Zechariah 4:6; Luke 4:18)? 

** It happened because Saul lost faith in the Lord, whereas David adhered to faith in the Lord. Faith is the mother of obedience. Faith also qualifies man to be filled with the Spirit of God (Acts 2:38). 

4. Read 17:1-16. How did Goliath terrorize the Israelites? What do the following words   "battle", "fight", "kill", "subjects", "overcome", or "serve" tell us about the stakes involved in the battle faced by every child of God (Gen 1:28; Gal 5:1)? What is "your Goliath"? 

** He terrorized them by generating fear (of failure) in them, intending to plant the message   "You are not going to win; you will lose and lose completely." Figuratively speaking he is like a lion who is chained by unbreakable chains. Note that he kept barking but never bit anyone. Notice also that he barked continually - 40 days and nights. The following words will help us understand him better: 

1) Hebrews 2:14,15 "Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil--And free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

2) 1 Peter 5:8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 

** It is to steal our freedom to serve the Lord, and thereby enslave us to what is created rather than the one who created what has been created. It is to let us worship the devil rather than the Lord God. 

** My Goliath: 1) can change from one category to another; 2) but it consists of only two categories and two alone, that is, slavery to money and slavery to flesh. We call the former as the Goliath of materialism and the latter the Goliath of humanism (in the sense of man putting flesh above the Spirit, man above God). 

5. Read 17:7-26 and think about the two questions David asked (26). What do these questions show us about the way David saw the confrontation (1Pe 1:7; Heb 11:6; 2Co 5:7)? What can we learn from David in serving the flock of God?

** 1) Every confrontation (or challenge or trial or ordeal) is the opportunity to reap a great reward; 2) Every confrontation is from God and therefore serves as an opportunity to render glory to God.

** We need to see everything by faith in the Lord, and thereby deal with the challenges by faith, so that we can lead the flock of God to experiencing the glory of God. 

6. Read 17:27-37 and consider what David said to Saul in vs. 34-37. What does this passage tell us about David as a shepherd? 

** The Lord chose him, for David demonstrated a sense of "responsibility" for the sheep of his father. 

7. Read 17:38-58 and describe the "tools" David used to defeat Goliath. What wisdom is there for us to learn in dealing with our enemies? What can we learn from the following words of David? 

1) "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..."; 

2) "This day the Lord will hand you over to me..." 

3) "The whole world will know that there is a God in Israel"; and

4) "All...will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves, for the battle is Lord's." 

** The sling shot, and especially the stone is symbolic of the word of God. This passage also reminds us of the way Jesus came to defeat the enemy, Satan, as spoken of in Gen 3:15. Notice that the sling shot sank into the forehead of Goliath.

Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

** 

1) The means of the battle: 

The means by which to defeat the enemies, that is, the name of our Lord Jesus. (Name = integrity)

2) The giver of victory:

The one who gives us the victory is not a human but the Lord. [The Lord = owner of everything in the universe]

3) The purpose of the battle:

It is to help the world know of the living God, in person.

4) The dimension of the battle: 

It is the Lord's battle, not man's; it must be fought on the Lord's level, not on a lower level like the physical world’s level, for whatever goes on in this physical world is derivative of what goes on with the Lord. 

The end. 

 

 

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