1 Samuel 17

Introduction

I cannot go over everything in this whole chapter because of its length- so I am going to pray and then explain as we go and quote as much as I can

I would encourage you to spend some time in this story because there is so much to it, make sure you have quiet time with the Lord

*Pray*

Background

This story is historical narrative which means we need to get the whole story and understand as much context as we can.

Leading up to this story, a man named Saul is chosen to be king over Israel by demand of the Israelites. They wanted someone who was strong, handsome, and Prince Charming

Saul led decently for a while, winning battles, defending God’s people, but began to take things into his own hands, defying God’s command- The Lord allows for a harmful spirit to afflict Saul’s heart and this is where David comes in

The Lord leads the prophet Samuel to David who was to be the king that the Lord wanted for Israel. (See how Saul was the king the people wanted while David was the king God wanted?)

One day Saul wanted music to sooth his mind so he asked for a musician to be brought in and who did they bring in? David! Saul loved his music so much that he kept him as his court musician

We are now caught up!

Everybody knows the story of David and Goliath- unbelievers know this story even!

What I want to show you guys today is that this text is more about Christ and God’s glory than it is about “conquering your giants” as you might have heard before.

The Stage

The Philistines and the Israelites are facing off against each other in the most insane mean-mugging you have ever seen on two sides of a valley with a river running through it

During this day, it was normal for a man to be chosen to fight on behalf of his people so as to prevent bloodshed.

A man described to be 6 cubits or 9 feet tall steps forth from the Philistines and challenges the Israelites to a fight

Goliath is actually described in much depth in verse 4-7

1 Samuel 17:4–7 “And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. He had a helmet of bronze 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 javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders. The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. And his shield-bearer went before him.”

The Challenge

Goliath says to Israel, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together.”

In this day, each nation had their own gods and for someone to say that they defy a nation was synonymous to saying you defy their god too. Goliath was challenging Yahweh

When Saul and his army saw Goliath and heard his challenge, verse 11 says, “they were dismayed and greatly afraid.”

Saul was afraid because he had tried to do things on his own and forgot his faith in the Lord, and his army had lost faith in Saul because they had been able to tell that the Lord had taken His hand off Saul

In the previous chapter (1 Sam. 16:15) his own servants pointed out to him that they could tell something was afflicting him

They knew Saul was failing as a leader

For 40 days, Goliath would come out and mock the Israelites, shouting insults at them

Enter David, Stage Left

One day, David is sent by his father to bring food to his brothers who were in the Israelite army, and he heard Goliath’s challenge

David heard the insults of the giant, especially the ones towards Yahweh, and he became angry.

David asks in verse 26, “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?”

David asks what the reward is for taking out Goliath, but it seems he cares more for defending the Lord’s glory because he asks specifically who will take away the reproach that Goliath is bringing on Israel and he questions who would even try to defy the army of the living God?

Essentially, David takes it personally

Saul hears about David’s remarks and has him brought to him where David steps in to fight Goliath

He says, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”

Saul doubts David’s ability because he is about 16 at this time, he’s described to be a rudy faced boy and handsome- Goliath is also a man who has fought in many wars

What David says next is really important!

David tells Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has struck down both lions and bears..”

This is what we call Typology- if you are not familiar with this idea, it’s a biblical idea that Christ’s characteristics are foreshadowed through another character or event within the OT

I think of it as kind of like movie eastereggs like in Marvel and Star Wars where they make a call back to another character in something else without showing them but instead it looks forward to the coming Messiah

David was a warrior, a shepherd, and a king. He was also said to have been a man after God’s own heart. We see a lot of Typology within David’s character, though he is not perfect.

In this text, we see him as the warrior shepherd willing to protect his sheep from the fiercest of beasts.

Likewise, in John 10:11 Christ gives a parable explaining that He is the good shepherd. He says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

Getting back to the text: David convinces Saul to allow him to fight on behalf of Yahweh, all of Israel, and Saul- Saul should have been the one to go out and fight Goliath but he sends David instead.

They even try to put Saul’s armor on David which I think symbolizes him going on Saul’s behalf, but it does not fit him and he finds it burdensome

THE FIGHT

David approaches Goliath at the bottom of the valley with no armor, but holding a sling, some stones, and a staff

Goliath sees this young 16 year old boy approaching him and begins to mock him, making fun of his handsome good looks, his age, and his choice of weaponry

Then Goliath makes the worst move he could possibly do and curses David by his own “gods”

David says 1 Samuel 17:45-47

1 Samuel 17:45–47 ESV

Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and 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 down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hand.”

Notice how he says, “for the battle is the Lord’s.” He doesn’t say, “for the battle is mine.”

He also says something very interesting here too. He says, “that all this assembly (all the people present for the battle) may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear.

I believe this is more foreshadowing as we now know that Christ saves not by sword and spear but by sacrifice. His own sacrifice for He willingly laid His own life down.

Then the battle begins: 1 Samuel 17:48-49

1 Samuel 17:48–49 ESV

When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.

Check this out because here is some more foreshadowing: David does not finish Goliath with the sling I think because in verse 51 we see that David, after knocking the giant to the ground, runs up and grabs Goliath’s own weapon and uses it to finish him off. I won’t reach word for word what he does because it is a little graphic

But I think in the same way that David uses the giant’s own weapon to defeat him, Christ beats death at its own game by sacrificing Himself. Christ uses death to defeat death!

After the fight, the Israelites chase the Philistines for many miles and triumph over them

Conclusion

I would argue that this story is more about the coming Savior and about God’s glory.

There are truly no other gods before our God and Jesus is the coming Shepherd-King protecting His sheep and laying Himself down for all who would believe in Him