Unit 11 / Session 2 — David, the Victorious King

INTRODUCTION:

Next Sunday is our last class time for the semester.

tonight is Lord’s Supper

No midweek service this week.

Signup for Christmas outreaches.

Turn with me to 1 Samuel 17.

What are some people, situations, and experiences that helped you mature spiritually?

Setting: Today we’re continuing our study of the first kings of Israel. When we last saw David, he had been anointed king by Samuel and entered the personal service of King Saul. Today’s passage focuses on the contest between David and Goliath. Not many years could have passed between David’s anointing and this narrative because he still was not old enough to be considered for service in Saul’s army. Some Bible scholars put David’s anointing at age 10 to 12 and his battle against Goliath at age 15 to 17. In five years, teenage David had gone from sitting in the field with sheep to facing down the most feared enemy in the land. Growing up is tough!

God often wins the victory through unlikely heroes so that all glory goes to Him.

PONT #1: THE FUTURE KING ARRIVES AS AN UNLIKELY HERO (1 Samuel 17:16-17, 22-24, 32-33)

1 Samuel 17:16–17 KJV 1900

16 And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days. 17 And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren;

1 Samuel 17:22–24 KJV 1900

22 And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren. 23 And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them. 24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.

In a standoff, the Philistine champion Goliath, a giant, challenged the Israelites for a one-on-one battle, yet no soldier was bold enough to answer.

These beginning verses shows us a very common trait of people throughout history — the people of God succumb to fear rather than step out with boldness.

What are some reasons the people of God succumb to fear rather than step out with boldness? (a lack of faith in God’s strength and care; leaders themselves may be displaying fear and setting that tone for those who follow them; the situation is more than we think we can handle by ourselves, meaning we trust in ourselves rather than God)

1 Samuel 17:32–33 KJV 1900

32 And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. 33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.

King Saul should have been leading his army in faith, but instead, he needed to be encouraged by David, a young shepherd.

It should be mentioned that the Israelites had an obvious champion to face off with Goliath — “Saul.” The sitting king’s reported physique was impressive, such that he stood a head taller than everyone else (1 Samuel 9:2). Tallest guy? Impressive? Why wasn’t Saul standing up for his people and his fighting men? Why wasn’t he out front leading Israel to victory over their enemies? There could be any number of reasons, but let’s not forget the spirit that tormented him (1 Samuel 16:14,23). With David shepherding back home with Jesse, Saul’s torment may have been worse than normal.

Saul’s hesitancy contrasted greatly with young David’s courage and boldness.

Ask: “Have you ever known anyone who seemed to have a different level of fear? Specifically, have you known anyone who was less afraid than most other people?” The Tale of Desperaux — “The tale of three unlikely heroes — a misfit mouse who prefers reading books to eating them, an unhappy rat who schemes to leave the darkness of the dungeon, and a bumbling servant girl with cauliflower ears — whose fates are intertwined with that of the castle’s princess.” Say: “Many people feel like a square peg in a round hole: they simply don’t fit in. Whether they are too fearless, enjoy being alone more than others, or seek things outside of the comfort zone of most people, we consider them odd or different. But let’s keep them in mind as we consider David: God had great plans for this young man. And though he was willing to do what no one else would even consider, we see he was being exactly who God made him to be.”

POINT #2: THE FUTURE KING TRUSTS IN THE LORD FOR VICTORY (1 Samuel 17:34-40)

In light of Saul’s doubt, David made his case for accepting Goliath’s challenge. But he didn’t trump up his fighting prowess or his worthiness; instead, David gave his testimony of how the Lord had strengthened and rescued him.

1 Samuel 17:34–37 KJV 1900

34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: 35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. 36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. 37 David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee.

David quickly acknowledged that the Lord rescued him from lions and bears, so he trusted the Lord to save him from Goliath.

David was confident in future events because of his testimony of the past.

How would you define testimony?

Testimony: sharing what God has done in your life.

Whenever we speak of God’s activity in us personally, we’re giving a testimony.

The account of David and Goliath vividly pictures the source of the Christian’s faith — not our own size, strength, or resources, but the power of the Almighty God. — Henry Blackaby

What is one testimony you have of the Lord’s deliverance in your life?

Because of David’s testimony, Saul relented and gave the young shepherd his blessing, not because of David’s exploits but because of David’s explicit faith in the Lord.

1 Samuel 17:38–40 KJV 1900

38 And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail. 39 And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him. 40 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.

David trusted in God to use the tools and skills he was used to. He didn’t need to be or act like someone else; David needed to be the person the Lord had made him to be.

*contrast how we tell this story to kids and how David was actually prepared and skilled to defeat Goliath.

How can we be aware that God is preparing for us to be used of him?

David was confident in his abilities because he trusted in the Lord, so he walked out with his five smooth stones and sling. What would happen when this teenage boy stepped into the battle arena with the most feared warrior his people had ever known? Every eye was on him. Would he cave or shine under the pressure?

POINT #3: THE FUTURE KING WINS THE VICTORY FOR HIS PEOPLE (1 Samuel 17:45-51)

1 Samuel 17:45–47 KJV 1900

45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. 46 This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47 And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands.

Even though Goliath was bigger, stronger, and more experienced, David was confident in God’s power and purpose to save David for His glory.

David’s confidence in the Lord was unmatched. David was already offended on behalf of His God for Goliath’s defiance of Israel’s army; how much more would this godless cursing have boiled David’s blood? So David made his stand, not by his own power or weapons but by the power of his God, “the Lord of Armies.” He was fighting not only for his people and his own skin but primarily for the God who had been with him in each of his previous battles. (It’s funny to note that David — unaccustomed to the trash talk of warriors — simply repeated Goliath’s threats from 1 Samuel 17:44 with a slight change in 1 Samuel 17:46).

Cultural Significance — Among the Hebrews as well as among other ancient people, the belief appears evident that divine judgment could be revealed by single combat. Furthermore, the consensus was that the victorious people in battle possessed the most powerful gods. The text of 1 Samuel 17 clearly indicates the religious nature of the confrontation between David and Goliath. David’s words recorded in 1 Samuel 17:45-47 emphasize that he confronted Goliath in the name of the Lord, whom the Philistine had defied. In similar fashion, Goliath ‘cursed David by his gods’ (1 Samuel 17:43). David viewed the giant’s taunt as an affront to the living God. David acted on faith so that all who witnessed the event would know that there was a God in Israel.

1 Samuel 17:48–51 KJV 1900

48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. 49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth. 50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. 51 Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.

Essential Doctrine #56: Christ’s Exaltation: Whereas the death of Christ was the ultimate example of His humiliation, the resurrection of Christ from the dead is the first and glorious example of Christ’s exaltation. Christ was exalted when God raised Him from the dead, and Christ was exalted when He ascended to the Father’s right hand. He will be exalted by all creation when He returns. All of these aspects work together to magnify the glory and worth of Christ, resulting in in the praise of the glory of His grace in rescuing sinners.

What are some parallels you see between David’s and Jesus’s victories? (unexpected, unconventional victories; both trusted God to save; both defeated their foes with weapons of the enemy; both ascended to thrones)

MY RESPONSE:

Because we have been forgiven through the power of the cross, we pursue the nations, not in judgment but with the message of grace that all may hear the good news and be swept up into the glorious love and grace of God.

Head:

The story of David and Goliath is not a call for believers in Christ to destroy our earthly enemies but to remember that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.” (Ephesians 6:12) The battle is real, but we walk in the strength of the Lord and the full armor of our God: truth, righteousness, peace, faith, God’s Word, and prayer. The world may ridicule our seemingly powerless armor, but we find comfort and confidence in the weapons God has provided for us for resisting the devil and proclaiming the Gospel.

What are you doing to equip yourself for the spiritual battles that come your way on earth?

Heart:

Sometimes we feel alone in our battles, but that’s where the prayers of the saints lift us up. We should know others and be known by others. Many times I act like the Israelites and stand on the sideline because I’m afraid to let people know what I’m feeling and that I don’t trust in God.

Where should you acknowledge your need for the prayers and help of other believers?

Hands:

Preparing for spiritual battle takes some training. The opportunities to build up our spiritual muscles are everywhere.

What opportunities will you have this week to trust God as you obey Him?