The African Story, an Isrealite's Tale

The (Re)Birth of a Nation

Africa was once the only great place on the planet, and home to the richest people in the world. It is also the Cradle of Humankind, it all started here.

But, we have been conquered and changed, just like the Israelites in Egypt who lost their identity. But, when they returned, they started to grow and get stronger. They united and became a powerful kingdom. And took over the region.

At the Golden Age, they were being attacked from all sides and a little boy who was God’s favored one, came up to be their Champion and take them to Greatness.

What can we learn from him as Christians in African?

Let us take a closer look at the Story

1 Samuel 17:4–7 HB:ERV

The Philistines had a champion fighter named Goliath, who was from Gath. He was over 9 feet tall. Goliath came out of the Philistine camp. He had a bronze helmet on his head. He wore a coat of armor that was made like the scales on a fish. This armor was made of bronze and weighed about 125 pounds. Goliath wore bronze protectors on his legs. He had a bronze javelin tied on his back. The wooden part of his spear was as big as a weaver’s rod. The spear’s blade weighed 15 pounds. Goliath’s helper walked in front of him, carrying Goliath’s shield.

Do not be distracted by the Extra-Ordinary to see the truth.

We consistently focus on how big he is, because it is out of the ordinary.

Spear

He has a spear is not a Javelin. It can be thrown, but that usually means that you are given the enemy free but expensive weapons. And you can only kill one per battle. This is a thrusting weapon.

Scimitar

We seldom focus what role he plays in the army, because that is ordinary.

David’s Weapon

This is not a Kettie or slingshot, it is a sling.

Infantry vs Artillery

Differences.

Goliath is infantry. From looking at him, you can see how he prefers to fight.

David is artillery.

He is big and strong, but there's a problem here. Tell me if you can see it.

1 Samuel 17:7,41-42

1 Samuel 17:7 NKJV

7 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.

1 Samuel 17:41–43 NKJV

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

What seems to be the problem here ?

The is a man that has a shield who is always in front of him. Is Goliath not strong enough to bear his own shield? He had a free. And thus is single combat, one on one, why are there 2 up until the moment of battle.

He sees sticks, not one.

He has to look about for David, he was down there this whole time but only notices him late.

This man cannot see well.

Strengths vs Weaknesses

Physical strength, size, reach are very important in infantry, they make a huge difference. Plus, he can't see very well, he is led by a boy in front of him, an attendant.

• But, they do not make a huge difference in artillery.

• He fights in a manner that plays to his strengths andavoids his weaknesses.

He is playing to his strengths and avoiding his own weaknesses.

Could he be his on a horse? How fast would it be?

House is fast it can cover much more than 6 meters in a second, he is short sighted he can only see that far clearly, can he react fast enough to stab you if he only sees you. But when it's hand to hand, you're in range

Artillery, you can't shoot at targets you can't see.

SO HE WANTS TO FIGHT AT CLOSE QUARTERS WHERE HE HAS THE ADVANTAGE.

1 Samuel 17:37 NKJV

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!”

He is trusting in the Lord. And Both he and Saul do not just see his physical self, but also that the Lord is with him.

Goliath has a man with a Shield, David also has his God who is his refuge Fortress and Shield.

Then Doubt sets in

1 Samuel 17:38–40 NKJV

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. 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.

A few things are happening here.

David is a small boy. Much smaller than everyone who is there and he is not infantry yet they arm him according to what they think is strength. They see infantry all they think the response is infantry. They are letting thir problems tell them what to do. They are letting this foreigner dictate how they will respond.

David relies on his own strengths and weaknesses. Everyone is looking at Goliath strengths and they are scared coz they can't match them, they don't even try to think that maybe we can try what they know had worked for them before, avoid his strengths, and capitalize on their own strengths. They are trying to beat the foreigner and match him at his own game.

He says he had not proved it, meaning he had not tested it and seen it work. So he is going to stick to what works instead of reinvent the wheel to suit the problem. He is not trying to beat the beat foreigner by fighting the way the foreigners fight, he is going to beat the foreigner by fighting the way David fights.

David knew the mission. It was clear what worked for him. Good has saved him with the sling before and we'll do it again.

Instead of taking the man made items he was given, he reached down to his creation picks up 5 smooth stones. He is also not random, he chooses exactly what he needs from what the Lord has left in that stream. INSTEAD OF TAKING MAN’S IDEAS OF HOW TO APPROACH THE PROBLEM, HE TRUSTS IN WHAT THE LORD HAS PROVED TO HIM.

1 Samuel 17:44 NKJV

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!”

Trying to Trap him and get him to play his game.

Goliath must be confused here because he is trying to lure David into a close quarters sword and spear fight where he had the advantage.

He says come to me, so I can see you properly.

Come to me so I can defeat you.

1 Samuel 17:45–48 NKJV

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.” 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.

He keeps his faith in the Lord, that is his main weapon. The Sling is just a mannor of tranlating God’s will to the physical realm.

He had no sword. How'd he gonna take a head.

He had already seen that I'm going to shoot this guy who came with a knife to a gun fight then use his own shoes to cut his head off. The confidence is obvious he foresees that i can beat this guy my way.

1 Samuel 17:49–51 NKJV

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. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.

Here David highlights that your own evill weapons shall be your destruction. The Stone is not what kills him, it is his own Scimitar that he was planning to use against God. It is what you getting for bringing a knife to a gun fight.

David took 5 stones, Slang 1 and left 4 pebbles of wisdom for us in this story.

1. Proactive, not reactive.

Don't let your problems define your response. You determine your response. Disciples have self control, there's a space where i determine my response..i must be responsible, not reactive. I have response ability, the ability to respond and chose my response.. I don't have to react and act like the problem is telling me to act.

Those that wish to bring you down will constantly lure you into their game. Saying come to me.

How often do we meet our problems define us? Reactive instead of pro acting.

The foreigners says your problem is poverty so we day we are poor. yet we are mineral rich and foreigners are taking our resources.

They say unemployment is a problem so we over regulate businesses and create jobs that won't last instead of saying, let everyone stay their own businesses.

DISTANT AND DIFFERENT, NOT DISTRACTED.

When the problem said come to me, David moved different defeated him from a distance. He did not get entangled with this mess. Note that Goliath swore at the isrealites day and night and cursed their god. David dies not respond in kind. Goliath wants to engage in a messy stabbing and cutting, David keeps is clean.

This is also important, because sin lures is in to is domain so that we can be in is clutches. Fighting due with fire, fighting hare with hate. Disrespect with disrespect.

Instead, fight hate with love. Meet anger with control. Fight the temptations of the world with temptations for Godliness.

his size is a distraction from his obvious weaknesses. Look here and come here. Instead of noticing this guy's can't fight from a distance.

We get involved and dirty instead of being distant and different. Things we have no business doing. Instead of keeping our distance we are jumping in

Women can be preachers despite what the Bible says. Is what the world is doing. Instead of being different and distant and waiting for the proof, we jump in. Now, never you have said the word of God is wrong and the word of society is right here, it's happening to other parts of the Bible.

• The churches are full because the church will affirm what you want instead of giving you a firm rebuke and reminder that you are wrong. The bible must fit us instead of us fitting in it.

• Others churches allow divorce, despite the Bible. We will do it to.

• Other churches make lots of money, we are gonna be a business too.

• Others churches allow you to dress like

• Man can be women... give it 2 generations and see.

STRENGTHS AND SUIT:

Know your own strengths and weaknesses. And he chooses a course on actions that suits those strengths.

Remember, the enemy wants you to play their game. To behave in a way that suits them.

You are made for Africa 1. We play to our weaknesses and to the strength of foreigners. We are doing things that don't suit us because we want to look like the other side.

You have battle african hair and dark skin, you see the lady with red lips, long hair, and light skin you and run for skin lightened and weaves. Then you are surprised that your best men get married to European Women? Because you are fighting as infantry when you are artillery.

Steadfast in what is proved, not what speed to adopt what is popular.

instead of trying try new things before they have been proved and tested.

We had strong family units, Americans come and say child is king, we run and do it now families are broken.

• Family unit was the core of society. Americans say it's all about the individual. We follow. Pour into yourself and do your own thing instead of being a help meat in the common mission we have. There is 1 house but 10 directions and you wonder why it is ripping itself apart.

• Women can be preachers despite what the Bible says...

• Man can be women...

• None of these things have been proven, they are popular.

For Africa to rise again from Slavery and Oppression like the Isrealites, we need to stay strong in our Faith.

Put our Trust in the Lord and sling it at the enemy.

Be Proactive, not Reactive.

DISTANT AND DIFFERENT, NOT DISTRACTED.

STRENGTHS AND SUIT:

Steadfast in what is proved, not what speed to adopt what is popular.