Shepherds

Who Killed Goliath?

The problem (not evident in NIV): Goliath or Lahmi? (1 Chr 20:5)

Proposed solutions:

Credit given to David later for something he didn’t do.

If you are a Christian, who believes this is God’s word...

Completely unacceptable to believe God’s word lies to us.

Traditional explanation: Elhanan is David

Bethlehemite or Lahmi (transmission issues)

Others (Goliath a title, two with the name)

Confidence in our Bibles...

Textual variants are real, someone may challenge you.

But God is sovereign, the miracle of faithful transmission.

(examples: Dead Sea Scrolls)

Important to address the question, but not main point of passage.

Giants and God’s Deliverance

Passage recounts the victories of (David and?) his men...

Over four fearsome opponents.

Descendents of Repha, descendents of the giants.

(Time of Noah, Time of Moses and Joshua)

Many unbiblical ideas about them.

But powerful and scary enemies, preying on God’s people.

Bronze Spearhead (less than Goliaths but still impressive) 3.5kg

Overpowering older (but not necessarily old) David.

Spear shaft like a weaver’s rod.

Huge six-fingered man.

The enemies of God’s people were powerful and impressive.

But nothing compared to the one who is the rock of Israel

(Connection with the following passage)

God protecting his people. By himself. By his chosen shepherds...

Shepherds and THE Shepherd

And now we are included in the kingdom of God.

We who were not a people, not the people of God.

We who by nature were objects of wrath.

Our enemies, those who held sway over us.

Our own sinful nature, Satan, and ultimately the grave.

But just as God was able to deliver his OT people...

He sent us a Shepherd, to fight on our behalf.

Unlike David, who defeated Goliath...

But later in life needed to be rescued,

Kept away from battle so that the lamp of Israel would not be extinguised.

The light of the world will never grow weary, never need saving.

Because of Jesus being our shepherd.

Death may happen to us, but it won’t own us.

We may battle in this life the flesh’s inclination toward sin...

But sin no longer enslaves us.

God has delivered us from these fearsome enemies.

By Jesus, the everlasting King, the Son of God.

Even with this momentous victory (now and not yet)

The church, the people of God still have fearsome enemies.

Satan wants to attack the church from outside:

Progressive ideology and increasing hate for Jesus and his word.

I know (from Facebook) that many of you are afraid of Islam.

Has thrown much at the church over our History

From Roman Empire, to Communism (Men’s group)

But Jesus promise that the gates of hell would not overcome proven true

Not because persecution hasn’t been severe/painful...

But because it has failed to crush those who hope in Jesus.

Satan wants to attack the church from within:

From among your number false prophets, ravenous wolves, destructive heresies.

Abuse and harm. Failing to love one another as those for whom Christ died.

And these can seem giant.

At one time Arianism the official position of the Roman Emperor.

Reformers standing (and dying) for the true gospel

But Jesus is still our great Shepherd, watching over his people.

And he has appointed under-Shepherds, to watch his sheep.

And that includes the Luther’s, Tyndale’s, Wilberforce’s.

But it also includes the leaders of the church (including ours)

To shepherd you, and to answer to Jesus for our watching over you.

I say that to encourage you that we are here to help you in all you face.

But also in real humility to ask you to pray frequently for us.

If you are parents, you are also called to Shepherd… (exp)

But the hope of all of us, that holds us firm no matter the giant we face.

Is that it is not us vs the giants.

But it is Jesus vs the giants, working through us.

The enemy is strong (cf Jude). But God is stronger.

And he can help us endure.

Even if we should face persecution that ends in death.

Even if all the world seems to go after a way that seems right but ends in death...

The victory that we have in Jesus over sin, death and hell...

Can never be taken away.

And the love of God our Father, that when we have known it we would not turn from, no matter the cost...

That love is assured.

So don’t be afraid. Whatever comes, he is equal to it. To see you through.

Let’s Pray