#6 - K&K

#6 - Kings & Kingdoms

victory through weakness

Chapter 16 made it clear that the Lord, in contrast to us, doesn’t look at the outward appearance, but at the heart. This famous story of David and Goliath is a great demonstration of that principle.

Goliath seems in charge, but God has other plans.

The giant Philistine, Goliath, with his massive muscles and armed to the teeth, challenges and taunts God’s people (

Goliath's recorded height is 6 cubits and 1 span or 288.24 cm (approximately 9 feet 5 7/16 inches). His coat of armor weighed 5000 shekels or 41.65 kg (91 pounds 11.8 ounces), where 1 shekel = 8.33 g (0.29-oz), which does not account for the brass greaves and helmet and gorget ("target")

1 Samuel 17:4–10 NIV

4 A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. His height was six cubits and a span. 5 He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels; 6 on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. 7 His spear shaft was like a weaver’s rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels. His shield bearer went ahead of him. 8 Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.” 10 Then the Philistine said, “This day I defy the armies of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other.”

Unfortunately, the response of Saul and his armies is cowardly and cowering.

1 Samuel 17:11 NIV

11 On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.

Again, Saul fails as king.

It’s up to David, not Saul, to step forward as the Saviour-King of God’s people here.

The surprising end of the story brings victory through weakness

1 Samuel 17:48–49 NIV

48 As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. 49 Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.

It’s the slingshot of David that wins, and not a sword.

As a result, the Philistines suffer humiliating defeat at the hands of the armies of Israel (vv. 51–54). Israel’s victory, though, hasn’t come through their own strategy and weaponry, but through the courage of another.

Opportunities

God has prepared David for this occasion, for the private victories make possible the public victories.

1 Samuel 17:34–37 NIV

34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”

A seemingly trivial errand lead to a challenging situation that brought glory to God and recognition to David. be prepared you never know when your opportunity will come.

Saul was losing strength, but David was growing in power and Saul diminishment would continue until Saul tragic death.

Saul stood head-and-shoulders above everyone else, but he was not big enough to meet Goliath.

David was a man of faith, and God gave him a spiritual stature.

Great faith makes great men and women. David's only desire was to glorify the God of Israel.

Obstacles.

Whenever you step out by faith, other people will often put obstacles in your way. David's brother ridiculed him and Saul bluntly told David, “you are not able!”.

David is a young shepherd boy

1 Samuel 17:12–15 NIV

12 Now David was the son of an Ephrathite named Jesse, who was from Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons, and in Saul’s time he was very old. 13 Jesse’s three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war: The firstborn was Eliab; the second, Abinadab; and the third, Shammah. 14 David was the youngest. The three oldest followed Saul, 15 but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.

mocked by his older brothers

1 Samuel 17:28 NIV

28 When Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.”

and seemingly ill-equipped for battle

1 Samuel 17:38–39 NIV

38 Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. 39 David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. “I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off.

Outwardly, he is nothing before the towering, frightening Goliath.

But, God has already secretly prepared this shepherd boy to be Israel’s anointed king.

He has been filled with the Spirit (16:13).

He has already fought with wild animals (vv. 34–37).

And, above all, he has been given faith and courage (vv. 26, 36, 45–47).

David knows that the battle belongs to the Lord (vv. 37, 46). He is truly a man after God’s own heart.

Then Saul said, “if you must do it, do it my way”, and he encumbered David with his heavy armor.

David had to ignore the obstacles and keep his faith in the Lord.

He had to do God’s work in the way God wanted him to do.

Conclusion

Someone else has fought and won on behalf of the people.

Isn’t this story an amazing picture of the gospel? Jesus, the anointed king, came in weakness and servanthood.

David is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ, the son of David. he was born in Bethlehem and misunderstood by his family; he was an obedient son and I Conquering Hero. The name David means beloved, and Jesus is the Father's beloved Son Matthew 3:17. David was anointed king long before he took the throne and Rule., and our Lord is King of Kings even though he is not yet reigning on this Earth.

Like David, our Lord has had to experienced rejection and Exile before reigning.

He too was rejected by many, even his own brothers.

He too entrusted himself to the Lord and walked by faith.

And in a way that no-one expected, at the cross, he defeated the giants of sin, death and the devil.

We haven’t won through our efforts, but we get to enjoy the victory of a great Saviour-King who has fought on our behalf.