Twisted Scripture

David and Goliath

[SLIDE 1] We begin our series Twisted Scripture. Why do this series? In the Evangelical church we have seen Scripture be abused to suit the pockets of a so-called pastor. This may not be surprising as Paul wrote to Timothy, [SLIDE 2]

2 Timothy 4:3–4 ESV

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

People will put for themselves, speakers, I will not call them preachers, to stand up front and speak to them. To tickle their ears. These speakers do so joyfully as this will grow a large gathering quick and get for themselves notoriety. They will be invited to speak to the ladies on “The View” or they will be invited out to Oprah’s villa to be interviewed. Listen, if a so-called Pastor is endorsed by Oprah, they are not a Pastor of the Gospel. These speakers will manipulate and twist Scripture in such a way that they make the audience the Hero of the story. Every single text of Scripture somehow applies to you and your victory. One of the best at doing this is Michael Todd and Steven Furtick. They are so good at this that a new term had to be made. Let’s go through these terms real quick:

[SLIDE 3] Exegesis: the process by which the reader “reads out of” the text what the original author or authors meant to convey.

This is what we will be doing throughout this series.

[SLIDE 4] Eisegesis, when one reads into the text what the interpreter wishes to find or thinks he finds there. It expresses the reader's own subjective ideas, not the meaning which is in the text.

Is still very common in the church but it is still an unbiblical way to approach the text of Scripture

[SLIDE 5] Narcigesis is the interpretation of scripture for the purpose of finding/putting yourself in the text.

This is the term which had to be made because of countless American speakers. They will inject you into the text. This is far more common than you realize. [SLIDE 6] It does not take much, a quick YouTube search, just typing in David and Goliath, we see sermons, “Defeating the Giants in your life. Facing your Giants. How to slay your Giants, or Do you have the Stones?” Do you see a theme? You, you, you. So what do these speakers do? This is common in the church today. The speaker does not allow the text to speak, they are suppressing the Word of God, and instead they espouse their own narcissism, and the audience loves it. It tickles their ears. To the applause and “Amen's” of those listening the speaker exalts their own words above the Word’s of God Almighty. They do not exegete the text and thus they rob God’s people of the truth, if even any might be listening to such a blasphemer. God’s Word is more remarkable and beautiful than anything I will utter from my mouth. My Words pail in comparison to the everlasting truth of God’s Word. I am completely unworthy to even read aloud His Divine Words. The Truth of God’s Word is more beautiful than these narcigetical lies. These speakers will say, Goliath is your debt. Goliath is your broken marriage. Goliath is your addiction. Can I give a short response to the actual sermon titles we just went through? [SLIDE 7] “Defeating the Giants in your life.” You don’t. You will never defeat your giants. “Facing your Giants.” You won’t. You will cower before them. “How to slay your Giants.” You can try, but your giants will slay you, like they have a thousand times before. “Do you have the Stones?” You do, and you miss. You have 5 stones? You miss 5 times. Christian, I am going to tell you something in love, you are not the Hero of this Historical Document. [SLIDE 8 TITLE] You are not the Hero of your own life. There is only one Hero, and He will not share His Glory with anyone else. The Alpha and Omega. The Beginning and the End. God Almighty is the Hero of this Document and He alone is the Hero of your life. He died. He rose. He sits at the right hand of the Father. He called you. He saved you. He indwells you. He sanctifies you. He is the Hero, not you and not me. This is but one purpose as to why we are doing this series.

The other purpose for this series is to bring clarity to the text of Scripture. We always need to examine what we have been taught, and as a Pastor I always need to examine what I am teaching. [SLIDE 9]

James 3:1 ESV

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.

Here is what many people do not know, you are to put everything I say from the pulpit to the test. [SLIDE 10]

Acts 17:10–11 ESV

The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

The assembly tested everything Paul taught them. They listened, they received it, and they tested it. This builds trust between us, but it also offer me accountability. I am not infallible. I have made mistakes. I take James 3:1 serious. It brings fear and trembling to my soul every single time I read it. We are always to grow in our understanding of God’s Word and I am not exempt form that. Clarity must always be sought after with the Word of God.

1. [SLIDE 11 TITLE] This brings us to the first point, what is clarity? How are we to exegete the Word of God? The current generation in the church is more concerned with application over Exegesis. How does this Scripture apply to me? Do you see how that question can quickly lead you down the path of Narcigesis? Before we can ever be able to understand how this text affects us today we need to know what this text meant by the author. This is the first step. If we do not know what it meant we will not know what it means because so much of what the Bible records is not topical. It does not change with time. What it meant then it means now. Today we have a lot to cover, [SLIDE 12] 1 Samuel 17:1-51.

a. Both armies, Israel and Philistine, were camped near one another. Their war has come to a head. There is no more waiting around, a war is going to happen. 1 Samuel 17:4-7 “Then a champion came out from the armies of the Philistines named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was clothed with scale-armor which weighed five thousand shekels of bronze. He also had bronze greaves on his legs and a bronze javelin slung between his shoulders. The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and the head of his spear weighed six hundred shekels of iron; his shield-carrier also walked before him.” It is well recorded to resolve a conflict one warrior from each nation would fight and the winner of this confrontation would decide the fate of the entire Nation. This is important as we will come back to this. Goliath stepped forward on behalf of the Philistine’s. And for Israel? 1 Samuel 17:11 “When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.” We understand afraid but dismayed does not communicate in English what they really felt. This word communicates fear, terror, panic and confusion. Israel stood before their fate, someone needed to save their Nation and no one stepped forward to face Goliath. Goliath stood over 9 feet tall. His armor alone weighed 125 lbs. His body was impenetrable. His weapon was a spear which held a tip weighing 15 pounds. Goliath stood before an entire nation and the text says that Goliath defied Israel. This word communicates a mocking and blaspheming not only the Nation nation of Israel, but God as well. So, not only did Goliath mock and taunt Israel, he also mocked God. This happened for 40 days. Goliath would come out and taunt God and Israel. Now, the standoff as a whole is not clear. This is important. To have a long standoff would mean significant strain in Israel as a whole. The men would leave their homes and go off to war. But then men were also the ones who labored the land. While they were off to war the families of the men would have to bring them food and resources. Essentially you have a country who is not producing any supplies because their workers are on the battlefield, while their families needed to give them supplies to survive. This would deplete Israel. One of these family members responsible for bringing food was David. He had 8 brothers and his 3 oldest brothers were at the battlefield. David would travel back and forth between his brothers and his father flock, as he was a shepherd. David was sent by his father to bring food to his brothers and to check on them. When David arrived he saw both armies standing in their camps shouting back and forth at one another. Tensions have reached a breaking point and again Goliath comes out to taunt God and Israel. How does Israel respond? 1 Samuel 17:24 “When all the men of Israel saw the man, they fled from him and were greatly afraid.” Nothing has changed. Which is interesting because of verse 25, And the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. And the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father's house free in Israel.” The King has offered a bonus to the man who kills Goliath. David’s brother Eliab, who was among those cowering before Goliath got angry at David for being there, vs 28, “Now Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke to the men. And Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, “Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumption and the evil of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.” David is inquiring about Goliath and what would happen if someone defeats him and he has his own brother hurling insults at him. David is about the intervene and save his brother from death by the hands of the Philistines and his own brother insults him? Word gets back to Saul about David and Saul steps in and says to David that he is too young to go into battle. David then tells Saul that while looking after his fathers sheep a lion or a bear would come and take one away. David would go after that lion or bear and kill it. Did you hear me, David killed a lion and a bear. He struck it, removed the sheep, and then the animal turned against David. David grabbed it, struck it and killed it. I saw the Revenant and Dicapprio did no such thing to that bear. David attested to the LORD’s strength attributing his victory over a lion and a bear to God. His theory was simple, “If God would protect me against a lion and a bear, He will protect me against this pagan Philistine who mocks the Living God.” Saul took his own armour and gave it to David. But David never fought in armour. He recognized this and took off Saul’s armour. David grabbed his staff and and chose 5 smooth stones for his sling. David entered the battlefield and Goliath was offended. This giant of a war bred for battle looks out and see’s a shepherd boy. Stepping forward to face him. This offends him and he mocks David. David replies, 1 Samuel 17:45-47 “Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and 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 taunted. “This day the Lord will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and 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 does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give you into our hands.” David tells Goliath that God will win the battle. That’s what God will do. But he is gonna cut off his head. But why? Goliath had committed a capital crime, Goliath Blasphemed God. This is important because when you read this story again I want verse 23 to stand out to you. Remember, this conflict has been ongoing and for 40 days Goliath blasphemed God and no one did a thing. That still happens in the church today. on day 40 Goliath goes out and blasphemes God. Verse 23, As he talked [to his brothers] behold, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines and spoke the same words as before. And David heard him. David loved the LORD and His Law. [SLIDE 13] Psalm 119:97 “O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.” He loved the LORD and He loved His Word and when Goliath blasphemed the Words of God He stepped up to the plate. Israel heard it, and they kept cowering. [SLIDE 14] Leviticus 24:16 “‘Moreover, the one who blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall certainly stone him. The alien as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.” Perhaps that is why David took no other weapon into battle. He brought with him only stones. The punishment for blasphemy. [SLIDE 15] 1 Samuel 17:48-49 “Then it happened when the Philistine rose and came and drew near to meet David, that David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand into his bag and took from it a stone and slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead. And the stone sank into his forehead, so that he fell on his face to the ground.” David then approaches Goliath and keeps his promise. He takes Goliath’s sword and cuts off his head.

b. David has won and for his victory he has saved Israel. We talked about this at the beginning of this sermon. [SLIDE 16] The common approach to this narrative is that you are David. Goliath is your problem, your sin, your addiction. The stones are your faith, your trust, you name it. This is how this text will be taught from pulpits across the world. Now, what we did, we went through the text and allowed the text to speak for itself. We were able to see some more insight perhaps in to the motivation of David to face Goliath. We dug into the text. We did not play around on the surface. By digging in and going deeper into the text and allowing the text to speak for itself, we can now take 1 Samuel 17 out and hold it up over the entire narrative of Scripture. What are the 3 rules to Biblical interpretation? Context, Context, Context. [SLIDE 17] We have covered this before: Context: What is the context within this chapter? Context: What is the context within the book? Context: What is the Context the entire narrative of Scripture? When we do the work we just did we are now able to see apply it Biblically. When we go to the NT we see something called, types or shadows. The illustration I use is this, if you are walking alongside a building and you are coming to a corner. Around the corner another person is coming, the sun at their back. You will see their shadow before you see them. From their shadow you know, someone is coming. You can make out if it is a formidable person or not. There are things you can see before you see them. David is a shadow of Jesus Christ. Another way we say this is, Jesus is the Greater David. This is another series I would love to do next year. Jesus is the greater Adam, Jesus is the greater sacrifice, Jesus is the Greater Moses, etc. Today we see that, Jesus is the Greater David.

c. It is with this approach to Biblical interpretation, we can read this story and not see you and me, but Jesus. As we read 1 Samuel 17 we see who we are. [SLIDE 18] Israel = You and me. David = Jesus. Goliath = Sin and Death. What then is this event a shadow of? [SLIDE 19] Let’s run back through 1 Samuel 17. Israel is at war with a pagan nation. We are being depleted as all our resources are being put into holding off this enemy. Soon we will be overtaken. Goliath comes out and taunts us. For 40 days he taunts. As we stand before this enemy we hide away. We can’t face him. We know that if we stand up to him we will lose. So we hide. But then David comes, the shadow of Jesus. He steps in, and intercedes on our behalf. He faces our greatest enemy. The enemy we could never overcome. He faces Him and win for us the victory. Even still, his own brethren mocked him and hurled insults at Him. But still, David saved Israel. But now, we no longer see the shadow, we see who has come. We stood fearful before sin and death. We know death is coming for us all and he taunts us. Christ, sent by the Father, intercedes on our behalf. He was rejected by his own people. [SLIDE 20] They hurled insults, Matthew 27:42 “He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him.” Jesus bore the sins of His people, He bore them on the cross. He conquered sin and rose from the Grave conquering death itself. He saved us from the very thing we could never save ourselves. [SLIDE 21 TITLE] When we read 1 Samuel 17 we see Jesus who laid His life down on our behalf. We see Jesus, who won us the Victory by His life, death, and resurrection. We see our Savior who faced our greatest enemy and won. We see the true Hero of our story.

Dear brothers and sisters, the Word of God and the narrative of God’s redemption of His people, is so much better, when we do not twist it. Christian the greatest hope we have today is that we are not the Hero of our story. You are not David and Goliath is not your sin. That is a weight you could never bear. That burden will crush you. But the Truth of God’s Word says, when we stood defenseless, Jesus stepped between us and our sin, and He won, and He only needed one shot. The freedom we have is our salvation does not bear down on our shoulder, it was already bore on the cross of Jesus Christ. Jesus has already won, Goliath taunted us and he has been slain, and yet, we still hear sins taunting us. We will never match up. We cannot overcome. We have failed. To that I say, “You’re right. That’s why I need Christ.” Of course I will never match up. of course I will never conquer this giant. Of course I will never arrive victorious on my own. Christ has already won on my behalf. Christ not only matched up, He overcame what I could not, He won. Not because I could, but because I couldn't. [SLIDE 22]

Romans 5:6–8 ESV

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.