Series: Spiritual Perspective Week 1: Seeing What David Saw
The power of God is clearly seen best against the background of human inadequacy. 1 Samuel 16:13b
BEGINNING OF A BATTLE
SCENE 1: 1 Samuel 17:2–3.
SCENE 2: 1 Samuel 17:4-7.
SCENE 3: 1 Samuel 17:8-10.
- Question 1: “Why do you come out & line up for battle?”
- Question 2: “Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul?”
- And then his straightforward challenge (1 Samuel 17:8c-9). And (1 Samuel 17:10) he defies the ranks of Israel.
Notice (1 Samuel 17:16) that this was not some momentary burst of enthusiasm on the part of Goliath, but it was a challenge that was sustained for almost 6 weeks. 1 Samuel 17:11.
JOURNEY TO THE FIGHT
SCENE 1: 1 Samuel 17:12–15—think about how unlikely it is that David would be the answer to the challenge of Goliath. 1 Samuel 16:7
The army of Israel failed to look at the circumstances the way God looks at them. 1 Samuel 17:17-19.
SCENE 2: 1 Samuel 17:20. In 1 Samuel 17:23, the conversation is interrupted by something that stopped David in his tracks.
The shock of seeing Goliath was small compared to the shock of David when he saw the reaction of Israel to Goliath. 1 Samuel 17:24. David looking around waiting to see who is going to step forward & take this challenge. But instead of stepping forward, they’re all taking a step back.
But there is no indication that God appeared in their thinking at all. In this passage, you will notice that God is absent, in terms of the response of the armies of Israel.
God deliberately left these armies to test His people, to see if they would obey the living God, to see if they would trust the living God, to see if they would serve the living God.
Why is it that we find ourselves stressed, overwhelmed & struggling to face these things?
DAVID’S INQUIRIES
Closing Scene: 1 Samuel 17:26a. In 1 Samuel 17:25, we find a synopsis of the kind of conversation that has been taking place on the battlefield when David asks the question “Is there a reward?”.
1 Samuel 17:26b. David asks the question that others fail to ask.
The people saw him as unbeatable; David saw him as uncircumcised. Do you see the difference in perspective?
God shows us how inadequate we are, so that we will not rely on ourselves, so that we will then be understanding that all the glory is due to God
So let’s do 2 things: (1) let’s be humble enough to admit that we are able to identify with the failure of the army, that we face our doubts, dangers and difficulties, and we often react in a way that doesn’t suggest we serve a living God;
and (2) let’s learn from David to ask the right question—not “What does this mean to me? What does this mean to my family? What does this mean to my nation?” but “What does this mean to God & His name & his glory?” The important thing was not that the armies of Israel would be well regarded, but that God’s name would no longer be dragged in the dirt of the Valley of Elah.