Friday, February 8, 2008
By Faith... David, Part 3 of 15
TEXT: 1 Samuel 17
IDEA: Faith is always based on the promise given by God.
PURPOSE: to help listeners realize that there is a difference between brashness and faith.
When you think of all the stories we know about David, which one first comes to your mind?
I. Can you sum up for me what that battle was about?
The scene is an impending battle in the Valley of Elah. King Saul's army is encamped on one hillside bordering the valley, and the Philistines are arrayed on the opposite hillside. A Philistine of gigantic stature (1 Sam 17:4 says that he was 6 cubits and a span (9'4" tall) and covered with heavy armor challenges the timid Israelites to a duel. No one dares to respond. Then David appears on the scene (having been sent by his father with bread and cheese for his soldier brothers). Hearing the challenge, David offers himself to King Saul to fight Goliath. Refusing the king's armor, David enters the valley, stoops to choose 5 smooth stones from the brook, then advances on the giant. The giant scorns him, just as his brothers had earlier scorned him. But David soon returns from the valley with Goliath's head and sword.
II. What is it that separates faith from brashness?
There are a lot of teenagers who risk their lives because they think they are invulnerable.
You see it in the way they drive, in the risks they take.
David is a teenager. He goes up against Goliath and says, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin – I come against you …."
Do you think that a teenager could take those words and apply them in the wrong way? Fighting drug lords in his neighborhood?
People apply the promise of Philippians 4:13 beyond what Paul intended: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Do you think you could jump tall buildings in a single bound or outrace a speeding bullet?
What separates faith from brashness?
III. There is a clue in the chapter that is easily overlooked but would have been significant to the early readers and not as significant to us.
When Goliath is referred to in the chapter, where is he from? Gath. That is not an insignificant detail. What do you know about Gath?
If you look back in Joshua 11:21-22, the Anakim/Anakites lived in Gath (Gaza and Ashdod). Joshua destroyed all of the Anakites in the hill country, but did not destroy Gath, Gaza, and Ashdod.
Go back to Joshua 1:1, God had promised that he would give Joshua all the land to the Great Sea, including all of the Philistine country.
Go back to, Deut 9:1-3, God promised Moses specifically that they would be able to defeat the Anakites.
When David went against Goliath, he had not only a slingshot in his hand, he also had the promise of God in his heart. He proceeded in faith because he had a promise, not because he was brash.
