On David and Goliath

Most gracious heavenly father. Thank you for this time that we get to open your word to hear your truth father to See how you have revealed yourself to wicked men Father that they would know and understand you God.

I pray that as I open your word and speak your truth to your people with your word that father you would be honored that you would be glorified that God as the words go out that hearts would be transformed that Men and women would come to know you that they would love you more that they would want to worship you better in Christ's name.

Amen. Teddy Roosevelt. 26th president of the United States. He taught Sunday school before his time of being a president and a Young boy had come into his his class and he had a shiner on his eye. And he said young man, what what's wrong?

And he said I was fighting. He said with who he said some bigger stronger. Guy was pinching and pushing on my sister and he said well, did you whip him? He said yes, sir. I did. He rose well reached into his pocket and gave him a dollar.

Remembering I was in 1919. He said good boy, son. That's what you should have done. You should have protected your family. Now Teddy Roosevelt lost his teaching position because of that but the point is he was the protector of this little sister he took the defenseless and Protected her.

David as Israel’s Needed Representative and King

The passage we're going to look at today is exactly that if you'll open your Bible to 1st Samuel chapter 17 it is a long passage and Normally, I walk very slowly Through a text normally in the New Testament, but in narrative we can take larger swaths.

So that is what I will do today. The passage is some 54 verses long and I'm not going to read them all. I'm going to read the first. Probably 11 verses and that'll get us started. Now the Philistine gathered their armies for battle and they were gathered at Soca Which belonged to Judah and they encamped between Soca and Esca in the Es Dameem.

Saul and the men of Israel were gathered and they encamped the valley of Elah and they drew up in battle array to encounter the Philistines. The Philistines stood on the mountain on one side while the Israel stood on the mountain on the other.

With the valley in between them. Then a champion came out from the armies of the Philistine and his name was Goliath and he was from Gath. Whose height was six cubits in a span. He had a bronze helmet on his head.

He was clothed with scaled armor and that weighing 5 ,000 shekels of bronze. He also had bronze greaves on his legs and a bronze javelin slung between his shoulders. The shafts of the spear was like a weaver's beam and a head of the spear weighed 600 shekels of iron.

His shield carrier also walked before him. He stood and he shouted to the ranks of Israel and he would say to them Why do you come out and draw up in battle array? Am I not the Philistine and you not servants of Saul?

Choose a man for yourself and let him come down to me if he is able to fight Against me and kill me and we will become your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him Then you shall become our servants and serve us.

Again, the Philistine said I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man that we may fight together and When Saul and all of Israel heard these words from the Philistine They were dismayed and greatly afraid.

Just on the onset. I wish that they would make a movie of judges first second Samuel first second Kings and first second Chronicles. The vast majority of parents would not let their children watch that movie.

Those of you that are going through judges with Andy will know that there's a lot of bloodshed. There's a lot of violence and that is exactly what we will see today. We will see today one of the most violent passages in all of Scripture and it determines how holy God is how righteous God is and what God Demands of those who mock him.

It says that the Philistines gathered their armies and they gathered them on one side of the mountain and one side on the other. And what they did is they that was how they would show their force. They would clank their their swords their spears their shields together.

That was how they would try to intimidate one another. But it says in verse 2 Saul and the men of Israel gathered at the camp of Eli or the Valley of Eli. Well, who was Saul? Saul was the one that Israel had demanded there be a king that demanded that they be like the rest of the nations and have a man that would raise up and lead them and You can see this and if you want to at some time read it you can see it in 1st Samuel chapter 8 verses 4 through 7 where they go to the prophet and say give us a king and The prophets greatly distressed that he is hurt and God has to tell him Samuel.

Don't take it to heart. They're not rejecting you. They're rejecting me as their king. Give them what they want. He gives them a great warning in verses 10 through 22. It says hey, he's gonna take your vineyard.

He's gonna take your fields. He's gonna take your best horses and donkeys. He's gonna take your sons and daughters. He's gonna enslave them to be in his court. He's gonna take the best of everything that he has and he's gonna tax you to death.

So in chapter 9 Saul is picked. He comes from a wealthy family. Not only is he wealthy but he is handsome. The most prettiest man in all of Israel matter of fact it says it and not only that he's head and shoulders above everybody.

So not only that the women would have loved him. He was tall rich and handsome. Well We need to remember too that he also had some faults. The day that he was publicly Raised up as king he was found as a coward hiding in the baggage.

He made a foolish order which almost had him execute his own son. Until the people stood in the place and said you're gonna kill your own son for your own foolish words and then. Not only did Saul foolishly act in that way.

But when God under the Mosaic covenant said when you find the Amalekites you go in there and you destroy every one of them every man woman boy girl infant lamb Horse donkey and cattle. And Saul has that opportunity and he goes in and he doesn't do what God tells him to do.

He takes out the king Agag Prances him around like a trophy. He keeps the best of the sheep and the best of the goats and Samuel shows up and he says what's that bleeding in my ear? Oh Yeah, by the way, I saved the best for God and he says let me tell you something you have disobeyed God.

He would have rather had obedience than sacrifice. And why is Agag alive. And he says well I was going to save him to show the people our great conquer. Samuel said today the kingdom will be pulled from you and God has rejected you as king.

He says give me a sword and he butchered Agag to pieces. That's all so as we See that Saul had gathered his people about he was to be Representing the people it says that the Philistine stood on one side of the mountain.

They would go up and battle array and they were hollering and and ready to go down to battle. But then this one man stood up. Biggest man that they had ever seen. He was a descendant of Anak which you could go back to Joshua chapter 11 and you would see as he went into the land.

He was killing all of in his conquest. He was killing all of the people of the Canaanites and these men of Anak. They went down to Gath in Gaza, which is where they stayed so he would be a descendant of that.

Well, this was a huge man very big man and they he would he would have had a Weaver a spear with a weavers beam and the head of it was 15 pounds of iron his. His brought his chest of armor that were made up like scales so that he could move was a hundred and twenty five pounds.

These are the equivalents of what we have in the scripture because we don't do them in shekels and not only that but his head had a helmet of bronze and he was nine feet nine inches tall. That's an enormous, dude now Saul was not a small man himself.

He would have probably been around six foot three to six foot six. He was a big man. But this man towered over him. So we see where they gather themselves up and he comes out and he he makes this. This fight between the the two and that he says I want someone to fight me.

I want you to send a representative. This was common between two champions of two armies to save the bloodshed. To not have mass casualties was to have one Champion of one army and one champion to the other and they duke it out in the middle of the field and whoever wins by Death would be the winner and they would serve one another the others would serve the other so this was not uncommon.

But what was uncommon was for a man this size to continually challenge and nobody stepped forward. The people needed a representative. The people needed someone to stand in their place and as you get to the end of verse 10 it says he give me to today that we should fight together and he get to verse 11 and Saul and Israel heard these words and they were greatly dismayed.

The people needed someone to go down into the valley of Eli. That would be the valley of death. They needed someone to represent the people of God. They needed someone to defend the people of God. They needed someone to defeat the enemy of God.

They needed a substitute. They needed someone to stand in their place. The king was supposed to be that person. And we have a big pretty tall rich coward. For a king but in verse 12, we have this name introduced to the text.

David’s Anointing and His Arrival at the Battle

Now David was the son of Eve who might have Bethlehem of Judah. Who was David? Well, David was already introduced in the previous chapter chapter 16 and he was just a little shepherd boy and He was out there.

It Samuel was told to go anoint another king to find someone to take Saul's place for God had rejected him. They went to Jesse's house where Saul had told him he took his brothers marched all of the oldest to the youngest in front of Him until they get to right before David and they said this ain't it and he says do you got one more kid?

He said yeah, but he's a little old guy out there chasing sheep around. He said we'll go get him. He brings him in that's the guy. This man will be king. So Here it is. We have David being Commissioned or anointed.

I should say as king at the age of 15 or 16 years old. Psalm 78 says this that God took David from shepherding the nursing ewes. To shepherding the nation of Israel with uprightness and a skill hand. David was nothing but a young teenage boy.

But As you read the narrative from 12 on down. It gives you some background of what his brothers were. His three brothers took off to the battle and it finds out. How does David get to this? To the to where the battle array was going it says in verse 17 that Jesse said to David his his father.

Take now for your brothers an ephah of roasted grain and ten loaves and it goes on to say what he wants him to do. He wants him to go check on his brothers. He wants to make sure that his brothers are okay.

Hey, there ain't no Facebook. There ain't no text message. There ain't no phone calls to find out your brothers are 26 miles away. How are we gonna find out? Well, that means you got to go and when you go I want you to take them some stuff to eat as I know they don't have this good stuff.

We have here and when you go take the the the generals take them some cheese as well. But when you go come back and let me know that the brothers are okay. I want to know that my boys are fine. So that's where he goes.

He goes down there and he sees them. He gets to the valley Saul and they are all the men are there. And in the morning He gets up in the morning. He packs his donkeys or whatever. It is. He's his horse and he heads out.

And if you know, it's 26 miles away if you're walking by foot or riding by donkey, it's gonna take you a little while. So we'll say four or five hours. He gets there says that David rose early in the morning and left the flock and the keeper and he took supplies and he did just as his father had commanded and he came to the circle of the camp while the army was going out and battle array and he heard the war cry and Israel and the Philistines drew up in battle array and David left the Baggage and the care of the keeper and he ran to the battle line in order to greet his brothers.

He wanted to go see his brothers to make sure they were okay. And the only way to find them in that large crowd of people was to run to the line. So he runs to the line and as he is talking behold the champion the Philistine Of Gath named Goliath comes forth from the army and spoke these words.

And David heard them. Well, what did he hear? He heard I am the Philistine. I am the one who will defy the armies of God. I am the one who will make you my servant. That's what David heard and the same thing happened in verse 24 that happened in verse 11 and when all the men of Israel saw the man they fled from him and they were greatly afraid we had men that were Enlisted in the armies of the Most High God in a king that was supposed to be their substitute a king that was supposed to Be their defender a king that was supposed to be their shepherd and they were cowards but as David's walking and he hears that I know y 'all more sanctified than me.

I know Ban tombstones one of my favorite shows to watch movie and you see here. He's here. He's going to see his brothers. He's just a hopping and skipping and carrying and he hears this uncircumcised Philistine yak at his mouth calling out all God's people and David says I'll be your huckleberry.

And David says What is this man saying? He said surely as he come out to defy the armies of Israel. What will happen to this man? And then David spoke everybody was hearing it says well what will be done to the man who kills this Philistine?

He says what will be who will what will be the reward for taking away this loud-mouthed fool? He says well It'll be this. The people said he will not tax his family. He will give him. Not just him his family all of his father's house will not be taxed and he'll give him his daughter For a wife and he will marry the king's daughter.

He gonna high roll. But here's listen to what his brother says. I don't understand. He didn't come down here to hear all that. He didn't wasn't expecting this. He hears this man taunting the armies of the Living God and listen to what his oldest brother says.

If those of you that are younger brothers, you've probably heard this a time or two. Why have you come down here? Why have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I Know your insolence and your wickedness of heart.

Why are you here? You just came down here to see what was going on and listen to David's response. All of us little brothers would say this. What have I done this time? He said what have I done? Didn't I just ask a question?

All I did was say what will be done to the man that takes care of this fool? Well He says it again. He turns and he goes What'll be done again and they say it again just like before he'll get the king's daughter.

He'll have a house of the family won't be taxed. Run off and be part of the king's court. So here it is. Verse 31 and when the words which David spoken were heard. He says I'll be that guy. I'll be the man to shut the mouth of this uncircumcised Philistine.

So here it is. David is taken to Saul and he says let no man account. This is David's talking to the king. Saul let no man's heart fail on account of him. Your servant will go out today and fight this Philistine and Saul said to David.

You are not able to go against this Philistine and fight him. You're only but a youth. You you're not even a warrior. This man's been a warrior a trained assassin and killer from his youth. But David said to Saul your servant was tending the father sheep.

And when a lion or a bear came and he took the lamb from the flock I went out after him and I attacked him and I rescued him from his mouth. And when he rose up against me, I seized him by his beard. I struck him and kill him.

Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear and this uncircumcised Philistine will fall just like them now. David said You understand that this lion. This bear aren't under the condemnation of God.

They're not under they're out not outside the Covenant like this uncircumcised Philistine this man is under the condemnation and judgment of God for taunting and for ridiculing the God of all creation and he will die but Listen to how he died.

He said he's gonna do it. He said he's not gonna do it by his own strength. He says and David says the Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion. The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the bear.

He will deliver me from this Philistine and Saul said to David go and may the Lord be with you. Saul closed him with his Bronze helmet. In other words, he put all his armor on him. He put all his armor on him so that he wouldn't go out there and fight him in his toga, basically.

And David girded himself In his armor and he tried to walk it says in verse 30 and the because it had not been tasted David said I can't go out like this. Take it off. He took a stick and he chose for himself five smooth stones.

And he put them in his shepherd's bag. He put him in his pouch and he took his sling and he headed out towards the giant now. This would have probably under any circumstance look pretty foolish. No armor.

No sword. No spear. No helmet and he's going against this giant. And he reached down and he grabs five smooth stones from the valley of Eli which where a brook would have been. Why he grabbed Five, I don't know.

He grabbed five. Bible doesn't tell us. He just said he picked up five. So here it comes. So David and the verse 40 41 and the Philistine came on the approach to David with the shield bear in front of him and When the Philistine saw David he disdained him.

He said are you I'm sorry for for David was not but a youth. He was ruddy and he was handsome in his appearance and listen to what the Philistine says to David. Am I a dog that you come to me with a stick?

He had his shepherd's staff in his hand. And a Philistine cursed David by his gods and the Philistine also said to David Come to me and I will give your flesh to the birds and to the beast of the field.

Then David said to the Philistine you come to me with a sword and you come to me with a spear and with your javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts and the God of armies of Israel whom you have taunted.

This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands and I will strike you down and remove your head from you and I will give the dead bodies of the armies of the Philistines to the birds of the sky to the wild beast of The earth and all that all the earth may know that David was a man of faith.

Does your Bible say that? Anybody's Bible say that. So that all the earth may know how to make Goofy story books and coloring books for kids to color on. Does your Bible say that? To make goofy cartoons to sell at the bookstore.

Doesn't say that it says that all the earth may know that there is a God in heaven and that all The assembly may know that the Lord God will deliver not by sword nor by spear but by the Lord's hand. That's what it is.

This was not about a man of great faith. This is not about a story of a man who overcome insurmountable odds. It's not about teaching our kids to be brave like David. It's not about teaching them to have courage like David.

You got to be careful when you start telling them to be like David because when they get older and they read their Bible you're gonna say oh, yeah be like David. The one who committed adultery and Then killed his man of valor be that David.

Or the one who let his son have a rate incestuous relationship with his daughter and did nothing about it that David. It's good, it's not about David it's about a God of all creation that stood in the man's place.

That's what it's about. David walks down into the Valley of Eli and he becomes the representative of God's people to Defend God's people to destroy the enemy of God's people so that all of God's people would be Victorious in this that's what the story is about.

It is a real event that took place. It is a real event that is in history that is recorded for us to not make goofy cartoon pictures and coloring books. But to show that the God of all creation will not be mocked.

Do not be deceived. God will not be mocked. Whatsoever a man sows he will reap. He reaps corruption. I mean he sows corruption. That is what he will reap and that is what's fixing to take place. Then it happened that when the Philistine rose and he drew near to meet David that David ran quickly to the battle line to meet him.

David took his hand he reached into his bag. He took from his Pouch a stone and his sling and he struck the Philistine in the forehead with it. The salt the stone sank so far into the forehead that it caused him to fall on his face to the ground.

A Sling was something that they wrapped around there, but we would call a sling shot that we're we have rubber Projectiles but in that time they were they wrapped around their wrist in their hand. They would hold it in their finger and they would had a little pouch inside that piece of cloth and they would Whip it and they would let it go with their finger.

It would get up to sometimes 60 70 miles an hour. Well, if you've ever been hit with a baseball. That's about what it's getting to get imagine getting hit in the forehead with a smaller projectile. That projectile hit that Philistine in the head sank into his forehead meaning it crushed his skull in the front.

And he fell on his face and this says this here 50. Thus David prevailed over the Philistine. With a sling and a stone and he struck the Philistine and killed him and there was no sword in David's hand.

So then David ran he stood over the Philistine. Took his sword drew it up out of his sheath killed him and cut off his head. That's a brutal scene. Where's that in the storybooks? Where's that in the cartoons?

Not only that and you'd read on. Where's the color and books and stuff that showed David carrying around his head in his bag? As a trophy of what God had done. David knew that what had taken place. He didn't do.

He knew God did it. And he knew God would do it because God had already commanded for the Philistines to be ran off to be killed because they were idolatrous and because King Saul would not do it David God raised him up to stand in that place and Anytime we see some heads getting cut off or getting crushed.

That should remind you of the enemy one day would be crushed by God. We see in judges, I think two or three times of heads getting crushed or cut off that should remind you that one day God's gonna send a Redeemer a Shepherd King a shepherd warrior that'll crush the head of the serpent the true one that we are fighting against.

Christ the True Shepherd, Representative, and King

So what do we get from a story like this? What do we get? Well, it's certainly not be like David. Because that falls apart. When we see David's life was David a man after God's own heart. Yes, he was but David was a failure just like every other king of Israel.

He just never went off into idolatry. It's not about being brave. It's not about being a man of great faith. It's not about overcoming insurmountable odds. It's about how this is a type and picture of Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is Clearly seen in this text if you don't see the man that stands as the defender and the Protector and the warrior of his people as being the Christ to come then you are blind. This was a picture of a man who was going to stand against the enemy of God and fight him.

Knowing that one day there was going to be a king that would come that would be born of a virgin and he would stand In man's place and he would fight and be the warrior and the king and the shepherd of his people.

Listen to these Jesus our king and shepherd. If you were to write these down you can go back and read them in John 10 is a whole discourse of Him being the great shepherd. He says my sheep know my voice and they come to me.

I am the good shepherd and I will lay down my life for the sheep and Those sheep are in my father's hand and no one can take them out. That is the true shepherd. That is the true shepherd King. He also says in 1st Peter chapter 2 verses 21 through 25 this for you have been called for this purpose since Christ also Suffered for you leaving you an example for you to follow in his steps.

Don't follow David's footsteps follow who? The great shepherd. Who committed no sin nor was any deceit found in his mouth and while being reviled? He did not revile and return while suffering. He uttered no threats but he kept entrusting himself to the one who judges faithfully and He himself bore our sins at his own body and he bore them on the cross so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.

For by his wounds we were healed for you are continually straying like sheep. But now you have returned to our true shepherd and guardian of our souls Jesus Christ. He is our true shepherd. Jesus Christ is a true representative that goes down into the valley of the shadow of death.

It says right in in Romans 5 verses 18 through 21 says this. So then as though one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men even so through one act of righteousness there resulted Justification to life to all men for as though one man disobedience By one man's disobedience than many were made sinners even so through the obedience of the one that the many would be made Righteous for the law came in so that transgressions would increase but where sin increased Grace abound all the more so that as sin reigned in death.

Even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was our representative. It says in 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 verse 21 that he made him who knew no sin to be sin on whose behalf our behalf.

That we could have the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus that wicked sinners could have the great exchange. They could heat that Jesus Christ could take the sins of us and be transferred to him and we could take the perfect Righteousness of him and be transferred to us.

It's called double imputation. That was unthinkable and that becomes our Representative and substitute. But then you have Jesus the King of Kings. Revelation chapter 1 verse 5 says this. And Jesus Christ the faithful witness.

The firstborn of the dead the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us released us from our sins by his blood and made us to be a kingdom of priests. To God his father and to him be the glory and dominion forever and ever and behold he is coming in the clouds and Every knee and every eye will see him and even those who pierced him and every knee will bow and every tongue will confess to him.

And he says I am coming. I am the Alpha the Omega the beginning the end and he says I am the Almighty. That's the king. That is the king. But there's people in this room that may not be able to say that.

That's the king that's the protector that's the substitute for those that trust in Christ. But listen to this. Why are the nations in an uproar? Why do the people devise a vain thing? Kings of the earth take in their hands and rulers take counsel together against the Lord's anointed.

Saying let's tear their fetters apart cast their cords away and it says this that God sits in the heavens and he laughs at them. Then he will speak to them in his anger. He will terrify them in his fury saying but as for me I've installed my king upon Zion and on my holy mountain kiss the Sun.

Pay homage to him. That he not become angry and you perish in the way find refuge in him. If you're here today God is angry with you if you're apart from Jesus Christ if you're here. You have not placed all of your faith and trust in who Jesus is to be your substitute to be your defender.

To be your protector to be your true Shepherd. This is what you have to wait on awaiting you. It says if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth there remains no sacrifice for sins but a terrifying expectation a judgment of the fury of God that will consume his Adversaries.

Anyone who sets aside the law of Moses died without mercy and they died under the witnesses of two to three. Well, how much more severe a punishment? Will it be to those who trample under the Son of God and treat his blood as if it is open shame?

Vengeance is mine says the Lord. I will be the judge. It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the Living God. Hey, it was a brutal thing to fall into the hand of a chopping sword of David. But fall into the hands of a holy and righteous God.

That is terrifying one of my best descriptions of Jesus Christ as King so good. I had it tattooed on me. Revelation 19 says. And I saw heaven opened and behold a white horse and he sat on it who was called faithful and true.

And in righteousness, he judges and he wages war. The shampoo model. Did you see of Jesus Christ? Walking around with Jurgen soft hands and It's flowing robe on TV. That's not the Jesus of the Bible. Jesus will not be some panty-waisted Bureaucrat, he will not be some lip-wristed Judge.

He will be the king of kings. And it says his eyes are as flame of fire his head has the diadems of all the nations and Written on him is a name that no one except him knows. It says his robe is dipped in blood and His name is called the Word of God and the armies of heaven will follow them that we clothed and fine linen and white and clean.

And following him are all the white horses. From out of his mouth comes a sharp sword. So that with it he strikes down all the nations. He will rule them with a rod and iron he treads down the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of God because he is the Almighty and His robe and on his thigh is written king of kings and Lord of lords.

And then I saw an angel standing in the Sun and he cried out with a loud voice saying to the birds which fly in heaven come and assemble for the great supper and They will eat the flesh of the Kings and the flesh of the commanders and the flesh of the mighty men and the flesh of The horses and all of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men both free and slaves Great and small because they disobeyed God that imagery is of Christ the King.

Also says and when the Lord Jesus revealed is revealed from heaven He will come down with his angels in a flaming fire and he will deal out Retribution and all those who do not obey the gospel or know the Lord Jesus Christ.

And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord for ever. There's only two judge you'll see. You'll either see Jesus Christ the judge and substitute the one who who bled and died in your place who gave you his Righteousness so that you can be acquitted of your sins and you can be justified before God or you'll stand before the Executioner and you will bow your knee to him and it'll be King of Kings and Lord of Lords today.

And it'll be to your eternal bliss and love of God or it'll be with his foot on your neck to your eternal condemnation in hell forever. There is no middle road. David Didn't kill Goliath. God killed Goliath.

It's not David verse Goliath quit saying it. It's God. David was just a vessel. David was a vessel and an instrument of the righteousness and holiness of God that says there's only one way to deal with sin and mockery.

There's only one way to deal with the enemy of God and it's to kill it. And there's every one of us in here should have. God should decapitate us the same way he did The Philistine and my prayer to you today, whether you're young or old and whatever category you want to put yourself in.

My desire is to see all men come to the faith and knowledge of Jesus Christ. The desire is to see every child at a young age come to the faith and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said come unto me all you who are heavy laden.

I'll give you rest. That is not Jesus softly and tenderly. Jesus is calling that is ridiculous. He's not softly and tenderly it is a command. It is a command to come unto me. It's in the imperative come to me all you or heavy laden I will give you rest.

It's not a suggestion. Jesus is actively commanding all men Everywhere to repent and to come to him for faith to come to him for forgiveness of sins. Jesus. Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world and an Arminian would love it when I say this.