(The Life of David) 03 Friends and Foes in David's Life — Denny Kenaston

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David's Prayer Before the Giant

The title of the message today is Friends and Foes in David's Life. Friends and foes in David's life. I hope to, plan to take the foes first and I don't know if we'll get to the friends. But, let's get started here.

We are, we're going to slay a giant today, so I hope that you will be taking notes. Because we're going to slay a giant today and I think that you probably have a few giants in your life. So, my encouragement to you is that you would sit up and take notice to the points and the principles in the Word of God, which you can take home with you and apply to the giants that are in your lives.

Or the giants that you may face or see in other people's lives in the years to come of your life. Reading in Psalm 35, I was reflecting this morning and I thought how nice it is to study David's life.

Because most of what happened in David's life you will find expressed in the Psalms. So, I find myself going back to the Psalms again and again as we look at different aspects in David's life. Remember, these Psalms flowed out of that man's life and we're looking at his life.

Reading in Psalm 35, verse 1 through 10, I want us to picture, while we are reading these verses, I want you to picture that old giant, Goliath, standing out there in between those two mountains, standing there face to face with David.

I want you to picture in your mind David standing out there face to face with the giant. And all that that means in his life, there he stands looking at that giant. You just picture that while we read these verses.

See if you can find the prayer in the heart of this man on that day. Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me. Fight against them that fight against me. Take hold of shield and buckler and stand up for mine help.

Now, when God gets a hold of his shield and his buckler, you better look out, by the way. Draw out also the spear and stop the way against them that persecute me. Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.

Now again, you picture that. There's David standing before Goliath. And David is saying to God, God, while I'm standing there before my enemies, speak to my soul. Speak, Lord, to my soul. And what does he want God to say to him?

David. But when I hear words like that, it just about takes care of all the fear and insecurities that I have. How about you? When God is standing beside you and speaking those words, ah, salvation. Yeah.

Yeah, let me at that giant. No problem. No problem. Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul. Let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt. Let them be as chaff before the wind and let the angel of the Lord chase them.

Look at that. Let their way be dark and slippery and let the angel of the Lord persecute them. For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for my soul.

Let destruction come upon him at unawares and let his net that he hath hid catch himself in that very destruction. Let him fall. And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord and shall rejoice in his salvation.

All my bones shall say, the Lord shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee which delivereth the poor from him that is too strong for him? Yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him. In that beautiful David's posture, delivereth the poor and the needy.

Yes, that are too strong for him. Yes, they are too strong for him. But not without God. Turn now with me to 1 Samuel 17. That's where we'll be for most of the time here. 1 Samuel 17. Remember yesterday we were amazed at how God set David in right places without any initiative on David's part.

Put him there before the king, playing his harp. God is sovereign. He'll take care of you. Today is another example where God put David in just the right place without David having any initiative about it.

David was anointed to be the king, but he didn't push himself forward. He didn't think in his mind, I am anointed to be the king and I'm going to make this thing happen. He didn't do that. He left it all up to God.

He thought in his heart, if God has called me to be the king, then God will put me in the place of the king and I'm not going to try to make anything happen. And I would encourage you to follow the same kind of a pattern.

He went back to the sheepfold, caring for the sheep and doing the duties that his father asked him to do. But God, who is a sovereign God, is working mysteriously yet steadily to put David in another strategic place today.

And I want to assure you youth that God will do the same for you. Trust Him, my dear young people, young men, young ladies. Trust Him with your dreams and your visions. Just be faithful. You don't need to push yourselves forward.

You don't need to make things happen. Trust God. Just be faithful. Be sold out to Christ. Be a servant. Support your authorities. And God will work it all out in His time, just like He did for David. If you instead choose to push your way, trying to make things happen, the things that you've seen from God, it will end in frustration, misunderstanding and rejection.

Just trust God. If you will be like David and wait on the Lord and find your strength in Him and find fulfillment in Him and serve in the literal ways that God gives you in the sheepfold of your life, God will, in His own mysterious ways, He will direct your paths and you will find yourself at the appointed time, in the fullness of time, right in the center of God's will, just like David did today.

If you think about it from the perspective of him going to be a king, he's in a pretty good spot today, standing in front of a giant that everybody else, all the soldiers in Israel are afraid of. I mean, talk about God setting David up.

He did it this time. David knew how to trust God with his future. He did it beautifully. Now, we're going to be reading in 1 Samuel 17 and we're going to start reading in 15, but let me just give you just a little bit of the scene.

Goliath is there. He's been coming out before the armies of Israel for 39 days. This is the 40th day that this giant has come out there growling at the soldiers of Israel, tormenting them. Israel is running like scared rabbits from before the face of Goliath.

This is what has been happening for 39 days. On the 40th day, things changed. On the 40th day. So there they are. They're there. Saul is there. His soldiers are there and they're all afraid of Goliath.

But David, oh, he's just out there in the wilderness with his sheep. He isn't devising. He isn't conniving, trying to figure out how he can get in the right place at the right time. No, he's just caring for his father's sheep.

And here we are, reading from verse 15. But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem. Isn't that beautiful? And the Philistine drew near morning and evening and presented himself 40 days.

And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn and these ten loaves and run to the camp to thy brethren and carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousands and look how thy brethren fare and take their pledge.

Now Saul and Baal, the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah fighting with the Philistines. And David rose up early in the morning. Did you get that? And left the sheep with the keeper and took and went as Jesse had commanded him.

And he came to the trench as the host was going forth to the fight and shouted for the battle. Now that sounds pretty exciting, doesn't it? He just arrived to this place and the host is just... They've set the battle in array and they're moving forward to move into the battle and there's a great shout that goes up and David appears just at that very time and he moves forward to see what's going on.

For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array against army against army and David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage and ran into the army and came and saluted his brethren.

And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines and spake according to the same words. And David heard them.

And in my Bible I circle that. David heard those words. But David doesn't know anything. David doesn't know what's been going on for all these days. David has just showed up on the scene, but David heard those words.

And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were sore afraid. And I wrote in my Bible, and David saw those actions. So all those men run from before this guy. And the men of Israel said, Have you seen this man that has come up surely to defy Israel?

As he come up, and it shall be that the man who killeth him, the king, will enrich him with great riches and give him his daughter and make his father's house free in Israel. And David spake to the men that stood by, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth the Philistine and taketh away the reproach of Israel?

Amen, David. For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God? Notice David's jealous heart there. His perspective is very different than all those soldiers who are running and hiding in the mountains.

And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him. Then first test comes David's way in verse 28. And Eliab, his eldest brother, heard when he spake unto the men.

And Eliab's anger, his jealous anger, was kindled against David. And he said, Now look at these words. Look at the poison. Look at the venom in these words. Why camest thou down hither? And with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness?

I know thy pride and the naughtiness of thine heart. For thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle. Oh, what poison came out of his words. I mean, talk about the accuser of the brethren. I mean, Eliab has played into the devil's hand on this one real good.

But David passed the test. And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause? And he turned from him. Wise move, David. Wise move. This may have been where the battle over Goliath was won, young people.

Not out there on the field, but right here. You see, David is a man after God's own heart. And a man after God's own heart keeps his heart clear. And David dare not soil his heart before he stands before a giant.

And though he's accused by his big brother, looking down on little brother, David is wise. He's so wise. I've got to read you this verse. I don't have time, but I'm going to read it to you anyway. Who's the great man between the two of them?

Proverbs 16 .32 says, He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty. How much better? And he that ruleth his spirit is better than he that taketh a city. Now, we know where the man of God is, don't we?

We know where the mighty man is, don't we? David passed the test. He had rule over his own spirit. And he turned from him toward another and spake after the same manner. And the people answered him again after the former manner.

And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul, and he sent for him. And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him. Thy servant will go and fight with that Philistine.

And Saul said to David, You know, Saul made the same mistake that Samuel made, maybe a year or so earlier. He looked at David, eyed him up and down, said to him, looked at his size, looked at his age, all those things, and said, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him.

For thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. That was Saul's interpretation of David's statement. And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep. Going back to the sheepfold again.

Thy servant kept his father's sheep. There came a lion and a bear and took a lamb out of the flock. And I went out after him and smote him and delivered it out of his mouth. Looks like he must have come up there with his staff, you know, and just bopped him on the head, and the shock of it made him open up his mouth, and he took his lamb back.

Hmm. I wonder if we could do that. And when he arose against me, I caught him by the beard and smote him and slew him. Good, David. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear. This uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.

You see, David knew some things about God that no one else knew. And David knew, if that man is out there defying the armies of the living God, and I stand up for God and His glory, there's no problem.

That guy will be just like that lion and that bear. David knew something about God. He knew that God is jealous for His glory. And God has every right to be jealous for His glory. He is God, and there is no other God beside Him.

So David, he knew he wouldn't have a problem. Alright, reading on. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with you. And Saul armed David with his armor, and he put a helm of brass upon his head, and also he armed him with a coat of mail, and David girded his sword upon his armor, and he assayed to go, for he had not proved it.

He slowed down. He thought. All of a sudden, he didn't feel good and clear in his heart about moving forward. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these, for I have not proved them. And David put them off.

Now, you may think that David just put them on and he felt uncomfortable with them on there and said, I don't want to wear these. No, that's just what he said to Saul. What do you tell a king when the king gives you his armor?

He didn't want any armor on. David didn't need any armor on. He already had his armor on. Now, I want you to use your sanctified imagination here just a little bit and picture this as this whole thing unfolds.

He took his staff in his hand and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook and put them in the shepherd's bag, which he had even in his script, and his sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistines.

Now, just use your sanctified imagination. I mean, all the captains of thousands, they're probably around there where Saul is, and many of the soldiers are there, and the highest ranking generals in Saul's army, they're all there and they're watching this whole thing.

And they saw David put all this armor on, and they saw David take all the armor off, and they saw David pick up his shepherd's staff, and they saw him reach down for a few little stones and put them in his little shepherd's bag and take off down the road.

I wonder what all those soldiers thought. They probably thought, this guy's crazy! But you know what? I can't help but think that there might have been a few soldiers in there who had another thought.

Maybe they thought this. Either this man is crazy, or he knows God way more than we do. And I just want to encourage you, when you're going to do something crazy like David is going to do here, I want just to remind you that there, yes, you may get some criticism of what you do, but there will always be a few soldiers hanging around who will say, either he is crazy, or he knows God, and what God is going to do.

Let's go watch and see what happens. And you can be sure every soldier was on the front line watching that day. Amen? And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David, and the man that bare a shield went before him.

And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth and ruddy and of a fair countenance. He still had a boyish look about him. But I guarantee you, young men, he didn't have a boyish spirit about him.

He had the spirit of a man that day. Don't you doubt it. He might have had a boyish look on his face, and he might have had his rosy cheeks yet, but I guarantee you, there was the spirit of manhood in him that day.

And I would encourage you to shake off your boyhood and put on manhood, young men. And the Philistine said unto David, you know, he was angry. Here's David, a boy, no armor on. No physical armor, that is.

A shepherd's staff in his hand. And Goliath was upset. You know, maybe he thought, you know, at least give me somebody who will put up a good fight so that I can get a name for myself when I'm done. And here comes this boy, and he doesn't even have any armor on, and all he's got is this stick in his hand.

Am I a dog that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. He cursed David, but it just bounced off David's armor like water because he had on the shield of faith, didn't he?

He cursed David by his gods. And David just bounced those curses right off. And the Philistine said to David, come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air and to the beasts of the field.

Those sound like scary words if you don't know God. Then David said to the Philistine, thou comest to me with sword and with a spear and with a shield, but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts.

Do you know what the host is? That's all the angels, brothers and sisters. That's all the angels. I come to you in the name of the Lord, Jehovah of hosts. What are your little pipsqueak gods compared to the Lord of hosts?

The God of the armies of Israel whom thou hast defied. This day will the Lord deliver thee into my hand, and I will smite thee and take thine head from thee. And I will give the carcasses of the hosts of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

Do you see David's vision? Do you see his vision? He's not down here on the earthly level thinking, I'm going to show everybody what I can do with this fellow over here who's shooting off his mouth. No, that wasn't David's motivation at all.

That all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. That was David's vision. And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear, but the battle is the Lord's, and He will give you into our hands.

Oh, let's see. How much further shall I read here? And it came to pass when the Philistine arose and came and drew nigh to meet David, David hasted and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand in his bag, hallelujah, and took thence a stone and slung it and smote the Philistine in the forehead that the stone sunk into his forehead and he fell upon his face to the earth.

Amen. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone and smote the Philistine and slew him, but there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore, David ran and stood upon the Philistine.

Can you see him standing there on his chest with a sword in his hand? Have you ever seen that picture?

Oh, I like that one. David just standing there on Goliath's chest.

Therefore, David ran and stood upon the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of the sheath thereof and slew him and cut off his head. And when the Philistine saw their champion was dead, they fled.

That's far enough to read. Now I want us to turn from our focus on the Scriptures that we've been looking at and turn a bit and focus on how David slew this giant. That's quite an account in the Scriptures, isn't it?

Four Lessons From David's Victory

How did David slay this giant? Number one, David came from the sheepfold. And remember, we learned yesterday the kind of things that happen out there in the sheepfold with David and God. Where was David for 39 days?

He was out there in the sheepfold. Before he slew Goliath, he was 39 days out there in the sheepfold. What was he doing out there? He was fellowshipping with God, brothers and sisters. He was filling his heart full of the revelation of the greatness and the goodness of God.

That's what he was doing. He was filling his heart full of the Word of God through meditating on it day and night. That's what he was doing. And faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

David was the only one who saw from God's perspective that day all those soldiers did not see it right, but David who came from the presence of God and the fellowship of God, he saw the thing in a totally different way.

He saw it from God's perspective because he was living close to God. And oh, my dear brothers and sisters, if you could learn to live close to God, you would see your life from God's perspective. And it looks very different from heaven.

Very different. Forty days he's out there singing and playing and worshipping God and drawing night of God and receiving a lofty view of God. Forty days he's there. By the way, young people, if you are going to slay the giants in your life, you will have to do some of the same things.

David didn't slay the giant in his own strength, young people. He walked on the scene after forty days of fellowship with God and he saw the thing so differently because his faith was so sure that God would take care of him.

Point number two, others did not understand him. Some came against him. Though his desire was right and his motive was right, people misjudged his motives. Who knows how many of them laughed when he walked away saying, I'll take care of that fellow.

Who knows how many of them laughed. It will be the same for you, young people. If you're going to take your stand for God, it will be the same for you, I promise you. Big brother Eliab, with his jealous envy, didn't understand his little brother that day.

He was blinded by his own jealousy and his own envy. He was blinded by his own unbelieving heart and all of a sudden when someone came along with a believing heart, oh, he reached out and rendered him with words of accusation.

That will happen sometimes when you take your stand for God. When you take your time alone with God, people may not understand what you're doing. Keep going anyway. David did. If you take your stand for God and righteousness, if you are going to walk with God and walk on the narrow way, even some of your peers will misunderstand you and hold you off a bit.

Count the cost, but after you've counted it, keep right on walking. Don't let your peers put peer pressure on you. In fact, young people, defy peer pressure! I mean, defy! Don't you let some other young person try to put you into a mold when you know that God wants you to sell out to Him.

You defy that peer pressure. David wouldn't let it stop him. It wouldn't turn him from the goal that he had. He rose up and said, is there not a cause? And I would say to you today, young people,.

Is there not a cause?

In 2005 here in America where you live, where now you're on the scene, and there are giants around, and many of God's people are running and hiding in the rocks, is there not a cause? There is a cause.

And by the way, I found this out through my many years of experience. Later on, most of them that threw stones at you will come back and pat you on the back. So keep going. Thirdly, I want us to notice also David's right motives.

You have to have the right motives if you're going to slay a giant. Don't you get up there and face that giant with self-centered motives. I guarantee you it won't come out right. David's motive was the glory of God.

It was the glory of God. Why was David so jealous? It was for God's glory. Was it because he knew God? Was it because he was jealous over God's name? No, it was because he knew God personally. And because he knew God personally, he was jealous over the God that he knew personally.

And the reputation of the God that he knew personally. He had been gazing into God's face for 40 days. He had been looking upon the beauty of the Lord, Psalm 27, and gazing upon God's majesty. He had been meditating on the Word of God.

And he had insights into the character and the true nature of God. And he saw God with his lofty vision and he was jealous for the glory of God. So much so that when he heard Goliath blaspheme those words out of his mouth, something rose up inside of David.

Something rose up. See, David didn't have any of that planned. He just was obeying his father. Take this food. Leave the sheep. And go to where the battle is. Give it to the men. Give it to your brethren.

To the captain over a thousand. And see how the battle's going. He just happened to be there that day. By God's divine appointing a seat, God knew what was in the heart of the man that was after God's own heart.

And God knew if I put him there and he hears that man, something will stir inside of my servant David. God knew that. He set him up. Number four, I want us to notice that David's courage flowed from his faith in God.

He was courageous, wasn't he? I mean, we look at the thing even in the natural, even as we sit here today and we think, I'm not sure if any of us could have done it. We're pretty anemic, you know, us American Christians.

But David was courageous, and we all must agree that he was a young, courageous man that day. It was because of his faith in God, but this faith was a living faith. It was more than a mental assent to what God can do.

He had much more than that. It was a living faith within his soul. And brothers and sisters, it must be the same for us. It's not enough for us to have a mental assent in our own mind. It's not enough for us to have a bunch of information in our head that we can say, oh, God will do this, and God could do this, and God could do that.

No, it must be a living faith. And as I have said many times, it must be a witness within that God will do what He said He will do. That's what faith is. It is a living, vibrant witness within the heart that God will do what He said He will do.

And that's what David had. That's how he could hear that voice from God saying, I am Thy salvation. In other words, I will take care of you, David. He had the witness within his heart. I think it's good for us to read over here in Hebrews 11.

I know you just read it, but let me just read you a few verses in light of David here. In Hebrews 11, verse 32. And I'm going to skip a few names and just read this in light of David. But in Hebrews 11, 32,.

And what shall I more say? For the time would fail me to tell of David, who through faith, that is, that witness of God's Spirit within his heart, through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions.

David did it. Quenched the violence of fire. Escaped the edge of the sword. Out of weakness were made strong. Waxed valiant in fight and turned the flight, the armies of the aliens. David did those things, didn't he?

And he did them by faith. It was that living faith inside of David that caused him to be able to stand there in front of Goliath that day. He saw Him who was invisible. David's lively faith was the key to David's courage.

Hebrews 11, verse 1 says that faith is the evidence of things not seen. Praise God! It's the evidence of things that are not seen. And nobody else could see it. All those soldiers were standing there that day, but they couldn't see.

They couldn't see what was inside of David's heart. But faith is the evidence of things not seen. But that doesn't mean that things aren't there. They're just not seen yet. Stick around a while and you'll see them with the eyes.

And that's what happened that day. That's what separated David from his brethren. He had a witness that God was going to do something that day, that glorious day, and God did. He had a living faith. And when he stood before Goliath, he had a witness in his heart that God would take care of him.

Don't you doubt it. He didn't stand out there by himself. Now, I don't know what he saw, but I know he had a witness in his heart. I know that. Young people, some of that faith is also available for you.

In fact, you won't get on very well in your Christian life until you come to that place where there is that witness of God's grace in your own heart abiding continually. You just won't. Until that living, inspiring, encouraging, overcoming faith becomes a reality in your heart.

The kind of faith that is evidenced in the heart. The kind of faith that calls the things that be not as though they already are. What did He say? This day will the Lord deliver thee into My hand. He is calling the things that be not as if they already are.

The kind of faith that causes you to be filled with a God-confidence that you cannot turn back. That witness within my soul that God will do even though when I look at it with my eyes it doesn't look good, but yet in my heart I hear the voice of God.

That was David's faith. And young people, Hebrews 11. Chapter 11 and verse 6 says, without this kind of faith it is impossible to please God. What kind of faith? Faith that can walk by the witness of God in your heart, not by the sight of what you see with your eyes.

That's the kind of faith. And I want to encourage you today. You have some giants in your lives, don't you? And maybe that giant has been there for a long time. And every time you get up and you're ready to go forward, he stands up and starts growling again and accusing you and accusing God in your ear.

Every time you decide, ok, I'm going to get up and go forward in my Christian life, he stands up and growls at you. And I wonder how many times he chases you back into the rocks and the mountains to hide again.

You need some living faith. Some living faith. Faith is a witness of God within. Faith is increased by the Word of God. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Faith is the fruit of the Spirit.