David a Man of Faith
David & Goliath
They took their eyes
of God
and put them on man
He had already set boundaries around his thoughts about what David could do
The Philistines now mustered their army for battle and camped between Socoh in Judah and Azekah at Ephes-dammim. Saul countered by gathering his troops near the valley of Elah. So the Philistines and Israelites faced each other on opposite hills, with the valley between them. Then Goliath, a Philistine champion from Gath, came out of the Philistine ranks to face the forces of Israel. He was a giant of a man, measuring over nine feet tall! He wore a bronze helmet and a coat of mail that weighed 125 pounds. He also wore bronze leggings, and he slung a bronze javelin over his back. The shaft of his spear was as heavy and thick as a weavers beam, tipped with an iron spearhead that weighed fifteen pounds. An armor bearer walked ahead of him
carrying a huge shield.
The scene is set for a battle, but should there have been a battleground. The answer to that is no. But that fact stands and the past is gone. The time has come to fight, one army looking across to the other. The Philistines on side interestingly the word Philistine means Immigrants and that was precisely what they were being. And on the other side the Israelites. The meaning of the word Israel is God Prevails The Philistines were beaten force not long ago, and even now as the names say they were already defeated. But they were looking at the circumstances instead of the facts. What it needed was a great man of faith. King Saul had been disobedient to God and because of that Samuel said these words;
But Samuel replied, I will not return with you! Since you have rejected the LORD'S command, he has rejected you from being the king of Israel.
It was just like a bad dream for King Saul, a man who had been told that he no longer would be king. Yet there stood a great army in front of Him, under his command. Things looked so normal, and yet running to and fro amongst the Israelites army was a lad who only recently had been anointed, by Samuel to be king. But that was to be some time in the future. Saul was still in command and David was obedient to that fact, it was not his time to be King. But the anointing was so strong that he saw right through the situation and as we shall find out. He is to become the The Giant Slayer. As we spend time studying this event in the Bible. I pray that the revelation will not only reveal to you great steps of faith, but will also encourage you to step out and put into action the things that God has revealed in your life. Maybe things that you know that he has said to you, but you have felt that you did not have enough faith to do.
I will be using a lot of symbolization in this exhortation of scripture. It is a way that God speaks to me and reveals many great mysteries that I would never have got to know from life. It all started when I first became a Christian an elderly gentlemen said these words to me If you only discover one thing Kevin, about being a Christian then this is my advice; search the scriptures and look for Jesus, He is there in every word, line and passage. Hence that is why now I can say that every time I pick up my Bible, there comes over me an excitement that has lasted for the last 13 years. I pray that those words spoken to me will touch your heart, and will lay a key in front of you to start a grand adventure.
So back to the passage that we are studying. David is about to rescue Israel from the hands of the Philistines. The Man of faith enters the scene, there in front of him was this scene;
1 Samuel 17:4-7
Then Goliath, a Philistine champion from Gath, came out of the Philistine ranks to face the forces of Israel. He was a giant of a man, measuring over nine feet tall! He wore a bronze helmet and a coat of mail that weighed 125 pounds. He also wore bronze leggings, and he slung a bronze javelin over his back. The shaft of his spear was as heavy and thick as a weavers beam, tipped with an iron spearhead that weighed fifteen pounds. An armor bearer walked ahead of him carrying a huge shield.
Goliath stood there in front of the Philistine army, looking directly across to the Israelites. He was full of arrogance and he despised them so much, he could not understand that not long ago this army had defeated them. He wanted revenge and he was going to glory in it. Forty days he was shouting and taunting them. But they were afraid to challenge them. Why?
The Stature and armor reveal a lot about the situation. And I believe they also reveal to us today in situations that we still face. Let me explain;
Goliath was a champion he was the best warrior they had. So it only seemed logical that the Israelites should put up a worthy contender, someone of the same pedigree. A warrior was needed, a great warrior. How many times in your life have you seen this. The best sportsmen battle it out. One country against another, they step into the arena to compete. That was the problem for Israel they had taken there eyes of God and put them on man.
Goliath stood and shouted across to the Israelites, Do you need a whole army to settle this? Choose someone to fight for you, and I will represent the Philistines. We will settle this dispute in single combat! If your man is able to kill me, then we will be your slaves. But if I kill him, you will be our slaves! I defy the armies of Israel! Send me a man who will fight with me!
I believe that we do exactly the same today, we look to mans ways of doing things and not Gods. From this, I hope we will learn that God can and will supply an answer to all our problems. But we need to be obedient and take time to listen to Him. Back to Goliath Here is a breakdown of what I believe each part means
9- 10 ft tall - The situation looks bad.
Bronze helmet - Goliaths thoughts were to make them
suffer.
Bronze coat - This shows that this was a heavy burden.
(125 pounds)
Leg protectors - He was sure he could win.
Spear - He was capable of doing real damage.
Weavers rod - There was real substance in his claim.
Blade - He was determined to pierce through the
Israelite army.
In our lives we face the same issues, there are not warriors standing in front of us, but situations. They seem giants in their appearance. The situation looks bad, there seems to be no way out. But have we as did the Israelites ignored God in the situation. Lets see how David, who as we shall see, looks upon the problem in an entirely different way.
David was asking questions about the battle with his brothers when Goliath made yet another challenge, it is then that we see the anointing starting to work on him. He asked questions? If you want to know the situation you need to ask questions. The Israelites were afraid and asked or should I say cried out for help
.1 Samuel 17:25
Have you seen the giant? the men were asking. He comes out each day to challenge Israel. And have you heard about the huge reward the king has offered to anyone who kills him? The king will give him one of his daughters for a wife, and his whole family will be exempted from paying taxes!
The king was offering a great deal for the one who would stand and challenge Goliath . Yet there had been no offer made to take the job. Why? Because they were only seeing with their eyes the physical truth. What they did not see was the spiritual truth.
David responded to the statement, he not only repeated the offer, but he added to it.
1 Samuel 17:26
David talked to some others standing there to verify the report. What will a man get for killing this Philistine and putting an end to his abuse of Israel? he asked them. Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?
David saw things from Gods eyes and heart, who is this that has the right to stand against the Living God. We tend to often to allow the situation to escalate out of control. So much so that we become blinded to the truth. And the things around us become reality. David became quite angry, about his situation. We need to show the same kind of anger, when something is allowed to become an illegal immigrant to that which God intended.
There will be opposition to your statement of faith, and at times you will be surprised from where it comes. In David case it came from his brother Eliab. Eliab only looked at David as the youngest brother. He had already set boundaries around his thoughts about what David could do. Most of the time the nearest are sometimes the most blind. They only see from the actions of the past, when they had authority over you, by being life so many people want to hold the power of choice, and we get so involved in this that we forget that it is the creator Himself that has the final say. So if you are letting anyone have that power you are actually allowing them to rob you of the things that the creator Himself has for you. Eliab became angry, and that is the reaction you will get, when you stand up to those that are interfering with the freedom that God has given you. They will become quite verbal, they will call upon all the past records to hold you down. For David it was that he was the youngest, he should be looking after the sheep. David answered back and stood his ground, precisely what we should do. He replied a familiar saying that we use today. What have I done wrong? Cant I even talk? You see the brother wanted to show his authority by not allowing David to express how he felt. How many today do the same?
The report about that account on the battle ground reached the ears of Saul. You will be surprised at the outcome of your stand for God. It will give others the opportunity to see the person that God intended you to be. Dont be surprised if people start to ask for you, it is then that you will see the wonderful purpose, God created you for. From the very beginning of time. Such freedom and boldness, the purpose of life becomes very clear to you. You will start to live for Him, not for yourself or for anybody else.
Have a focused mind when God reveals to you the reason for your stand of faith. Be clear and bold. David in front of the king answered so positively;
1 Samuel 17:32
Dont worry about a thing, David told Saul. Ill go fight this Philistine!
David & Goliath
They took their eyes
of God
and put them on man
He had already set boundaries around his thoughts about what David could do
The Philistines now mustered their army for battle and camped between Socoh in Judah and Azekah at Ephes-dammim. Saul countered by gathering his troops near the valley of Elah. So the Philistines and Israelites faced each other on opposite hills, with the valley between them. Then Goliath, a Philistine champion from Gath, came out of the Philistine ranks to face the forces of Israel. He was a giant of a man, measuring over nine feet tall! He wore a bronze helmet and a coat of mail that weighed 125 pounds. He also wore bronze leggings, and he slung a bronze javelin over his back. The shaft of his spear was as heavy and thick as a weavers beam, tipped with an iron spearhead that weighed fifteen pounds. An armor bearer walked ahead of him
carrying a huge shield.
The scene is set for a battle, but should there have been a battleground. The answer to that is no. But that fact stands and the past is gone. The time has come to fight, one army looking across to the other. The Philistines on side interestingly the word Philistine means Immigrants and that was precisely what they were being. And on the other side the Israelites. The meaning of the word Israel is God Prevails The Philistines were beaten force not long ago, and even now as the names say they were already defeated. But they were looking at the circumstances instead of the facts. What it needed was a great man of faith. King Saul had been disobedient to God and because of that Samuel said these words;
But Samuel replied, I will not return with you! Since you have rejected the LORD'S command, he has rejected you from being the king of Israel.
It was just like a bad dream for King Saul, a man who had been told that he no longer would be king. Yet there stood a great army in front of Him, under his command. Things looked so normal, and yet running to and fro amongst the Israelites army was a lad who only recently had been anointed, by Samuel to be king. But that was to be some time in the future. Saul was still in command and David was obedient to that fact, it was not his time to be King. But the anointing was so strong that he saw right through the situation and as we shall find out. He is to become the The Giant Slayer. As we spend time studying this event in the Bible. I pray that the revelation will not only reveal to you great steps of faith, but will also encourage you to step out and put into action the things that God has revealed in your life. Maybe things that you know that he has said to you, but you have felt that you did not have enough faith to do.
I will be using a lot of symbolization in this exhortation of scripture. It is a way that God speaks to me and reveals many great mysteries that I would never have got to know from life. It all started when I first became a Christian an elderly gentlemen said these words to me If you only discover one thing Kevin, about being a Christian then this is my advice; search the scriptures and look for Jesus, He is there in every word, line and passage. Hence that is why now I can say that every time I pick up my Bible, there comes over me an excitement that has lasted for the last 13 years. I pray that those words spoken to me will touch your heart, and will lay a key in front of you to start a grand adventure.
So back to the passage that we are studying. David is about to rescue Israel from the hands of the Philistines. The Man of faith enters the scene, there in front of him was this scene;
1 Samuel 17:4-7
Then Goliath, a Philistine champion from Gath, came out of the Philistine ranks to face the forces of Israel. He was a giant of a man, measuring over nine feet tall! He wore a bronze helmet and a coat of mail that weighed 125 pounds. He also wore bronze leggings, and he slung a bronze javelin over his back. The shaft of his spear was as heavy and thick as a weavers beam, tipped with an iron spearhead that weighed fifteen pounds. An armor bearer walked ahead of him carrying a huge shield.
Goliath stood there in front of the Philistine army, looking directly across to the Israelites. He was full of arrogance and he despised them so much, he could not understand that not long ago this army had defeated them. He wanted revenge and he was going to glory in it. Forty days he was shouting and taunting them. But they were afraid to challenge them. Why?
The Stature and armor reveal a lot about the situation. And I believe they also reveal to us today in situations that we still face. Let me explain;
Goliath was a champion he was the best warrior they had. So it only seemed logical that the Israelites should put up a worthy contender, someone of the same pedigree. A warrior was needed, a great warrior. How many times in your life have you seen this. The best sportsmen battle it out. One country against another, they step into the arena to compete. That was the problem for Israel they had taken there eyes of God and put them on man.
Goliath stood and shouted across to the Israelites, Do you need a whole army to settle this? Choose someone to fight for you, and I will represent the Philistines. We will settle this dispute in single combat! If your man is able to kill me, then we will be your slaves. But if I kill him, you will be our slaves! I defy the armies of Israel! Send me a man who will fight with me!
I believe that we do exactly the same today, we look to mans ways of doing things and not Gods. From this, I hope we will learn that God can and will supply an answer to all our problems. But we need to be obedient and take time to listen to Him. Back to Goliath Here is a breakdown of what I believe each part means
9- 10 ft tall - The situation looks bad.
Bronze helmet - Goliaths thoughts were to make them
suffer.
Bronze coat - This shows that this was a heavy burden.
(125 pounds)
Leg protectors - He was sure he could win.
Spear - He was capable of doing real damage.
Weavers rod - There was real substance in his claim.
Blade - He was determined to pierce through the
Israelite army.
In our lives we face the same issues, there are not warriors standing in front of us, but situations. They seem giants in their appearance. The situation looks bad, there seems to be no way out. But have we as did the Israelites ignored God in the situation. Lets see how David, who as we shall see, looks upon the problem in an entirely different way.
David was asking questions about the battle with his brothers when Goliath made yet another challenge, it is then that we see the anointing starting to work on him. He asked questions? If you want to know the situation you need to ask questions. The Israelites were afraid and asked or should I say cried out for help
.1 Samuel 17:25
Have you seen the giant? the men were asking. He comes out each day to challenge Israel. And have you heard about the huge reward the king has offered to anyone who kills him? The king will give him one of his daughters for a wife, and his whole family will be exempted from paying taxes!
The king was offering a great deal for the one who would stand and challenge Goliath . Yet there had been no offer made to take the job. Why? Because they were only seeing with their eyes the physical truth. What they did not see was the spiritual truth.
David responded to the statement, he not only repeated the offer, but he added to it.
1 Samuel 17:26
David talked to some others standing there to verify the report. What will a man get for killing this Philistine and putting an end to his abuse of Israel? he asked them. Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?
David saw things from Gods eyes and heart, who is this that has the right to stand against the Living God. We tend to often to allow the situation to escalate out of control. So much so that we become blinded to the truth. And the things around us become reality. David became quite angry, about his situation. We need to show the same kind of anger, when something is allowed to become an illegal immigrant to that which God intended.
There will be opposition to your statement of faith, and at times you will be surprised from where it comes. In David case it came from his brother Eliab. Eliab only looked at David as the youngest brother. He had already set boundaries around his thoughts about what David could do. Most of the time the nearest are sometimes the most blind. They only see from the actions of the past, when they had authority over you, by being life so many people want to hold the power of choice, and we get so involved in this that we forget that it is the creator Himself that has the final say. So if you are letting anyone have that power you are actually allowing them to rob you of the things that the creator Himself has for you. Eliab became angry, and that is the reaction you will get, when you stand up to those that are interfering with the freedom that God has given you. They will become quite verbal, they will call upon all the past records to hold you down. For David it was that he was the youngest, he should be looking after the sheep. David answered back and stood his ground, precisely what we should do. He replied a familiar saying that we use today. What have I done wrong? Cant I even talk? You see the brother wanted to show his authority by not allowing David to express how he felt. How many today do the same?
The report about that account on the battle ground reached the ears of Saul. You will be surprised at the outcome of your stand for God. It will give others the opportunity to see the person that God intended you to be. Dont be surprised if people start to ask for you, it is then that you will see the wonderful purpose, God created you for. From the very beginning of time. Such freedom and boldness, the purpose of life becomes very clear to you. You will start to live for Him, not for yourself or for anybody else.
Have a focused mind when God reveals to you the reason for your stand of faith. Be clear and bold. David in front of the king answered so positively;
1 Samuel 17:32
Dont worry about a thing, David told Saul. Ill go fight this Philistine!