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True Story of David and Goliath
I Sam 17
Bulletin, seems like not same story we’ve heard,
right? Like before, don’t accept unless comes from the Bible
I’ve had some strange observations in
the past, but have they been bible based? This one is too!
Scene:
Philistines vs. Jews
Jews good at making enemies
Samaritans
Deut 21:10-12
"When you go out to war
against your enemies, and the LORD your God delivers them into your
hand, and you take them captive, 11 and you see among the captives a
beautiful woman, and desire her and would take her for your wife,
Deut 21:14 And it shall
be, if you have no delight in her, then you shall set her free because
you have humbled her.
Philistines taught from birth to hate
the Jews
Drawn up in dread array
Intention was to scare enemy into not
fighting
Peacekeeper missile
Lost effectiveness after 40
days
Goliath emerges
Sizes
Israelite – 5' tall
Num 13:33
There we saw the giants (the descendants of
Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own
sight, and so we were in their sight."
Saul’s size 1 Sam 9:2
whose name was Saul. There was not a more
handsome person than he among the children of Israel. From his shoulders
upward he was taller than any of the people
Was taller than any
Israelite, but still 4' shorter than Goliath
Goliath
Size 6 cubits and a span 9’8” tall
When I was in good shape, I could jump and touch his head
Twice as tall as David,
twice as broad, 8 times the weight Not sumo fat 900 to 1,000 #
Goliath STRONG Look at his armor
Spear head weighed 600 shekels 25#
(shaft weigh 100# to balance it)
Jacket weighed 5,000 shekels, close to
250 Pounds. Like having me on his back all the time
Leg armor, javelin, shield Experts say
would be another 500#
Total weight of armor is
775#
Olympic record for heavyweight class set in 1996 by a huge Russian
108-plus kg
Clean & Jerk 260.0 kg, Andrei Chemerkin he lifted 573.2 #
Goliath all time Olympic weightlifter just by
getting dressed!
Trained warrior – Champion warrior in a country of warriors
Undefeated (he was still alive)
Learned hatred of Jews
Learned to fight, kill, no mercy, Eye of the Tiger movie
starring Mr. “T”
Hard life of training EVERY DAY! From youth! 6th
grade P.E class, Sneakers not from Pamida
Not a man I would want to meet in a dark alley. Maybe I
would
Israel’s
most likely opponent King Saul Bigger than any other Israelite, still
only 1/3 Goliath’s size
Wasn’t a warrior. Lived in a palace with servants, and a
harpist
Saul
was a coward
Allows his men to run away 40 times, he ran too 1 Sam
17:24
And all
the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore
afraid.
Everyone ran!
Demoralized his entire army through his fear
In
comes David
Tending sheep, take food to brothers, gift to
captain, watch the fight
Imagine the excitement Youthful exuberance, army
goes out in drawn array, awesome army of God
Just in time Battle just about to
start Goliath comes out, everyone runs including David
OK to be afraid FOF FOP failure people
Man after God’s own heart was afraid and ran! But
didn’t stop him He came back to fight!
Because of faith in God? No Because he could
save Israel? No
David did it for the money! 1 Sam 17:25
and it shall be, that the man who killeth him,
the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his
daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel
Explain
Vs. 26 asked about reward again, vs 27 did it
again!
It’s OK to look for reward. That’s why we’re here
today, isn’t it? Paul did
Family and friends tried to take it away. 1 Sam
17:28
And Eliab his eldest
brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled
against David, and he said, 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;
Made fun of him and his few sheep, made
to feel foolish, kill his dream, go back to status quo
Families of
new converts do that today. Anytime someone wants to step out and make
a difference, the one’s closest to him try to convince him he’s too
insignificant Families, friends, tools of Satan The toughest battle
David faced, and we face it too!
David’s answer? Turned away to another. The main
lesson we need to learn. We can stand up to our friends
Gets same answer What is his response?
Who is this
uncircumcised Philistine, who dares to defy the Armies of the Living
God?
But
David had one more opponent to fight Doubt
Already talked about family, now have
to convince Saul Wasn’t hard
1.
Saul was a coward
2.
Needed a sucker since wasn’t going to live up to the deal anyway
Would entire Israel serve another country because
one of their citizens lost a fight?
Would Saul give up his kingdom, knowing he would be
killed and replaced?
Would Saul really let a kid go fight a battle this
important?
Did he really believe he was God’s chosen vessel to
fight? Probably not
When King was chosen. God chose the
biggest, best specimen in the country for his king
No prophet told him David was it, even
his brothers didn’t believe him
The Lord rejected him as King, why
would he send a rescuer for him?
1 Sam 15:26
the LORD hath rejected thee from being king
over Israel.
Would Israel honor the challenge? No, they proved
it, and they won it!
Would Philistines honor it? Probably not. IN
fact, when Champion; lost, they ran instead of serving
Ridiculous
Challenge that had to end. And David was just the Sucker to do it!
David gets ready for battle:
Saul’s armor Too heavy, couldn’t use it.
Hadn’t tested it as he says, or was his
faith enough by this time he knew he wouldn’t need it?
May have had reward on his mind, but had faith in
his heart reward would not mean much to dead man
Only protection was shield of faith – and 5 smooth
stones. Why 5? Didn’t he think he would do it in one?
Word has spread challenge was about to be
accepted
Israel: who is it? Everyone knew
it must be Saul. Can he win? Will our leader be assassinated?
Philistines: Why now. NO one brave
enough for 40 days now he gets brave? Bring him on!
Goliath
goes into the valley:
Pride in his eyes, swagger to his
walk. He knows he is the most awesome warrior of his day
He gave up his childhood, friends,
everything to make him the best
His entire life of
training, sacrifice and work brought him to this one day
His entire country is watching
Someone is coming out to kill
him!
And we wait.
While Goliath is waiting
for the Israelite champion to come out, a small boy goes to the brook
and picks out some stones and starts to walk toward him
We’re told Goliath
“looked about” (vs 42) But all
he saw was David. Then realized David was opponent
All his training, all his sacrifice, his chance to
prove to everyone he was the greatest of all time, send a “boy”
Can you imagine the scene here. Everyone is
expecting this fierce battle, but a boy walks out. First a chuckle,
then another, then every Philistine laughing at Goliath. Taunting him,
jesting
Israelites embarrassed by the spectacle.
Philistines are asking if he is the best soldier they have and laughing
Saul has already decided he made the wrong
decision, but HE’S not going out there!
Anger tore through him. He cursed David by his
Gods Every emotion inside of Goliath is now steaming
1 Sam 17:43-44 Am
I a dog, that thou comest to me with sticks? And the Philistine cursed
David by his gods.
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. Goliath wasn’t
laughing
David answers: 1 Sam 17:45-46
Thou comest to me
with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in
the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom
thou hast defied. This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand;
and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give
the carcasses of the host 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.
Today He’s going to remove his head from his body,
But he HAS NO SWORD!
Then David tells him the entire challenge is a
sham, and after I’m done with you, all the carcasses of your army will
be left in the fields as well!
Riotous laughter from the Philistine side
Battle begins:
Goliath runs toward David, all 1500# of him! When
gets close, David runs toward him! I wouldn’t
Takes out a smooth stone and flings it and hits in
the only unprotected part of his body What were the chances?
Goliath falls to the ground. SILENCE! Both
sides of the valley! (explain each side how they are feeling)
Israel side Can this really be? Did he get that
lucky or is it a trick?
Philistine side OK, that’s good. Fall down and
play dead so that when he comes close get up and rip him apart
Is it a trick? David runs up to Goliath both
sides thinking any second Goliath will get up and tear him apart
David takes Goliath’s sword
Israel side – hey, maybe this is real! He’s got
his sword; hurry before he wakes up!
Philistine side – OK, a joke’s a joke, but this
isn’t funny anymore. Get up and kill him!
David lifts Goliath’s sword. It’s so heavy he can
barely lift it up.. Then drops it, and Goliath’s head rolls from his
body
Stunned silence. Seems like hours. No one can
believe it, no one but David anyway
Finally the Philistines realize their champion was
dead and they remember what David said, as ridiculous as it was. 1 Sam
17:46 and I will give the carcasses of the
host 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.
One Philistine realizes what just happened and
realizes if God was strong enough for a little boy to defeat their
champion, he had better run for his life. Then another and another,
until the entire army is running with no weapons.
Israel sees what is happening, so they shouted and
took off after them and chased them killing them all the way through 3
towns until; the entire Philistine army was destroyed
By the faith of one man, or one boy.
All because one man saw the reward, and trusted God
to take care of him while he pursued it!
And that was just a reward of EARTHLY riches,
imagine our reward in heaven!
It just takes faith. The type of faith that will
make you do what you have to do in order to be saved, and keep doing it,
even unto death!
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