Fear No Fear

(All scripture from Lexham English Bible, Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software)

The Philistines decided to go to war against Israel, so they got together. The Philistines were on one mountain and the Israelites were on the other, with the Valley of Elah between them. This made for a bad situation. Whichever one went down into the valley would be at a disadvantage to whichever one stayed on the hill. Goliath had an idea. He came out and taunted Israel, hoping to get someone to commit to Champion Warfare – it appears a lot in myths, but is a very real form of combat from the ancient world used in minor-ish (not epic) battles and conflicts.

Goliath was almost three meters tall (about 9 foot 9 inches) – this isn’t as wild as you might think (it’s more amazing he was that big and able to be a nimble fighter). He had four brothers. He wore bronze armour. The mail coat weighed 125 pounds. The head of his spear weighed fifteen pounds. He had a shield-bearer who carried his shield – leaving both hands free for fighting. He was a force to be reckoned with for ANY regular man. On top of that, he was mouthy. Be blasphemed the armies of Israel twice a day. He taunted them. He claimed that if he was killed, the Philistines would serve Israel. He dared ANYONE to come and fight him. No one came. Saul and the Israelites heard what he said every day, and they were dismayed. And greatly afraid. And no one came out to Goliath.

Three of Jesse’s kids (he had multiple sons of which David – at the time – was youngest) were in the battle. David had been appointed to Saul as amour bearer and musician when Saul needed it (he was little more than furniture to Saul. Just another servant). He also went back home frequently to feed his father’s sheep. After forty days of the battle being ‘on’ but not consummated, Jesse was wondering what was going on with his boys. He called David and told him to take dried grain and ten loaves of bread to his brothers. He also told David to take ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand and see how they were done – this was the system of leadership Moses had established (Exodus 18:25). David got up early the next day and went. He got there just as the armies were assembling for the day, shouting and carrying on. He gave everything he’d brought to the supply keeper and ran to greet his brothers. Then Goliath came out and the shouting stopped. No one carried on. It got REAL quiet. Everyone clearly heard what Goliath said. So did David.

David tapped the shoulder of the guy next to him. He asked what would happen if someone went out and killed that big fella who was defying the armies of the Living God. He was told the king would enrich that man. The king would exempt the man’s family from paying taxes EVER. The king would give his daughter in marriage. David liked the sound of all that. His eldest brother criticised him, but David brushed it off and checked with someone else. Same story. He asked enough that Saul heard about it and called him over. Asked the boy (12-17 years old, probably the higher numbers) if he was serious. David was. Everyone tried to dissuade him, but David looked at it simply. Goliath had no covenant with the LIVING God. David DID have a covenant. David had proof. He’d seen the Lord move in his life and help him fight a bear and a lion. If God could give victory over ferocious predators – APEX predators – then God could give him victory over some beanstalk who wasn’t even circumcised.

David went out there and got five rocks from the brook. Smooth stones. Good stones. He also had his shepherd’s staff in his hand. He went up to where Goliath and he could chat. Goliath wasn’t sure he was seeing right. Maybe the heat was getting to him – he WAS wearing bronze. But this BOY seemed to be serious. So Goliath and his shield man started walking in order to stop the cricket. David wasn’t seeing the same thing. David was seeing someone without a covenant. David was seeing someone who defied GOD. David told him, I’m going to kill you, cut off your head, and leave the bodies of your entire army for the crows. David was seeing the battle ALREADY done, and given to the Israelites because of GOD.

David didn’t wait. David didn’t hesitate. He RAN to meet the Philistine. He used his sling and he put that rock right between that beanstalk’s eyes. He dropped to the ground. David ran up to him, ignored the shield bearer (who was probably in shock), drew Goliath’s own sword, and cut off his head. He grabbed it, lifted it up, and showed it to everyone looking down from the tops of the nearby mountains. The Israelites cheered. The Philistines took off. They chased those Philistines, right to the end of the valley, and they killed a WHOLE BUNCH of them. David kept Goliath’s armour. He put it in his tent. This was a victory to remember.

Saul, never one for truly noticing people that weren’t him, asked Abner who this boy was. Abner brought David over once it was all done. Saul asked who his father was. David told him Jesse the Bethlehemite was his father (from the tribe of Judah, which was right next door to the tribe of Benjamin). Saul said that’s fine. He wrote to Jesse and demanded that David no longer leave his service to feed sheep. David was part of Saul’s entourage now.

“David went out whenever Saul sent him, and he succeeded. So Saul appointed him over the men of the war, and it pleased all the people and even pleased the servants of Saul.” (1 Samuel 18:5)

Couple of things happened next. First, although he was about twenty years older, Jonathan and David became besties. Jonathan was David’s kind of man. David was Jonathan’s kind of man. It was like they had one soul, they had values that were similar. They loved God. They were a GREAT team. Jonathan even gave David his sword, robe, and personal armour. A kingly gift to be sure. And David worked for Saul. Went where the king said and was wise in his dealings. Saul put him in charge of some men – pretty big responsibility for a teenager, but they were adults at 13, could marry at 14, and were pressured to be settled down at 18-20. David was a good looking boy and accepted by everyone. The people and the staff of Saul.

As the group came home from the battle with the spoils, they were met by the woman of Israel who had come out to dance, sing, and play instruments. This was when the second giant of David’s life rose up – and the one that almost killed him. The woman sang that Saul had killed thousands, but David TEN-thousands. Saul was VERY angry. His selfish, claim credit for everything, I am special and loved Giant Ego rose up. From that day onward, Saul watched David with jealousy. Saul was VERY displeased.

Saul did NOT make David rich as he had promised (1 Samuel 18:18). Saul MIGHT have exempted Jesse from taxes, we don’t know. Saul did NOT give his eldest daughter to David (she had a rich life, five kids, but seems to have died young and her sister took over their care 2 Samuel 21:8 OR those kids were from Michal’s second husband – 1 Samuel 25:44). Saul even pretended to worship while David played music to throw David off balance so that Saul could try and pin David to the wall with a javelin. Saul NEVER did ANYTHING that was supposed to be a benefit to David. David scared him. EVERYTHING was designed to be harmful to David. But God BLESSED David, and curses were turned into blessings. Saul made David a captain of thousand, removed David from his presence, and sent David out among the people.

Saul didn’t have enough control over David. And David was popular. So he offered his SECOND daughter, Michal (pronounced mee-CHAL, with the ch as in bach). He had learned she had fallen in love with the young hero. David was told Saul wanted it, the people wanted it, everyone wanted it. David figured a wife was better than no wife, and Michal was a pretty enough girl. Saul asked for two hundred foreskins of Philistines as a bridal price – notice he STILL hadn’t blessed David with the promised riches. Now, this might look brutal. It was certainly bloody. BUT the Philistines had been kicked out by the LAND ITSELF (Leviticus 18:28). God told the Israelites to drive EVERYONE out (Deuteronomy 7:1-2). The Philistines refused to go, the Israelites hadn’t destroyed them at the time of the command, so they were dead men walking. David took care of the execution of the sentence they were under by GOD, not man. Saul figured the mission would kill David, but David was victorious. He delivered the price and married Michal.

Saul saw that Michal loved David. He saw that the Lord was surely with David. The giant wouldn’t lie down. Saul was continually David’s enemy now. And the princes of the Philistines? They went out to war. They’d lost two hundred men. And David often went out against them, acting wiser than all the men of Saul in his dealings. David’s name became HIGHLY esteemed.

Summary

Key Players: God, David, Saul, Goliath, Michal

Key Themes: Covenant, Jealousy, Giants

Key Verse(s): 1 Samuel 17:8-11, 25-27, 37, 45-47, 51; 18:8-9, 12-16, 28