Andrew Fountain - What the David and Goliath story is really about

  • A different take on this well-known story: You don’t have to be a David, and try to defeat Goliath!

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Sermon Outline - What the David and Goliath story is really about

Goal:

To find the true Biblical meaning of the story of David and Goliath

David and Goliath

  1. What was God doing in Israel at that time?
  2. David’s true understanding
  3. Our Champion
  4. Putting it into practice

1. What was God Doing in Israel at that Time?

1. What was God Doing in Israel at that Time?

  • In the beginning God created the world
  • …Noah
  • …Abraham
  • …Exodus
  • …Judges rather than kings.
  • Quick survey of 1 Samuel chapters 1–16

Quick survey of 1 Samuel:

1–3
shows terrible condition of Israel. (Eli mistakes prayer for drunkenness. What does that say!)
  • His sons, who were to follow him, were evil men. The land was in chaos because no clear godly leader.
4–6
tells of the ark of the covenant.
  • They tried to manipulate God, but he showed his power.
7
God won a great victory through Samuel, but Samuel’s sons
  • … same old story. A problem.
Israel needed a king, but God was to rule over them.
How could this be resolved?
How could a king rule them and God rule them? …Christ.
8
Evil demand for a king - to be like the nations.
  • Rejected God. Wanted political and military strength.
  • Tangible power…no faith.
9–10
Saul chosen. What do we know about him? Tall, a champion (demonstrate “head and shoulders”). Hansome
11–12
God reveals the solution to problem - a king, but under God in covenant.
13–15
Saul rejects this. Refuses to obey God. Autonomous.
16
God raises up his own servant.
17
The great test of Israel. 40 days. (mean anything?)
Who was their champion?
Who should have been out there?
Who was Israel’s giant?
What happened to their security? …they failed.
  • Who should have been facing him?

2. David’s true understanding

1 Samuel 17 - David and Goliath

  1. So David got up early in the morning and entrusted the flock to someone else who would watch over it. After loading up, he went just as Jesse had instructed him. He arrived at the camp as the army was going out to the battle lines shouting its battle cry.
  2. Israel and the Philistines drew up their battle lines opposite one another.
  3. After David had entrusted his cargo to the care of the supply officer, he ran to the battlefront. When he arrived, he asked his brothers how they were doing.
  4. As he was speaking with them, the champion named Goliath, the Philistine from Gath, was coming up from the battle lines of the Philistines. He spoke the way he usually did, and David heard it.
     
  5. When all the men of Israel saw this man, they retreated from his presence and were very afraid.
  6. The men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who is coming up? He does so to defy Israel. But the king will make the man who can strike him down very wealthy! He will give him his daughter in marriage, and he will make his father’s house exempt from tax obligations in Israel.”
     
  7. David asked the men who were standing near him, “What will be done for the man who strikes down this Philistine and frees Israel from this humiliation? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he defies the armies of the living God?”
  8. The soldiers told him what had been promised, saying, “This is what will be done for the man who can strike him down.”
  9. When David’s oldest brother Eliab heard him speaking to the men, he became angry with David and said, “Why have you come down here? To whom did you entrust those few sheep in the desert? I am familiar with your pride and deceit! You have come down here to watch the battle!”
  10. David replied, “What have I done now? Can’t I say anything?”
  11. Then he turned from those who were nearby to someone else and asked the same question, but they gave him the same answer as before.
     
  12. When David’s words were overheard and reported to Saul, he called for him.
  13. David said to Saul, “Don’t let anyone be discouraged. Your servant will go and fight this Philistine!”
  14. But Saul replied to David, “You aren’t able to go against this Philistine and fight him! You’re just a youth! He has been a warrior from his youth!”
  15. David replied to Saul, “Your servant has been a shepherd for his father’s flock. Whenever a lion or bear would come and carry off a sheep from the flock,
  16. I would go out after it, strike it down, and rescue the sheep from its mouth. If it rose up against me, I would grab it by its jaw, strike it, and kill it.
  17. Your servant has struck down both the lion and the bear. This uncircumcised Philistine will be just like one of them. For he has defied the armies of the living God!”
  18. David went on to say, “The LORD who delivered me from the lion and the bear will also deliver me from the hand of this Philistine!” Then Saul said to David, “Go! The LORD will be with you.”
     
  19. Then Saul clothed David with his own fighting attire and put a bronze helmet on his head. He also put body armor on him.
  20. David strapped on his sword over his fighting attire and tried to walk around, but he was not used to them. David said to Saul, “I can’t walk in these things, for I’m not used to them.” So David removed them.
  21. He took his staff in his hand, picked out five smooth stones from the stream, placed them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag, took his sling in hand, and approached the Philistine.
     
  22. The Philistine kept coming closer to David, with his shield bearer walking in front of him.
  23. When the Philistine looked carefully at David, he despised him, for he was only a ruddy and handsome youth.
  24. The Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you are coming after me with sticks?” Then the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
  25. The Philistine said to David, “Come here to me, so I can give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the field!”
     
  26. But David replied to the Philistine, “You are coming against me with sword and spear and javelin. But I am coming against you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel’s armies, whom you have defied!
  27. This very day the LORD will deliver you into my hand! I will strike you down and cut off your head. This day I will give the corpses of the Philistine army to the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the land. Then all the earth will realize that Israel has a God
  28. and all this assembly will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves! For the battle is the LORD’s, and he will deliver you into our hand.”
     
  29. The Philistine drew steadily closer to David to attack him, while David quickly ran toward the battle line to attack the Philistine.
  30. David reached his hand into the bag and took out a stone. He slung it, striking the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank deeply into his forehead, and he fell down with his face to the ground.
  31. David prevailed over the Philistine with just the sling and the stone. He struck down the Philistine and killed him. David did not even have a sword in his hand.
     
  32. David ran and stood over the Philistine. He grabbed Goliath’s sword, drew it from its sheath, killed him, and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they ran away.

NET Bible


v25
Not a child (was given a wife!)
v28
Older brothers!
v34–36
David’s faith is not coming out of a vacuum. He has a track-record with God
v38–39
Why do you think Saul wanted David to wear his armour, including the helmet?
v45–47
David had a clear understanding of God’s plan for Israel. (Had the Spirit)
v49
Note that the focus of attack is on Goliath’s head

3. Our Champion

1 Samuel 17:

  1. Then the men of Israel and Judah charged forward, shouting a battle cry. They chased the Philistines to the valley and to the very gates of Ekron.

Colossians 1:29

  • For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.
  • What is your giant?

David and Goliath

  1. What was God doing in Israel at that time?
  2. David’s true understanding
  3. Our Champion
  4. Putting it into practice

How should this affect our lives?

  • Do you have Jesus as your Champion?
  • Conscious of our behaviour – a light to unbelievers
    • Anger, losing temper, irresponsibility, are we any different to them? salt?
  • Confidence. This same Christ is in us.
    • Paul said he could do all things through Christ who strengthened him.
  • The Israelites wanted a king. What is our equivalent?
    • I’ve been pondering how this relates to us.
  • “The Nations have this things, why can’t I?” Envy
  • Trust in Jesus as your King—better than the best the world has.

Updated on 2020-09-13 by Andrew Fountain