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You can turn in your Bibles with 
me to 1 Samuel 17. 1 Samuel 17, we looked at the account, 
the full account this morning with regards to David and Goliath, 
noting the glory of God in the valley of Elah. the champion, 
the representative champion for the nation of Israel, doing what 
no one in Israel could do. That is standing before Goliath, 
the giant and defending the honor of God. And we want to look tonight, 
or we noted only briefly that That particular account, of course, 
has Christological implications. It points forward to the Lord 
Jesus Christ, that greater than David, the son of David, though 
David's Lord, who does, in essence, conquer the giant, the devil, 
at his crucifixion. And this is not just Christian 
interpretative undue liberties that are taken with the Bible. 
But certainly the very hermeneutic of the Lord himself and the Apostles 
and so I'm going to read 1st Samuel 17 beginning at verse 
50 and finishing at verse 54 1st Samuel 17 beginning at verse 
50 so David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a 
stone and struck the Philistine and killed him but there was 
no sword in the hand of David and therefore David ran and stood 
over the Philistine took his sword and drew it out of its 
sheath and Killed him and cut off his head with it And when 
the Philistines saw that their champion was dead they fled now 
the men of Israel and Judah arose and shouted and pursued the Philistines 
as far as as the entrance of the valley and to the gates of 
Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell along the road 
to Shuraym, even as far as Gath and Ekron. Then the children 
of Israel returned from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered 
their tents. And David took the head of the 
Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor 
in his tent." Amen. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, 
we thank you for the Word of God. We thank you for your declaration, 
your revelation to the sons of men concerning Christ upon the 
cross, working out the salvation of men. And we do praise you 
for this revelation. We pray that you would help us 
to understand it aright. We pray for the ministry of the 
Holy Spirit, for both preacher and hearer, that we might glorify 
you in this act of worship. And we pray in the name of Jesus 
Christ, our Savior. Amen. Well, one of the things 
that we have talked about a lot in this church on a number of 
occasions is the scope of Scripture. The target or the goal of the 
Holy Scripture is what is it? Jesus Christ himself tells us 
in Luke 24 what the scope of Scripture is in that post-resurrection 
Bible study that he gives to his disciples. He's trying to 
calm their doubts and their fears and their apprehensions and their 
sadnesses And he tells them that everything that was written in 
the scriptures concerned himself. He goes to the Law, the Prophets, 
and the Psalms, that three-fold summary of the Old Testament 
scriptures, and he teaches them from those scriptures those things 
concerning himself, that they pointed forward to him, that 
they had, if you were, a Christological trajectory, a trajectory towards 
Christ. The Old Testament isn't just 
a slapped-together collection of books that talk about the 
life and times of Israel, but much rather they are a God-breathed 
collection of books by human authors, superintended by the 
God who God-breathed those scriptures, that have one sole targeted aim, 
and that is to declare Christ. as the representative champion 
of his people. A number of persons, theologians 
throughout history, Athanasius, for those who understand the 
scriptures in a manner, in a Christian manner, recognize that the whole 
purpose of the inspired word is to declare the coming of the 
Lord in the flesh and to announce beforehand his coming as the 
fulfillment of all things. Martin Luther, take Christ out 
of the scriptures and what will you find remaining in them? John 
Calvin, we ought to read the scriptures with the express design 
of finding Christ in them. Whoever shall turn aside from 
this object, though he may weary himself through the whole of 
his life in learning, will never attain to the knowledge of the 
truth. and Spurgeon, from every text in the Bible, there is a 
road to Christ. My dear brother, do not ever 
think that you have got through a sermon until you have brought 
your people to see the Christ of it. So the Old Testament, 
the scriptures as a whole, point to the Lord Jesus Christ, the 
Old Testament in anticipation, the New Testament declaring the 
accomplishment of what had been anticipated. So then, when we 
consider the occasion of David versus Goliath, What do we find 
with regards to a foreshadowing of Christ? To sum it up, Gregory 
of Nazianzus, Christ is the true David, who went forth to battle 
not with sword and armor, but with his divine humility, conquering 
the mighty Goliath, the tyrant Satan, through the weapon of 
his own suffering and death. So, let's have a look here at 
1 Samuel 17, a number of things, and we're going to look at it 
in this way. Twelve points of shadow and substance 
regarding David and Christ from the battle in the Valley of Elah. 
So, twelve points of shadow and substance, that is, David as 
the shadow, Christ as the substance. The New Testament, particularly 
the book of Hebrews, Speaks about shadow and substance that the 
old covenant was marked by things which were shadowy They weren't 
the full substance of the thing that full substance came with 
Christ assuming our humanity and being our substitutionary 
representative for the perfection of salvation so Old Covenant 
shadowy things New Covenant the substance of those shadows and 
here we have the shadow David and The substance Christ and 
so the first of these twelve things we want to note and we're 
going to look at Some the text of first Samuel 17 and then move 
to Christ in New Testament accomplishment notice first then in these 12 
points of shadow and substance, the little town of Bethlehem. 
In 1 Samuel 17 at verse 12, notice what we read there. Now David 
was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem Judah, whose name 
was Jesse, and who had eight sons. If you flip back to 1 Samuel 
16, you'll notice at verse 18, in the account of the the discovery, 
if you will, the anointing of David as king. Notice 1 Samuel 
16, 18, then one of the servants answered and said, look, I have 
seen a son of Jesse, the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a 
mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a 
handsome person, and the Lord is with him. Now, of course, 
you know where we're going now. You can turn with me to Luke 
chapter two, and we want to note while you're turning there that 
It's not simply a coincidence that Jesus Christ was born in 
Bethlehem of Ephrathah. Wow, didn't that work out great 
that Jesus was born in Bethlehem? No, it was by divine design that 
the son of David, even David's Lord, according to his humanity, 
would be born in the very city of David. Notice in Luke chapter 
2, beginning at verse 1, And it came to pass in those days 
that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should 
be registered. This census first took place 
while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered 
everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee 
out of the city of Nazareth into Judea to the city of David, which 
is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage 
of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who 
was with child. So it was that while they were 
there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And 
she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling 
cloths and laid him in a manger because there was no room for 
them in the end. So there in this narrative account 
in Luke's gospel, we see the confirmation, the affirmation 
of the fulfillment of the shadow, the substance Christ being born 
in the city of David, which is called Bethlehem. Notice later 
in the angels declaration at verse 10, then the angel said 
to them, do not be afraid for behold, I bring you good tidings 
of great joy, which will be to all people. For there is born 
to you this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ 
the Lord. Again, it's not simply interesting 
narrative information that back in 1 Samuel 17, we have Samuel, 
under divine inspiration, noting the birthplace of this representative 
champion, David. It is because the greater story 
is the Christological, the Christ-centered story. The conquest of a greater 
Goliath by a greater David. Jesus Christ himself, in fulfillment 
of Isaiah 11, 1, announces himself at the end of the book of Revelation 
as the one who is the root and offspring of David, the bright 
and morning star. so Jesus Christ is the one who 
with respect to substance overshadow comes forth from Bethlehem and 
the illusion not the illusion the direct reference to David 
being from Bethlehem is to draw us forward to the greater than 
David who would sever the head as it were of Satan himself notice 
secondly the Shepherd King and the shepherd king, David is introduced 
as a humble shepherd who comes to this war field, to this battlefield, 
not as a warrior, but as one simply tending to the flock of 
his father. Notice if we go back for a moment 
to 1 Samuel 16 and verse 11, we'll notice there where David 
was, during the seeking of a king. In 1 Samuel 16 at verse 11, we 
read, and Samuel said to Jesse, are all the young men here? Then 
he said, there remains yet the youngest, and there he is keeping 
the sheep. And we move to the passage that 
we read this morning, 1 Samuel 17 at verse 15, notice the language 
there. But David occasionally went and 
returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem. So why are we noting this second 
point as the shepherd king? Well, because David is anointed 
as king over Israel. Now, there is going to be a stretch 
of time where Saul, after this particular anointing, is, of 
course, persecuting him, the nation of Israel, Saul chasing 
him, the Philistines seeking to destroy him as well. at times 
David taking recourse amongst the Philistines. There's a whole 
story, a whole back and forth that obtains in the life of David. But at this point, he is a king 
and he is a shepherd. And of course, hopefully your 
minds are turning as we even introduce the second point, the 
shepherd king. David is the shadowy shepherd 
king of the greater substance shadow king, that is, the greater 
shepherd king, there's too many S's and H's and words in there, 
but the greater shepherd king, the Lord Jesus Christ. When we 
come to the narrative of the New Testament, what do we find? 
That Christ is, of course, the shepherd king. He announces himself 
as, I am the good shepherd who gives his life for the sheep. 
David goes out as a shepherd to give his life for the the 
sheep of Israel God's own flock and Christ in the fullness of 
the times as the greater David comes forth and this is prophetically 
announced that we if we have a connection here you can turn 
to 2nd Samuel for a moment 2nd Samuel 5 2 because there's a 
sort of a divinely recognized prophetically recognized reality 
of David being a sent shepherd More than simply the shepherd 
of sheep, but the shepherd of men notice in 2nd Samuel 5 at 
verse 1 then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron 
and spoke saying indeed I We are your bone and your flesh. 
Also in time past, when Saul was king over us, you were the 
one who led Israel out and brought them in. And the Lord said to 
you, you shall shepherd my people Israel and be ruler over Israel. So there we see this announcement 
of God with respect, the recognition, the divine recognition of David 
as the shepherd king. While we move forward in redemptive 
history, and you can turn with me to Ezekiel 34, we have similar 
language prophetically announced by the prophet Ezekiel here, 
and we see its connection connecting David and Christ, this sort of 
Davidic Christological bridge, if you will. It's a new phrase, 
but... a Davidic Christological bridge 
from the shepherd of the Old Testament, shepherd king of the 
Old Testament, to the shepherd king of the New. Notice in Ezekiel 
34 at verse 23, I will establish one shepherd over them, and he 
shall feed them, my servant David. He shall feed them and be their 
shepherd, and I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant 
David, a prince among them, I, the Lord, have spoken." Now, 
you might be saying, well, you know, big deal. Isn't Ezekiel 
just talking about David? Well, in a way, but Ezekiel is 
many hundreds of years after the death of David. And so Ezekiel 
is announcing a new covenant reality that David, that is Christ, 
will be the shepherd over his people. My servant David, he 
shall feed them and be their shepherd. I, the Lord, will be 
their God. I, the Lord, have spoken. So Jesus Christ is the shepherd 
king who comes to his people to redeem them spiritually, to 
feed them spiritually, and to protect his flock. You can turn 
to Revelation 17 for a moment, just for a particular connection 
here. Excuse me, Revelation 7. Notice that Revelation 7, When 
you get there, verse 16, they shall neither hunger anymore 
nor thirst anymore. So this is Revelation 7, 16. 
The sun shall not strike them nor any heat. For the lamb who 
is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them 
to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every 
tear from their eyes. Isn't that a very interesting 
and wonderful verse, the lamb is also a shepherd. For the lamb 
who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them. 
Jesus Christ is the substance shepherd king of David, the shadow 
shepherd king, David pointing forward to his son according 
to the flesh, but his Lord according to the majesty of divinity. Thirdly, 
notice the helplessness of the elect in the face of the enemy. If you find your way back to 
1 Samuel 17, the helplessness of the elect of God in the face 
of the enemy. Notice that 1 Samuel 7, 11, and 
then verse 24, we noted this this morning with regard to the 
cowardice, the fear of the Israelites in the face of that blaspheming 
giant. Notice 1 Samuel 17 at verse 10, 
and the Philistines said, I defy the armies of Israel this day. 
Give me a man that we may fight together. When Saul and all Israel 
heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly 
afraid. Verse 24, we see the same language. And all the men of Israel, when 
they saw the man that is Goliath, fled from him and were dreadfully 
afraid. So we have this obvious helplessness 
on the part of the elect of God, God's chosen theocratic people 
in this context. They are very fearful in the 
face of the enemy, in the face of the enemy, in the face of 
death, in the face of opposition. We have, when Christ comes, a 
very similar thing. The elect of God prior to coming 
forth by the grace of God to belief in Jesus Christ are marked 
by a hopelessness and they are marked by a fear. You can turn 
with me to Hebrews chapter 2. Hebrews chapter 2, we're noting 
the connection between the prefigurement and the fulfillment, the shadow 
and substance between the hopelessness of the people of God in David's 
day and the hopelessness and fear of the people of God in 
the New Testament and in our own day. Notice Hebrews 2. Beginning 
at verse 14 in as much then as the children have partaken of 
flesh and blood He himself that is Christ likewise shared in 
the same that through death He might destroy him who had the 
power of death That is the devil and release those who through 
fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage for 
indeed he does not we could say take on the nature of angels, 
but he does take on the nature of the seed of Abraham. So we 
have here the remarking that the people of God, one of the 
purposes of the Lord Jesus Christ and his redeeming activity in 
his saving perfection is to make those marked by helplessness 
and fear in the face of evil and the opposition of sin and 
death and hell to make those such who are confident and steadfast 
to the end. Those who stand not in the fear 
of men, not in the fear of sin and death and hell, but rather 
who stand gloriously in the fear of God, because of a conquering 
substitute, even Jesus Christ, the Lord. And we'll see something 
as it has to do with confidence in a number of moments. But remember 
that scene. You can turn with me to Revelation 
12. And while you're turning there, remember that scene that 
we noted this morning where Goliath is going morning and evening. to interrupt the Shema, that 
religious act of the armies of Israel, that religious act of 
Israel whereby they declare their fidelity to the one God. Hero 
Israel the Lord our God the Lord is one We will love the Lord 
our God with all our heart mind soul and strength God commands 
the nation of Israel to engage in that particular shaman. It 
was the case It was the case that at the time of that battle 
That battle that stalemate rather remember for 40 days Goliath 
is coming forth and he's morning and evening, interrupting the 
Shema in an act of blasphemy and defiance. He's coming to 
them morning and evening with relentless taunting and sparking 
this and inciting, if you will, this fear and this hopelessness 
and this fleeing from this ominous evil. Well, notice in Revelation 
12, with respect to Christ and the devil. In Revelation chapter 
12, notice at verse 10, then I heard a loud voice saying in 
heaven, now salvation and strength and the kingdom of our God and 
the power of his Christ have come. for the accuser of our 
brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been 
cast down. What did David do to Goliath? That accuser of the brethren 
who came forth day and night, blaspheming the God of Israel, 
blaspheming and opposing the armies of the God of Israel, 
was cast down by David. Here, Christ, the greater David, 
is marked as that one who brings salvation and strength, the kingdom 
of God, the power of Christ, and he deals a death blow to 
the accuser of the brethren who accused them day and night. We 
have this wonderful substance fulfillment of that shadow reality 
that David brings, a conquering act to the one who was instilling 
fear upon the people of God. We want to notice, fourthly, 
the servant's son sent by the father to his people. If you 
turn back to 1 Samuel 17, we're doing this deliberately, hopefully 
not annoyingly for you going back and forth in the Bible. 
Hopefully you enjoy that. 1 Samuel 17, we want to notice the servant 
son sent by the father to his people. We're doing this deliberately 
as we're engaging in a remembrance tonight of the Lord God's, the 
Lord Christ's work on our behalf. Remember, we're gathering together 
to remember the Lord's death till he comes again. And hopefully 
this is an exercise of seeing the wisdom of God in biblical 
revelation. Again, we don't just have a slapping 
together of a bunch of ancient and dusty books, you know, with 
various stories of, you know, cool things in the life and times 
of Israel and in the life and times of Christ. We have ultimately 
one superintending author, the triune God of heaven and earth, 
who used tools of revelation, the prophets, the apostles, the 
men and women of old, who used these, and who brought forth 
to us not simply a, not a fictional story, but a unified account 
that arrives at one particular confluence. Many streams of revelation 
that arrive at one particular confluence, and that confluence 
is the substitute Christ, our representative champion, who 
deals the death blow to sin, death, and hell, and saves a 
multitude Of sons that he brings to glory notice again then getting 
back to the servant son sent by the father to his people first 
Samuel 17 17 beginning at verse 17 then Jesse said to his son 
David take now for your brothers and effa of this dried grain 
and these ten loaves and run to your brothers and at the camp 
and carry these 10 cheeses to the captain of their thousand 
and see how your brothers fare and bring back news of them. 
Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the valley 
of Elah fighting with the Philistines. So David rose early in the morning, 
left the sheep with a keeper and took the things and went 
as Jesse had commanded him. So the servant son, David, and 
how do we know he's a servant? Well, we would know from 1 Samuel 
16. Hopefully we get it implicitly 
by this particular case. But remember that David uses 
the language of servant in verse 32. Then David said to Saul, 
let no man's heart fail because of him. Your servant will go 
and fight with this Philistine. And hopefully then your Christian 
minds are thinking, again, the servant son sent by the father 
to his people. Christ is that greater servant 
son who was sent by his father to his people. How many times 
do we read in the gospel of John, for example, as Pastor Butler 
has been working through that gospel, where we see Jesus Christ 
declaring that he is sent by the father, that he does whatever 
the father says, that he comes to do the will of the father 
who sent him. He comes to his own to deliver 
salvation and the revelation of the kingdom of God, just as 
David was sent by his father to his own for a particular task, 
ultimately for the conquering of the enemy of God. And so we 
have this servant-son motif that connects both David or David 
to Christ. We have a very interesting thing 
here as well with regards to the delivery of food by King 
David. You remember that account in 
John's, it's not only in John's gospel, but in John chapter six 
particularly, where Jesus feeds the 5,000 with bread and fish. He comes and he brings physical 
sustenance to that gathered assembly. But the point there is not to 
feed them with physical food. The purpose there, or the point, 
is that Christ is the bringer of spiritual food. He even uses 
the language of eating his own flesh and drinking his blood, 
insofar as using that physical eating reality to say that whoever 
hungers or thirsts will be such who believe on the Lord Jesus 
Christ. Jesus declares himself as the 
servant sent by the Father, who is the bread of life, who feeds 
his people, not with physical food, though he does that miraculously, 
but for the point of highlighting the greater feeding, that spiritual 
feeding, as the shepherd of the sheep. Notice, fifthly, the rejection 
of the sent son. Both David and Christ are servant-sons 
sent by the Father to his people, a father to their people. And now notice, fifthly, the 
rejection of the sent-sons who are sent by their respective 
fathers to their people. First off, with David, 1 Samuel 
17, and verse 28. Now Eliab, his oldest brother, 
heard when he spoke to the men and Eliab's anger was aroused 
against David. And he said, why did you come 
down here? And with whom have you left those 
few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence 
of your heart. for you have come down to see 
the battle." And we see later, of course, with respect to Saul, 
he rejects David's initial request to fight the giant. In verse 
33, you are not able to go against this Philistine. There's an obvious 
rejection of David, which points us forward typologically to the 
substance Christ, who is rejected in coming to his people. Remember John 1.11, he came to 
his own and his own did not receive him. His life of ministry can 
be summed up really by the words of Christ, the foxes have their 
holes and the birds of the air have their nests, but the Son 
of Man has nowhere to rest his head. Not simply because he lived 
a life generally of poverty, but because, and also, he was 
constantly chased and sought to be killed, murdered, by those 
who opposed him. He went to his own, and his own 
rejected him, his own did not receive him. His ministry was 
met with disbelief, his ministry was met with mockery, especially 
by his own family and his own hometown You know Eliab here 
rejects Eliab David's brother rejects Christ a rejects David 
Elia David's brother Eliab rejects David Christ's brothers and his 
family reject him as well. So we have this rejection of 
the sent son we have sixthly single combat against a terrible 
foe going alone against the enemy We're getting particularly to 
that point that we observe in the Lord's Supper, the death 
of Christ. In this connection between David 
and Christ, we have both engaging in single combat against a terrible 
foe. We obviously know that with David, 
he goes forth alone to meet Goliath, armed not with armor, remember, 
he removes it, armed not with sword and spear and javelin, 
but simply a sling, five smooth stones, and a shepherd's pouch. 
No one stands with him. Saul doesn't join him. You know, 
the armies of Israel don't say, you know what, let's cancel this 
single combat and let's together fight against the enemies of 
God. No, David goes out alone to fight this terrible foe. Christ, 
in his passion, confronts the forces of darkness alone. You can turn with me to Isaiah 
63. Isaiah 63. We'll see in a moment also that 
there's a connection drawn between the single combat of David and 
Goliath and the single combat of Christ and the devil in the 
wilderness, in the desert temptings in, for example, Matthew 4. But 
notice first off in Isaiah 63. Isaiah 63 at verse 3, I have 
trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was 
with me, and I have trodden them in my anger and trampled them 
in my fury. Their blood is sprinkled upon 
my garments, and I have stained all my robes. When we get to 
the New Testament, we see texts similarly spoken texts similarly 
written with Concerning this protect particular theme notice, 
and you don't have to turn there, but if you can turn there Matthew 
26 and 56 55 in that hour Jesus said to the multitudes you have 
come out as against a robber with swords and clubs to take 
me I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and you did not 
seize me But all this was done that the scriptures of the prophets 
might be fulfilled then all the disciples forsook him and fled." 
Hopefully you see the connection here. We see David going out 
to conquer an enemy alone and Christ in the hour of darkness 
going out to conquer an enemy alone. There was a beforehand 
occasion of single combat in the wilderness, remember, when 
the Spirit drives Christ out into the wilderness after Christ's 
baptism by John the Baptist, Christ is driven out into that 
wilderness tempting. And as Spurgeon would say, the 
lion of the tribe of Judah goes toe to toe with the lion of the 
pit. In that desert exchange, we have Christ going out for 
an exercise of single combat against an enemy, against a giant 
or a Goliath, if you will, and that's simply a foreshadowing 
of Christ's single combat victory over the devil at Golgotha. This is Lancelot Andrews. David went forth alone to meet 
Goliath, when none of the people of Israel would venture their 
lives. So Christ went forth alone against the powers of darkness, 
when none else could. He alone is found the conqueror, 
having spoiled principalities and powers, and made a show of 
them openly. We see that wonderful occasion 
in Revelation chapter 5. With regards to, first off, a 
sad scene, John the Revelator is remarking that no one is able 
to take this particular scroll out of the hand of God. And what ensues after this initial 
sort of expression of sadness is glorious, Revelation 5.4, 
so I wept much. because no one was found worthy 
to open and read the scroll or to look at it. But one of the 
elders said to me, Do not weep. Behold, the lion of the tribe 
of Judah, the root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll 
and to loose its seals. So we have this wonderful occasion 
where no one is able to go forth to do a mighty thing. And it's 
only the conqueror Christ, the root of David, the lion of the 
tribe of Judah, who is able to do so. And that's why the angels, 
the living creatures, the four living creatures, the four elders 
fall down before the lamb and sing this new song saying, you 
are worthy to take the scroll and to open it seals for you 
were slain and have redeemed us to God by your blood out of 
every tribe and tongue and people and nation. This single combat 
victory against a terrible foe. We have the use of seemingly 
insignificant weaponry. I'll just breathe breeze through 
this to note that David strikes Goliath with a stone remember 
insignificant weapon remember how Goliath is decked out in 
125 pounds of armor with a sword and a spear and a javelin and 
a man carrying a shield in front of him, David, with no armor 
but with a sling and five smooth stones and a shepherd's pouch, 
goes out. Christ, as many have noted, uses 
the humble stone of the cross to defeat Satan and destroy the 
power of sin. If we were to read 1 Corinthians 
1 and 1 Corinthians 2, we would note that Paul is remarking after 
the way God operates. He uses the base and the small 
things to confound the things that are big and mighty. We have 
David coming with seemingly insignificant weaponry in this account with 
Goliath. We have Christ in the fullness 
of times as the substance of that former shadow being the 
rock of offense that defeats Satan. The cross, that stumbling 
stone that defeats Goliath that is the Satan of opposition. This is once again Lancelot Andrews. I think I've said it before if 
anybody has is with child and they're gonna have a son, I recommend 
Lancelot to you. In fact, Marissa, I'll recommend 
to Marissa that if she has a boy, it can be Lancelot. Lancelot 
Andrews-Hoff. But Lancelot says this David 
when he went against Goliath took no weapon with him But a 
staff and by that staff he overcame him and with Goliath's own sword 
cut off his head So Christ when he went to be tempted by Satan 
carried no weapon but a staff the staff of God's Word this 
is with respect to the wilderness tempting and with that alone 
he overthrew the great Goliath of hell and vanquished him utterly 
Eighthly, we have the vicarious representation of His people. We're drawing to a close here 
with the last few points that I can work quickly through to 
get the message across, to prepare our minds for the Lord's Supper. 
But vicarious representation of His people. When we think 
of the Lord Jesus Christ, that thought ought to come to our 
minds. Vicarious. That means in the place of, in 
the stead of, a substitute. The vicarious representation 
of his people. David goes out and he represents 
the nation of Israel, represents his king and nation in battle 
against this blaspheming opposer. Christ does the same for us. 
For the nation of Israel, by David, it's a physical conquering. 
There is obviously a spiritual reality there. The God of the 
armies of Israel is being defied. The victory itself, though, is 
one that is marked by a physicality, the non-shedding of blood, at 
least on the part of the armies of Israel. The Philistines don't 
fare so well. But it's a physical conquering 
with respect to Christ. He is the vicarious, the substitute, 
the vicarious representative for his people. So we engage 
in the Lord's Supper here shortly. We should have that upon our 
minds that we were not holy. We were not undefiled. We were 
not harmless. We did not obey the law of God. 
In fact, with every second and with every breath, we disobey 
the law of God and we're found guilty before God in our sin. 
But Christ comes as the blessed representative. What do we need? 
We need a righteousness that avails with God. We were, of 
course, not actively obedient to the law of God, but our blessed 
Christ, our vicarious representative, that Son of David and David's 
Lord, came in the fullness of the times and was perfectly obedient 
to the law of God in our place. A representative, a vicarious 
representative. We also, of course, need the 
forgiveness of sins. We have violated the law of God, 
and so we need that precious blood shed for the forgiveness 
of sins, and Christ brings that vicariously. He sheds his blood, 
not as just simply some expression of love, though love is most 
greatly expressed there, but he sheds his blood upon Calvary's 
cross so as to perfectly atone, perfectly secure the salvation 
of a multitude which no man can number. As we engage in the Lord's 
Supper, we're to examine ourselves, yes? But we're not to examine 
ourselves to the point, as we've noted before, of Protestant flagellation, 
where we wallow in our sins and seek to somehow self-atone with 
our own sadness and our own grief. When we acknowledge our sins, 
we are immediately and quickly to fly to the advocate for sinners, 
Jesus Christ the righteous. It is an affront to the blood 
of the Lord Jesus Christ for you to wallow in your sins. Should 
you grieve over them? Yeah, but you shouldn't spend 
hour upon hour, day upon day grieving and wallowing in sin 
because it's an affront to the one who came into this world 
to save you from your sins. Acknowledge your sin, express 
grief, absolutely, but within a matter of seconds, come sweetly, 
softly, and repentantly and humbly to that fountain which is open 
for sin and for uncleanness, Jesus Christ came as the vicarious 
representative. And I want to draw one important 
note. That's very interesting. Turn 
back with me to 1 Samuel 17. We're going to end a little bit 
quickly. I'm going to highlight some key 
points so that we can get to the Lord's Supper. But there 
are some things here that are very valuable to point out. Notice 
in 1 Samuel, going back to 1 Samuel 17, we want to see something 
with respect to David being a prophet, a priest, and a king. When we 
speak about the mediatorship of the Lord Jesus Christ, We 
speak about his office, a threefold mediatorial office. He is prophet, 
priest, and king. We have David, of course a king. He's already been anointed as 
king. He's not officially in that role yet, but as the promised 
and anointed king, he does kingly things. In this occasion with 
Goliath, he goes forth, valiant in battle, and slays the giant 
Blasphemer. He's a prophet because we see 
himself not only engaging in historical retrospect that God 
has saved me from lion and bear, But he says that God will deliver 
me from this giant Philistine, but notice with respect to his 
priesthood Deuteronomy or not Deuteronomy notice first in first 
Samuel 17 this language when we when he talks about a when 
he calls upon them to let their hearts not be troubled. We see 
in verse 32, then David said to Saul, let no man's heart fail 
because of him. Your servant will go and fight 
with the Philistine. Now, what sort of connection 
are we drawing here? I want you to turn to Deuteronomy 
20 for a moment because it's a wonderful connection here. 
David, in effect, acting here as a priest. In Deuteronomy chapter 20 beginning 
at verse 1 notice what we read there and this connects back 
to the Shema Remember what we talked about that the priest 
would go out before the battle and he would lead the nation 
of Israel in the confession of the Shema hero Israel the Lord 
our God the Lord is one Deuteronomy 21 That's 20 verse 1 not 21 when 
you go to battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots 
and people more numerous than you Do not be afraid of them 
for the Lord your God is with you who brought you up from the 
land of Egypt So it shall be when you are on the verge of 
battle That the priest shall approach and speak to the people 
and he shall say to them hero Israel today You are on the verge 
of battle with your enemies now note Do not let your heart faint 
do not be afraid and do not tremble or be terrified Because of them 
for the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you 
against your enemies to save you What is David sort of saying 
there when he says, let your hearts not fail because of this 
giant? I'm gonna go forth and fight 
against this giant. He's calling upon the nation 
of Israel to remember the command of God, to remember the hope 
instilled by God to the people of Israel, that he goes before 
them to fight. He's acting as a priest, perhaps 
because of the priest's failure in this context, and he, as it 
were, rehearses the Shema with them, encouraging them that by 
the one God, in opposition to Dagons, in opposition to Beelzebubs 
and Ashtoreths, the one and only living and true God will have 
blessed victory. I want to just summarize with 
some of these remaining points. The vicarious representative 
we noticed just now. We would notice, of course, that 
there is this skull motif in accord with the divine promise 
of Genesis 3.15. It's no mistake that David hits 
Goliath in the head and then severs his head. It's a continuation 
of the promise that the hero Christ, born of a woman, will 
crush the head of the serpent. There are other such instances 
that continue that skull-crushing motif until such time that the 
Christ comes and conquers the devil at the cross, which is 
the decisive blow and the full substance of all of those previous 
shadows. There's an interesting legendary 
approach to Golgotha. You know that the Bible calls 
Golgotha the place of the skull. In the account of 1st Samuel 
17 David brings the skull the head of Goliath to Jerusalem 
now is it called the place of the skull because David brought 
the head of Goliath there and announced victory and showed 
with open shame the victory of God over you know, over wickedness, 
over opposition, over evil and pagan idolatry, I like to think 
so, that, you know, that's the place where David brought Goliath's 
skull. Now, other people say that it's 
because the formation of the rock looks like a skull. Others say because people are 
executed there, but their skulls wouldn't be there. An older, 
and a more legend, an older account, an older legendary account is, 
The place of the skull Golgotha is where Adam's head is buried, 
and that at the crucifixion Christ's blood shed spilt upon the skull 
of Adam as a symbolic gesture of the victory over death and 
the serpent. But all of that to come back 
to at least this, that Golgotha has substance glory in fulfilling 
that shadowy stuff of David conquering Goliath by striking him in the 
head and severing his head, bringing it in victory to Jerusalem. I can send these to you if you 
ask me for them. 10 is victory, deliverance and 
courage to the people of God. 11 is the spoils of victory. 12 and lastly is the battle of 
the glory, battle for the glory of God's name. But on the note 
of the spoils of victory, let's just listen to these quotes in 
closing. This is Irenaeus, the Lord through his passion bound 
the strong man and set free humanity from his power, making a spectacle 
of him as David did Goliath, whose head he lifted high for 
all to see the victory. Be the venerable, which is a 
great name. David, carrying the head of Goliath 
to Jerusalem, foreshadows Christ carrying his cross to the same 
city, where he made a spectacle of the prince of this world, 
proclaiming victory through the shame of the cross. And lastly, 
Spurgeon, David took Goliath's head and set it on a pole for 
all to see. In like manner, Christ lifted 
high his cross where he made a spectacle of principalities 
and powers. There the serpent's head was 
bruised and sin was put to open shame. In closing, when we read 
the Old Testament, we need to read it with Christian eyes. 
We are supposed to read it with Christian eyes, eyes that see 
Christ. It was Nehemiah Cox, an old Reformed 
Baptist, particular Baptist brother, who said, in all our search after 
the mind of God in the Holy Scriptures, we are to manage our inquiries 
according to Christ. So when we come to the account 
of David and Goliath, I think we rightly have a Lord's Supper 
meditation. David points us forward to Christ, 
the greater shepherd king, the greater conqueror, that greater 
prophet priest and king, that greater one who would conquer 
not a physical foe, but would conquer the spiritual foe of 
all foes, the devil himself. Christ, interestingly, David, 
uses Goliath's sword. David uses the weapon of the 
enemy to cut off the head of the enemy. In like fashion, Christ 
uses death, the weapon of the enemy, Satan himself. to crush 
the very enemy who brought death into this world. What a glorious 
Christ that we have. When we remember our blessed 
Savior now in the Lord's Supper, we're remembering not one who 
has died and who stays dead, but one who died for us and who 
rose again for us, who saves a multitude of sinners that no 
man can number from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. What 
a glorious victory our greater-than-David Christ had over that greater-than-Goliath. So believer, as we partake of 
the Lord's Supper, rejoice in this conquering Savior, and unbeliever, 
rejoice in this conquering Savior. We would pray that God in his 
divine sovereignty and by the power of grace would bring you 
forth from deadness to life. The Bible says, believe on the 
Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. What a glorious thing 
to be found, not with the enemy Goliath, that blasphemer of blasphemers, 
second to the devil, but to be found in Christ. Not having our 
own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is by 
faith in Christ, that righteousness which comes from God through 
faith. Rest upon Christ, and you're 
resting upon the champion of champions. Let's pray. Heavenly 
Father, we thank you for your word. We rejoice in the goodness 
of your revelation to us, and we pray that you would help us, 
Lord God, to rest upon Christ, to see in him our blessed champion, 
our vicarious representative who came into this world, sinners 
to save. We thank you that we can be found 
in him by amazing grace, and we pray that you would save such 
who are in this place tonight that are outside of Christ, that 
by your amazing grace and by the word proclaimed, you would 
call them forth from deadness to life, that they would see 
the light of Christ and rejoice in the champion of salvation. 
And we do pray as we go into now the Lord's Supper that you'd 
be with us, help us to rejoice in this sacrament, this ordinance 
given by our Lord Christ. It's an interesting occasion 
of both joy and solemnity. We do pray that you'd help us 
in this to remember our Savior till he comes again. And we pray 
in his name, amen.