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Well, you can turn with me in 
your Bibles to 1 Samuel 17. 1 Samuel 17. Our focus will be on the actual 
battle between David and Goliath. So that takes up pretty much 
verses 40 to 58, but I wanna read beginning in verse 20. This 
is David's arrival in the valley. So 1 Samuel 17, beginning in 
verse 20. So David rose early in the morning, 
left the sheep with a keeper and took the things and went 
as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the camp as the 
army was going out to fight and shouting for the battle. For 
Israel and the Philistines had drawn up in battle array, army 
against army. And David left his supplies in 
the hand of the supply keeper, ran to the army and came and 
greeted his brothers. Then as he talked with them, 
there was the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, coming 
up from the armies of the Philistines. And he spoke according to the 
same words. So David heard them. And all 
the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and 
were dreadfully afraid. So the men of Israel said, have 
you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to 
defy Israel. And it shall be that the man 
who kills him, the king will enrich with great riches, will 
give him his daughter and give his father's house exemption 
from taxes in Israel. And David spoke to the men who 
stood by him saying, what shall be done for the man who kills 
this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For 
who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies 
of the living God? And the people answered him in 
this manner, saying, So shall it be done for the man who kills 
him. 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 David 
said, what have I done now? Is there not a cause? Then he 
turned from him toward another and said the same thing. And 
these people answered him as the first ones did. Now, when 
the words which David spoke were heard, they reported them to 
Saul and he sent for him. Then David said to Saul, let 
no man's heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and 
fight with this Philistine. And Saul said to David, you are 
not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are 
a youth and he a man of war from his youth. But David said to 
Saul, your servant used to keep his father's sheep. And when 
a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went 
out after it and struck it and delivered the lamb from its mouth. 
And when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard and 
struck and killed it. Your servant has killed both 
lion and bear, and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of 
them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God. Moreover, 
David said, the Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and 
from the paw of the bear, he will deliver me from the hand 
of this Philistine. And Saul said to him, or Saul 
said to David, Go, and the Lord be with you. So Saul clothed 
David with his armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head. 
He also clothed him with a coat of mail. David fastened his sword 
to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And 
David said to Saul, I cannot walk with these, for I have not 
tested them. So David took them off. Then 
he took his staff in his hand, and he chose for himself five 
smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd's 
bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. 
And he drew near to the Philistine. So the Philistine came and began 
drawing near to David, and the man who bore the shield went 
before him. And when the Philistine looked 
about and saw David, he disdained him, for he was only a youth, 
ruddy and good-looking. So the Philistine said to David, 
am I a dog that you come 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 your flesh to the birds of the air 
and the beasts of the field. Then David said to the Philistine, 
you come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. 
But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God 
of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day, the 
Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and 
take your head from you. And this day, I will give the 
carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the 
air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may 
know that there is a God in Israel. then all this assembly shall 
know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear, for the 
battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hands." 
So it was when the Philistine arose and came and drew near 
to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet 
the Philistine. Then David put his hand in his 
bag and took out a stone and he slung it and struck the Philistine 
in his forehead so that the stone sank into his forehead and he 
fell on his face to the earth. 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. 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 the entrance of the valley and to the gates of Akron. And 
the wounded of the Philistines fell along the road to Shaarim, 
even as far as Gath and Akron. 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. When Saul saw David 
going out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the commander 
of the army, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, 
As your soul lives, O king, I do not know. So the king said, Inquire 
whose son this young man is. Then as David returned from the 
slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him 
before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. And 
Saul said to him, Whose son are you, young man? So David answered, 
I am the son of your servant Jesse, the Bethlehemite. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our Father 
in heaven, we thank you for the God-breathed word. We thank you 
that it's profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction. 
and for instruction in righteousness. And we pray that you would thoroughly 
furnish us unto every good work. Cause us now to reflect upon 
King David and upon his greater son, our Lord Jesus Christ. We 
thank you for that victory on the cross. We thank you for the 
skull crushing seed of the woman who brings salvation to all that 
the father has given him. Guide us now by your spirit and 
we pray in Jesus name, amen. Well, I'm sure we're all very 
familiar with this particular chapter of Holy Scripture, and 
essentially what's going on from this point on in 1 Samuel is 
a contrast between David and Saul. Saul maintained a poor 
relationship with God, and David had a good relationship with 
God. We see that throughout this particular book. And in a manner 
similar to the rise of Saul, he's anointed, according to 1 
Samuel 10, and then he gains victory in 1 Samuel 11. Well, 
David is anointed in 1 Samuel 16, and here he is confirmed 
or affirmed in the Valley of Elah as he bests this Philistine 
giant named Goliath. So basically, in terms of the 
chapter, you have the battle in the Valley of Elah, verses 
1 to 11. You've got the setting, what's happening in terms of 
this particular contest. You've got the appearance of 
Goliath in verses 4 to 10. Basically, he's nine feet. nine 
inches tall, he carries 126 pounds of armor, and he has a spear 
with a 15 to 16 pound iron head. Now this terrified the people 
of Israel, but it doesn't make any difference to God. 1 Samuel 
16, 7, God does not look on the external. God is not impressed 
with a man's weapons or his arms or what he has in terms of height 
and strength. But after that description of 
Goliath, notice in verse 11, It says, when Saul and all Israel 
heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly 
afraid. And then in verse 24, and all 
the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and 
were dreadfully afraid. This does not bode well for the 
children of God, for the nation of Israel. Then we have the arrival 
of David in the Valley of Elah in verses 12 to 22. You've got 
the son of Jesse, the challenge of Goliath is laid down in 16. 
Philistine drew near and presented himself 40 days, morning and 
evening. And then David's mission was 
to deliver supplies to the troops on the battlefront. And then 
his arrival, as we have read. So then we've got David's battle 
with Goliath. First, we have the words of Goliath 
in verses 23 and 24. Again, just setting up the context 
so as we get into the battle, you can see what's happening. 
Verses 23 and 24, this man is taunting the armies of the living 
God. So verse 23, then as he talked 
with them, there was the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath 
by name, coming up from the armies of the Philistines, and he spoke 
according to the same words. He is taunting them. He is issuing 
this challenge. He wants to best them. He wants 
to beat them. He wants to destroy them. And 
then David specifically responds in a way that is indicative with 
reference to what we know of him. Notice in verse 26, who 
is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies 
of the living God? The rest of Israel is cowering. 
The rest of Israel is hiding behind Saul. The rest of Israel 
is too terrified to engage this one man in terms of the Philistines. And yet David says, who is he 
and what's happening here? We're the covenant people of 
the living and the true God. We shouldn't be cowering. We 
shouldn't be fearful. Rather, we should get to this 
battle and let Him have it. And then in verses 31 to 39, 
we have David's appearance before Saul, where he gets the go-ahead 
to go into battle against Goliath. And one of the things that David 
invokes is his experience. Notice in verse 34, David said 
to Saul, your servant used to keep his father's sheep. And 
when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, 
I went out after it and struck it and delivered the lamb from 
its mouth. And when it arose against me, I caught it by its 
beard and struck and killed it. Your servant has killed both 
lion and bear. And this uncircumcised Philistine 
will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the 
living God. Moreover, David said, the Lord 
who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw 
of the bear, he will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine. 
I love the fact that David doesn't for a moment entertain the thought 
that he's actually going to lose in this battle. He is a man full 
of faith. He is a man after God's own heart. 
He has tried and proven his God when it has come to bears and 
lions. Certainly Goliath is no match for him. There is not a 
hint of cowardice in him. There is not a hint of shrinking 
back from this particular exchange. We know, of course, he tries 
out Saul's armor. It doesn't fit. It's not appropriate. 
So he goes to that which he knows, and he picks up those five smooth 
stones for battle. So we'll look at the battle with 
Goliath under four heads. First, the preparation, verses 
37 to 40, the meeting between the warriors, verses 41 to 44, 
the declaration of David in verses 45 to 47, and then the victory 
of David in verses 48 to 51. But with reference to the preparation, 
he gets Saul's blessing. 37b tells us that Saul said to 
him, the Lord be with you, go into battle, do this, engage 
in this task. David had made his case. Saul 
was sufficiently informed. And then notice the arming of 
David, as I mentioned. These things were not good for 
him. He hadn't tested them. He never 
battled with them. When it came to the lion and 
when it came to the bear, he didn't don his armor. He didn't 
pull out his sword. He simply took that which he 
knew, that sling, put a stone in it, and then nailed the animal 
or actually grabbed the animal and tore it apart. The rejection 
of Saul's armor indicates that David trusts God, not armor. But that being said, he nevertheless 
arms himself as we see. So verse 40, then he took his 
staff in his hand and he chose for himself five smooth stones 
from the brook. Seems like he's operating according 
to Cromwell's maxim, pray and keep your powder dry. So while 
he rejects the armor of Saul, he nevertheless realizes he's 
not presumptuous. He better take five stones in 
his pouch But he's not confident in those things in and of themselves. It is something that he had tried 
and proved and knew the faithfulness of God most high. So the rejection 
of Saul's armor and trust in God did not mean no weaponry. 
Rather, it meant weaponry under the blessing of God that David 
was seeking. And one man says that such stones, 
in terms of a sling, would range from 2 to 3 inches in diameter, 
and when flung by an accomplished warrior, could reach speeds of 
100 to 150 miles per hour, all of which could make for a stunning 
victory. So he's going to let him have 
it with this particular stone. Now that brings us then to the 
meeting of the warriors. Notice in verse 41. So the Philistine 
came and began drawing near to David, and the man who bore the 
shield went before him. And then in verses 42 to 44, 
we see trash talk. We see Goliath taunting David. 
We see Goliath insulting David. We see Goliath reporting that 
he himself feels insulted that you sent this youth to best me. 
So notice what he does. First of all, he taunts him in 
verse 42. When the Philistine looked about and saw David, he 
disdained him, for he was only a youth, ruddy and good-looking. Gil says he looked about for 
his antagonist to take a view of him. What sort of a man was 
he, expecting to see one much like himself? This is the champion 
of the Philistines. He's probably expecting the champion 
of Israel. He's probably expecting somebody, 
if not nine feet, nine inches tall, that much armor, nevertheless, 
a foreboding figure, a warrior, a proven man, the kind of guy 
with scars on his face, the kind of guy that's got scars all over 
his body. He's been in battle over and 
over and over again. But that's not what he gets. 
He gets this shepherd. He gets this youth. So he's expecting 
to see one much like himself, but observing a puny young man, 
he despised him in his heart and perhaps looked upon it as 
an affront to him to send such a man to fight with him. It was 
an insult for Goliath that they would send David into the valley, 
into this particular battle. Am I a dog, he says? Notice as 
he continues, am I a dog that you come to me with sticks? Intriguingly, 
David is about making that observation just by his silence and then 
what he's eventually going to say. Again, Gil says, truly David 
did not think him much better because of his impudence, his 
impurity, and barking blasphemy against God and the armies of 
Israel. So he disdains him. He's taunting 
him. He's looking down on him. And 
by extension, he is insulting the very armies of Israel, but 
ultimately the God of heaven and earth. And then notice, about 
the middle of verse 43, and the Philistine cursed David by his 
gods. This sets it into a religious 
context. This sets it into a theological 
contest. This sets it into a battle of 
gods. If the Philistine is victorious, 
then Dagon is God. If the Philistine gets his head 
chopped off, then Dagon is no god. We read Psalm 115 today, 
and the psalmist there and elsewhere insults the dunghill deities 
of the heathen nations. They have eyes, but they don't 
see. They have ears, but they don't hear. They have mouths, 
but they don't speak. They have noses, but they don't 
smell. When we refer to God as the living and the true God, 
He is the true God because He is the living God. The fact that 
He is makes Him true. All the dunghill deities of the 
nations around Israel, all the dunghill deities that are presently 
worshipped in our modern society, they're not alive. They're not 
real. They have ears, but they don't 
hear. They have eyes, but they don't see. They have mouths, 
but they don't talk. So when he defies David, and by extension 
the nation of Israel, he is defying the living and true God. And 
now Goliath has laid down the gauntlet. He curses him by Dagon. And so when David reigns victorious, 
it's not only a victory for the nation of Israel, but ultimately 
it's a victory for the God of heaven and earth. Remember the 
announcement prior to the 10th plague in Exodus chapter 12, 
verse 12, God says he will go and he will destroy not only 
the Egyptians, but the gods of Egypt. In other words, when Yahweh 
acts on behalf of his people, it is to silence the nations 
around. It is to show the futility and 
the folly of worshiping that which is not God. It is the living 
and the true God or no God at all. And so the giant here is 
upset, curses him by his gods, and then note his chutzpah in 
verse 44 in boasting about his coming victory. And no doubt, 
brethren, he had many victories in the past. I don't doubt for 
a moment that being nine feet tall and nine inches helps a 
man as a soldier. I have no doubt that being able 
to have 126 pounds of armor and being able to wield a sword or 
a javelin, rather, that has a 15-pound head helps a man in battle. He had bested many. He was their 
champion. And notice what he says in verse 
44, the Philistines said to David, come to me and I will give your 
flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field. 
That then brings us to the declaration of David in verses 45 to 47. 
So we see in 45 to 47 that it's not just Goliath and the Philistines 
that engage in trash talk. David gives it just as much as 
Goliath had given it. Only David's right. David's true. David's real, David's God is 
the living and the true God. So notice what David says. The 
statement concerning his strength in verse 45, then David said 
to the Philistine, you come to me with a sword, with a spear 
and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name 
of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom 
you have defied. So we see that what David presented 
to Saul was not just bluster, but it's really his marching 
orders. When he says that God delivered 
him from the lion, and God delivered him from the bear, and that God 
will deliver him from this giant Philistine, he's not joking. This wasn't just to pass Saul's 
muster to get himself into the battle, but this is precisely 
what it relates to Goliath on the field of battle. I come to 
you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies 
of Israel, and then note whom you have defied." David understands 
the contest. David understands the theology. 
David understands the religious nature of this particular battle. 
It's not simply Israel against the Philistines, it's Dagon versus 
Yahweh. and David is gonna make the Philistines 
eat their words, and David is gonna make the Philistines see 
the fall, the collapse, and the absolute falsity of their so-called 
God, Dagon. Now then notice verse 46, the 
promise concerning his victory. As I mentioned earlier, there's 
not one whiff in the narrative building up to the battle that 
David thinks for a moment that he's gonna lose. It's just not 
even an option. There's no, you know, close friends, 
intimates, you know, if I don't make it back, make sure, you 
know, my books get to a safe place. If I don't make it back, 
you know, make sure that the sheep are looked after. He doesn't 
do that. He has absolute confidence. Why? Because he's eight foot 
tall and bulletproof? No, because God is the living 
and the true God. He doesn't doubt for a moment. 
Remember, David is identified in 1 Samuel 13 as a man after 
God's own heart. When Saul sins, when Saul violates 
the regulative principle of worship, we see the kingdom stripped from 
Saul and given to the house of David. Now, David wasn't a perfect 
man. 2 Samuel, rather, will relate 
the fact that he sinned and that he sinned grievously. But one 
thing David never did was abandon the true and the living God. 
One thing David never did was engage in idolatry. One thing 
David never did was do those things that are indicative of 
a heart that is divided against the living and the true God. 
David is a man of confidence. And as I've said many a time, 
young men, if you read this passage and you conclude that you want 
to be Saul, you need to reread the passage. You want to be David. You don't want to hide. You don't 
want to be cowards. You don't want to run from the potential 
threat that may come your way. David is the man to stand alongside 
of. And I would suggest, young ladies, 
find you a good David, not a Saul. If Saul's running from a battle 
when he's the king of Israel and tasked with engaging in that 
battle, he's not marriage material. You want a David in your life 
and not a Saul. So David doesn't think for a 
moment he is going to lose this exchange. So verse 46, this day, 
the Lord will deliver you. This isn't arrogance. This isn't 
presumption. This isn't David saying, you 
know, I beat bears and I beat lions and I'm a strong, strong 
guy for my youth. He doesn't do that. He says the 
Lord will deliver. The Lord will deliver you into 
my hand. and I will strike you and take your head from you. 
And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the 
Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the 
earth." Brethren, I've got to say that if Goliath was insulted 
previously, I'm sure he's outraged at this point. Who does this 
kid think he is? Does he have any idea what I'm 
capable of? Does he have any idea how many 
soldiers have fallen in battle under my sword or under my javelin? 
Does he have any idea how busy I've been with killing people 
and breaking things? So I'm sure that David here is 
getting under this man's skin in a way that he probably never 
thought was possible. So when we come to verses 46b 
and 47, we learn the point of the story. We learn the point 
of the story. Perhaps you've heard a preacher 
take 1 Samuel 17 and say, I want to teach you how to deal with 
your giants. I want to teach you how to come 
to the valley of Elah dependent upon God and able to withstand 
the various assaults that are placed against you or launched 
against you. That ain't what this passage 
is about. Not at all. This is not moralism. This isn't 
just example David, we need to be a David and go fight our giants, 
whatever they might be. Typically they're not nine feet, 
nine inch tall men that have 126 pounds of armor and 15 pound 
javelin heads that are coming at us. whatever your giants might 
be, your sins or your struggles or your challenges, that's not 
what this passage is about. When you get a statement like 
you get in verses 46 and 47, it is unconscionable to miss 
the point. So the first thing that I think 
we ought to appreciate, now the actual lessons are in 46 and 
47, but even before that, I wanna just mention once again, David 
didn't think for a moment he was gonna lose. David did not 
think for a moment, this is the crying need of the hour in the 
church today, is bravery, courage, a willingness to stand, a willingness 
to dare to be a David, to dare to be a Daniel, to be a Joshua, 
son of none, to be the sort of man that doesn't fear when Goliath 
is in his path. David took his faith in God seriously, 
and he lived in light of that faith in God, and it moved him, 
it actuated him, it activated him, it energized him. Brethren, 
the gods haven't changed, or God, rather, hasn't changed. 
We serve this same God. The God who delivered David on 
that day in the Valley of Elah is the God and Father of our 
Lord Jesus Christ. This is why Paul says in Romans 
8.32, he who did not spare his own son, but delivered him up 
for us all, how shall he not also with him freely give us 
all things? We need to trust this God. We 
need to live in light of that trust in God. Faith in the blood 
of the Lord Jesus Christ for justification, absolutely, positively, 
The life that I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the 
Son of God, who loved me and who gave Himself for me. We live 
in light of the truth that God is sovereign, God is powerful, 
God is glorious, God vindicates His bride, God defends, God protects, 
God advances His cause. We don't have to worry about 
whether or not the church, the good churches, are going to be 
successful. Christ has promised that. Go 
therefore and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of 
all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and 
of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. teaching them to observe all 
that I've commanded you. And why? Because I'm with you, 
even to the end of the age. We need to walk by that faith. 
We need to live according to that faith. We need to understand 
that our God is for us. He is our defender. He is our 
protector. He is our guide, even unto death. So the two lessons are found 
in verses 46b and 47. The first is that the earth will 
learn that there is a God in Israel. Notice, after he announces 
to Goliath that Goliath is going to come to an end that day, And 
it's going to be a particularly cruel and bloody end. He's going 
to lose his head. Again, I don't know the mind 
or heart of Goliath, thankfully, but what I have to believe based 
on this text is that he's probably fuming. The nostrils are flared. 
The hand is itching. He is ready to throw down with 
David and eliminate this upstart. So notice that all the earth 
may know that there is a God in Israel. In other words, when 
David is victorious, there is nobody that will hear that particular 
story of battle and conclude, well, Dagon must be true. Dagon must be real. Dagon empowered... No, they wouldn't 
think that for a moment. Later or back rather in 1 Samuel 
chapters four and five, the Philistines capture the Ark of the Covenant. 
And that wasn't because they were better in battle. It wasn't 
because they out-thought the Israelites. It wasn't because 
they were more cunning. No, it was the judgment of God 
for Israel's unfaithfulness. They wanted victory, but they 
were not looking to Yahweh for victory. They brought out the 
Ark of the Covenant like it was a holy horseshoe or some sort 
of a lucky charm. God's saying in that narrative, 
I'm not a holy horseshoe, or the Ark of the Covenant isn't 
a holy horseshoe, and I'm not a lucky charm. that you can just 
bring out or trot out to the battle and I'll make sure you 
win. No, God would rather have his 
people fail in battle to learn the absolute essential lesson 
that it's God that they need. So what do the Philistines do? 
They take that captured Ark and they put it in the Temple of 
Dagon. That was a religious and theological statement. That was 
a statement to say that Dagon bested Yahweh. And we have proof 
because the Ark of the Covenant is in the Temple of Dagon. Dagon 
was victorious until the next day when Dagon had fallen down 
and they had to pick him back up. And then he had fallen down 
again and they had to superglue his hand back onto him. And then 
the Philistines conclude, we don't want the Ark of the Covenant 
here. Let us get rid of it. Let us get it out of here. It's 
just a bad thing for us. So with reference to this, David 
wants the theological lesson known that all the earth may 
know that there is a God in Israel. Psalm 46.10, Be still and know 
that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. 
I will be exalted in the earth. The demonstration of the Godhood 
of God in the protection and defense and the advancement of 
His people is to silence the peoples around so that they may 
see that there is a God in Israel. But then notice the second lesson, 
Israel needs a reminder. Israel needs some remedial training. 
Israel needs to remember that you don't hide from Goliath, 
you don't hide behind Saul, you don't cower and wince, you don't 
act like a bunch of sniveling babies, you don't act like five-year-old 
girls. Now, five-year-old girls are 
wonderful when they do what five-year-old girls do. But when grown men 
like Saul, who leads a nation, acts like a five-year-old girl, 
that is a bad thing. So Israel needed this lesson 
also. Israel needed to see the chopped 
head of Goliath to remember something true about the living and true 
God. So notice, after the statement that all the earth may know that 
there is a God in Israel, then all this assembly shall know 
that the Lord does not save with sword and spear, for the battle 
is the Lord's and he will give you into our hands. It's a great 
lesson for the children of Israel embarking as they are in this 
monarchical direction. They've got Saul, they have David, 
they're gonna have a succession of kings, they're gonna be a 
small-ish country surrounded by heathen nations. They need 
to learn this lesson very early on. It's not swords, it's not 
spears, it's not javelins, it's not armor. Again, God doesn't 
say never use those things, it's to trust in those things. The 
prohibition against kings multiplying wealth and weapons and women 
in Deuteronomy 17 simply underscores you're not supposed to trust 
in the wealth, weapons, and women. You're not supposed to trust 
in anything other than the living and the true God. So David wants 
Israel to know, he wants the earth to know that there is a 
God in Israel, but he wants Israel to know that whatever we do, 
wherever we go, however we conduct ourselves, our God is faithful, 
our God is omni-capable, and our God is for us and will protect 
us. It doesn't depend upon our savvy, 
it doesn't depend upon our strength, It depends upon the most high. Listen to Davis as he makes this 
observation. It's got a little bit of a moralizing 
tendency in it, but I think it's great. He says this theme of 
weakness, has been building throughout the chapter. So again, verse 
47, then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save 
with sword and spear for the battle is the Lord's and he will 
give you into our hands. He says this theme of weakness, 
you're too weak, David. Saul and the armies of Israel 
thought they were too weak. They couldn't best a nine foot 
tall, nine inch tall giant that had that much armor. And Davis 
moves out from the chapter and basically underscores that this 
is a theme that you find often in scripture. So this theme of 
weakness has been building throughout the chapter. All the important 
people regard David as weak. If we might colloquialize, Eliab 
tells him, you're a pain, verse 28. Saul warns, you're green, 
verse 33. And Goliath sneers, you're puny, 
verse 42. But he is the one Yahweh uses 
to deliver. Nor does David have the right 
equipment. He refuses to be a little Goliath and lays aside Saul's 
armor and sword. He insults Goliath with his staff, 
but he demonstrates that Yahweh brings deliverance without the 
symbols of man's strength. We hear this throughout the Bible. 
What matters is not whether you have the best weapons, but whether 
you have the real God. In fact, your inadequacy may 
be precisely your qualification for serving God, for His strength 
shines most brightly behind the foreground of your weakness. 
He chooses earthenware vessels to demonstrate gospel treasure. Why? So that the glory and the 
power is ascribed to God and not to the earthenware vessel. This is God's pattern. It's to 
demonstrate His glory. It's to demonstrate His power. 
It's to demonstrate His protection. It is to demonstrate His faithfulness 
with His blood-bought children of God. Let us dare to be a David. Let us understand that it's not 
only faith in God, but an understanding that our God will bless, our 
God will advance, our God will prosper because it's been promised. Ask of me, Psalm 2, and I will 
give you the nations for your inheritance, the uttermost parts 
of the earth for your possession. That's Messiah, speaking of what 
the father had told him, predicated on his mission as redeemer and 
as mediator. And then notice the victory of 
David in verses 48 to 51. What happens when you're nine 
feet tall and nine inches? I wouldn't know this because 
I'm not anywhere near this. Some of you brothers probably 
have a little bit more of an understanding of this. You're 
probably not the fastest guy, especially with 126 pounds of 
armor and carrying big javelins and the heat of the day. Note 
again, God is sovereign. He could have just dropped Goliath 
without any exchange whatsoever. But that wouldn't make for an 
engaging and wonderful narrative. That wouldn't make for an emphasis 
theologically on God as first cause being the very ground and 
foundation of second causes. There'd be no emphasis on those 
things that we hold dear. You know, God could just snap 
his cosmic fingers and sinners could get saved. But since in 
the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, 
it pleased God through what? Through the foolishness of preaching 
to save those who believe. Through the foolishness of the 
message preached to save those who believe. Our God is exciting. Our God is interesting. Our God 
is glorious. When it's time to battle Midianites 
and Gideon's ready to throw down, God says, wait a minute, you 
got way too many troops. Let's just whittle a bunch of 
those down. We'll get you down to about 300. Could you imagine 
being Gideon? When Gideon puts out the fleece 
twice, we get a bit of an insight into Gideon. I mean, once should 
have sufficed, right? Once should prove the point. 
And it seems as if Gideon even knows that because he's a bit 
hesitant, but he says, Lord, can I do it one more time? And 
God in his infinite grace and mercy doesn't say, how dare you 
ask me to do it again? God says, sure. And he does it. So Gideon understood this. Men 
that have faced great challenges with little and limited resources 
have understood this. David understands this physically, 
you know, temporally. The odds are not in his favor 
if you were going to ask the commentators on the sidelines, 
who do you think is going to win this? David understands the 
reality. David understands and knows his 
God. So we have this victory now of 
David. Verse 48, so it was when the 
Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that 
David did what? He hurried. He hurried. He wasn't laden with a bunch 
of armor that he hadn't tried and proven. He wasn't carrying 
126 pounds of it. He had the ability to hurry. Probably the next best thing 
to strength in combat is speed. Actually, the best is speed and 
strength. If you got speed and strength, you're probably always 
going to win. Well, the clunky giant did not 
stand a chance. God works through weakness vis-a-vis 
David, but he's wise about it. Remember first cause, second 
cause? David is going to navigate with 
speed to get or to make up that distance so he can deal the death 
blow. The blessing of God upon David's 
stone. Notice in verse 49, he takes 
five stones. He's not presumptuous. but he 
only needs one. Verse 49, I heard a sermon once 
on the five points of Calvinism from the five smooth stones that 
David put in his pouch. To say it was a stretch exegetically 
would be minimizing drastically, but I remember it as a good sermon. But don't do that. Five points 
of Calvinism from the five smooth stones. That's exegetically atrocious. But as I said, it was a memorable, 
at least in my mind, sermon in that regard. And not just for 
that weirdity, but for the fact that there was some good information 
communicated. But notice in verse 49, then 
David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and he slung 
it and struck the Philistine in his forehead so that the stone 
sank into his forehead and he fell on his face to the earth. 
He fell on his face to the earth. One smooth stone taken out and 
whipped it in the sling into the forehead of this giant. Again, 
the giant didn't think this was coming. He did not see this going 
this way. David never had a doubt otherwise. 
David maintained fidelity and confidence in the living and 
true God as defender, as protector, as advancer of the cause of God 
on earth. And David knows that through 
this exchange, all the earth is gonna know that there's a 
God in Israel. And all the Israelites, all this assembly is gonna know 
that it's not strength, it's not power, it's not weapons, 
it's not money, it's not warfare. It's God who brings the victory. God blessed the stone. The stone 
finds its way right into that man's big head. And then David 
kills him. Notice in 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. 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. People 
get hung up on verses 50 and 51. Well, the stone killed him, 
but then David cut his head off and killed him. The two events 
killed him. You know, somebody dies in the 
hospital after they got in a car crash. We typically say they 
died on the scene, but they weren't pronounced dead until they were 
in the hospital. What David does here is he drops 
the giant with the stone, takes the sword and cuts his head off, 
cuts that melon off. And notice, if you think there 
is a contradiction in verses 50 and 51, I bet the writer would 
have thought that too. Describing the event as it happens. He slings the stone, the stone 
hits him, he falls, he grabs the sword, he cuts his head off, 
and he makes quick work of him. And then after that, notice the 
Israelites who were hiding behind Saul, The Israelites who were 
terrified, the Israelites who wanted their mommies, the Israelites 
are now emboldened to actually do something. Verse 51b, 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 the 
entrance of the valley and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded 
of the Philistines fell along the road to Shaarim, 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. So that act on the 
part of David demonstrated to the assembly that it's not sword, 
it's not spear, it's not military savvy and ability, but it's the 
living and true God. And brethren, I'm not faulting 
these men at this particular time. They need a leader. Saul 
didn't prove to be that leader. Saul was the kind of guy that 
was terrified at the thought of facing this adversary. David 
steps up to the plate, hits the ball out of the park, so of course 
the Israelites are going to follow him and follow him into any battle 
subsequent to this. Now the last bit, when there 
seems to be a bit of confusion about whether David or, you know, 
it almost sounds like Saul hadn't met David. We know very well 
that Saul had met David. But if you remember back in the 
narrative, there is a promise to the victor of the Philistine 
champion. The one who wins gets tax-exempt 
status, as does his father. So the particular question that 
Saul asks Abner is whose son is he? In other words, Saul's 
gonna make good on providing tax-exempt status to David and 
to his father. That's what's going on there. 
It's not some sort of a discrepancy. Well, we know that Saul and David 
have already met. Now it sounds like Saul and David 
have never met. Oh, they met, but this is a legal affirmation. 
Saul's gonna make good. He said, if you go out and you 
beat this man, you get good things. And David got his good things. Well, in conclusion, how does 
this relate to the supper of the Lord? Well, first, the advancement 
of God's kingdom, the progress, the advance, The furtherance 
of the kingdom of Jesus Christ doesn't depend upon our military 
strategy, doesn't depend upon our savvy. I mean, it doesn't 
call us to be morons, but it does say that we are to trust 
in the living God. The psalmist says, some trust 
in chariots, some trust in horses, but we will trust in the name 
of the Lord, our God. The progress and advance of Christ's 
kingdom comes because of the advancement of Christ's kingdom 
by Christ. I will build my church and the 
gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. Secondly, we see 
David here functioning typologically of his greater son. The skull 
crushing seed of the woman is promised in Genesis chapter three 
and verse 15. I know that recently Pastor Porter 
read through the, I think it was Pastor Porter on the Abimelech 
narrative in Judges. And I think we've both pointed 
out, you've got to pay attention to headshots in the Bible. And 
by that, I don't mean, you know, selfies, you standing in front 
of the Empire State Building and, you know. That's not what 
I mean. Head shots, a typological foreshadowing 
of what Genesis 3.15 promises. Genesis 3.15, I will put enmity 
between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed. 
He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel. We 
see that advanced all the way to Calvary, all the way to Golgotha, 
place of a skull. The typology in redemptive history, 
in the law, Numbers 24, 17, that's a messianic reading. The type 
and the former prophets, Jael. What does Jael do with her trusty 
tent peg? She drives it right into the 
head of Sisera. That man Abimelech, how does 
he go? He goes via a headshot. A random woman throws a millstone 
off the tower and it finds its way into his head. You've got 
1 Samuel 17, as Hamilton says, "...the collective seed of the 
woman are delivered from the seed of the serpent by the judgment 
administered through the singular seed of the woman." You've got 
this type in latter prophets. You've got the prophets talking 
about headshots. We've got the victory of Messiah 
over the heads of many nations in Psalm 110.6. This is not an 
isolated theme. Throughout the Old Testament, 
we see that promise of Genesis 3.15, move down the field, as 
it were, to the end zone of the New Covenant. And what we see 
Jesus do is that he triumphs when he goes to the cross over 
the serpent, over the devil. He crushes his head. How does 
he crush his head? Through his life, death, and 
resurrection. In fact, turn to Psalm 137, nine. Psalm 137, a horrifying text 
for most Bible readers, I will forewarn you. Psalm 137, specifically 
at verse nine. If you want a good sermon on 
this verse, look up Dale Ralph Davis on Sermon Audio. He has 
a great exposition on Psalm 137, verse nine. But notice, happy the one who 
takes and dashes your little ones against the rock. Again, 
a horrifying text, one that most preachers don't dare touch. You're 
not going to show up on Mother's Day and hear a sermon on Psalm 
137.9. You're not going to show up on 
Father's Day and hear a sermon on Psalm 137.9. You're not going 
to hear sermons on Psalm 137.9. But brethren, we need to understand 
that that principle of the lex talionis is applicable, the law 
of retribution. How did the enemies of Yahweh 
deal with the Israelites? By bashing their children against 
the rocks. So basically the psalmist is 
invoking that principle of the lex talionis, retributive justice. May the enemies of Yahweh reap 
what they have sown. As well, it's typological of 
what Christ does in terms of the enemies of Yahweh. Hamilton 
again says, there is no mitigating this brutality, Psalm 137.9. But if the statement partakes 
of the age old conflict between the seed of the woman and the 
seed of the serpent, and if the psalmist is here longing for 
God's judgment to fall on the seed of the serpent, then vicious 
as this text may be, it righteously expresses a desire for God to 
save his people by triumphing over their enemies. It's precisely 
what the psalmist is invoking. We want the triumph of Yahweh 
over our enemies. He just gets a bit more graphic 
about it than we usually are inclined to do. But the principle 
holds true. God, judge. God, cut off. God, destroy. Those who rise 
in opposition against your church, may you bring judgment to bear 
upon them. In fact, turn to 2 Thessalonians 
1. just so you can see that this 
isn't confined to Psalm 137. Again, Paul doesn't invoke that 
very vivid imagery of dashing little ones against rocks, but 
the principle is the exact same. Look at 2 Thessalonians 1 at 
verse 5. which is manifest evidence of 
the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy 
of the kingdom of God for which you, notice, also suffer. Paul acknowledges the church 
in Thessalonica, the Thessalonian church, they suffered for the 
cause of God and truth in the Roman empire. But then notice 
in verse six, since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with 
tribulation those who trouble you. It's a righteous thing with 
God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you. Brethren, 
there's a fourfold hallelujah in Revelation chapter 19, after 
the fall of the harlot. Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, 
hallelujah. The souls of the martyrs in Revelation 
chapter six, they cry to God, how long to avenge our blood 
on the earth? God doesn't say, that's a horrifying 
cry from you, you know, righteous souls. They're the souls that 
had been martyred. They're in the heavenly glory 
and realm. And they're crying that God avenge 
their blood. I think for, you know, a lot 
of Christians, we get a bit, odd when it comes to such concepts 
in Scripture. And we've got to ask the question, 
why do we get odd? Have we lost the sense of justice 
that is reflective of who God is? What do we find when Paul 
is speaking about Alexander the coppersmith in 2 Timothy chapter 
4? He did me much harm. May the Lord repay him. May the 
Lord repay him. And I don't think he means, well, 
I want him to be saved. I want him to go to heaven. I 
want him to get good things. No, Alexander the Coppersmith 
did me much harm. May the Lord repay him. Brethren, 
there is this in the scripture where the people of God cry to 
their God for justice, for vindication, for deliverance from their enemies. And then I would suggest finally, 
David crushed the head of his enemy with a stone and a sword. 
David's greater son crushed the head of his enemy through his 
death on the cross. It was at the place of a skull 
that Christ was crucified. It was there that Genesis 3.15 
comes to fruition and fulfillment. It is there that Christ destroys 
the works of the devil. The apostle tells us that in 
Colossians 1, Colossians 2, Hebrews chapter 2, and then in 1 John 
chapter 3. One of the purposes for Christ's 
coming in his first advent was to destroy the works of the devil. 
The skull-crushing seed of the woman rendered that death blow 
to the devil on the cross at Calvary. So David in the Valley 
of Elah teaches us much about our Lord Jesus Christ. Well, 
let us pray. Our Father in heaven, we thank 
You for Your Word, we thank You for this wonderful display of 
David's faith in a great and glorious God. We praise You that 
You are the living and true God, and that You do defend, that 
You do protect, and that You are there for Your people. We 
thank you for the sure promise of our Lord Jesus in Matthew 
16, that he will build his church and the gates of Hades shall 
not prevail against it. Let us live in light of these 
promises and let us glorify and honor you. And we ask through 
Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.