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.

Introduction

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.

Overview of the Four Movements

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.

Preparation for Battle

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.

The Meeting of the Warriors

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.

The Declaration of David

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.

The Point of the Story

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.

Lesson One: God's Glory Before All Nations

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.

Lesson Two: God Saves Without Sword or Spear

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.

The Victory of David

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.

Application: Kingdom, Type, and Christ

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.

David as Type of Christ

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.

Psalm 137 and Retributive Justice

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.

Christ Crushes the Serpent's Head

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.

Closing Prayer

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.

Scripture References

• Genesis 3:15
• Exodus 12:12
• Numbers 24:17
• Deuteronomy 17
• Judges 9
• 1 Samuel 4-5; 10; 11; 13; 16; 16:7; 17:11; 17:24; 17:26; 17:34; 17:37; 17:40; 17:41; 17:42-44; 17:45; 17:46-47; 17:48; 17:49; 17:50-51
• Psalm 2; 46:10; 110:6; 115; 137:9
• Matthew 16:18
• Romans 8:32
• Colossians 1; 2
• 2 Thessalonians 1:5-6
• 2 Timothy 4
• Hebrews 2
• 1 John 3
• Revelation 6; 19