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well good morning welcome to free grace baptist church for those that are visiting we welcome you here is a blessing to be in the house of the Lord today well I call to worship this morning comes from Psalm 22 so if you'll turn with me in your Bibles to psalm 22 we will read verses 22 231 that's Psalm 22 verses 22 to 31 this is the word of the true and the Living God let's read together I will declare your name to my brethren in the amidst of the assembly i will praise you you who fear the Lord praise him all you descendants of Jacob glorify Him and fear Him all you offspring of Israel for he has not despised nor board the affliction of the afflicted nor nor has he hidden his face from him but when he cried to him he heard him my praise shall be of you in the great assembly i will pay my vows vows before those who fear him the poor shall eat and be satisfied those who seek Him will praise the Lord let your heart live forever all the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the Lord and all the families of the nations shall worship before you for the kingdom is the Lord's and he rules over the nations all the prosperous of the earth shall eat and worship all those who go down to the dust shall bow before him even he who cannot keep himself alive a posterity shall serve Him it will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation they will come and declare his righteousness to a people who will be will be born that he has done this amen well for our first Tim will turn in our red charity salter to him 10 Psalm 103 that's in our red thin Trinity Salter that's Psalm 103 will read of singh vs 12 30 we'll stand and sing together well before we pray I forgot to mention one announcement at the outset of worship that is there are augustines your heavenly Father we thank you for this day Lord God we thank you for the honor and privilege it is to be in your house worshipping you today prepare our hearts make us ready to meet with you today as your word is preached to us father God we pray that you would forgive us of our sins Lord we are quick to send a sin against you Lord God we do not love you and we do not love others we pray now that as we approach you we would be washed a fresh and the blood the lamb and we thank you for that great work of Christ who did live the law and perfection and did die as a perfect sacrifice father God we pray that your kingdom would continue to go forth Lord God that many might be saved through the proclamation of your truth and father God we pray that your will would be done that your morality your standard would be would be followed Lord God in this world we know that we live in a crooked and perverse generation father God we pray that you would save sinners and if you do not bring judgment upon them as well father god and father God we thank you for the ways in which you provide for us day in and day out yet we continue to ask and pray that you provide for our daily bread each and every day well I God we think of those who have physical ailments those with spiritual ailments and those with mental ailments Lord God we pray that you provide comfort and grace or to this day Lord God we pray for those that are struggling with pain and sorrow we pray that you would just give them comfort by your spirit Lord God we pray that that the blessings and love found in Christ would be filled in them by your spear Lord gather they might know the true in the Living God the one who is gracious the one who's merciful and the one who provides comfort we also know Lord that you are sovereign over all things and you work all things according to your wise and holy counsel yet we do not know why you do things Lord God yet we know it is by your wise and holy cow so father God we pray that you protect us each and every day as we got out into the world help us to work hard in our various tasks as if unto you that you might be glorified in all things and again Lord we pray for the preaching of the truth we pray that you be with our brother as he preaches it give him strength give him aid help him to know your spirit with him Lord God I me prepare our hearts again to receive your word in the name of Christ and for your glory amen well our next tim is comes from the bigger trinity hymnal we will sing hymn number 2 98 in the larger trinity hymnal that's him 298 will stand and sing together you you well for a consecutive scripture reading you can turn with me in your Bibles to first John chapter 4 that's first John chapter 4 we will read the whole chapter together beginning at verse 1 1st John chapter 4 at verse 1 beloved do not believe every spirit but test the spirits whether they are of God because many false prophets have gone out into the world by this you know the Spirit of God every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God and this is the spirit of the Antichrist which you have heard was coming and is now already in the world you are of God little children and I've overcome them because he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world they are of the world therefore they speak as of the world and the world hears them we are of God he who knows God hears us he who is not of God does not hear us by this we know the Spirit of Truth and the spirit of error beloved let us love one another for love is of God and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God he who does not love does not know God for god is love in this the love of God was manifested toward us that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him and this is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins beloved if God so loved us we also ought to love one another no one has seen God at any time if we love one another God abides in us and it's love is being perfected in us by this we know that we abide in him and he in us because he has given us of his spirit and we have seen and testify that the father has sent the son as savior of the world whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God God abides in him and he in God and we have known and believed the love that God has for us god is love and he who abides in love abides in God and God in him love has been perfected among us in this that we may have boldness in the day of judgment because as he is so are we in this world there is no fear in love but perfect love casts out fear because fear involves torment but he who fears has not been made perfect in love we love Him because He first loved us loved us if anyone says I love God and hates his brother he is a liar for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen how can he love God whom he has not seen and this commandment we have from him that he who loves God must love his brother also amen well the Apostle John gives us two primary charges in chapter 4 he first says at the beginning of chapter 4 verse 1 do not believe every spirit but test the spirits whether they are of God and then in verses 2 and 3 he gives us an indication how we can test these spirits he says by this you know the Spirit of God everyone that confesses Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God and this is the spirit of the Antichrist which you have heard was coming and is now already in the world the idea is is that the Antichrist isn't necessarily Barack Obama nor is it the Pope himself the reality is that there are many different antichrists to carry this spirit wear and they deny something concerning Jesus Christ we see an idea that an indication here of what was going on in first John namely they denied that Jesus came in the flesh remember why on his writing in first John 513 we see the thesis he's writing that they might know that they have eternal life you cannot have eternal life if you get something wrong concerning our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ how do you test the spirit how what do they say concerning Christ and you know them by their right truth by the right doctrine in this instance so we see this charge to test spirits we also have another charge in chapter 4 verse 7 beloved let us love one another now before he gets into talking about how we might love one another he goes into how God loved us he says this is that famous passage where we get to see high theology we get to see the essence of God in verse 8 for god is love and then we see a wonderful manifestation of God's love and verses 9 and 10 in this the love of God was manifested toward us that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him and this is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins namely love is objective and we see the objective nature of it in Christ Jesus it's something outside of us we see Christ who came he lived the law and perfection he loved God loved his neighbor and then died as that perfect sacrifice on behalf of sinners who sinned against a holy God so we see this wonderful manifestation of love an example of it in Christ Jesus now remember the definition Paul gives of love in first Corinthians 13 and they should be like daggers into our souls love is patient love is kind it does not envy it does not boast it is not puffed up it does not behave rudely it is not provoked it thinks no evil love does not rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in truth love bears all things believes all things hopes all things and endures all things now I think we get safe to say that the definition Paul gives in first Corinthians 13 describes our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ it gives us a further definition of how God is love remember in Exodus 34 when Moses was got to hear the name of the Lord God proclaimed to him the Lord the Lord I got gracious and merciful abounding in steadfast love showing love to thousands forgiving iniquity but who will by no means let the guilty go unpunished so the greatest manifestation of love our greatest example of love is found in Christ Jesus will let us pray dear Heavenly Father we thank you for the work of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ we thank you that Christ did live Christ did die and he was that perfect sacrifice we thank you that he is all those things the Apostle Paul describes we thank you that we can cast our worries our fears upon him and when that we are covered in his blood Lord God we pray that by your spirit those who believed on Christ might remember might seek to be to live like him we pray that by your spirit that believers might be conformed into the image of Christ Jesus we know Lord that believers are not perfect on this side the father God we pray that we would have a right understanding of love and that we would look to Christ day in and day out and father God we pray that we would test the spirits anyone who says anything false concerning Christ concerning the gospel help us to be bold to speak the truth to them Lord God and to test them knowing that they are not from you father God we thank you for your revelation we thank you that you've given us your word and we pray now that you be with our brother who preaches and teaches it to us help us to be attentive help us to be awake Lord God and help us to trust in you always father God may you be glorified in the name of Christ Jesus amen well our final him before the preaching comes from the larger Trinity hymnal well sing hymn number 219 that's him number 219 in the larger Trinity hymnal will stand and sing together you you please turn with me in your Bibles to First Samuel chapter 17 1st Samuel 17 taking a few weeks off from our study in Matthew's Gospel looking at the life of David specifically larger context of First Samuel 17 starts in 16 1 and carries on to the end of the book it's the story of Saul and David of course we all are familiar with the situation in First Samuel 17 David's battle in the valley of laila against the Philistine champion from Gath a man named Goliath last week we spent considerable time on the preparation remember I mentioned that we could have just gone to vs. 48 to 51 and saw that David slayed Goliath and sent him into the arms of his idol Dagon that's not how the author does it the author spends a lot of time in the background the lead-up the things going into this particular battle we saw the threat posed by the Philistines and verses 1 to 11 we saw the nature of the threat it was very strategic it was very tactical what had happened is that the Philistines had moved into a place of land that belonged to Judah well Judah must get into practice or Judah must go on the offense Israel as a whole to neutralize that threat and to deal with the Philistines and then we saw by way of almost a sideline note verses 12 to 22 God's plan the orchestration of God's plan and how it focuses upon David the shepherd this man who comes from unimpressive backgrounds in an unimpressive life situation but nevertheless hit has the hand of God upon him and he is the one that is thrust forth into this battle against Goliath we saw the contrast between the fear of Israel and the the faith gave it and so often we imitate Israel in this passage week waiver and we quake and we fear and we are paralyzed through and through rather than Manning up with David and say who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he would taught the armies of the Living God and then we saw how Eliab tried to discourage David and then we saw house all initially tried to discourage David and when we come out to the field of battle we will see how Goliath responds to David so David confronts not just Goliath in this chapter that he confronts eliab and he confronts all essentially David is the man of faith and determination in the chapter everybody else isn't I want to begin our reading this morning in chapter 17 at verse 31 just to refresh us of David's appearance before saw beginning in verse 31 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 soul said the David you are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with them 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 after it and struck it and delivered the land 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 David go and the Lord be with you sasol clothed David with his armor and he put a bronze helmet on his head he also clothed them with a coat of mail David fastened his sword to his arm and tried to walk free had not tested them and David said to Saul I cannot walk with these for I have not tested that 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 the 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 only or he was only a youth ruddy and good-looking so the Philistine said the David am I a dog that you come to me with sticks and the Philistine cursed gave it 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 and 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 Yahweh does not save with sword and spear for the battle is Yahweh'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 day therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine took his sword and grew it out of its sheath and killed him and cut off his head with it and when the Philistine 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 sha a ream even as far as gatha necron 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 II said to Abner the commander of the army Abner whose son is this youth and Abner said as your soul lives O king I I do not know the king said inquire whose son this young man is then his 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 answer I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehem I Amen will let us pray or blessed God in our Father we pray now for the ministry of your Holy Spirit we confess our sin our ignorance we confess Lord God that we are sluggish when it comes to the means of grace so we pray for forgiveness we pray you would wash us in the blood of the Lamb and we pray that you would help us to receive with Thanksgiving this wonderful declaration concerning the godhood of God most high may you give us grace and wisdom as we approach these Old Testament narratives to see that they are about you that they are about your glory and about your honor and about your praise in the earth we ask our Father that your spirit would guide us and lead us and instruct us and that you would form us or conform us rather unto the image of David's greater son even our Lord Jesus Christ who dealt the death blow to the devil himself by crushing his head we praise you and how we bless you for the gospel the free and saw and grace we praise you and bless you that it's not because we're good that we are here this morning but because you are good because you predestinated us on to adoption as sons by Christ because you called us out of darkness into marvelous light because you put it in us to praise into worship your great and glorious name so certainly salvation belongs to our God and to the lamb who sits upon the throne and may you bless and encourage our hearts now as we study scripture and we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well just to remind everybody that of the dimensions of Goliath notice in verse 54 it says that David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem but he put his armor in his tent that was a big head that was a jumbo melon that David had to cart around after hacking it off using the Giants own sort remember he was 9 foot 9 inches he probably wore a suit of armor that was about a hundred and 26 pounds some suggest that the Giants weight would have been in the six to seven hundred pound category and remember that the javel and that he that he had that he was armed with just the point just the tip itself wait about 15 to 16 pounds so this is one large man and he is full of taunts against the armies of the Living God remember in Chapter 17 for each step of the way they tell us something or the author tells us something about David but he never lets us forget Goliath because Goliath continues to blather on Goliath continues to blaspheme the God of heaven and earth and remember it's david who thinks theologically concerning this whole situation the first time in all of scripture that it is recorded of David speaking it is inversed 186 he says who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the Living God why are we cowering why are we running why are we hiding this man does not serve the Living God certainly if we have a living God it ought to empower us it ought to enable us we ought to go out to the field of battle and we ought to cut off this man's hand and we ought to feed as carcasses or his carcass rather to the birds of the air and let them feast upon this traitor upon this enemy of the God of heaven and earth and then just by way of reminder notice where David escribes or to whom david ascribes his strength I love that scene where he's before Saul and Saul essentially says you don't have any experience David you cannot fight Goliath David he's 9 foot 9 9 foot 9 inches he's full of power he's full of strength David you don't have any experience what does David say when I was tending sheep a lion or a bear would take one of the lands in its mouth and David would go after it he would strike the Lion of the bear and it would take the land out of the lion or bears mouth remember that's a pretty massive feat in and of itself are you going to run after a predator that feels the blood dripping down his throat you don't want to reach in there and grab that you don't want to lose your own hand David not only grabs the lamb out of the lion's mouth but he then tears the lion apart he's got experience but it's with ferocious mammals rather than champions from GAF but notice what David then says in verse 37 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 God's past faithfulness is the foundation for David's present usefulness what the Lord has done in the past ought to empower the people of God for the present when we reflect upon His goodness when we reflect upon his faithfulness is stability is multi multi faceted deliverances of us in every area of life certainly in the present that ought to empower our faith so that will operate accordingly and that bring us then to the fourth observation at least in this section where David's faith is manifested to the battle with Goliath 37b 258 and there are five things that we're going to look at here as we on fold this particular battle in the first place the preparation for battle secondly the meeting between the Warriors thirdly the Declaration of David fourthly the victory of David over Goliath and fifthly the victory of Israel over the Philistines now I submit that verse is 45 to 47 is what this chapter is about 45 to 47 is what the author wants you to learn yes he wants you to see how David had great faith yes he wants you to see that David was a man of determination yes he wants you to see the cowering Israelites who should have manned up and went to battle certainly all these lessons are appropriate but when we asked the question of our author in First Samuel 17 what's the point what's the main idea what is the focus that comes from David's declaration in 45 to 47 but let's look first at the battle with I'm sorry the preparation for battle in 37 be 240 Saul after hearing about God's victories over lions and bears via David Saul then says go and the Lord be with you and so essentially what happens now is that Saul doesn't want to send David into the battle without armor I mean this is a logical understanding isn't it we didn't we wouldn't want to send anybody into the military fray unless they're wearing armament they've got a helmet they've got a sword they've got a shield they've got in our modern parlance guns and knives and and rockets and tanks and and in helicopters there's just a whole bunch of ways to do battle today isn't that imagine if they would have had such things in the valley of a law David could have shown up with a rocket launcher and took Goliath out that way though that's not the point of the story of course you see Saul's concern I don't want you two on the battle without this armament so David tries these things on as I mentioned last week I have it I mind that he's almost like when you're a father and you let your child your son rather wear your suit it just doesn't fit it's hanging off of it it's not something that that is that is natural to him and david says as much david says i have not tried these weapons i have not proved these weapons I cannot wait into the battle with this Goliath this enemy of Israel with these particular weapons this is exactly what he says and then notice he then selects these five smooth stones in verse 40 I once heard a sermon on the five points of calvinism from First Samuel 1740 I'm not going to go there I certainly don't think that's what those five smooth stones represented so we have to appreciate something if David would have lived on this side of Oliver Cromwell he could have appreciated what that man had said pray and keep your powder dry David can't wait into the battle with Saul's armament because it doesn't fit and because he hasn't tried and proven it that doesn't mean that David mindlessly wanders into combat without some armament david has his sling david has a shepherd's staff david has his pouch and he selects five smooth stones he understands what will later be written in proverbs 21 that the horse is prepared for battle but deliverance is of Yahweh you see there's a fine interplay between Providence and responsibility when we know that our sovereign God governs all this creatures and all his actions that does not mean inactivity on our part it does not mean lack of preparation on our part it does not mean laziness on our part but rather knowing that we have a sovereign God knowing the doctrine of Providence we are emboldened we are empowered we do make preparations we do those things that are necessary in something very similar to what 2131 in proverbs says Paul takes up the same idea in second Corinthians he says one plants in another waters but it is God it gives the increase you see God gives in Greece he is sovereign in his Providence but that does not militate against the sewing and the watering and the praying and the preaching and the use of means that we must engage in if your doctrine of Providence ever reduces you to inactivity or your doctrine of Providence ever pushes you into hyper Calvinism then your doctrine of Providence is inaccurate it is false and you need to pray to God to give you a proper understanding David can't wear Saul's armor but that doesn't mean David's going to wait in against a 9 foot 9 inch monster without some arms at his side and that is precisely what he do does in terms of these stones Davis tells us such stones which would range from two to three inches in diameter and when flung by an accomplished warrior could reach speeds of a hundred to a hundred and fifty miles per hour all of which could make for a stunning victory in which it most certainly made in this particular instance this beautiful five smooth stones but God blesses the one five smooth stones in preparation but it's God who guides the one in to that forehead of that Menace from Gath who was taunting the armies of the Living God now notice secondly the meeting between the warriors vs. 41 to 44 much of the chapter has been essentially in this corner we have the champion of Gath he weighs in it there he's this tall he's this armed he's this this that and the other and in the other corner we have the shepherd boy from Bethlehem son of Jesse he has no experiences men would perceive it he has no ability as men would perceive it and now the Warriors meet each other in verses 41 to 44 the uncircumcised man taunts David does this surprise us been taunting the armies of Israel the entire chapter he's been blathering and yammering on the entire chapter now that Israel is sent their champion what Goliath does is target him specifically notice what he says the Philistine came and began drawing near to David and the man who bore the shield went before him verse 42 now and when the Philistine looked about and saw David he disdained him for he was only a youth ruddy and good-looking no it occurred to me last week when I mentioned what I'm about to quote that it almost sounded like I was had a beef against redheads or something but this word ruddy means probably redhead my granddaughter has redhead and I redhead and I love the life out of her I was just making an observation you happen to have red hair do not be offended here in fact if you happen to have read here be thrilled that you can identify with the best King Israel ever had other than the one who came from his line notice what he says he disdained him free was only a youth ruddy and good-looking John Gill says he looked about for his antagonist to take a view of him what sort of man he was 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 you see the scene don't you've got the power lifter at the gym he's got amazing numbers you can do an 8 or hunt 900 pound squat on this bench he's getting 500 pounds I mean he's just a strong man and now there's going to be a competition and somebody like me walks up he's going to say there's no way you can do those kinds of numbers or better yet somebody that's all off thinner than me walks up they're going to see there's no way they can make those kinds of numbers is this an insult am i a dog are you treating me in this manner he disdains him because he does not count him a worthy opponent when goliath wins the battle he wants all of Israel to fear and to shudder and to quake he wants there to be a foe that is worthy of his appearance Robert alter describes goliaths words in these ways he says a mere boy and an egregiously redheaded pretty boy at that this is precisely the order of the original sin tax arranged to mimic goliath perceptions has been sent to do battle with the mightiest Philistine warrior and then notice what does goliath say the very end or in verse 43 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 am i a dog that you come to me with sticks this is really ironic because David does think he is a dog doesn't he of course you're a dog you're 9 foot 9 inch man who has taken up as his cause the blasphemy of the God of Israel yes I think you're a dog yes I'm going to make you fall yes you are going to be defeated John Gill says truly David did not think him much better because of his impudence impurity and barking blasphemy against God and the armies of Israel and then notice something else very curious about this particular curse pronounced by Goliath upon Israel he cursed him by his gods so what happens when that one smooth stone finds its way because of the sovereignty of god into the forehead of Goliath what does this mean when Goliath falls to the ground and David takes Goliath sword and cuts that big head off it means that Dagon can't deliver it means that dag on is useless it means that Dagon is futile it means that when the liath leaves this earth he will go to see Dagon ultimately the devil because the devil is behind all of these idols he curses him by his gods but his gods have no power they have no strength they have eyes but they cannot see they have ears but they cannot hear they have noses but they cannot smell and you see to invoke name of Dagon to curse David is absolutely futile and it is useless and he boasts of course of his coming victory in verse 44 this is Goliath this is the way he rolls come to me and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field now that brings us thirdly to the Declaration of David versus 45 to 47 note in the first place the statement concerning his strength 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 remember last week I said I doubt any Christian reads 1st Samuel 17 and says wow I want to be like Israel that is hiding from the Philistines man I want to be in a lie up because alyiah kind of rained on david's parade and tried to dissuade him from joining in the fray I want to be a saul that opposes now we we we read 1st Samuel 17 we see David is the kind of man that we want to be even if for women all in first Corinthians tells the church act like men there is a militant vibrant dynamic faith that is exhibited by David in this particular chapter and every Christian reader as he moves through 1st Samuel 17 he hopes secretly or she hopes secretly I wish or I hope that one day I can be this kind of a believer will certainly verse 45 is one of those declarations in the Bible that is thrilling isn't it it is amazing David understands the score David understands the situation you come to me with a sword with a spear and with a javelin but I come to you in the name of Yahweh of hosts the God of the armies of Israel whom you have defined and now notice that David trash-talks Goliath it's not just a one-way street alliance out there blustering and blathering and yammering on about how he's going to mop up the floor with David notice what David says verse 46 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 your or give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth you see it's a bit different again David it's giving praise and glory and honor deference to the God of heaven and earth and David doesn't even question whether victory is his we have that kind of faith Jesus tells us in Matthew 16 I will build my church and the gates of AD shall not prevail against it you know how many Christians are quavering and clay kering a quivering and I eating sucking their thumbs and letting their knees not oh did you see the rise of this log have you seen that the wretched things that are being done by the civil government the civil magistrate you see the sorts of things that I go you know what Jesus has promised to build his church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it brethren we are called to believe the truth we are called to live in light of the truth we are called to march behind the one who has been us follow him David doesn't even consider the thought that he might lose on the field of battle as far as David is concerned it's a done deal you see this in David's greater son as well on his side or on the other side of the cross he always spoke of the accomplishment of redemption as having been accomplished he understood that what God had commanded was good he understood that submission to his father was everything he understood that when he said his face like a flint to go to Jerusalem what that meant what that entailed and what that involved and he didn't shrink back if you have one prayer for our church pray that God would increase our faith our faith what is it that brings people together to pray it is because we're blood-bought and because we believe that God hears right him that cometh unto God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him Hebrews 11 you see if your prayer life is suffering it's not necessarily the case that you need to read books on prayer perhaps you need to cry out to God increase my faith because you see when we believe God we will ask God when we believe God we will live in light of that reality and that is precisely what we find in David David is a glowing specimen of a human being in this particular chapter isn't it he just does what God says pray for David's in the church today and God willing next week in the following week hopefully you'll pray that they'll be jonathan's in the church because Jonathan to use the words of my beloved brother is a champion as well now notice here are the lessons that we are to take away from this particular chapter Davis says if we don't listen to this text the whole of 1st Samuel 17 then we'll end up bringing in all the junk about being courageous in the face of your goliaths whether the bully down the street for primary sunday school kids or everyone's preoccupation ones poor self-image we must protect ourselves from such deafness to the text one such protection is to note where a narrative talks about Yahweh that is liable to be where the accent falls and that is what 46 and 47 are all about a key word in this chapter means to reproach to define to mock to derive it appears six times Goliath mocks God and David honors God this is the point of the narrative and especially vs. 45 to 47 now note the two lessons that are supposed to be learned when we come to 1st Samuel 17 again we don't want to psycho psycho analyze the chapter I've got bad self-esteem I need to slay my Goliath with those stones that God has given me now if you want to do that do that but don't miss 46 and 47 you ever heard sermons where man preach is a glowing message but he didn't explain the text he didn't give you the point c brethren that is crucial in Bible study in preaching in whatever it is we have to ask the author what's the point of the passage and everything has converged here to tell us the point of the passage all of this lead up the threat of the Philistines the plan orchestrated by God they put the presence of David before alive and before us all this is it the trash talk is gone goliathus said his spiel david has returned in kind and now david says what israel and what the world needs to know from this particular venture in the first place the earth will learn that there is a God in Israel notice verse 46 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 get the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the feet of the earth that is that here's what David wants you to get is we want you to know Liath and all israel that are cowering in their boots here's what God has for you today that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel you see this was crucial in David's time who does goliath worship and serve he worships and serves Dagon when the nation is in canaan who to the Canaanites worship there's Bale there's ashra there's Molech it's interesting today Planned Parenthood out Molech smolak in their grisly and ghoulish behavior you remember who Molech was he's an idol it was a statue and he had his arms outstretched and they would light a fire around him and the worshippers would come with their little children and throw them into the arms of mola now the psalmist says that the idols have eyes and they can see you have years and they cannot hear guess what they have hands and they cannot catch and when the worship are through their baby to the idol it would bounce off and go into the fire you see the pagans and the Canaanites and the heathen they worshiped idols we and our Christian sensitivity come to the Old Testament we say horror of Horrors this is barbarism at its finest no it isn't it's your way of Israel being jealous for his glory Indy earth he created God makes this world and all things in it what is his creature do he raises his fist he constructs a mullet he throws his baby into the fire he constructs his bail and he somehow thinks that praying to bail or rather copulated in front of bail is going to get bail to fertilize feel you see this is falling in its idolatry and it's bad and somehow in the church today we don't really have that much of a problem with it I mean I know that John ends first John not on love not on unrighteousness not on you know good feelings and not on on experience and not on mysticism you know how John ends his First Epistle my little children keep yourselves from idols you see if you imbibe the doctrine of Antichrist you become an idolatrous qualify something our brother mentioned two particular men not being the Antichrist but if we understand Antichrist as a denial of the person and work of the Lord Jesus they could certainly be numbered among that unholy lot John ends his epistle not on experience not on mysticism not on finding yourself but on watching your heart from the idols of the nation's you see this is what would be published when Goliath fell to the earth that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel you see what is the lying he's been taunting the armies of the Living God he has been blaspheming the name of the Living God he has taken upon his lips that holy name and he's used it as a curse word so david says when you fall to the earth this message is going to be published that there is a God in the other as a god over Israel you think this is what David has in mind in 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 now we often take that step versus a very comforting verse and it is you can put it on your fridge you can put it on your bumper better yet put it in your head and heart do you know why God says be still and know that I am God I will be exalted among the nations I will be exalted in the earth because he's going to decimate destroy and bring to naught the enemies of god most high it's interesting in Psalm 23 that blessed testimony concerning the Shepherd nets or the Shepherd office of our Lord God what is David say when I walk through the valley of the shadow of evil I will fear no evil when I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil why for thou art with me and thy rod and thy staff they comfort me now it's not uncommon to consider the reality that God as Shepherd uses that rod and staff to correct his erring sheep you know we start to stray away what does he do he takes the crook and he puts it around our necks and he pulls his back do you know what the Shepherd is doing with that rod and staff he's killing wolves he's destroying enemies he's crushing hats he's cutting off he is protecting his particular people he is with them in the midst of the shouts the valley of the shadow of death and while they are traversing that dark road God the Lord is keeping at bay all of the enemies that would bring them to ruin you see this idea of God raining victorious over all of his enemies as offensive as it may be to the God hater and too many who profess the name of Christ but have watered down the entire approach to biblical revelation this is the Blessed hope of the believer this is what encourages us God will decimate Planned Parenthood God will destroy Islam God will cause Dagon to fall God will shatter Molech God will excuse clewd all sinners from the New Jerusalem again you're probably saying can you actually say this just wait when do we get to application gonna ask you an interesting question if you notice that many of the enemies of Israel suffered fatal head wounds keep that in your mind for later actually get it out of your mind follow with me now we'll return to that particular question notice the first lesson the earth will learn that there is a God in Israel but notice secondly Israel was supposed to learn as well those Israelites that are cowering those Israelites that are shriveled up those Israelites that are fearful those Israelites that are hiding behind their mother's skirts those Israelites that are too afraid to enter into the fray david says they need to learn something verse 47 then all this assembly shall know that Yahweh does not say with sword and spear for the battle is Yahweh's and he will give you into our hands now the nation was prone to trust the king who had military prowess the nation was prone to trust the king was a strong leader the nation was prone to trust the king who had good abilities in the battlefield remember when Saul is anointed and one of the first things that happens in First Samuel chapter 11 is that he goes and he battles against the ANA nights and Saul is killing ammonites until the heat of the day and certainly all this real like this they liked and appreciated this because after all the ammonites were their enemies you see in First Samuel 17 when it comes to Philistines Saul is right there with them quavering a quake a quaking in his boots they were prone to follow earthly leaders and forget the God of heaven and earth and this is what David says 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 in some brethren it's something that Paula firms in second Corinthians chapter 12 God's grace is perfected through our weakness who would have thought that David would be victorious on that day if the Philistine news network were standing out there and they saw David walk up to Goliath they would say we don't know what Israel's do it they've sent this ruddy young man he's kind of a pretty boy we don't think he's being going to be able to stand up to Goliath Israel thought the same thing at least embodied by saw and Alaia and probably the rest of that who is this Shepherd from Bethlehem that will ever be able to deal a death blow to Goliath she see david says that you need to appreciate this reality that is not about swords it's not about spears it's not about your prowess or ability but it's about God it is about the Lord isn't this what God has shown in the institution of the church did he give us gods are we strapped do we wander down the street making disciples with bandoliers across now he chose twelve simple man in the first sense and he put a simple message in their hearts and in their mouths and he sent them out to preach Paul says Jews seek after sign Greeks seek after wisdom but we preach Christ and him crucified this is the wisdom and power of God you see God doesn't need money God doesn't need resources God doesn't need all the things that we think he needs God is sovereign God is powerful God is good and God will most certainly accomplish his purposes in the earth David's makes this observation concerning the steam of weakness this team of weakness has been building throughout the chapter all the important people regard David is weak if we might colloquial eyes Eliab tells him you're a pain Saul warns your green and Goliath sneers your puny 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 one instant Psalm 20 some trust in chariots some trust and horses for the people of God supposed to trust in brethren who is that again what was his niche the Lord God of hosts you see have the church trust in horses and chariots if we can only do this if we can only do this if we can only manipulate people we can only create an environment if we can only usher in heaven on earth at least in these four walls and everybody will be getting get saved you know it's truly amazing is that God saves sinners and between four walls like these where it's riddled with imperfection it's riddled with sin it's riddled with shortcomings and it's riddled with all kinds of problems that God saves in our midst is truly amazing and i think this jives with what paul says in 2nd corinthians elsewhere verse four he takes gospel treasure he puts it in earthenware vessels so that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of men if you are converted under a preacher of the gospel you never Oh your allegiance to that preacher but to the god of the gospel you see God works through weakness Davis goes on to say what matters not is 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 beautiful the notice the victory of David over Goliath have said 48 251 this is the actual battle now I imagine that the lyoth was pretty clunky I used the word clunkiness in my notes and word underlined it in red I thought clunkiness was a word imagine if I was nine feet nine pounds weighing in about six or seven bills carrying the sword we're at 126 pounds of armor I wouldn't be the fastest guy in the world would I you get this picture that he's just this lumbering oaf marching in brainlessly to this battle what's David God yes God is sovereign yes victory is of Yahweh yes deliverance comes of the Lord but it's interesting that Yahweh who brings deliverance in victory oftentimes uses means well always uses means in our in our experience David was a lot quicker David was more nimble the clunky ones marching over to him what does David do he takes out that one stone and he let's fly and God bides it right into the forehead of this giant the text says that he died he falls to the ground and then he dies David doesn't have a sword so David takes his sword and cuts off his hand head and then the text says and he died wait a minute isn't that a contradiction that he died when to hit the rocket his forehead or did he die when he lost his head imagine if I shot someone at a particular scene let's just say I was at a 7-eleven and I shot someone in the head probably the worst illustration I could give but go with me it's on me someone else some bad guys shoot somebody at 7-eleven he shot and he killed him but he didn't die till he got to the hospital he didn't die perhaps for a few days later does the criminal have the option to go before court so I did kill him of course you did it was the bullet that you put in his head that brought him to death there's no contradiction if we think for a moment that we see contradictions in the Bible let us ask ourselves don't we think the author would have seen it don't we think that the man who writes back to back versus wouldn't have said wow that sounds odd are we somehow smarter than the inspired author of oly read that we figured out that there's contradictions there's no contradiction he hit him in the head with a rock he fell and he died he took his sword out he died no contradiction it's reaffirming its making the point twice pun intended now notice what happens on the heels of that the victory of Israel over the Philistines and 51 254 you mean Goliath why'd you mean Goliath wasn't honest he wasn't accurate no we said he was trash-talking remember what Goliath said if your champion beats me then the Philistines will be subservient to Israel that's not what happens the Philistines don't bow down and say hey we're going to worship you now we're going to serve you we're going to do what you say no verse 51 therefore David ran it's time sorry verse 51 be and when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead they fled now the men of Israel and Judah arose and shout it what were they before it's easy to get empowered isn't it when you have the victory in the bag brethren don't be that kind of a fan a fair-weather fan we're going to support our church in so far as everything's going well but the moment that something doesn't go well we're out of here wait a minute what's the deal man either you're in or out or whatever the situation may be I'm going to be in this cause and I'm going to serve the Lord but as soon as it gets difficult i'm going to run home and cry oh these guys are crying and whining and afraid now David killed Goliath and what do they do let's get um I'm not suggesting they shouldn't have said let's get them but it should have happened a long time earlier this was the military this was the fighting wing of Israel these were the soldiers these were the combat meant these were the ones who were supposed to take care of Philistines and Goliath but nevertheless they do they run they shout and they pursued the Philistines as far as the entrance of the valley into the gates of Ekron and the wound of the Philistines fell along the road to show a ream even as far as gas and a cron 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 and he put his armor in his tent I mean David's just so cool I wouldn't even touch a severed head I'd be like that's a key I think I mentioned that when I was taught when I preach their judges with Samson I don't think I'd pick up the jawbone of a donkey I really don't Samson picks it up and kills a thousand Philistines with it David means business David's not holding up his skirt here David picks up the head and he walks back in victory now the last few verses as I mentioned last week some people see a bit of a problem the end of chapter 16 saal obviously meets David David is the harpist that soothes that man when the distressing spirit from Yahweh comes upon him you know we get to the end of chapter 17 it's almost as if Saul doesn't know who David is no salt does know who David is remember the particulars it was promised by saw that the victor over Goliath would be able to marry a Saul's daughter and that his father would receive a receive tax exempt status in Israel the question thats all poses at the end of chapter 17 is not who is David but whose son is he he needs to identify Jesse you say well back in 16 he would have heard of Jesse he's a bureaucrat there's a lot of things going on in the orchestration of a kingdom he could forget the father of a servant in his court the issue is not that he forgets David he's ascertaining who David's father has so that hopefully he can make good on his vow or promise to give tax exempt status now there's our exposition will close with a couple of lessons and then we'll move on the first place the advancement of God's kingdom is something we ought to appreciate here because that's what this is it is the advancement of God's kingdom typological to be sure the antitype is the progress of the kingdom today but certainly as we look in First Samuel 17 and the continual rise of David to the throne in Israel what do we see under his rule and under his reign we see advance we see progress we see it going forward and the way we do not see that progress go forward in First Samuel 17 is through experience or through weaponry or through a superior ability but rather we see the manifest grace and the strength of god or the strength of God rather manifested in the weakness of David the same is true for the advancement of the kingdom today what are the weapons that God has given to the church today not five smooth stones necessarily he's given us prayer he's given us preaching you say well we can read our Bibles and forth of course that's what we should do absolutely but in terms of the church what is the church supposed to do she's supposed to pray she's supposed to preach it's interesting that the Reformers identified three marks of true churches one preaching the word to the administration of sacraments and three the exercise of discipline that's what churches are supposed to do that's the measuring standard that's the rule that's the paradigm that's what she's supposed to do not everything else that she wants to do the kingdom of God will advance insofar as the people of God do what they're called by God and do it faithfully in the second place back to that statement I made earlier have you ever noticed how many times in the Old Testament the enemies of God suffer fatal wounds to their heads maybe you have it so I will refresh your memory I think what we have in First Samuel 17 is typological of what Genesis 3 15 promises is in the future Genesis 3 15 where God says to the devil and 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 now the identity of the seed here probably has both a collective and an individual aspect individually it's a reference to Jesus Christ relations 316 tells us he is the seed singular of Abraham he is the seed that crushes the serpent he is the seed that destroys the devil but Jesus as seed has AC so there is a collective reference I think what the author is telling us Moses is that there will be an antithesis between the wicked and the righteous that will ultimately be ended by the righteous seed himself who brings victory to all of his seed need to understand this the nature of the seed as described in 350 and I will put enmity between you and the woman in between your seed and her seed we get from Genesis 3 15 that the Conqueror the victor at a comp is going to be a man and he is going to be born of a woman beautiful we consider Galatians 4 for in the fullness of the times God sent forth his son born of a woman born under the law to redeem those under the law as well the victory of the seed he crushes the head of the serpent now notice he shall bruise your head that's a death blow isn't it you get your head bruised or your head crushed what happens you do not continue on to sing another day and you shall bruise his heel now I've always understood this as impaired asset at the death of Christ on Calvary when Jesus dies he delivers a death blow to the head of the serpent but in his suffering comparatively he most certainly does suffer comparatively it's as if his heel was bruised but consider this Michael Riedel neck points this out in his book on the Messianic hope he says what does a serpent do to deliver a death blow it bites you right and where do serpents typically bite you remember they don't have feet they don't stand up and they don't go for the neck everybody with me pay attention listen typically a slithering serpents going to bite you on the fort it's going to bite you on the heel what we have at the end of verse 15 is probably not a comparative statement in terms of the fact that his head will be crushed but your brute your your heel will be bruised but what we have is how the head of the serpent will be crushed it is through the death of the seed himself because he has been bit fatally by the serpent but lo and behold he'll rise again the third day and he'll enter into his glory and he'll bring many sons to glory with them you need to understand Genesis 3 15 is very parody matic or programmatic for the rest of the Bible and as I said if you look at the enemies of Israel throughout redemptive history many of them suffer fatal head injuries how did Jael dispose of cicero she took a tent peg and drove it through his head how did a bivouac meet his end remember that road man who wanted to irrigate for himself a position of authority he goes around the countryside wreaking havoc on Shah camp he gets to the-- bez he's going to clari he knows there's people up in the tower and it says a certain woman we're not even given her name a certain woman takes a large millstone and throws it out of the tower guess where it hits it crushes his head you see these are typical statements given to Israel in light of this garden promised to point them to the coming Redeemer you see this even in the law numbers 24 most would take verse 17 as a reference to Messiah shattering the forehead of Moab you see this in the prophets in Isaiah and in Jeremiah and in a bakit the enemies of the Lord meet with fatal head wounds you see this in the psalter in Psalm 68 you see this in psalm 119 I pointed this I'm sorry Psalm 110 I pointed this out last month at the Lord's Supper the skull-crushing seed of the woman is going to render the debt of the devil defeated and we have these payments these types I think this understanding helps us to make heads or tails out of Psalm 137 nine have often thought that preachers ought to preach the hardest texts in the Bible one of the hardest tax i think is deuteronomy 13 some 130 79 would have to take its place among the top three of hard bible verses to breach that's when the psalmist says happy is he who dashes your little ones against the stones psalmist sees the wickedness of Babylon the psalmist witnesses the wickedness of Babylon inflicted upon Judah and the so the psalmist praised the psalmist pronounces a beatitude on the ones who would rise up and take Babylonian children and dash them on stones again that's a tough passage to get one's mind wrapped around perhaps if we were Judah heights and we had witnessed Babel hunt do that to our children we might sing a different song but consider the reality in light of this garden promised in Genesis 3 could be a messianic statement the fact that the psalter is Davidic through and through certainly helps us to understand this reality the psalmist could be saying happy as the Christ will take the collective seed of the serpent and will dash them against the rocks when he brings victory for his people you see what we have in these types of the enemies of Israel losing their lives through fatal head blows is probably a witness to the reality that Christ will come to crush the head of the devil and then finally brethren we need to make sure that we understand the point of the passage I encourage you to take vs. 45 to 47 however you need to do it and put a little mark next to it a little bracket around it that's the point of the passage whenever men preach whenever men study whenever men read whenever men teach please get the point of the passage the Bible has made been made to say a lot of things it never said the Bible has been used to substantiate things that it never made into some of the obvious things we miss some of the clear things we miss we take our experience we take our our desires and we read it into the text of the scripture Davis is right ask the question what does the Bible assert about God in this passage and learn that lesson and the two lessons primarily that come to the fore in this chapter is that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel and that all Israel may know that he doesn't save by sword or by spear or by military prowess but he saves by his mighty right arm and it is intriguing that David's greater son his gospel teaches us the same things doesn't it Christ lived he died he was risen again on the third day that cross testifies that there is a God in Israel that cross testifies that everything prophesied everything written concerning of him came to fruition so all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel if you have not come to the cross if you have not learned of God through his song the Lord Jesus may I say believe on Him believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved you say but I thought this was a Calvinistic church I thought you taught predestination I thought you thought sovereign grace we most certainly do we most certainly do but we also teach that all men everywhere ought to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ you see we proclaim Christ and improves afire we tell men believe on Him we leave the saving business up to God with whom there is power belief why will you die why will you turn your back in his Providence in His goodness in his his demand in his kindness you are hearing the gospel today do you know many persons in the history of the world have never had that privilege they have never heard that Jesus lived he died and he rose again which that's the gospel the gospel isn't my warm feelings the gospel most certainly is not my life the gospel is the good news concerning Christ and him crucified and risen there are a whole multitude in this world populated with seven billion people that have not come into contact with that message of the gospel you have right here right now today you can continue to resist you can continue to reject you can continue to write it off you could continue to make excuse you can continue recourse in your sin you can continue with your day gongs or your mole acts or your bails or your money or your possessions or your whatever or you can by God's grace believe I will he died to the Saints of Christ pray walk in faith trust in the means that God has ordained listen to Paul in first Corinthians 121 for since in the wisdom of God the world through wisdom did not know god it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe Israel brethren you need to learn it's not horses and it's not chariots that ultimately bring deliverance it is the name of our God will let us pray our Father we thank you for the word of God and we thank you for First Samuel chapter 17 for what it teaches us about God help us to receive these lessons help us to recognize that there is a God in Israel and as those who by grace are believing may we recognize that your strength is made perfect through our weakness grant us help father too see with Thanksgiving these lessons and grant us grace to live in light of them and we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord amen we'll close with a brief time of meditation