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Hello, Friends. I hope you have plans to celebrate Easter this coming Sunday! It’s my favorite holiday because it commemorates the one miracle that sets Jesus apart from all the other would-be first-century messiahs. All the others had birthdays, but as far as I know, only Jesus has a rebirthday!
Of course, the real purpose for this post is to share my prayer and what the Spirit revealed to me in 1 Samuel 17 this past week, so I’ll get right to that…
Last Week’s Work
MY PRAYER
Thank You, Father God, for Your Word and what it reveals about Your character. As I study this story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17, help me see, hear, and understand the lessons You have for me. Allow me to guide others through this study so we can faithfully represent You to all we meet. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.
HUH? and WOW! MOMENTS
This might be a record! I noticed eight Wow!s and four Huh?s as I read through this passage:
- WOW! Pretty high stakes in the battle between David and Goliath: whoever survives their contest wins, and conquers all the loser’s people, too!
- WOW! All Israel’s men fled from Goliath and were much afraid… even when the king promised wealth and his daughter in marriage to the victor. Some warriors they were (vv24-25)!
- WOW! Much bravado on David’s part, “[I’ll] fight with this Philistine” (v32)!
- WOW! Okay, maybe it’s faith: David was sure he’d beat Goliath because the giant had “defied the armies of the living God (v36).”
- WOW! More evidence of David’s faith in vv37 and 46 where he reveals his battle plans!!
- WOW! David approached Goliath with his [shepherd’s?] staff [reminds me of Psalm 23:3!], five smooth stones, and his sling (v40); while Goliath brought a sword, a spear, and a javelin (v45). They each brought three items, but David also brought the LORD (v45)!
- WOW! “… all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the LORD’s… (v47)”
- WOW! David ran toward the battle line to meet the Philistine (v48). I would never be eager to fight someone bigger, stronger, and better equipped than I am!
- HUH? Who are the armies (plural) of the living God mentioned in v36? Same as the armies of Israel mentioned in v45? But in v21, Israel’s defense is described as [one] army…? Maybe Israel plus a supernatural army?
- HUH? what’s the difference between a spear and a javelin (v45)?
- HUH? What does he mean by the name “the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel (v45).”
- HUH? V50 indicates David … with a stone… struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David.” But then v51 says “David… took [the Philistine’s] sword… and killed him…? Did Goliath die by the stone or a sword?
Dig-In Challenges
If you’re doing your own study, listen to the Spirit’s guidance this week and choose your own topic (your personal treasure)from 1 Samuel 17 to dig more deeply into. It can be anything you noticed in your survey of the text that raises a question or resonates with you, or you can use one of my responses above if you like. This personal treasure will help us narrow the focus of our study as it progresses.
- PRAY for the Spirit to direct your focus for the remainder of this study. In your journal, record the personal treasure He identifies, along with any verse(s) relating to it from the study text.
- MINE: Read 1 Samuel 17, focusing on three factors setting the stage in this text: note anything the Spirit emphasizes about the characters involved, any locations mentioned, and any timeframes discussed.
I’m looking forward to sharing my notes with you next week!