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Wow! I have so much to share with you this week—let’s get right to it.

Last Week’s Work

CONTRASTS

As I prayed about comparisons in this text, I felt the Spirit guiding me to look deeper than the obvious contrast between David (the boy) and Goliath (the giant). I began with the language He drew me to a few weeks ago: specifically, references to Israel’s army/armies and to God.

I noticed the narrator of this story referred to Israel’s army [singular], but he also recorded David’s reference to the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies [plural] of Israel (emphasis added). Moreover, armies appears two other times in the text, both also from David’s words. First, he describes Goliath as an uncircumcised Philistine who was defying the armies of the living God (emphasis added). Then, David repeats this language to Saul while explaining his desire to fight the Philistine: because Goliath had defied the armies of the living God (emphasis added). He may have physically been a youth, but spiritually, David was clearly a colossus!

Verse 45 contains another contrast spoken by David that the Spirit highlighted for me. I think it lays out a key difference between the two fighters: a fully armored Goliath placed his confidence in his sword, spear, and javelin, while David was unprotected and only carried a staff, a sling, and some rocks, trusting in the name of the LORD of hosts. How exceedingly powerful that name was… and still is today!

It’s clear David’s faith in the LORD bested Goliath’s physical advantage and prowess, but there was also another, less obvious contrast: David’s faith/Saul’s faith. I first noticed it at the end of verse 37. It’s only after David explained why he believed Goliath would be defeated that Saul gave David his blessing… but then he tried to induce David to wear Saul’s ill-fitting armor! We can’t know Saul’s true motivation for this: was he hoping to be credited for the defeat if David prevailed? Or at least be honored as fallen in battle if Goliath won? Did he truly want to protect David, and was that the only armor available? Who knows? What I think this does show is Saul’s lack of faith (even as he invoked the LORD to bless David!) that God would really defeat this huge, battle-tested Philistine using a shepherd/delivery boy.

CAUSES/MOTIVATION

Though there were many more, my focus was trained on four connectors from this passage, all spoken by David. I mentioned the first, why Goliath would be killed like the predators he faced as a shepherd, in the contrast discussion above.

The other three connectors tell us the following:

1. The LORD would defeat Goliath and the whole Philistine army…
   [so] that
   all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel and
2. [so] that
   all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear.
3. He also said they would know those two things
    for [or because]
   the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give you into our hand.

This convicted me: I heard the Spirit ask, “What fierce enemies are you trying to defeat in your own power? If God shows up in your battle, will all the earth know about Him?”

CONDITIONS/METHODS

Again, the Spirit directed me to just one described condition: the stalemate between the armies in the valley of Elah. Goliath had been taunting Israel’s army for forty days before David’s dad sent him to deliver his brothers’ care package. Israel’s whole army was much afraid of that one man! King Saul had even resorted to bribery, and still, no one would stand up to Goliath. Then came a youth who’d been victorious in some dangerous situations, but he didn’t attribute that success to his own methods: David knew—and acknowledged—the LORD delivered him, and he trusted He would do it again. God did!

Dig-In Challenges

This coming week, I’m planning to:

1. PRAY. Of course!
2. REFINE my understanding of this text by making a note of all the types of writing (instruction, law, letter, narrative, poetry, and/or prophecy) I discover in 1 Samuel 17.
3. REFINE: Next, I’ll research the book’s historical context by referencing an introduction to the book of 1 Samuel, starting here. If you’re working along with me, note any relevant or interesting facts you uncover in your review of these materials. Based on the writing type (from step 2, above) and what you discover in the introduction, should 1 Samuel 17 be interpreted literally?
4. REFINE: Last, I’ll be looking up the meaning of a few words and phrases from my focus verses using an interlinear Bible tool. I like Biblehub.com’s Hebrew tool for this research. To use it, follow the link above. You can quickly access a verse by selecting it from the dropdown box showing 17:1 at the top of your screen, or you can scroll to it by clicking the right-pointing arrow (to the right of the verse citation, 1 Samuel 17:1) for higher numbered verses. Once you locate the verse, click the number in the Strong’s column that corresponds to the English word or phrase you’re researching. Note anything the Spirit highlights for you in the information provided.

I encourage you to use these tools and dig as much as you can this week. I pray the Spirit will bless your efforts, my friend!

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