by Jen | Apr 7, 2026 | 1 Samuel 17, David and Goliath, DISO studies
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
He is RISEN, my friend! I still remember when I realized the miracle of Jesus Christ was not that He willingly died a gruesome death He himself didn’t deserve. After all, I’d known many other deceased people who, in my estimation, also hadn’t deserved to die. No, the miracle was that His body, so brutalized by Roman torture and crucifixion that it could not sustain life, spontaneously came alive again without human intervention!
I believe every real Christian experiences something like that when they are “born again.” It’s certainly my story. There was no life left in me when I reached for that revolver. Then the room lit up; I heard Psalm 23:4 and felt a supernatural comfort I still can’t fully describe or explain. I can’t help but wonder if that’s how Jesus would have described what happened to him that first Resurrection Sunday. Every day we’re one day closer to being able to ask Him, aren’t we?
In the meantime, this week I felt the Spirit drawing me to study multiple verses based on an intriguing change in description. In v. 21, Israel is identified as (one) army facing the Philistines, but in v. 36, David declares that Goliath had defied the armies of the living God. The Philistine had certainly insulted Israel’s fighters, but what other army(ies) did David mean? And then in v45, David described YHWH as the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whose name alone was powerful enough to defeat the Philistines.
This week, I began my observation of the text by focusing on the characters, locations, and timeframes I noticed in this passage.
Last Week’s Work
WHO (CHARACTERS)
My review focused on four key players in this scenario:
- the LORD, whom David predicts will deliver him from Goliath. I noticed LORD is all capital letters again in this book. I learned from my recent Psalm 23 study that Old Testament Hebrews referred to God using initials: His name, rendered LORD, was too sacred to pronounce. In v26, the LORD is also described as the living God.
- David, a shepherd, sent by his father with provisions for his older brothers serving in Israel’s army under King Saul. His belief in God was so strong, he volunteered to fight in place of the whole Israeli army against
- Goliath, a Philistine warrior and the fully armored giant, who repeatedly taunted God and Israel’s army but died when he took on David.
- Saul, the king of Israel and thus the leader of Israel’s army in the valley of Elah.
WHERE (LOCATIONS)
The verses I’m studying deal primarily with the battle between David and Goliath, which took place in the Elah Valley (v19). This is significant to me: not just because we just studied Psalm 23, in which David also mentions a valley, but also because it feels like a valley is a difficult place for a fight; if one side gets the better of the other, retreat would mean running up a slope, in full view of your enemies!
Next, David chose five stones from the brook (v40) and declared his goal was to beat Goliath so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel (vv46-47). After David killed Goliath, the Philistines fled (v51).
WHEN (TIME FRAMES)
Goliath bellowed his challenge to send a lone warrior to fight him for forty days, morning and evening (v16), and no one from the army of Israel had taken him on.
David arrived at Israel’s encampment as the host was going out to the battle line (v20).
David told Goliath he would be delivered into David’s hand by the LORD this day (v46).
Dig-In Challenges
Here’s my plan for this week:
- PRAY the prayer I wrote last week before I study. Then I’ll…
- MINE: Look for repeated words or phrases in this passage and check for synonyms or pronouns that refer to the same concepts.
- MINE: Locate any special statements (blessings, commands, curses, prayers, promises, requests, and/or warnings) in the passage.
- MINE: Note any lists (3 or more similar items) mentioned in the study passage.
- Record what the Spirit prompts so I can use it in Steps 4 and 5.
Remember, you can download this printable summary of the DISO process for more specific instructions. I’ll share what I discover with you next week, so I hope you’ll join me then.
GO TO WEEK 4 >
by Jen | Mar 31, 2026 | 1 Samuel 17, David and Goliath, DISO studies
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
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!
GO TO WEEK 3 >
by Jen | Mar 24, 2026 | 1 Samuel 17, David and Goliath, DISO studies, Introduction
Hello! Thank you for joining me for this new eight-week study! I’m doing something a little different this time, studying three excerpts from 1 Samuel 17 about David’s battle with Goliath and focusing on the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel (1 Sam 17:45).
This is the second study in my new series, God Who?, and my goal for this series is to learn as much as I can about the many names of God found in Scripture. I can’t wait to see what the Holy Spirit has planned for me to discover in the next eight weeks.
Let’s Study 1 Samuel 17!
This week, I’ll begin by praying and surveying 1 Samuel 17. If you want to study on your own with me, here’s what I recommend you have ready:
- A copy of 1 Samuel 17.
I like to refer often to the text I’m studying and sometimes make notes on it, so I copy the passage from blueletterbible.org, paste it into a word processing program like Google docs or MS Word, change the formatting to suit my preferences, and print it out. If you want to use the ESV translation, here’s a pdf of my Scripture study sheet with lots of room for doodles and notes.
NOTE: My study sheet does NOT contain the whole chapter, it’s verses 19-27, 31-37, and 40-51, limiting our focus to the specific aspects of the battle in those verses. If this is your first time studying this story, be sure to read the entire chapter at least a few times so you don’t take anything out of context (we’ll discuss this more in Week Six.
- A study journal.
We’ll spend the next seven weeks immersed in and learning about 1 Samuel 17. Since the work we’ll do each week builds on what came before, plan to record at least some highlights from your work over the coming weeks. I’m old-school and like the pen-and-paper method for journaling my studies, but it’s okay if that doesn’t work for you. If you don’t have time to write out or type your notes, consider dictating them into a notes app, or recording audio files, instead.
Or, you may decide to just read the entries posted here, and that’s great, too. You’ll get familiar with the process and see how the Spirit speaks to my situation. Either way, I appreciate you checking in with me, even if you can’t dig into 1 Samuel 17 yourself this time.
Dig-In Challenges
So, here’s how I’ll be studying this week:
- PRAY: I’ll be creating a prayer with which I’ll start each of my weekly study sessions. If you’ve studied with me before, you know I usually just adapt a previous prayer. Though I’ve pretty much memorized my prayer, I still write it in my study journal as a reminder to pray each time I start studying.
- SURVEY: Then I’ll read my excerpts from 1 Samuel 17, noting anything that makes me say, “huh?” (as in, “I wonder what that means?”) or “wow” (as in, “that is so awesome!”). I’ll record these and later ask the Spirit to direct me to the one I should dig into right now.
If you’d like more information about these steps, check out this printable summary of the process I’ll be using here. Or, you can always reach out to me with your questions through my contact page or at [email protected].
I’m looking forward to sharing what I discover in this process with you, and I hope you’ll make a habit of checking in with me each week!
GO TO WEEK 2 >
by Jen | Mar 17, 2026 | DISO studies, Psalm 23
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Thank you for visiting with me today! I’m wrapping up my DISO study of Psalm 23, the first in our new series I’m calling God, Who? that explores some of the many biblical names of God. In this study, we discovered King David referring to Him as YHWH Ra’ah, the LORD, our Shepherd.
Last Week’s Work
LESSON(S) LEARNED
Studying this Psalm has shown me so much about how the LORD’s provision and presence impact the “sheep,” who follow Him: He provides contentment (v1) and necessities (v2), as well as righteous direction (v3) from His Word (2 Timothy 3:16!). His presence builds courage in treacherous valleys (v4) and in our struggle with real enemies (v5) [as defined by Ephesians 6:12]. Finally, through His guidance and discipline, we find comfort (v4); and all these experiences give us confidence to reflect His goodness to the world around us, knowing our future is secure (v6).
CONVICTION
I am convicted that the LORD, my Shepherd, is enough. Looking back, my life is littered with bad decisions that could have cost me everything. Yet here I am: scarred, yes, but otherwise unscathed. Moreover, this study has emphasized to me that my survival hasn’t come from any achievement on my part. It’s one hundred percent because of the LORD’s protection and provision.
CORRECTION
So what am I to do with this good news? I believe this time, God is using this study to focus my heart on verse 6: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
I see this statement of David’s as a challenge to me to accept the Christian commission described in Matthew 28:19-20 and show goodness and mercy to the world by sharing the gospel with others.
ACTION PLAN
This feels like a call to step out of my comfort zone and possibly return to work or some other situation where I can influence others, particularly non-Christians. I’m praying for more clarity: that I will see and recognize the path He’s leading me on!
Our Next Study
In the meantime, I can’t wait to learn more about God by examining other names for Him. Next week I’ll begin studying sections of 1 Samuel chapter 17, exploring another term David used for God, the LORD of hosts. I hope you’ll join me for that study, too!
by Jen | Mar 10, 2026 | DISO studies, Psalm 23
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Welcome back! As I write this, I’m struggling with a lingering cough (especially at night) that’s outstayed its welcome by more than a week. I feel weak and tired and sorely in need of a Good Shepherd to give me rest. Lord, hear my cry!
Last Week’s Work
CROSS-REFERENCES
He restores my soul. The cross-references focused my attention to see this restoration is fully attributed to the Shepherd. It’s not the sheep’s action (following the Shepherd/LORD) that brings the soul benefit; the restoration comes from and depends completely on the LORD. In Psalm 19:7, David attributes the soul’s revival to the [LORD’s] law, and this law is characterized in Psalm 119:174 as a delight.
From Job, I observed a reference that … God does all these things, twice, three times, with a man, to bring back his soul from the pit, [why does God do that? so] that he [man] may be lighted with the light of life (Job 33:29-30).
References from the prophets Jeremiah, Hosea, and Micah focused on God’s intention to restore the relationship between Himself and mankind (see Jeremiah 32:30-42; Hosea 14:4-9; and Micah 7:8-9, 18-19), which comes full circle when Jesus became the Lamb who, once for all, died to restore the souls of all believers to a right relationship with God (see John 1:29; 1 Corinthians 5:7).
He leads me in righteous paths… This language is echoed in other Psalms David also authored. In Psalm 5:8, Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness… make your way straight before me; and Answer me quickly, O LORD! … Make me know the way I should go … Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground (Psalm 143:7-8, 10)! The prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah also spoke to this leadership visual: And I [the LORD] will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known. I will guide them. I will turn the … rough places into level ground… (Isaiah 42:16). And … I [the LORD] will lead them back, I will make them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path in which they shall not stumble… (Jeremiah 31:9). Again, the LORD leads, and the final clause of my study verse answers why.
It’s… for his name’s sake, which again emphasizes the role of the divine Shepherd (not the sheep). David used the same phrase multiple times in his Psalms: For your name’s sake, O LORD, pardon my guilt, for it is great (Psalm 25:11); For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me (Psalm 31:3);But you, O GOD my Lord, deal on my behalf for your name’s sake; because your steadfast love is good, deliver me (Psalm 109:21); and For your name’s sake, O LORD, preserve my life! In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble (Psalm 143:11)! Clearly, the LORD’s name is something special! Just now, the Spirit put the third commandment on my heart—You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain (Exodus 20:7). And Jesus’s statement, whatever you ask in my name, I will do (John 14:13). Whew, God is already showing me the awesome power of His name in Scripture, and I’ve only just started studying it!
OTHER TRANSLATIONS
This time, I compared four other translations of Psalm 23:3 to the English Standard Version. The New Living Translation (NLT) and Good News Translation (GNT) provided interesting perspective. Both versions differed from the ESV, Amplified (AMP), and New American Standard Bible (NASB20) in the first clause by rendering the action as renewing or giving new strength (not refreshing or restoring the soul); and in the second clause by substituting guides for leads.
As far as the third clause, I think the NLT and GNT provide more perspective: in the NLT, the renewal and guidance [bring] honor to his [the LORD’s] name. Finally, in contrast to all the other translations, the GNT renders the last clause, as he has promised. On reflection, I think this means God does what He says He will do, which every line of His Word reminds me of, over and over again.
COMMENTARY
I didn’t spend a lot of time in the commentaries for this passage. I’m content with focusing on the personal, relational aspects of David’s described connection between himself and his divine shepherd. Though I am no King David, I feel like my personal relationship with YHWH Ra’ah has also been one of restoration, divine guidance (though this ewe isn’t always the best follower!), and revelation that continually shows me how God keeps His promises, even to someone who absolutely does not deserve it!
Dig-In Challenges
This coming week, let’s wrap up our study of Psalm 23 and align with what we’ve discovered here:
- PRAY: Use mine from week 2, or your own.
- ALIGN: Review your study notes (or what I’ve posted since week 2) and consider what you’ve learned in this study.
- ALIGN: Then, think about how the Spirit has convicted you through this study. In other words, where has He shown you misalignment between what we’ve discovered and how you practice your faith?
- ALIGN: Next, look to God’s Word for guidance to correct that misalignment. For me, this is often a verse from the study text or from one of the cross-references.
- ALIGN: And finally, reflect on how you can change thoughts or actions to align more closely with what you’ve discovered here.
To make this stick, I commit to change something and do my best to act on that commitment every day for at least three weeks.
I know the Lord will bless our efforts to understand and apply His Word!
