Goliath’s (and David’s) Challenge to Israel
July 26, 2020
Commentary
Sometime later the armies of Israel and the Philistines faced each other across the Valley of Elah (vv. 1-2), a wide valley approximately 15 miles southwest of Jerusalem (v. 3). The two armies decided on a contest of champions to determine victory. The Philistines chose Goliath, a nine-foot giant. You might recall, King Saul was a bit of giant himself, head and shoulders above the rest (1 Samuel 9:2). As King, he would have been the natural choice to face Goliath on behalf of the people, but he was not willing to risk his own life. And so, Israel had no champion (vv. 4-8). Goliath taunted the Israelites mercilessly (vv. 9-10), and the Israelites coward in fear (v. 11). After forty days, no one had accepted.
Three of David’s brothers were in Saul’s army (v. 13). David had been playing his harp for Saul but had gone home to Bethlehem to take care of his father’s sheep (v. 15). David had already been anointed by Samuel to become the next king of Israel. For forty days the giant came out and challenged them morning and evening (v. 16). While he is home, Jesse asks David to take some food and go up to the front lines of battle and check on the well-being of his brothers (vv. 17-18). Soldiers at that time had to maintain themselves while fighting the enemy. When David arrived on the front lines, everyone was talking about Goliath (vv. 19-20). David was immediately interested in challenging the giant (vv. 21-23). Where the Israelites saw a giant, David saw a mortal man standing against almighty God (vv. 24-27). He knew he would not be alone when he faced Goliath; God would fight with him. He looked at the situation from God’s point of view.
When David’s oldest brother, Eliab, heard that David had arrived in the camp, he became angry and asked what he was doing there (v. 28). He wanted to belittle David in the eyes of the soldiers. David said, “What have I done now? I was only asking why someone doesn’t take on this pagan Philistine?” (v. 29). Then he turned to others in the same way, and got the same response (v. 30).
Application
When people may try to discourage me with negative comments as I try to serve God. I just need to continue to do what I know is right and what will be pleasing God.
1 Samuel 17:1– 30 (NET)
1 The Philistines gathered their troops for battle. They assembled at Socoh in Judah. They camped in Ephes Dammim, between Socoh and Azekah. 2 Saul and the Israelite army assembled and camped in the valley of Elah, where they arranged their battle lines to fight against the Philistines. 3 The Philistines were standing on one hill, and the Israelites on another hill, with the valley between them.
4 Then a champion came out from the camp of the Philistines. His name was Goliath; he was from Gath. He was close to seven feet tall. 5 He had a bronze helmet on his head and was wearing scale body armor. The weight of his bronze body armor was 5,000 shekels. 6 He had bronze shin guards on his legs, and a bronze javelin was slung over his shoulders. 7 The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and the iron point of his spear weighed 600 shekels. His shield bearer was walking before him.
8 Goliath stood and called to Israel’s troops, “Why do you come out to prepare for battle? Am I not the Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose for yourselves a man so he may come down to me! 9 If he is able to fight with me and strike me down, we will become your servants. But if I prevail against him and strike him down, you will become our servants and will serve us.” 10 Then the Philistine said, “I defy Israel’s troops this day! Give me a man so we can fight each other!” 11 When Saul and all the Israelites heard these words of the Philistine, they were upset and very afraid.
12 Now David was the son of an Ephrathite named Jesse from Bethlehem in Judah. He had eight sons, and in Saul’s days he was old and well advanced in years. 13 Jesse’s three oldest sons had followed Saul to war. The names of the three sons who went to war were Eliab, his firstborn, Abinadab, the second oldest; and Shammah, the third oldest. 14 Now David was the youngest. While the three oldest sons followed Saul, 15 David was going back and forth from Saul in order to care for his father’s sheep in Bethlehem.
16 Meanwhile for forty days the Philistine approached every morning and evening and took his position. 17 Jesse said to his son David, “Take your brothers this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread; go quickly to the camp to your brothers. 18 Also take these ten portions of cheese to their commanding officer. Find out how your brothers are doing and bring back their pledge that they received the goods. 19 They are with Saul and the whole Israelite army in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.”
20 So David got up early in the morning and entrusted the flock to someone else who would watch over it. After loading up, he went just as Jesse had instructed him. He arrived at the camp as the army was going out to the battle lines shouting its battle cry. 21 Israel and the Philistines drew up their battle lines opposite one another. 22 After David had entrusted his cargo to the care of the supply officer, he ran to the battlefront. When he arrived, he asked his brothers how they were doing. 23 As he was speaking with them, the champion named Goliath, the Philistine from Gath, was coming up from the battle lines of the Philistines. He spoke the way he usually did, and David heard it. 24 When all the men of Israel saw this man, they retreated from his presence and were very afraid.
25 The men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who is coming up? He does so to defy Israel. But the king will make the man who can strike him down very wealthy! He will give him his daughter in marriage, and he will make his father’s house exempt from tax obligations in Israel.”
26 David asked the men who were standing near him, “What will be done for the man who strikes down this Philistine and frees Israel from this humiliation? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he defies the armies of the living God?” 27 The soldiers told him what had been promised, saying, “This is what will be done for the man who can strike him down.”
28 When David’s oldest brother Eliab heard him speaking to the men, he became angry with David and said, “Why have you come down here? To whom did you entrust those few sheep in the wilderness? I am familiar with your pride and deceit! You have come down here to watch the battle.”
29 David replied, “What have I done now? Can’t I say anything?” 30 Then he turned from those who were nearby to someone else and asked the same question, but they gave him the same answer as before.