From G.S.Munro http://www.ozemail.com.au/~gsmunro/resource.htm
Introduction
Jokes - preaching on this story is like trying to tell the 'why did the chicken cross the road' joke and make it sound funny!
Over familiarity. Everyone thinks they know the punchline - slaying giants in your life.
Slaying Giants application has some truth, David is an example of faith in action.
But it points us to something and someone far greater than David.
The Story so far…
[overhead of timeline] - explain/
God chose one man, Abraham...
Review Joshua, Samson. Samuel anoints Saul.
Saul 1050 - 1010 BC.
The Philistines
Who?
The valley of Elah
In Judah, on edge of Israel's border.
OVERHEADS of Wadi es-Sant
Stalemate - lined up on either side of creek and called each other names! For 40 days.
Goliath
Enter Goliath.
READ Verse 4 , 8 -10
1. This guy had attitude! A champion - man in between. US marines.
2. He was BIG. [chalkmarks] About 3.2 metres. Slam dunk feet flat on the ground!
3. He was SCARY. Look at verses 5 to 7: 5000 shekels=57 kilos. 600sh=7k.
If you were making a movie about this, who would you choose for Goliath? Arnie!
Goliath was a huge man from a huge clan.
What was the response of Saul and Israel to this defiance against the Lord and his army? Verse 11. READ.
Goliath and his shield bearer were very brave men - verse 24 - 'up' (NIV 'out')
Israel shouldn't have been dismayed, because God told them not to be, and they shouldn't have run, because Israel in the past had defeated such giants, Goliath's ancestors, when they took the Promised Land.
Furthermore, although Goliath is a cursing man, yet he is also an accursed man.
Gen 12:1-3 READ.
Eliab
READ Verse 28.
Eliab accuses David of being irresponsible and ghoulish.
He tries to belittle David - 'those FEW sheep'
Eliab's words highlight David's insignificance
Saul's words add to this in verse 33, "you cannot go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy…"
Several things explain Eliab's attitude.
- Eliab is David's eldest brother. Brothers always talk this way to each other! You can almost hear the whine in David's reply in verse 29 …READ
- Eliab is an angry man - why? a) jealous, and b) knows he's a coward.
Get people to look up chapter 16, and discuss why Eliab would have been jealous.
But there's another reason. What was David saying when Eliab caught him talking to the men? Basically he was asking "why hasn't anyone taken up this Philistine's challenge?"
Eliab, jealous, acting like a typical big brother, putting David down, and together with the rest of Israel, a cowardly man, with insufficient faith in the promises of God to take up Goliath's challenge.
Saul
1. Afraid. How do we know this?
2. Logical one to fight Goliath.1 Sam 9:2 Saul was "an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites - a head taller than any of the others."
3. defeated man. A has been. A spiritual failure. A sad case.
God gave specific instructions about such confrontations: READ Deut 20:1-4
Only a few verses later, God instructs the Israelites to identify anyone who is fainthearted so that he will not undermine the faith and confidence of his brethren (verse 8). The situation Saul and Israel face with the Philistines is not unusual. The problem is Saul’s fear and his lack of faith, which becomes contagious.
David
Who's afraid of a three meter man?! "Not I!" said David.
David - a mere youth. The youngest in his family. A shepherd boy. Untrained in warfare.
David was a 'man after God's own heart.' - look at his words here.
David had one thing that the trained soldiers of Israel did not have - an unshakeable and almost naïve faith in the promises of God.
David's faith rested on the promises of God, and the training and skills God had given him in his ordinary vocation as a shepherd.
Knew he had been anointed as Saul's successor, therefore, since he was not yet king, God must be going to preserve him in this battle so he could become king.
Jesus
Our great champion, against the real enemy who defies the Lord and his armies.
David is a prototype of Christ, as Goliath is a prototype of Satan.
Satan has the whole world trembling in fear of him and of death (see Hebrews 2:14-15). We, like the Israelites of old, are powerless to defeat him.
What we cannot do for ourselves, Christ has done for us, just as David fought Goliath
David a picture of Christ because:
1. He gained victory as a humble servant. (Phil. 2:8)
2. He did it alone. (Isa. 63:3)
3. He did it with one mighty blow. (Heb. 10:11-13)
4. He did it with the strength of his own hand. (Eph.4:8)
5. He did it as a representative and substitute for all his people. (John 10:11)
You and Me
Our society applauds 'Attitude' - the person like Goliath who is self-reliant, supremely self-confident, strong, and with a total get outa my face outlook on life. But in God's kingdom those qualities lead to only one destination - death.
God not impressed by what impresses your friends, or anyone who judges things from an earthly persepective. That is the way of Satan. The Evil One teaches people to put yourself first, to boast in your strength and ability, and to despise the people of God as weak and foolish. But the Evil One, like Goliath, is a defeated foe. He cannot harm you, because our Champion, Jesus, stands at the front lines and dispatches him with a single blow at the Cross.
Our society calls us to follow the way of Goliath, which is the way of Satan - pride, defiance, in your face mate, I'm looking out for number one. But our Champion calls us to follow his way. The way of meekness and faith and love and dependence on God's Promises. Remember some of the things Jesus said. "Come to me all of you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Goliath was a violent giant. But Jesus is our gentle giant.
Goliath would have said, "if someone even tries to hit you on the cheek, knock both cheeks from his shoulders. What did Jesus say? "If anyone strikes you on one cheek, offer him the other as well." And, "love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."
Which giant are you going to follow? The one whose place is in the burning pit? Or the one who sits at God's right hand and will judge the whole world? Are you on the Lord's side?
Jesus is our champion. Follow him and trust him to defeat your enemies of sin, the world and the devil.
Notes & Relevant Texts:
'champion' - lit. 'a man in-between' - one who fought between the front lines, at the vanguard of battle
Keep in mind that Saul was the logical one to answer Goliath's challenge - he was the Lord's Messiah king, and he stood a head taller than anyone in Israel
Note that at this point Saul has already been rejected as king (chapter 15) and David anointed in secret by Samuel as the next king.
A person cannot be a 'man after God's own heart' unless he first knows the heart of God, through His Word.
Relevant text: Deuteronomy 20:1-4.
David saw it as a theological, not a military struggle.
Outline:
Who's Afraid of a Three Metre Man? Vv 4-10
We Are! V11
I'm not! V26-33
Why Not? Vv 34-37
Alternative Outline:
Goliath
Eliab & Saul
David
Jesus
You and Me
Goliath's stats:
Height: 3.2 metres, or just under ten feet
Armour: bronze scale armour weighed 57 kilograms - probably nearly as heavy as David himself! Bronze leggings.
Weapons: huge sword, spear with shaft like a weaver's rod and point that weighed 7 kilos, bronze javlin, shield bearer.
Goliath - of the Nephilim, Rephaites & Anakites:
Genesis 6: 4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.
Numbers 13: 26
They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 They gave Moses this account: ‘‘We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. 28 But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan." 30 Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, ‘‘We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it." 31 But the men who had gone up with him said, ‘‘We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are." 32 And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, ‘‘The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. 33 We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them."Genesis 14:
At this time Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goiim 2 went to war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). 3 All these latter kings joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (the Salt Sea). 4 For twelve years they had been subject to Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled. 5 In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him went out and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim 6 and the Horites in the hill country of Seir, as far as El Paran near the desert. 7 Then they turned back and went to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and they conquered the whole territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who were living in Hazazon Tamar.
Genesis 18:
18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, ‘‘To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates— 19 the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites."
2 Samuel 21:
15 Once again there was a battle between the Philistines and Israel. David went down with his men to fight against the Philistines, and he became exhausted. 16 And Ishbi-Benob, one of the descendants of Rapha, whose bronze spearhead weighed three hundred shekels and who was armed with a new sword, said he would kill David. 17 But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David’s rescue; he struck the Philistine down and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, saying, ‘‘Never again will you go out with us to battle, so that the lamp of Israel will not be extinguished."
18 In the course of time, there was another battle with the Philistines, at Gob. At that time Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, one of the descendants of Rapha.
19 In another battle with the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan son of Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver’s rod.
20 In still another battle, which took place at Gath, there was a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He also was descended from Rapha. 21 When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of Shimeah, David’s brother, killed him.
22 These four were descendants of Rapha in Gath, and they fell at the hands of David and his men.
[1 Chronicles 20:4-8 is a parallel passage to 2 Sam 21:15-22]
Deut 2:
10 (The Emites used to live there—a people strong and numerous, and as tall as the Anakites. 11 Like the Anakites, they too were considered Rephaites, but the Moabites called them Emites.
18 ‘‘Today you are to pass by the region of Moab at Ar. 19 When you come to the Ammonites, do not harass them or provoke them to war, for I will not give you possession of any land belonging to the Ammonites. I have given it as a possession to the descendants of Lot."
20 (That too was considered a land of the Rephaites, who used to live there; but the Ammonites called them Zamzummites. 21 They were a people strong and numerous, and as tall as the Anakites. The LORD destroyed them from before the Ammonites, who drove them out and settled in their place.
Deut 3: 11
(Only Og king of Bashan was left of the remnant of the Rephaites. His bed was made of iron and was more than thirteen feet long and six feet wide. It is still in Rabbah of the Ammonites.) …13 The rest of Gilead and also all of Bashan, the kingdom of Og, I gave to the half tribe of Manasseh. (The whole region of Argob in Bashan used to be known as a land of the Rephaites. [Og is killed with his sons at the end of Numbers 21]Deut 9:1-6
9 Hear, O Israel. You are now about to cross the Jordan to go in and dispossess nations greater and stronger than you, with large cities that have walls up to the sky. 2 The people are strong and tall—Anakites! You know about them and have heard it said: ‘‘Who can stand up against the Anakites?" 3 But be assured today that the LORD your God is the one who goes across ahead of you like a devouring fire. He will destroy them; he will subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate them quickly, as the LORD has promised you. 4 After the LORD your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourself, ‘‘The LORD has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness." No, it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD is going to drive them out before you. 5 It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the LORD your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 6 Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people.
Joshua 11:
21 At that time Joshua went and destroyed the Anakites from the hill country: from Hebron, Debir and Anab, from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua totally destroyed them and their towns. 22 No Anakites were left in Israelite territory; only in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod did any survive.
Joshua 12: 4
And the territory of Og king of Bashan, one of the last of the Rephaites, who reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei. 5 He ruled over Mount Hermon, Salecah, all of Bashan to the border of the people of Geshur and Maacah, and half of Gilead to the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.Joshua 13: 11
It also included Gilead, the territory of the people of Geshur and Maacah, all of Mount Hermon and all Bashan as far as Salecah— 12 that is, the whole kingdom of Og in Bashan, who had reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei and had survived as one of the last of the Rephaites. Moses had defeated them and taken over their land. 13 But the Israelites did not drive out the people of Geshur and Maacah, so they continue to live among the Israelites to this day.Joshua 14:
6 Now the men of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, ‘‘You know what the LORD said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh Barnea about you and me. 7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions, 8 but my brothers who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt with fear. I, however, followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly. 9 So on that day Moses swore to me, ‘The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly.’ 10 ‘‘Now then, just as the LORD promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the desert. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! 11 I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. 12 Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said." 13 Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance. 14 So Hebron has belonged to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite ever since, because he followed the LORD, the God of Israel, wholeheartedly. 15 (Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba after Arba, who was the greatest man among the Anakites.) Then the land had rest from war.
Joshua 15:
13 In accordance with the LORD’s command to him, Joshua gave to Caleb son of Jephunneh a portion in Judah—Kiriath Arba, that is, Hebron. (Arba was the forefather of Anak.) 14 From Hebron Caleb drove out the three Anakites—Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai—descendants of Anak.
Joshua 17: 15
‘‘If you are so numerous," Joshua answered, ‘‘and if the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you, go up into the forest and clear land for yourselves there in the land of the Perizzites and Rephaites."From the above verses it is clear that Goliath was a member of a well-known and ancient clan called variously Anakites and Rephaites. These were considered Nephilim, or giants (lit. fallen ones). They are all described as having large stature and being mighty warriors. One had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot. This probably indicates some kind of screwed up genetic material causing giantism and other mutations. The link to the Nephilim in Genesis 6:4 may indicate that like the pre-flood Nephilim, the Anakites were the products of liaisons between the sons of God and the daughters of men, whatever that means. Goliath MAY have been of a line whose original sire was a demon (if that is possible - and it is far from certain that that is what Gen 6:4 means - scholars are divided on the issue - it could mean the offspring of men of the godly line and women of the ungodly line, or it could mean the offspring of pagan kings who called themselves divine).
Anyway, whatever Goliath's connection to the Nephilim, what is certain is that he is of a pedigree vehemently opposed to the Lord and His people.