A Study in I Samuel Chapter 17:1-58

I Samuel Chapter 17:1-58

Chapter 17

This chapter contains the familiar episode of David slaying Goliath with a slingshot.

Verses 1-39 – Egypt vs Israel today is similar to the Philistines vs Israel. Israel has always been the center of the world’s prejudice and wrath. The world does not like to admit that Israel was chosen by God.

Goliath was 9’9”. He was weighed down with armor. He chose to fight the world’s way. David was alarmed that no one would face Goliath. David didn’t want the armor of Saul. He wanted to use what God had provided…to do things God’s way.

Verses 40-58 – Why did David take 5 smooth stones to slay Goliath? Did he expect to miss? No, Goliath had four sons, and David expected them to come out also. Later we find out that David did slay them (2 Samuel 21:22). We also know that David did not expect to miss (Judges 20:16).

Goliath, the giant, represented the world and a pagan world-view. The world hates the Christian faith, and ridicules our faith like the Philistines ridiculed David.

Remember Samson? He treated the Philistines as a friend. He even married one of them. David treated them as enemies. We are told that we are in the world, but we are not to be of the world.

Saul represents Satan. He wanted to use the world’s way to help David overcome the giant. But the world cannot solve problems, it can only create them. Every time the world makes some great discovery or invents something it cause as many problems as it solves.

The world invented cars. Cars kill more people than diseases do. The world invented antibiotics. Infectious bacteria have adjusted to the antibiotics by becoming resistant to them. The world invented the airplane. Airplanes can bring on airsickness, jet lag and death, both in wars and in commercial flight.

David is a picture of the one who believes in Christ. He understood that God did not do things man’s way. Remember Joshua and the instructions he was given about crumbling the walls of Jericho?  What man would have done things that way? Well, here we have David going up against Goliath with a slingshot and a stone. What man would have done things that way?

How often have you heard a man say something like, “Sure, we believe in God. But God gave us a brain and He expects us to use it.” Well, that is not true. When we use our own thought processes we always mess something up. There is a way that SEEMS right to a man, but the end thereof is death.

Once again we ask, “What man would have provided salvation like God did it?” The answer is no man. Salvation come from trust in, and only in, the finished work of Christ at the cross of Calvary.