Remember the story from Sunday school of David and Goliath. The young boy who killed the giant of the land with a sling shot. This story is told to millions around the world and is a favorite in Sunday schools and childrens' church. This biblical account retold has taught us of one young boy's faith in his Living God. However, his faith did not begin with Goliath? His faith grew over time and experience as he trusted and learned who his God was, and who he, David, was in relation to his God.
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As David arrived his brothers and the host of soldiers were shouting the battle cry and heading out for battle in fighting with the Philistines, army against army.
Hearing and seeing the uproar, David left the food with the baggage keeper, and ran out among the soldier's to greet his brothers. David heard a champion soldier of the Philistines step out and boast,"I defy the ranks of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together." (1 Samuel 17:10)
David watched as all of his fellow Israelites fled from Goliath, terrified. Then he boldly said, "What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Isreal? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?" (vs. 26)
Eliab, David's oldest brother, became angry with David. Why? Eliab accused David of being "presumptuous" and having "evilness of heart"? We read earlier in the passage that David was actually following the instructions of his father, serving his brothers. Was Eliab acting out of fear? Was he angry with David, because David seemed to be stirring up trouble; and without saying the words, calling the Israelite soldiers and his own brothers "yellow"?
David's reply, "What have I done now? Was it not a harmless question?" Does this mean David was a bit of a trouble maker in the past, showing up his brothers maybe? David then turned away from his oldest brother (almost as if, he was boldly saying, "get out of my face"), and asked the same question. The men gave him the answer again.
Word traveled fast as the words of David were repeated through the host of soldiers till they reached Saul, who sent for David.
David was not new to walking in faith. He knew that His God was a Living God who delivers him from all evil. We see this in David's reply, "Your servant (David) kept his father's sheep. And when there came a lion or again a bear and took a lamb out of the flock. I went out after it and smote it and delivered the lamb out of its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard and smote it and killed it. Your servant killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God."
David said, "The Lord Who delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine."
What was Saul to say to that except, "Go, and the Lord be with you."
You know the rest of the account. David killed the giant, giving God the Glory. Victory was his.
Our faith increases as we get to know our Living God, the God within us, our Father. We get to know Him through His Living Word, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Romans 10:17 David's faith had grown as he had been delivered protecting his father's flock of sheep from the lion, and again from a bear. David knew going into this fight, that it was not his ability, but His God's ability that would deliver him just as it had before. He had faith in the Living God, faith that had grown from trust and experience in God.
We often wait until their is a crisis to pray for help, pick up our bibles, or go to church. During a crisis is not the time to begin to build faith. It is in our daily lives, in the little things, we do each and every day that we exercise and increase faith, by hearing and hearing His Word, getting to know who He is so that we already trust Him when that big crisis comes into our lives.
Read 1 Samuel Chapter 17. There is much more to learn about faith in this chapter, like: Why did David choose five smooth rocks from the stream when he only needed one to take down Goliath? David knew God's power, why did he choose to use rocks and a sling shot to take down Goliath, when all he had to do was speak it out?
1Sa 17:1 Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephesdammim.
1Sa 17:2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines.
1Sa 17:3 And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.
1Sa 17:4 And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
1Sa 17:5 And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.
1Sa 17:6 And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders.
1Sa 17:7 And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him.
1Sa 17:8 And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.
1Sa 17:9 If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.
1Sa 17:10 And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.
1Sa 17:11 When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.
1Sa 17:12 Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehemjudah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul.
1Sa 17:13 And the three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.
1Sa 17:14 And David was the youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul.
1Sa 17:15 But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem.
1Sa 17:16 And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.
1Sa 17:17 And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren;
1Sa 17:18 And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge.
1Sa 17:19 Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.
1Sa 17:20 And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle.
1Sa 17:21 For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army.
1Sa 17:22 And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren.
1Sa 17:23 And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them.
1Sa 17:24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.
1Sa 17:25 And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel.
1Sa 17:26 And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?
1Sa 17:27 And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him.
1Sa 17:28 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.
1Sa 17:29 And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?
1Sa 17:30 And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner.
1Sa 17:31 And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul: and he sent for him.
1Sa 17:32 And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.
1Sa 17:33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.
1Sa 17:34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
1Sa 17:35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
1Sa 17:36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
1Sa 17:37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.
1Sa 17:38 And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.
1Sa 17:39 And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.
1Sa 17:40 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.
1Sa 17:41 And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him.
1Sa 17:42 And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.
1Sa 17:43 And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
1Sa 17:44 And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.
1Sa 17:45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
1Sa 17:46 This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
1Sa 17:47 And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands.
1Sa 17:48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
1Sa 17:49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.
1Sa 17:50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.
1Sa 17:51 Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.
1Sa 17:52 And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until thou come to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron.
1Sa 17:53 And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they spoiled their tents.
1Sa 17:54 And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armour in his tent.
1Sa 17:55 And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell.
1Sa 17:56 And the king said, Enquire thou whose son the stripling is.
1Sa 17:57 And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.
1Sa 17:58 And Saul said to him, Whose son art thou, thou young man? And David answered, I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.
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