Please read the whole chapter and feel free to post a reply even before you read my thoughts. If you don't have a Bible with you, you can follow this link to the passage: 1 Samue 17
What can I say about one of the most memorable stories from the Old Testament? All the drama that Hollywood would require is here. But perhaps the most striking thing is David's understanding of God's power. He says, "You (Goliath) come with sword and spear, but I come in the name of the Lord." The lesson, so to speak, is not that we can overcome our Goliaths, or that David practiced with stones for many years. Instead we see that despite appearances, God is in control and often uses the weak to shame the strong.
In the previous chapter David entered Saul's service, but here Saul doesn't seem to know who David's father is. I suspect the answer lies in the way events are recorded in a royal court. everything said is said officially "by the king" or "to the king". Saul may not have known the details of how David came into his service. I have heard this chapter criticized on the grounds that no commander would allow this type on one on one battle during a war. "War" is the early bronze age was more often a show of strength and contests of will. This type of mocking and challenging was probably not uncommon on both sides. Goliath's size (somewhat over 7'6") would have made the challenge even more impressive. Normally after a few days of taunting on both sides the fight would start. David's answer to the challenge was unexpected on both sides, but David (untested in battle, and unused to hearing the rough language) could not just let it go. The death of David at this point would probably have gone unnoticed, but for the Philistines, the death of their champion meant their "god" had been defeated, and sent them running.
ReplyDeleteDan Perling