Then David reached into his bag, took out a stone, and slung it, striking the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground. Sermons
1. The obligation is imposed by the Lord. "Fight the good fight of faith." 2. The adversaries are the adversaries of the Lord. "Principalities and powers," etc. 3. The soldiers are the people of the Lord. Those in whose hearts the principles of the kingdom of God are implanted - "righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." 4. The Commander is the Anointed of the Lord. "The Captain of our salvation." "The Leader and Commander of the people." 5. The weapons are provided by the Lord. "Put on the whole armour of God" - "the armour of light." 6. The success is due to the Lord. He gives the strength which is needed: "teacheth our hands to war, and our fingers to fight," and "he will give you into our hands." 7. The end is the glory of the Lord. When it is over God will be "all in all." "Who is on the Lord's side?" - D.
And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and smote the Philistine in his forehead. It would be interesting to dwell on the various personages that appear prominently in this historic scene. They are Saul, Eliab, Goliath, and David; the dismayed monarch, the envious brother, the scornful enemy, and the man of God. Whatever Saul's sins had been, he acted well on this occasion. He did not despise the rumour of David's words but sent for him; and when he professed his readiness to fight the Philistine, "Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee." There is something very affecting in these words. Saul had violated the principles of the theocracy; he had been rejected by God, and the sentence of rejection bad gone forth; "the Spirit of the Lord had departed from him;" and yet he could recognise the workings of that Spirit, be touched with expressions of godly trust, and bid God-speed to another in an exploit forbidden to himself. Poor Saul! In Eliab we have a characteristic display of genuine human nature. Goliath stands before us as a type of brute power and blustering self-confidence. What shall we say of David? What simplicity and strength of heart appear throughout! what meekness before his angry brother, what modest dignity before Saul, what courage before Goliath, what humility and confidence before God!I. DAVID POSSESSED A STRONG AND UNWAVERING CONFIDENCE IN GOD. From whatever grounds that assurance proceeded, he felt it; and it was the secret of his calmness and strength. The inquiry may occur to us, How came David to have this faith? We do not read of any Divine declaration made to him on the subject; it is not written that God told him that he should triumph: whence then did it proceed? was it holy trust, or vain presumption? It is possible to possess a sure confidence of success, and to succeed in consequence of that confidence, and yet to have no just grounds for it; and David might have felt securely and wrought gloriously without any reasonable basis for his trust. The only ground he himself assigned was past Providence. But in connection with something else, that deliverance would have a special argumentative force. Along with his predicted destiny it would be valuable. The Lord had said, "Arise anoint him: for this is he." Thus set apart by the prophet, immunity was assured him; and the immunity already granted would justly bear the character, not of a mere fact, but of a kind of pledge and guarantee. And might there not be something more still? Is it unlawful to suppose Divine suggestion and impression? We are told, in connection with his selection as Saul's successor, that "the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward." A like confidence may be possessed as to particular events. Who has not read of instances of strong presentiment in men having no religion, in relation to their worldly destiny, or the success of their enterprises? They were determined to reach a certain goal; they felt that they could reach it; and they did reach it: power and purpose became prophecy. The history of saints furnishes like instances. II. DAVID'S FAITH WORKED WISELY. If he had confidence in God that victory would be his, he expected victory in the way of applying his own powers and resources. It was not a miracle, but a natural operation, that he looked to for triumph. God must be in it, but not in it so as to dispense with means. The opinion is very prevalent, and the impression still more so — though neither so prevalent as they used to be — that God is in the habit of employing unlikely instruments; that, for the purpose of revealing His all-sufficiency and bringing honour to Himself, He delights to contrast results with their secondary causes, and to disappoint the calculations founded on the supposed efficiency of human agents. To hear some men talk, you might conclude that God cannot be properly said to employ instruments at all; that in Nature, and still more in Providence, and most of all in grace, they are not so much instruments that He employs as obstacles, not so much things having a tendency and fitness to accomplish His designs as things altogether unsuitable and inappropriate. Now this belief or feeling is entirely erroneous and woefully mischievous. Many are the connections in which this important truth is lost sight of, and men imagine that they do honour to God by denying or ignoring it Sometimes the grand central truth of the Gospel is adduced as an illustration of important results brought about by unlikely means; and Paul's statements respecting "the foolishness of preaching" are made to sanction this use of the doctrine of the cross. Yet surely this is to mistake the matter altogether. We admit and maintain the need of Divine influence to render even this truth effectual — and that influence is one of the most glorious proofs of the virtue of Christ's death — but we also assert that never was truth more adapted to produce the effects proposed, to open the deep fountain of human affections, than the truth of "Christ; crucified." Much the same may be said of faith, as the appointed instrument end condition of spiritual blessing. The importance attached to faith in the Bible, and the marvellous virtue ascribed to it, are often regarded as a proof a mere arbitrariness on the part of God, having nothing to do with its inherent qualities and powers. And truly, if faith were what many deem it, a simple reception of historical facts or theological opinions, it might properly be so regarded. But if faith is, as any careful student of the New Testament may easily ascertain it to be, spiritual insight and sympathy as well as intellectual credence; if it is the reception of Gospel facts in their moral meaning and relations; it would be difficult to discover how anything except faith could realise the effects which Christ came into the world to secure. How can truth operate except by being believed? How can spiritual truth operate but through spiritual faith? The truth we are now asserting requires to be applied to spiritual human agency. Many need to be convinced of the propriety of this application of it; they do not see that the power of Christian workers has a regular relation to their qualifications. Doubtless in Greek and Roman and even Jewish eyes, the agency which Christ appointed and honoured was feeble and worthless, ridiculously so; considered simply as "of the world," and in connection with merely worldly works and aims, it was foolish, weak, base, yea nothing at all: but that is very different from saying that in God's eye, and according to spiritual laws, and for the production of spiritual effects, it was so. The doctrine we have in hand should be recognised in the sphere of physical and secular affairs. We are not perhaps in most danger here; it is in the department of God's spiritual works that we cleave to the faith and expectation of the irregular and unusual: yet is there on some minds an impression that law does not preside over our material and worldly interests, and that God does interfere to avert the natural consequences of actions and conditions. David had confidence in God, the simplest and firmest, that he would overthrow Goliath, but in the strength of that confidence he employed his familiar weapons of offence. He did just what he would have done if he had sought the destruction of the giant without any confidence in God: but his confidence doubtless enabled him to do it better than with a faithless heart he could have done it; it was an inspiring, a strengthening principle. And true faith is always such. (A. J. Morris.) Sunday Companion. A short time ago a geologist heard of a builder's yard where an enormous heap of stones might be purchased. The man of science bought the whole stock for a few pounds, and had the collection removed to his own premises. From the heap the geologist was able to discover many unique specimens of fossils, and today several of our leading museums have been enriched and smaller museums supplied with collections worth in all a large sum. Common weapons in the hand of a good man are often used by the Lord to achieve victory. God can use the simplest gifts of His workers if consecrated to His service.(Sunday Companion.) People Abinadab, Abner, David, Elah, Eliab, Ephah, Goliath, Israelites, Jesse, Saul, ShammahPlaces Azekah, Bethlehem, Ekron, Ephes-dammim, Gath, Jerusalem, Shaaraim, Socoh, Valley of ElahTopics Bag, Band, Brow, David, Deep, Face, Facedown, Falleth, Falling, Fell, Forehead, Forth, Ground, Hurled, Leather, Philistine, Putteth, Sank, Sinketh, Slang, Sling, Slingeth, Slung, Smiteth, Smote, Stone, Straight, Struck, Sunk, Taketh, Taking, Thence, VesselOutline 1. The armies of the Israelites and Philistines being ready to battle4. Goliath challenges a combat 12. David, sent by his father to visit his brothers, takes the challenge 28. Eliab chides him 30. He is brought to Saul 32. shows the reason of his confidence 38. and slays the giant 55. Saul takes notice of David Dictionary of Bible Themes 1 Samuel 17:49 4366 stones Library The victory of Unarmed Faith'And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. 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. 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; 35. And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he … Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture April the Thirtieth the Test of victory April the Twenty-Ninth the Mood of Triumph The Call of David. How David Prevailed. Knox -- the First Temptation of Christ Hwochow Women's Bible Training School He Does Battle for the Faith; He Restores Peace among those who were at Variance; He Takes in Hand to Build a Stone Church. The Shepherd-King Temporal Advantages. The Quotation in Matt. Ii. 6. The Blessing of Jacob Upon Judah. (Gen. Xlix. 8-10. ) Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners: Man's Chief End Samuel Links 1 Samuel 17:49 NIV1 Samuel 17:49 NLT 1 Samuel 17:49 ESV 1 Samuel 17:49 NASB 1 Samuel 17:49 KJV 1 Samuel 17:49 Bible Apps 1 Samuel 17:49 Parallel 1 Samuel 17:49 Biblia Paralela 1 Samuel 17:49 Chinese Bible 1 Samuel 17:49 French Bible 1 Samuel 17:49 German Bible 1 Samuel 17:49 Commentaries Bible Hub |
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