The Throne Weeks 9 and 10

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1 Samuel verses 16:1-13

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A Study of the Manifest Presence of God in 1 Samuel 16:1-13 The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” 2 And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” And the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3 And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. And you shall anoint for me him whom I declare to you.” 4 Samuel did what the Lord commanded and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling and said, “Do you come peaceably?” 5 And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. 6 When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord's anointed is before him.”

7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature,

because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 9 Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 10 And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.” 11 Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep.”

And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.” 12 And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.

Chapter 16 is a turning point in 1 Samuel. The key figures in the past chapters have been Hannah, Eli, the ark of the covenant, Samuel and Saul. All of those have taught us about the importance of God’s manifest presence and our own hearts. God’s presence demands that from our hearts should flow reverence, obedience, and trust in that presence. Now at this juncture David, the man after God’s own heart, arises as the key figure for the rest of the book. David is the king that God has provided for himself (v.1b)!

Samuel is grieving over Saul. God gives Samuel a quest, but starts with a question. “How long will you grieve over Saul?” (v.1) grammatically contains the idea of continued and prolonged grieving in Hebrew. Samuel’s ongoing grief contrasts with God’s decisive move of choosing a king. Yahweh tells Samuel take your horn, fill it with oil and go visit Jesse, because I have chosen a new king from among his sons. “The Hebrew stresses that David is Yahweh’s choice. A better translation is; ‘I have provided for myself a king from among his son.’ That suggests a contrast with the circumstances surrounding Saul’s selection when Yahweh made a concession for the sake of the people. ‘Listen to them (the people) and give them a king.’ (8:22)” (Bill T. Arnold, 1 & 2 Samuel)!

Samuel knows that anointing a new king would be at his own peril because this will make Saul angry and he could retaliate by killing Samuel. The Lord gives Samuel a cover story. “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. And you shall anoint for me him whom I declare to you.” (v.3) Samuel is not the only one feeling unsure about what he is about to do. The elders of Bethlehem approach with great fear and trembling. Samuel assures them that he has come in peace. He hides the real reason that he has come and invites the elders to consecrate themselves along with Jesse and his sons and they are all invited to the sacrifice.!

As Samuel consecrates Jesse’s sons he is able to get a good look at each of them. Looking at Eliab the oldest, Samuel’s head is turned, but the Lord’s is not. “Here Samuel looks at Eliab and is sure he sees Yahweh’s anointed.

Only Yahweh’s “I have rejected him” saves Israel from ruin. In 16:6-7 we face another Saul situation; Eliab is created in Saul’s image, after his likeness. If Yahweh had not chosen the king, Israel would have suffered Saul-Act ll. Yet 16:7 reaches forward as well as backward. This text, which I would call the key verse of 1 and 2 Samuel, sets itself not only against the likes of Saul and Eliab, but also in later pages, against everyone’s ideal Mr. Israel, Absalom (2 Samuel 14:25-27).” (Dale Ralph Davis, 1 Samuel)!

As Jesse’s sons parade before Samuel, not one of them is chosen by God as his anointed one. Samuel is certain God has told him that he will anoint one of Jesse’s sons as king, so he interrogates Jesse, “Are all your sons here?”!

Samuel’s cross examination reveals that the youngest is in the fields with the sheep. When David arrives, the Lord speaks to Samuel, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” Samuel anoints David as king in the midst of all his brothers.

“And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward”(v.13). “Yahweh both chooses David for kingship and equips him for that work. He appoints his servant to a task but at the same time gives him what he needs to fulfill that task.” (Dale Ralph Davis, 1 Samuel)

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1 Samuel verses 16:13-23

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A Study of the Manifest Presence of God in 1 Samuel 16:13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah. 14 Now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a harmful spirit from the Lord tormented him. 15 And Saul's servants said to him, “Behold now, a harmful spirit from God is tormenting you. 16 Let our lord now command your servants who are before you to seek out a man who is skillful in playing the lyre, and when the harmful spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will be well.” 17 So Saul said to his servants, “Provide for me a man who can play well and bring him to me.” 18 One of the young men answered, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing,

a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the Lord is with him.” 19 Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me David your son, who is with the sheep.” 20 And Jesse took a donkey laden with bread and a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them by David his son to Saul.

21 And David came to Saul and entered his service. And Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor-bearer. 22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Let David remain in my service, for he has found favor in my sight.” 23 And whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed from him.

“Chapter 16 is divided into two sections.In the first section, v. 1-13, God chooses David; in the second v. 13-23, it is Saul who chooses David. The reader knows that the second choice was the result of the first. It will take some time for Saul to know this fact and to admit it.” (David Toshio Tsumura , The First Book of Samuel) !

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Chapter 16 also provides a dramatic contrast between David and Saul. “The Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul” (v.14) and “the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David.” (v.13) As the Spirit of the Lord departs from Saul he is plagued with a harmful tormenting spirit. Saul’s servants are able to properly diagnose the situation, and their diagnosis leads them to prescribe treatment. “Let our lord now command your servants who are before you to seek out a man who is skillful in playing the lyre, and when the harmful spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will be well.”(v. 17) Saul agrees with both their diagnosis of his condition and their prescribed medication and sends for a harp player. !

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David, despite his youth, has gained quite a reputation, not only as skillful musician, but also for his bravery, courage, speech, and presence. It is interesting to note that in verse 19 we have the first mention of David’s name, as the present king Saul speaks the name of the future king David. “But the primary importance of this center point consists in its irony-the rejected king unknowingly seeks to obtain relief from the newly anointed king!….No wonder the writer has placed 16:1-13 and 16:14-23 back to back. He is saying to us; ‘look at that! Doesn’t that beat all? David is not only Yahweh’s choice, but Saul’s choice! Doubly chosen. What confirmation, eh? And it’s the chosen king who keeps the rejected king from falling apart.’ The chosen king is not a threat but a means of grace to Saul. But the sadness remains: Saul has therapy, but not the Spirit of God.” (Dale Ralph Davis, 1 Samuel)!

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This small section of verses also provides some of the important themes that will be developed throughout the rest of the book. In the rest of 1 Samuel we will watch the decline of Saul and the rise of favor and political power for David. David will be the central figure for the rest of 1 Samuel. The decline of Saul will continue both politically and spiritually. The rise of David will be spiritual, political and costly. David will fight battles with outside forces and face political intrigue from his own people.

Another theme of the book will be the love and affection that exists between David and Saul. That love is first established here in these verses, “Let David remain in my service, for he has found favor in my sight.”(v. 22) David was an agent of healing and refreshing for Saul. They developed a deep bond.

That bond will eventually be attacked and severed, which makes the story here, at its beginning, even

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1 Samuel verses 17:1-16

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A Study of the Manifest Presence of God in 1 Samuel 17:1 Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle. And they were gathered at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. 2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered, and encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in line of battle against the Philistines. 3 And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with a valley between them. 4 And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. 5 He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. 6 And he had bronze armor on his legs, and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders. 7 The shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. And his shieldbearer went before him. 8 He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants

of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” 10 And the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together.” 11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid. 12 Now David was the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, named Jesse, who had eight sons. In the days of Saul the man was already old and advanced in years. 13 The three oldest sons of Jesse had followed Saul to the battle. And the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. 14 David was the youngest. The three eldest followed Saul, 15 but David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem.

16 For forty days the Philistine came forward and took his stand, morning and evening.

Chapter 17, the story of David and Goliath, is one of the most famous stories of all scriptures. The Spirit of the Lord has left Saul, and Saul is left as a kind of lame duck king whose authority has been severely threatened.

Israel needs deliverance from the mighty and powerful Philistines. Goliath epitomizes the strength of the Philistines and King Saul appears powerless in the face of such an opponent. As Saul and Israel stand against the Philistines in the battle line, one side against the other, they had to face the taunts of the Philistines and their champion, Goliath.!

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“Goliath makes quite an impression. The writer makes sure we are awed with his line-upon line description of Goliath’s size, his protective armor, his offensive weaponry and the weight thereof (vs. 4-7). It’s not hard to see an object 9’6” high. That he wore about 125 pounds of armor and wielded a spear with a 15-16 pound iron head is, without a doubt, a weighty consideration. Then we must listen to three verses of his hairy-chested braggadocio (vs.8-10) as Goliath bellows for a challenger to engage him in single combat. No one has any trouble hearing him. Saul and Israel are both impressed and depressed. (v.11)” ( Dale, Ralph Davis,1 Samuel)!

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The text spends a lot of time describing the physical attributes of Goliath. Goliath is an imposing figure, but his taunting words seem to intimidate the Israelites and their king as much as his physical stature and armor. Goliath heckles the Israelites by calling himself a Philistine and they are nothing more than slaves of Saul. He puts a challenge to them,”Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.( v. 8-9)” In verse 10, Goliath defies Israel to find a man who can stand up to his challenge. Verse 16 tells us that Goliath the Philistine taunted the Israelites with this challenge for forty days both in the morning and in the evening.!

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Saul and the Israelites responded to Goliath’s daily needling with fear and dismay. Goliath’s huge figure and appearance overshadowed the Israelite army. We as readers have insight from God (given to Samuel) about appearances, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”(16:7) “Goliath is simply fodder for another application of that text. Here again is external appearance. We must see that 16:7 applies both to our finest choices and to our most formidable enemies.”( Dale, Ralph Davis,1 Samuel)!

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Just as David was the answer despite appearances in chapter 16, so will he be in chapter 17. David is introduced into the text with little fanfare. He comes as an errand boy who went back forth between his father’s sheep and taking food to the Israelite camp for his three older brothers. The atmosphere in the Israelite camp is tense and threatening. The introduction of David the shepherd boy in the picture is a welcome relief to the threats of Goliath.

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1 Samuel verses 17:17-27

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A Study of the Manifest Presence of God in 1 Samuel 17:17 And Jesse said to David his son, “Take for your brothers an ephah of this parched grain, and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to your brothers. 18 Also take these ten cheeses to the commander of their thousand. See if your brothers are well, and bring some token from them.”!

19 Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. 20 And David rose early in the morning and left the sheep with a keeper and took the provisions and went, as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the encampment as the host was going out to the battle line, shouting the war cry. 21 And Israel and the Philistines drew up for battle, army against army. 22 And David left the things in charge of the keeper of the baggage and ran to the ranks and went and greeted his brothers.

23 As he talked with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines and spoke the same words as before.

And David heard him. 24 All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were much afraid. 25 And the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up?

Surely he has come up to defy Israel. And the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father's house free in Israel.” 26 And David said to the men who stood by him, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” 27 And the people answered him in the same way, “So shall it be done to the man who kills him.”

The introduction of David is lengthy given the tense battle tactics that are coming against Israel and its armies.

Verses 14-15 explain to us that David’s three older brothers are serving in Saul’s army and that David is doing double duty as a shepherd to his father’s sheep and as a grocery delivery boy for his brothers. “The whole section follows David step by step until he is at the front lines and hears the brute from Gath. Had Jesse only known how much would rest on the parched grain, bread, and cheese David was lugging to the Valley of Elah. Had he only known how critical David’s mission would be! But it’s all so low-key and natural:’ Now David, son of a man, this Ephrathite….’ So it continues all the way:’And he went as Jesse had commanded him…(v.20)’ ‘Everything seemed to be casual, yet those things which seemed most casual were really links in a providential chain leading to the gravest issues.’ Then Goliath talked one more time too many-and David heard (v.23). You know the rest. (Dale, Ralph Davis,1 Samuel)!

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These verses give us greater insight into the state of morale in the Israelite camp. Verse 16 tells us that Goliath, the giant daily goes forth issuing a challenge to the Israelites. As David enters the camp he was just in time to see the two armies line up against each other, “army against army” and shout the “war cry”. David leaves the food for his brothers and for the troops with someone and runs to the front lines to see his brothers. As David arrives, it is just in time to hear Goliath’s daily taunt of the Israelite army, calling them slaves and challenging them to one on one combat. Just as they had done on the previous thirty-nine days, the Israelites flee from Goliath with fear and trembling. The morning begins with the armies dressing in armor, lining up against their foes, and sounding the war cry. The morning for the last thirty nine days has ended with the army of God running with their tails tucked between their legs back to camp. What a picture of defeat!!

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David heard Goliath. It only took once, but David could not stand to hear the taunting of Goliath. “David said to the men who stood by him, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?(v. 26)” “David injects the first theological note into the narrative. Nevertheless, let us place literature before theology for a moment. This is the first time David talks in the Bible….David had never spoken to anyone. But as you read this material you now observe that as a writer has told the story yet has never, to this point represented David as saying anything. David has been a literary mute.”!

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“That is why David’s words in verse 26b are as heavy as Goliath. David has never spoken before in our story.

Now the silence is broken. David brings a whole new world view. To this point, the narrative has been ‘godless’ (much like our own stewing over some insoluble dilemma), but now David injects the godly question into the episode. Doesn’t having a living God make a difference in all of this? If God is so identified with Israel, do you think he is indifferent toward such slurs on his reputation? Do you expect a living God to allow an uncircumcised Philistine to trample his name in minatory and theological mud? Israel thought the Philistine invulnerable, for David, he was only uncircumcised. A living God gives a whole new view of things.” (Dale,Ralph Davis,1 Samuel)

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A Study of the Manifest Presence of God in 1 Samuel Reflection Day “Drawing prayer circles isn’t about proving yourself to God; it’s about giving God an oppor<=nit> to prove Himself to you. Just in case you have forgoDen-­‐and to ensure that you always remember-­‐God is for you. I can’t promise that God will always give you the answer you want.

I can’t promise that He’ll answer your timeline. But I can promise this; He answers ever> prayer, and He keeps ever> promise. That is who He is. That is what He does. And if you have the faith to dream big, pray hard, and think long, there is nothing God loves more than

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proving His faithf=lness.” (Mark BaDerson, The Circle Maker) We read on the first day of this week, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stat=re, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outWard appearance, but the Lord looks on the hear<.”( 1 Samuel 16:7) What we draw circles around tells a lot about what is in our hear<. God is telling this to Samuel, as He is telling Samuel which one of Jesse’s sons to anoint as King. David was not chosen because of his outWard appearance, but because of his hear<. David did not look on outWard appearance when he was looking at Goliath. David looked on the hear< of God and outWard circumstances dwindled in comparison.

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The tex< spends a lot of time telling us about the outWard appearance of Goliath.

“And there came out ^om the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was araed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. And he had bronze araor on his legs, and a javelin of bronze slung betWeen his shoulders. The shaſt of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. And his shield-­‐bearer went before him. He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why have you come out to draw up for baDle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not sereants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your sereants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our sereants and seree us.” And the Philistine said, “I def> the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together.” (vs. 17:4-­‐10)

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The writer is ensuring that we will take in the might> outWard appearance that makes Goliath so intimidating to Saul and Israel’s aray.

Goliath is 9’6” high. He has around 125 pounds of araor and carkies a spear with a 15-­‐16 pound iron head. Goliath is verbally assaulting the araies of God daily. He is challenging them to one on one combat. David is not intimidated by Goliath’s challenge or his size.

!“God is omnipotent, which means by definition , there is nothing God cannot do. Yet many of us pray as if our problems are bigger than God. So let me remind you of this high octane tk=th that should f=el your faith: God is infinitely bigger than your biggest problem or your biggest dream. And while we’re on the topic, His gkace is infinitely bigger than your biggest sin. The moderm mystic, A. W. Tozer, believed that a low view of God is the cause of a hundred lesser evils, but a high view of God is the solution to the thousand temporal problems…

Our biggest problem is our small view of God. That is the cause of all lesser evils. And it’s a high view of God that is a solution to all other problems.” (Mark BaDerson, The Circle Maker)

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The outWard appearances of Goliath did not impact David because he had a huge and high view of God. The first words out of David’s mouth were, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should def> the araies of the living God?” Today as you are circling in prayer, allow this week’s passages to expand your view of God. Declare over whatever you are facing: “God is infinitely bigger than my biggest problem or my biggest dream!”

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1 Samuel verses 17:28-37

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A Study of the Manifest Presence of God in 1 Samuel

17:28 Now Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke to the men. And Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, “Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumption and the evil of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.” 29 And David said, “What have I done now? Was it not but a word?” 30 And he turned away from him toward another, and spoke in the same way, and the people answered him again as before. 31 When the words that David spoke were heard, they repeated them before Saul, and he sent for him.

32 And David said to Saul, “Let no man's heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 33 And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to

fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him.

36 Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!”

Eliab, David’s eldest brother, is furious when he hears what David has said. ”One must not breeze by Eliab. Eliab tends to be a mirror. In 16:6 he was a mirror of the handsome Saul of 9:2. Here, however Eliab mirrors someone else. His tongue drips with contempt as he alludes to David’s ‘few sheep in the wilderness’ and when he omnisciently declares the evil of David’s heart. Eliab is Goliath. He is a Goliath before Goliath. Goliath will express contempt for David(vs. 42-44), but Eliab has already expressed it.”

“In fact, one might say David has to fight three Goliaths in this chapter, for in Eliab he faces the contempt of Goliath and in Saul he meets the mind of Goliath (i.e it’s only the experienced (v.33) and equipped (v. 38-39) warrior who carries the odds of winning). All that before he faces the carcass of Goliath himself (vs.

41-50).” (Dale, Ralph Davis,1 Samuel)!

Eliab’s and Saul’s remarks also reflect the inability of the religious to deliver. It is God’s hand and God’s anointing that delivers his people. Saul’s army, along with David’s three elder brothers, were powerless to deliver Israel. It is hard for those faithful, who have gone out to stand before Goliath daily and who then run in defeat, to applaud passion, anointing, and the zeal of the Lord. Eliab’s scolding of David has no affect on David. David turns away from his brother and continues to speak the truth of the situation. David so ardently proclaims his assessment of the situation that his words are repeated to Saul. When David comes before Saul he says, “Let no man's heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” The Spirit of God has left Saul and all he has left is his own strength and experience to deal with Goliath. Saul’s response is lukewarm to David’s offer, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.(v.33).”!

“David’s answer (vs.34-37) tells his secret, what it is that so enlivens faith that it dares to stare the premier citizen of Gath in the eye. ‘Your servant has been shepherding sheep for his father’ (v.34). David explains what sheep have to do with Philistines. A shepherd lives with constant threat to his life and his flock. It was not unusual for a lion or a bear to make off with one of David’s sheep. In such cases he went after it, struck down the marauder, and forced it to release its prey. If it turned on him, he collared it and struck it until he killed it. David uses he verb (nakah- to strike, strike down) three times in verses 35-36. As if to make the point with Saul Don’t say I’ve no experience of war; striking down enemies is part of my job-its just that they are ferocious mammals rather than arrogant giants. And this Philistine has consigned himself to the lion-and-bear heap, ‘for he has mocked the ranks of the living God’ (v. 36). Then comes the bottom line,(v. 37), ‘The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.’”(Dale Ralph Davis, 1 Samuel)!

David acknowledges that deliverance comes from the hand of God. David knows he will not deliver because of his courage, but because he puts his trust in the God who delivers. It does not matter if David faces a lion, a bear or a giant because the size or strength is of no consequence when it is Yahweh who is providing the victory.

Saul, though he has lost the Spirit of God, perhaps can still recognize its stamp upon another and tells David,

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1 Samuel verses 17:38-47

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A Study of the Manifest Presence of God in 1 Samuel 38 Then Saul clothed David with his armor. He put a helmet of bronze on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail, 39 and David strapped his sword over his armor. And he tried in vain to go, for he had not tested them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.” So David put them off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the brook and put them in his shepherd's pouch. His sling was in his hand, and he approached the Philistine.41 And the Philistine moved forward and came near to David, with his shield-bearer in front of him. 42 And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance. 43 And the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his

gods. 44 The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field.” 45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47 and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hand.”

Saul dressed David in his armor. Some translations render verse 39 as David could not walk in Saul’s armor because he is unused to it. So David gives back the king’s armor and chooses instead a sling, a weapon used by a shepherd. !

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Finally, the text comes to the battle between Goliath and David. Interestingly enough, this section is very short, and Goliath’s and David’s speeches require more verses than the actual battle does. “In the Hebrew text David’s speech takes some sixty-three words while the combat report needs only thirty-six.

After all the anticipation the knock-out blow comes so quickly; one might say in the first round. We should not, however, underestimate David’s sling-and stone routine. Such stones would range from two to three inches in diameter and, when flung by an accomplished warrior, could reach speeds of 100 to 150 miles per hour, all of which could make for a stunning victory.” (Dale Ralph Davis 1 Samuel)!

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As Goliath and David meet, Goliath comes with his full armor and his shield bearer. David approaches Goliath with his sling and five smooth stones. Goliath’s challenge to David is as much mental as it is physical, as we see Goliath begin to verbally attack David. Goliath makes fun of David’s sling, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” He curses at David and then threatens to feed him to the animals after killing him. David is not intimidated by Goliath’s threats. David tells Goliath that it will not be his body fed to the animals but rather it will be Goliath’s. The heart of David’s menacing remarks are found in verse 46 and 47, “This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head….and all this assembly will know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear.” Goliath’s verbal attack on David reveals his disdain, David’s verbal attack on Goliath reveals his faith. David is confident that God and his power will triumph over sword and spear and that all assembled will know that the battle is won by the LORD. David tells Goliath point blank that he will kill him and cut off his head. !

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Weakness is a theme that has been developing throughout chapter 17. In every physical way David appears weaker than Goliath. In terms of size, experience, and weapons, David gives the impression of being weaker than Goliath. The story of David and Goliath reveals that God does not need man’s measures of strength in order to bring deliverance. “What matters is not whether you have the best weapons, but whether you have the real God. In fact, your ‘inadequacy’ may be precisely your qualification for serving God, for his strength shines brightly behind the foreground of your weakness.”(Dale Ralph Davis 1 Samuel)

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1 Samuel verses 17:48-58

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A Study of the Manifest Presence of God in 1 Samuel 48 When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. 49 And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead.

The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground. 50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David. 51 Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. 52 And the men of Israel and Judah rose with a shout and pursued the Philistines as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron, so that the wounded Philistines fell on the way from

Shaaraim as far as Gath and Ekron. 53 And the people of Israel came back from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their camp.

54 And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent. 55 As soon as Saul saw David go out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this youth?” And Abner said, “As your soul lives, O king, I do not know.” 56 And the king said, “Inquire whose son the boy is.” 57 And as soon as David returned from the striking down of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. 58 And Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” And David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”

David without armor, is much quicker than Goliath. David runs swiftly to the battle line and takes out his sling. Goliath is not prepared for what hits him. Goliath is hit by the first stone David slings and falls to the ground and dies. This is unlike any warfare that Goliath has ever seen. He is killed by one stone without the need of sword, spear, or armor. The Lord fulfills David’s words in verse 47, “that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hand.” As David told Goliath he would do in verse 46, David cuts off Goliath’s head using Goliath’s own sword. With the Philistines’ champion dead, the Philistines flee with Israel’s army chasing them. “Victory over one’s enemies was frequently followed in antiquity by plundering the enemy camp, cutting off the head of one’s conquered foes, and putting them on public display.” (Bill T. Arnold, 1 & 2 Samuel)!

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The end of this story has some textual problems. First, Jerusalem is not yet the religious center of Israel so it is uncertain as to why David brought back the head of Goliath to Jerusalem. Next, Saul seems to not recognize David, though David has played the harp and sung for him. “Some have speculated that Saul’s unstable mental condition has resulted in a loss of memory (see 16:14), or perhaps Saul wants to know more about David’s parentage because he had promised to give his daughter in marriage to the one who killed Goliath (17:25). However, it is possible to interpret chapter 16 as Saul’s initial pleasure with David as a court musician, while here he is interested in David as a warrior. In any case, after this episode in the Valley of Elah, Saul will have no difficulty knowing who David is.” (Bill T. Arnold, 1 & 2 Samuel)!

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It is interesting as you read these last verses of the chapter that Goliath’s name is not mentioned once.

He whose name had been on the mind of every soldier in the opening of chapter 17 is not even mentioned by name. Goliath’s name which was so prominent in the beginning of chapter 17 was overshadowed by Yahweh the true victor of the passage. “The focus of this chapter (17) is not on David’s courage but on Yahweh’s adequacy in David’s weakness. David himself has told us this (vs. 37, 45, 47).

An interpretation that refuses to see this steals the glory from God which in this Scripture he has designed to receive for himself…The chapter will allow us to focus on David in one respect, to follow him in one particular, namely, to share the vision of his faith, a faith that kept its eyes fixed on the honor of Yahweh. Hence in this chapter David essentially says to Israel and to us: “Yahweh’s reputation is at stake; that matters to me; that matters enough to risk my life for it.” (Dale Ralph Davis, 1 Samuel)

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1 Samuel verses 18:1-16

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A Study of the Manifest Presence of God in 1 Samuel 18:1 As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.

2 And Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father's house. 3 Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. 4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt. 5 And David went out and was successful wherever Saul sent him, so that Saul set him over the men of war. And this was good in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul's servants. 6 As they were coming home, when David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments. 7 And the women sang to one another as they celebrated, “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten

thousands.” 8 And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but the kingdom?” 9 And Saul eyed David from that day on. 10 The next day a harmful spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he raved within his house while David was playing the lyre, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand.

11 And Saul hurled the spear, for he thought, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David evaded him twice. 12 Saul was afraid of David because the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul.

13 So Saul removed him from his presence and made him a commander of a thousand. And he went out and came in before the people. 14 And David had success in all his undertakings, for the Lord was with him. 15 And when Saul saw that he had great success, he stood in fearful awe of him. 16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out and came in before them.

“Goliath’s fall shook more than the ground. Everyone, it seems now took notice of David. At the first of these chapters our writer relates a dual reaction to David, one that will precede the rest of 1 Samuel; he places Jonathan’s esteem (18:1-5) side by side with Saul’s envy (18:6-9).” (Dale Ralph Davis, 1 Samuel)!

David in verse 1, is speaking to Saul right after the death of Goliath. Upon David’s first meeting with Jonathan, the son of Saul, the text tells us they became extremely close,“the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.” Jonathan made a covenant with David which was binding and would impact both of their futures.!

“But there was more. Jonathan also stripped himself of his robe and gave it to David, as well as his war coat or armor, his sword, bow and belt (v.4). All this was both significant and surprising; significant because the clothes signify the person and his postion-hence Jonathan renounces his position as crown prince and transfers, so far as his own will goes, the right of succession to David. No one in the Near East would do that….You did not transfer your crown right to an upcomer, you eliminated him! But Jonathan does not ape the boring expectations of his culture. S. G. De Graaf is on the right track when he says, ‘This seen on his part was an act of faith. Only faith makes us willing to be the lesser. Faith causes us to surrender the rights we pretend to have over against the Christ, who is truly Israel’s king.’” (Dale Ralph Davis, 1 Samuel)!

The word success is used three times in this short passage in reference to David (vs.5, 4,15). The women of Israel sang of David’s success. Their song put David’s success in juxtaposition to Saul’s success. David’s victory over Goliath was also proving to be a victory over Saul. Saul was angry at the women’s song saying, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but the kingdom?” (v. 8) Saul recognized that David’s success was impacting his ability to rule the kingdom. From that day forward Saul watched David with dread.!

Saul who had once had the Spirit of God upon him recognized that the Spirit of God was now upon David. The favor on David’s life is unraveling what is left of Saul’s confidence. But it is not only Saul’s confidence that is unraveling but also his sanity. When David comes to play for Saul, Saul tries to kill him not once, but twice. Saul, who was not successful in killing David, put him on the front line hoping an enemy would be successful where Saul was not. Saul’s plan failed again because “David had success in all his undertakings, for the Lord was with him.”(v.14) The passage makes clear the increasing favor of God upon David’s life and the growing hatred and envy of Saul. Saul watches David’s success increasing and though he fears and has begun to hate him he also,”stood in fearful awe of him.” Jonathan loved David, the women of Israel loved David, and as the passage closes out we see that, “all Israel and Judah loved David.” God’s favor provided the protection that David needed for the continual attacks on David’s life and was like a magnet that drew the love of the people.

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A Study of the Manifest Presence of God in 1 Samuel Reflection Day Josephus the famous Roman and Jewish historian, writes of Honi in his ancient histor> of Judiasm. “He documents the first-­‐cent=r> drought and points to Honi as Israel’s only hope. Josephus makes one statement that punct=ates ever> t=rming point in histor>. ‘Now there was one, whose name was Honi, a righteous man he was, and beloved of God, who, in a cer<ain drought prayed to God to put an end to the intense heat and whose prayers God had heard, and had sent them rain.’ Honi stood alone. Then he knelt down in the circle he had drawn. And that’s all it takes to change the course of His-­‐stor>. In the words of theologian Walter Wink, ‘Histor> belongs to the

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intercessors.’

Aſter the rain fell and the dust seDled, Simeon ben Shatah, the r=ling head of the Sanhedrin who threatened excommunication wrote to Honi: ‘Were you not Honi, I should decree excommunication against you…But what can I do to you, for you act pet=lantly before the Omnipresent and he does whatever you want for you…. A generation that was shrouded in darkness did you illuminate through prayer… A generation that was sunk down you liſted up with your prayer… A generation that was humiliated by its sins you saved by your prayers.’” (Mark BaDerson, The Circle Maker)

!As you reflect on the last 10 weeks in 1 Samuel and in circling prayer what have you learned?

What life change has taken place? !! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

“The legend of Honi the circle maker began with a prayer for rain. In 63BC, Palestine was torm in tWo by a bloody civil war. Aristobulus was forced to flee the temple in Jer=salem to make his last stand. Hykcanus and his ally, the Arabian sheik Aretas, surkounded the temple with fiſt> thousand tkoops. None but the priests and temple g=ard stood by Aristobulus. That is when the aray of Hykmcanus found the old rainmaker, Honi hiding. The superstitious aray brought Honi to Hykcanus, who commanded him to invoke a curse on the defenders of the temple. Honi could not and would not obey the command, even at sword point. Like the prophet Balaam who ref=sed to curse Israel and prayed a blessing according to his conscience, Honi drew his last circle in the sand.

Honi, now was encircled by savage soldiers whose lives he had saved with his prayer for rain. They compelled him to speak, so Honi uDered his last words while living on this ear<h, but it’s a prayer that will echo through all etermit>.

‘O God, the King of the whole world! Since those that stand now with me are Your people, and those that are besieged are also Your priests, I beseech You that You will neither hearken to the prayers of those against these, not bring to effect what these pray against those.”

Then those who surkounded him t=rmed on him and stoned Honi the circle maker to death. It may seem like a tkagic ending, but Honi died the way he lived. He prayed until the day he died. In fact, his dying breath was a prayer that ushered him into etermit>. I don’t think