Lessons from the Life of David -- Part 3

Defending the Name of God

 

Read 1 Samuel 17:1-3  This chapter may take place up to a several years after chapter 16.  The town of Socoh is about 15 miles west of Bethlehem.

 

17:4-7  Notice the measurements of Goliath and his armor in the footnotes of the NIV.  Why do you think God had such detail recorded about Goliath?

 

 

17:8-11  Goliath’s challenge made fighting for the Lord a personal challenge for every Jewish soldier.  No one could hide behind the crowd, and fight only if the rest of the army would fight. Think of a time when you were individually called upon to confess your faith, to a skeptic, or to someone hostile to Christianity.  Did you speak up and defend the Lord, or did you choose to keep quiet, blend in with the crowd, and not move unless they did too?

 

What promise does God give us regarding times when we are called upon to speak up and defend our faith?  Luke 21:12-15

 

 

Who/What are some ‘Goliaths’ which defy the Lord today?

 

 

12-15  What is said in these verses that make it appear that chapter 17 was originally a separate account from chapter 16?

 

Read 1 Chr 29:29  In ancient times, there were at least how many accounts written of David’s life and reign?

 

16-24  How did David get to mingle with the soldiers and find out about Goliath and the mood of Israel’s army?

 

 

25-26  What three rewards had Saul offered to Goliath’s conqueror?

 

 

            Which of these motivated David to volunteer to fight Goliath?

 

            What about the whole situation angers David the most?

 

27-31  Why is Eliab so angry with David’s speaking to the soldiers?

 

            How does David diffuse a possible argument between him and his brother?

 

 

In our lives too, sometimes our own brothers in the faith say things which cause us to hesitate and not respond to defend God’s name.  Why is walking away a better response than arguing with our brothers in the faith?

 

Lessons from the Life of David – Part 4

The Faith that Conquers

 

Read 1 Samuel 17:32-37  How had shepherding prepared David for fighting Goliath?

 

            How does David convince Saul that Goliath can be defeated?

 

38        Why is it not likely that David was just a small boy at this time?

 

38-40  Apparently, where does Saul’s trust lie?

 

            Compare the armor that David wore to the armor that Goliath wore.

 

 

40        What weapons did David take into battle?

 

            What is our armor, and what is our weapon, that we take with us into battle, as listed in             Eph 6:10-18?

 

 

 

41-47 How confident does David seem to be as he speaks to Goliath?

 

            Explain how David understood that this battle was more than meets the eye, that God    really wanted it to be a lesson to his people about faith and trust.

 

 

In which situations in our lives might we recall verse 47 as a source of strength for our battles?

 

We can hear the confidence in David’s words, and know that David had a very strong faith that God would deliver his people.  How strong does our faith have to be, in order for us to do great things for our God?  See Luke 17:6

 

 

48-54  How was it possible for a boy with a sling and a small stone to overcome a seasoned soldier like Goliath?

 

            What effect did David’s battle have on the soldiers of the two armies?

 

            What effect does this account have on you?

 

55-58 What seems puzzling about these verses?

 

            The most logical explanation why Saul does not know who David is, is that David came only occasionally to play for Saul during his bouts of mental anguish.  David did not stay in the palace, but ‘went back and forth’ (cf 17:15) between the palace and his home, where he continued to be a shepherd.  Saul never really got to know David until after the battle with Goliath.  Can you think of any other reason why Saul did not recognize who David was?

 

It has been said that the battle of David vs. Goliath is also a picture of the battle Jesus fought on our behalf.  Who/what would Goliath represent?

 

 

Which similarity between David and Jesus is illustrated by each of the following pairs of verses?

 

1 Sam 17:17-18 with Gal 4:4

 

 

1 Sam 17:32 with Heb 10:7,10 and 12:2

 

 

1 Sam 17:28 with John 7:5

 

 

1 Sam 17:33-37 with Heb 5:8

 

 

1 Sam 17:52-53 with Rom 8:37-39 or with 2 Cor 5:14

 

 

1 Sam 22:2 with 1 Cor 1:27-29

 

 

According to 1 Sam 21:9, the sword of Goliath was kept by the priests as a souvenir of this battle.  What do we Christians keep as our souvenir of Jesus’ battle with death and Satan?

 

 

 

Assignment for next time:  In our next lesson, we will be looking at several sections in 1 Samuel which deal with Saul’s son Jonathan.  You will probably understand the questions of the lesson better if you have read chapters 18 to 23 before next week.