1 John chapter 4, verse 14. And we have seen and testified. That the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. And so here, again, David sent by his father where? The battlefield.
To where the action was supposed to be. In Christ's case, of course, it's the battlefield against sin on our behalf. Thank God, if we had a moody God, he would have said, No, I'm just not in the mood. I don't feel like going down there and dying for them. We don't have a God like that and why we love him so much.
This is Cross-Reference Radio with our pastor and teacher, Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel, Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of 1 Samuel. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about Cross-Reference Radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching. 1 Samuel 17 is the text Pastor Rick will be teaching from on today's edition of Cross-Reference Radio.
This confidence of the giant left the people in dread, these warriors, these men of war. Discourage. Faith does provide the antidote, but Depending on the strength of the poison. The antidote's not cheap. And it'd be good for us to understand that when Paul said these words, none of these things move me, nor do I count my life dear to myself.
He had already been beat up several times. He knew what he was saying when he said this. We read these words and we say, I want to be a man like this when it's my turn to have to face death. Or something else. I mean, you're worse things than death.
It's a slow debt. Surviving. Cannibals who nibble. Ah! Yeah.
There are slow deaths. And Paul adds to that, he says, nor do I count my life dear to myself.
So that I may finish my race with joy. How do you do that when you think God is letting you perish? He did it. It's it's it's not magic. It's faith.
And he says to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. What grace of God? You're dying for Him. That's how the flesh thinks. Jim Elliott said ye he is no fool who Oh, I just forgot the quote.
That's why you write them down.
So I'll just make it up. You won't know. He is no fool to let go of that which he cannot keep or that which we cannot lose. goes the quote And if you don't know who Jim Elliott is, it's good to familiarize his book, um Uh I don't know we should carry it in a chapel store. It's worth reading.
Uh verse twelve.
Now David was the son of That Ephrathite of Bethlehem, Judah, whose name was Jesse, who had eight sons And the man was old, advanced in years, In the days of Saul, Certainly, the historian has compiled this information from various records and. From the witnesses that were involved. And he's writing back, and he says, Jesse, it was in the days of Saul. David The son of Jesse has likely gone through a growth spurt. since Samuel anointed him.
When he came running with his cheeks all ready and his head red hair, and he's just this young, handsome lad, the first impression he made on Samuel And well, he's probably gone through a growth spurt, we'll get to that. You know, he's been playing in the king's court a few times, going home back and forth. Verse 13 The three Oldest sons of Jesse had gone to follow Saul To the battle? The names of his three sons who went, To the battle were Eliab, The first born, next to him, a Benadab. and the third, Shama, Now why don't you mothers name your boys those names?
Yeah. Anyway. These men, these brothers of David, they were strong men. But it was natural manhood. That's all they had.
There was not the spiritual strength that was. Had become innate, if you can say it that way, in David. According to numbers one, only men twenty years of age and older Were to be numbered for war, but we don't read of them being restricted if they were younger, otherwise, David would have been a violation of the law to send him onto the battlefield. Is not part of the standing army? He's an errand boy at this point.
Diakonos in the Greek The errand boy for the Lord There's the bondservant. Dulos. And then there is the diakonos, deacon, we get our word deacon from that. We're just errand boys for the Lord and happy to be so. And so, anyway, he goes to the battle line.
He's not 20, he's not in the standing army, but he's going to be dispatched. Verse 14, David was the youngest. and the three oldest followed Saul.
Well, Jesse was Unaware that his son David was going to be a war hero the day he sends him out. I mean, he sends him out with cheese and bread and wine, and he expects him to come back from the battle lines. Your sons are fine. That's what Jesse is expecting. What's going to happen is someone's going to show up at Jesse's house and say, David killed Goliath.
And Jesse's going to say, get out of here. It's just not funny. No, I'm telling you, he killed him. He's walking around with his big head in his hand. And it's It's uh amazing these things.
And the sheep are in the field, they could care less about all this. And some of them will be for dinner, and some of them for pets. Anyway. Life, you know, there was an old song, uh, The Ball of Confusion, and one of the lyrics was: And the band played on. It's just, you know, all of this drama going around, but you know, it didn't just keep going.
And uh anyway. David will no longer be under Jesse's care, but God's care after this day. But right now, at this moment, in verse 14, he's still under his father's authority, verse 15. But David occasionally went and returned from Saul. to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem.
Seven miles. Uh Saul's in Gibeah. And David is in Bethlehem, about seven miles.
So it uh But the lesson for Our teens That while you may hold a job in the king's court, you still have responsibilities at home. You're not excused from them. Is that your point?
So, see, I didn't want to come to church tonight because he says things like that. He kind of makes me have to empty the dishwasher or take out the trash. Anyway, this is a noble act of David because. We're going to just see him as a servant.
Someone faithful with the little things, and God hands him the big things. Verse 16. And I'm not even making the connections yet. I'll make some hopefully. Between David as a type of Christian And uh Of course, they're very time consuming because of the references that would be necessary.
It's hard to do it on a verse-by-verse. Uh verse 16, and the Philistines drew near and presented himself forty days, morning, and evening. Great. Forty days of nausea. Persistent is the flesh.
That's the message. It's not always 40 days, it can be years. Day and night And not just a little bit. And it's through the flesh that Satan taunts and threatens And does damage? wherever he can.
And God's people are the targets, and that's this picture, this giant coming out with his big mouth. intimidating every one, and no one can stop him. Verse seventeen Then Jesse said to his son David, Take now for your brothers and Ephah Of this dried grain. And these ten loaves and run to your brothers at the camp. You might say, well, why didn't they just kill Goliath with an arrow?
Well, that's why he had his shield. I wasn't going to be easy. to get close enough to do that. Verse 17 is where we are now, where Jesse dispatches David. with these supplies.
Right here at this point, Every time we see David, he is doing something for someone else. He is either on an errand for his father, he's watching his father's flock, or he's playing songs for. Saul And it is a beautiful picture, of course. It's an image of Christ. When we see Christ, we see him about his father's business.
and we see him doing things for others. First John chapter four, verse fourteen And we have seen and testified that the Father has sent the Son as Saviour of the world. And so here, again, David sent by his father where? to the battlefield. To where the action was supposed to be.
In Christ's case, of course, it's the battlefield against sin on our behalf. Thank God, if we had a moody God, he would have said, No, I'm just not in the mood. I don't feel like going down there and dying for them. We don't have a God like that, and why we love him so much. Verse 18.
and carry these ten cheeses to the captains of their thousand, and see how your brothers fare, and bring back news of them. Wonder how much of that cheese made out of the Captain's tent? Yeah. Well, there's at least a thousand witnesses, incidentally, of David's victory. They're more than a thousand for sure, but that's a lot.
Verse 19.
Now Saul And they And all the men of Israel were in the valley of Elah. Fighting with the Philistines. Um The historian is Kind. Yeah. The only thing the army of Israel was fighting was fear.
There was no fighting of the Philistines. We don't even read of skirmishes, little battles to the left and right here and there. Check out the army's strength. There's nothing going on but just this giant coming out and. Making everyone nervous.
Verse twenty.
So David rose in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, and took the things, and went as Jesse had commanded him, and he came to the camp. as the army was going out to fight and shouting for the battle.
Well, sort of kind of going out for the fight. And shouting for the battle that would not be. But of course, you know, how would you? He's about his father's business here. But notice again.
He leaves the sheep in some one's care. He's not all I forgot. He's he's not airheaded, he's a focused lad. which, you know, causes everybody else to have to Step up to that to be compliant with the lessons of Scripture. Verse twenty one, for Israel and the Philistines had drawn up in battle array, army against army.
Well, this was saber rattling. That's pretty much all that was going on. They were standing up there on in the morning after their coffee and yelling at each other across the valley, but nobody dare make a move. Verse twenty two And David left his supplies in the hand of the supply keeper, ran to the army, and came and greeted his brothers. Because again, you see, he leaves the supplies in the hands of the supplies.
He doesn't just abandon them, leave some other hungry group to come and strip the wagon. He's very solid. He's responsible. And he's polite, and that's going to come out. He's polite under pressure.
It's going to come out when his oldest brother begins to kind of belittle him. But here we read he ran to the army. Three times in this chapter we're going to read about David running. He runs to the line of battle, He runs to face the enemy. and then he ran to finish the enemy.
This is, you know, we talk about the ti that the only time in Scripture we see God cry is when Jesus wept at the tune of Lazarus. When's the time we see God run? Or when the prodigal comes home, We see him run. And when David goes to meet the giant, The giant enemy of God's people. It's an image, a picture of God running to face the enemy.
And that's what the Lord said, you know, when he spoke about unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground, it abideth alone. But if it dies, it brings forth much fruit. And how I wish it was. You know, he's running towards the cross, he steadfastly set his face towards Jerusalem. like a flint, using the language of Isaiah.
And it's a great picture. You could pass over it very quickly. And David left his supplies in the hand of the supply keeper. Noble lad ran to the army, And he's not done. Verse 23.
Then As he talked with them, There was the champion. The Philistine of Gath Goliath by name, Coming up from the armies of the Philistines, And he spoke according to the same words.
So David heard them. Drama music right there. That's when the camera goes to David's face. It catches eyes. What?
What what did he just say? Kind of the moment. Again, little did anyone realize this was the beginning of Goliath's death. Goliath's fatal mistake on this day for him. Was that the wrong man heard what he said?
David. And so look at the bottom of verse 23, the last sentence.
So David heard. It's like his ears perked up. He really should not have he just should have kept his mouth shut in hindsight Well, he didn't have hindsight because his head was separated.
So, but When he again he put his sandals on that morning, It uh would be the last time because David heard. Verse twenty four And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were dreadfully afraid.
Well, David saw that too, and that didn't sit well. Everywhere's everybody going? This is the battle line.
Well, well we're gonna line up a little further back. Yeah. There is a saying, you know, fear is born from Gazing at the foe. Staring at how big and bad the foe is. And it is true.
If you get a dose of the enemy like that, you're just afraid and you're not looking at God.
Well, Saul was looking at the foe. And so Israel again powerless because they follow Saul who did not follow Yahweh. And not to indict all of them as individuals, because Jonathan certainly loved the Lord and he's there. The people said, give us a king like the nations. Instead of give us a king like God.
After God's own heart. We can say that, looking back at the story. Don't know how we would have done if we lived then. Verse 25.
So the men of Israel said, Have you seen this man? Who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. And it shall be that the man who kills him The king will enrich with great riches. will give him his daughter and give his father's house exemption from taxes in Israel.
So I guess they got they David provided them with a fresh audience. Because if my first thought is, why are they talking to the lad? He's not part of the army. That's usually he's beneath us. We're not going to talk to him.
But they're talking to him because they're just nervous nellies, is why they talk to anybody all year. About how. dramatic the situation is. Verse 26, David spoke to the men. Who stood by him saying, What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the The reproach from Israel For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should so defy the armies of the living God?
You just, this is that's you know, cheer time. When you read it No, when you live it, it's not cheer time. It's like, excuse me, can you get this giant off of me? Right now, in the story, we are attracted to this man. This youth and all of his energy Now when they said He gets the king's daughter, but David played in the king's court.
Maybe he got a look at Mirab and Michelle and said, you know, they're good looking. I wouldn't mind having them. Or. The one I like. David, you mean my father's house will be tax exempt?
I like that one. Get a new chariot So David again spoke to the men. Verse 26, rereading parts of it. What shall be done for the man who kills his Philistine? Tell me again?
But David saw this as a reproach. The others don't seem they know it is. But they're not voicing it. They're not saying this is shameful. I wish we had a champion.
I'm not strong enough to face him. But David Even in his youth he sees what's going on. This is a reproach. Who is this godless man? We say no, they weren't godless in the technical sense.
He had his idols, but they're not really gods.
So, in that sense, they're godless. That he should defy the armies of the living God. Oh. David was very sensitive to God. And it is said that Saul did not seek out Samuel.
You think maybe he would have dispatched a runner Said, go get Samuel. And Saul will not seek Samuel until after Samuel is dead. How messed up is that? Verse 28.
Now Eliab the oldest son heard when he spoke to the men, And Eliab's anger was aroused against David, and he said, Why did you come down here? And with whom did Have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart. But you have come down to see the battle. Oh, this is priceless.
Eliab should have just shut up. Uh Before David can fight the enemy, he's got to fight family. He meets with conflict from his own blood, How typical of life his first obstacle A type of Jesus. Who will was not received by his brothers. John's Gospel chapter seven verse five for even his brothers did not believe in him.
Saul the king. He's not going to be very receptive in verse thirty-one initially. Matthew chapter 2, when Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him, the opposition everywhere. And of course The giant Goliath And Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. This is captured in this story.
Similitudes are They're everywhere. He says, For you have come down to see the battle. Yeah. What battle? There's no battle going on.
Uh you're exaggerating. Yeah. You're flattering yourself, he could have said. If he was the insolent lad that he's accused of being, well, first off, he's saying, you know, you didn't, knowing you, David, you didn't take care of the sheep.
Well, David did. Verse 29, and David said, What have I done now? Typical younger brother to bigger brother, right? But then he says, Is it not a cause? In other words, he looks at the crowd, he says, Can I get a witness?
Had he been insolent, he would have said, Excuse me, Eliab. Did Samuel anoint you? No, no, he passed by you, didn't he? Did you jam in the king's court? No, no, not you again.
Me. If he were truly insolent, but he does none of this. He just reasons. And it's a good reason. He says there's a reason to be disturbed, Eliath.
Is there not a cause? Why should I be comfortable with this? As you've obviously become, he didn't say that. I would have messed up and said You know, as much as I could have gotten out. Then, verse thirty, he turned.
From him toward others, toward another, and said the same thing. And these people answered him, as the first ones did. And so there he's getting he's he's looking away from Eliab. He is the indignation is beginning to percolate. Come on, there's a cause here.
Isn't there? And he's excited about this. Verse thirty one Well, I can't question. Have you ever got excited about your faith? You old timers, I don't mean in age, I mean who've been in Christ a long time.
You do you s do you ever get excited about the things of Christ ever? Anymore? Or is it just kind of old school now? You're so familiar with it, it doesn't move you. I would suggest to tell God just that.
Lord, I I need to be refreshed. Verse 31.
Now when the words Which David spoke were heard. They reported them to Saul and he sent for him. David's righteous indignation propelled his word to the king because no one else was saying anything like this.
Somebody said, huh, what? What do you say? Right up to the king's tent. Because they were desperate for a champion. And David alone spoke like a champion.
Now could he back it up? Or was it just, you know, religious language? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine and on and on and on?
So dares defy the armies of God?
Well, we're going to find out. I would not, being the man that I am and know that I have been, I would not like to be in David's position. unless I had the same fire in my belly. Verse 32: Then David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him. Your servant will go out and fight this Philistine.
Well, arguably, I mean, any leader would have said, you know, you don't understand. This guy's nine foot tall. He could dunk a basketball. Without bending his elbow.
However, I mean Without straightening his elbow.
Sorry. Anyway. Yeah. His confidence, David, is based on zeal alone. It seems.
But he is experienced. He's killed a lion and a bear. Saul, have you done that? Eliab? I mean, the the Syrian bear gets to be about five hundred pounds.
And When he engaged these beasts, he's going to tell the story in a minute. They would have eaten him if he lost.
So he knew this going into the fight with the lion and the bear. And he took him out.
So now looking at this Philistines, I'm going to do the same thing to him.
Somebody surely was praying that God would send somebody to destroy the giant, and God is answering their prayers. After 40 days, this rock slinger is what David's going to be, is going to do just that, verse 33. And Saul said to David, you are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him. For you are a youth And he a man of war from his youth Well You would expect Saul to say this, but Knowing the man, You know that he's instinctively contrary to God. Saul's instincts always go opposite God in God's name.
You find people who claim to be Christians do the same thing. They tell you they talk the Christian talk, they quote the Bible, but instinctively they do not do what God wants them to do. 'Cause he's turned them over to themselves. And he's not duct taste their mouths shut so they can say whatever they want to say to seduce people to believing them. Saw head Experience, but he didn't have faith, and that's why he couldn't use that experience today.
Yeah. Yeah. Thanks for joining us for today's edition of Cross Reference Radio. This is the daily radio ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel, Mechanicsville, in Virginia. Currently, Pastor Rick is in the book of 1 Samuel.
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