Wrestle9

"And the people answered him after this manner, saying," - None of Israel's own mighty soldiers stepped forward to kill Goliath, so now out of desperation they set the king's proposition before the shepherd boy David. Perhaps according to their reprobate thinking, they hoped the shepherd boy would be foolish enough to try, and lucky enough to succeed.

1 Samuel 17:26 And David spoke to the men that stood by him, saying, "What shall be done to the man that 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?"

"And David spoke to the men that stood by him" - David is perhaps the youngest person present, a shepherd boy among older supposedly wiser, trained, hardened, soldiers, along with his brothers. David BOLDLY spoke words from his heart, offering up to God the sacrifice of the praise of his lips (Heb. 13:15-16) which is well pleasing to God. This shows David to be more disciplined in his mind toward God, and thereby wiser than the others, and this by implication puts them all to an open shame.

"and takes away the reproach from Israel?" - Goliath, while asking if there is anyone among the armies of Israel who has a scrotum full enough to face him one-on-one, in hand to hand combat, brings a sort of spiritual pudendum upon Israel, who now finds itself without God to cover them.

"that he should defy the armies of the living God?" - David hasn't forgotten Yehovah's covenant promise! Goliath isn't more impressive to David than his God Yehovah, whom he knows, fellowships with, and calls upon by name when in need. What David didn't know yet, but would very shortly, is that the "armies of the living God" didn't know the living God, and what confidence the armies of Israel did have (if they had any at all), was in their own flesh and blood ability. David mentions "living God" as opposed to the dead idols that the Philistines worshipped.

"defy" - Heb. charaph, reproach.

"God" - Heb. Elohim, the God of all creation.

James says "faith without works is dead." So far, there is nothing in this record that states that the armies of Israel did any "works", i.e. took any actions against the Philistines based upon Israel's faith or belief in the "living God," the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Therefore, the "faith" or "believing" of the armies of Israel must be "dead," which means they didn't have any, which means they could soon be dead physically. The only ones so far who have demonstrated any "works," who have taken any action based upon their belief in the Words of the "living God," is Jesse and David. God is a living God, so His people should be living, not dead like the Philistine idols, and spiritually dead like the Philistines.

1 Samuel 17:28 And Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men, and Eliab's anger burned against David, and he said, "Why have you come here, and with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride, and the evil (roa) of your heart; for you are come down to see the battle.

David didn't show up with popped corn in hand just to watch the big show! Yehovah was calling him up front and center! According to culture and social pecking order, David, because of his social position as only a "shepherd boy", didn't have the "social right" to say anything. And, as far as speaking for the family of Jesse, Jesse's oldest son Eliab, according to birthright had the responsibility to speak for the family in Jesse's absence. What David said, publicly displaced Eliab's social and family position status, which was an embarrassment to Eliab.

"Why have you come here..." - Eliab questions David's motives, apparently not knowing that Jesse had sent him, and more, that Yehovah was actually bringing David into position to strike Satan.

"with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness?" - Eliab publicly and cruelly reminds David of his social status, and not only that he's just a shepherd boy, but that he is not responsible for much (only a few sheep!). But Eliab doesn't know that it's Yehovah's sheep, Israel, who David is coming to protect! At this time, if David limited himself to social structure it would have meant the complete ruin of Israel. Did Jesus Christ break culture and tradition? Often, and it greatly irritated the Sadducees and Pharisees. It is always error to obey the implied rules of culture and tradition over obedience to the Father Yehovah. This error can also allow Satan to steal, kill, and destroy you.

"I know your pride (Heb. zadown, to boil as water; i.e. mental turmoil), and the evil (roa) of your heart;" - Eliab makes a grave error in judgment of his brother David, accusing him of having evil brewing in his heart, and causes himself public social embarrassment of his own making. David is neither evil for obeying his father Jesse, to bring the 10 loaves and 10 cheeses, nor for boldly speaking his belief and confidence that Israel can put its trust in the "living God". Society, especially those who consider themselves "high" up in it, would like you to believe that you are evil for not obeying their social pecking order. So, at this moment, in whose heart is the evil? It's in the heart of the one doing the accusing, Eliab's heart!

1 Samuel 17:29 And David said, "What have I done now? Was it not but a word?"

"Was it not but a word?" - Sure, David had the right to speak a few words with the soldiers who were telling him about what the king would do for the man who kills the Philistine. Was it the fact that David talked with the men that bothered Eliab? Or was it the boldness and greatness of what David said to them that Eliab didn't like? Perhaps Eliab didn't want David getting any ideas about trying to fight Goliath.

1 Samuel 17:30 And he turned from him toward another, and spoke after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner.

David turned from his brother Eliab, to another standing by, and David repeated what he said in verse 26. And several of the people standing by answered David as they did before in verse 25. The men saw something in David that surprised them. They saw that he wasn't full of fear. And they began to encourage him to fight Goliath, by continuing to tell him about gaining riches from the King and marrying his daughter.

1 Samuel 17:31 And were heard the words which David spoke, and they were told before Saul, and he received him.

At this time the armies of Israel were totally beaten in their minds, by way of their 5 senses, and there had occurred no physical combat whatsoever! The only reason Saul was interested in David was because of all the thousands of men in the armies of Israel, not even one other man had decided to step forward. Saul, who should have been the example of courage to his people should have been the first to volunteer. But, now Saul had hopes of talking this little shepherd boy into going to face Goliath.

1 Samuel 17:32 And David said to Saul, "Let not a man's heart fail (naphal) over him, your servant will go and fight with this Philistine."

"fail (naphal)" - to fall, i.e. give up hope.

David had no fear because he saw clearly, beyond the five senses circumstances, choosing to believe in Yehovah's covenant promise to Israel to be their re-reward, and had confidence in His power to deliver. David had developed a marriage-like relationship with the Father, a close fellowship relationship. David knew God wouldn't let him down because David spiritually knew God. God doesn't hide himself from any man, but will reveal Himself to anyone who truly wants to know Him. His primary way of revealing Himself is through His Word which He has already given us.

1 Samuel17:33 And Saul said to David, "You are not able to go to this Philistine to fight with him, because you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth."

Here's the heart of the problem in Israel at this time - NO SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP! Saul was walking by his 5 senses, and it set the pattern and low standard to which most all of Israel slid back. However, as God clearly sets forth in His Word, each individual is responsible before God to keep His standards, i.e. commandments and statutes, whether "leadership" or anyone else decides to keep them. Each individual decides for him or herself, and will be held accountable before God as to their own decision.

1 Samuel 17:34-35 And David said unto Saul, "Your servant has been a shepherd among the sheep, for his father. And there came the lion, and the bear, and took away a lamb out of the flock,

17:35 and I went out after him, and struck him, and delivered [it] from his mouth. And when he arose against me, and I took hold of his beard, and struck him, and killed him.

We can gather more understanding of how mightily God worked in David by reviewing 1 Judges 13-14 for knowledge of events in the life of Samson (about 1100 BC), who delivered Israel from the Philistines about one hundred years earlier than these events concerning David (about 1000 BC) recorded here in 1 Samuel 17.

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