The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1915-04-23

1ESSON VEAT1 samuel lf:J-oI.
GOLDEN TEXT-If God be for US. who
10 against us?-Rom. S:3l r. ".
For forty days ". 16) Goliath deied
Saul's army. encamped near Bethle-
hem. Three Of the sons Of Jesse Were
In Saul's army and to them David Is
sent with food (vv. IS. Is. 1s). These
brothers scornfully reproached David
when he expressed q willingness to
fight Goliath, accusing him of pride and
reminding him that he was but q shep
herd wv. 5000. David's words arc
carried to Saul and he is introduced ia
the king.
!. eoastful Pride, w. 1914. Fear
and dismay were aroused at the very
sight of this proud Philistine (vv. II,
"a. S2), yet such fear vas foreign to
David. for his eyes were not upon man
but upon God ". 80. He related to
Saul his exploits not as boasting but
as giving him assurance that God was
able to deliver him out of the hand Of
this Philistine. Saul, who had once
been a man &C like simple faith, is now.
as much in fear as any of his army.
David was perhaps about twenty years
of age and verse 56 calls him a strip
ling" hence it was that Sauls m
would not fit him (cf. 1929. Human
ly speaking. it was an impossible thing
David offered to accomplish single
handed. Even Saul ". S2) sought to
dissuade David, but David was not
trusting in man o depending upon
the armor of the king ". SO; Ps. 27:1-
8; lisa. 1872; Rom. S:319. David took
his familiar staff and sling (see 1
Thess. 5:21) and sailed forth. strong
in the Lord, not in himself; armed not
with steel but with faith" Crossing
his sling. with which every Israelite
was skilled (see l Sam. 13:19-23). On
came the giant, a man about nine feet
tall ". ~. "a stalking mountain, over
laid with brass and iron," preceded by
his protector ". 41). Why such a sol
der after his period Of triumph should
desire this added safety is o quite
clear. 1t suggests, however, the sim
ner's timidity which reveals his essen
tial weakness in that he trusts him.
self, takes no chances, and is even sus-
PASIouo VI Ills c"h SuPPOI SlS
a contrast! This armored giant and
this ruddy-faced, unarmed youth. car
rying only the staff. wherewith he was
wont to fight wild beasts, and his
sling! When God calls a man he uses
that weapon with which the man is
o familiar. and when the church or
the Christian soldier seeks to fight in
the armor of another, or by using the
weapons of the world. it is foredoomed
to failure eek. AZ; Judges 3:31). AS
though this youthful shepherd were
seeking some beast of the hills, Goliath
exclaims, Am l . dog?" ". 43), and
offers to make arrion of David ". Az.
Such derision anG boasting is the usual
attitude of the enemies of God. 1t was
designed to strike fear into David's
heart on n hand, and to bolster the
courage of the Philistine on the other.
II. c~onquerin0 Humility, w. 45-51.
David acknowledged Goliath's SUI
perior armament, yet armed with the
name OF. the God of the army of Israel
which Goliath had insulted. his conf
dence Overtops that of the Philistine
and he hurls back his broud boast.
Furthermore, the victory was to be an
immediate one. this day" Czech. 4:6;
James 4:7). With calm assurance he
informs Goliath of the outcome of
their conflict, but takes no credit to
himself. David had naught but naked
faith and the sense of q Just cause to
strengthen his arm. He would do TO
Goliath and the Philistines the things
that Golieth had boosted he would do
to David wv. A and 46) that all the
earth may know that there is a God
in Israeli" see also v. AZ. David's
seemingly insufficient preparation Is
now revealed to be abundant, for he
had four stones more than he needed
". 40). 1t is thus that God chooses
the weak things to confound the mighty
Il Cor. 1:27). Goliath's one unpro-
tected spot was his sufficient weak
ness. In warfare it would be protect
ed by his shield. but his pride and
bOastfulness exposed him to David's
unerring shot. There is always an
open, vulnerable place in the infidel's
armor, and the man who trusts God
will surely be guided to make accurate
aim and to deliver a mortal blow at
that point. The enemies we most fear
fall the easiest and the hardest
Judges 20:16). Verse SO il paren-
thetical, but from 81 it would seem
that Goliath may have been only
stunned and that David. to make COM
piete' his victory, cut OF Goliath's head
With his ~ sword Israel received q
great lesson that day and the PILLS.
tines, a type Of the world. received one
also ". AZ r. W.. God will give the
fruits Of victory into the hands Of
those who trust and obey him.
~. Summary. We have before us
three lessons. First the lesson of indi.
vidual responsibility. A sinful king had
paralyxed the effectiveness OF, the
army Of Israel. David. "a man after
Gods own heart" refused Saul's ar
NOR, crying out Il cannot go in these"
Saul. bound by tradition. must use
conventional weapons. Every great
advance in the history of the church
has been led by some man who struck
ont boldly. insensible alike to the con-
ventionalism Of his friends and the
0ibes of the enemy. God would have
every man work according to himself,
not copying. not initiating. but with his
own equipment. Second, all the giants