December 10 Lesson: The Faith of David

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Winter Quarter 2023-2024: Faith That Pleases God
Unit 1: Profiles In Faith
 
Sunday School Lesson for the week of December 10, 2023
By Jay Harris
 
Lesson Scripture: 1 Samuel 17:31-37, 45, 48-50
 
Key Verse: David said, “The Lord, who saved me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, will save me from the hand of this Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17:37a)
 
Lesson Aims

• To introduce the context for the story of David and Goliath
• To explore why this quickly became a personal matter for David
• To learn how David’s past experiences helped David know he could take on Goliath
• To identify the faith that God would be there to help him secure victory
• To ponder David’s choice to leave Saul’s armor behind and choose his own way of fighting
• To reflect on the power of the name of the Lord of hosts
• To explore the features of David’s profile in faith and how David’s faith pleases God
• To name our “Goliaths” and what it looks like to call upon the name of the Lord of hosts

 
Introduction to the Lesson
 
We are continuing the Winter Quarter’s Theme, “Faith that Pleases God.” In this first unit, we are looking at various profiles in faith. We began in the previous lesson with the story of Ruth. In this lesson, we look at David as our profile in faith. There are so many stories involving David that express David’s faith, but in this lesson, we are focusing on just one particular event: David going up against Goliath. The idea is that this event in David’s life was a defining moment for David. 
 
This event occurred long before David became king. Saul was the king. David was quite young, living in Bethlehem. He was the youngest of his father Jesse’s eight sons and not old enough to enter into battle. The only reason he came into contact with the battlefield at all was to deliver food from his father Jesse to his three eldest brothers who were on the battlefield under Saul’s command. David had left the sheep he tended for his father in order to bring these provisions for his brothers. 
 
What David found was a field where the battle lines had been formed. The two opposing armies were arrayed along two separate mountains with the valley between them. The battle lines had been formed, but the battle had not commenced. The Philistine army had offered the opportunity for the battle to be decided in a single man-to-man contest. This is something two armies in ancient times might decide to do in order to limit bloodshed and spare the lives of the rest of the combatants. 
 
The Philistines had offered their champion Goliath who was half again larger than anyone on either side. Imagine a man who would not be able to stand in your home without butting his head against the ceiling. His size and strength also enabled him to carry more into battle than anyone else in terms of weapons and armor: the largest weapons and the thickest, strongest armor and shield. Goliath was the very picture of invincibility, and Goliath knew it.
 
Goliath is the one who issued the challenge and the stakes in winning. He said, “Today I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man, that we may fight together.” Saul was “dismayed” and his army was “greatly afraid.” When David arrived on the battlefield, Goliath had been taunting the army of Israel daily for forty days, and no one had taken up his challenge. 
 
 
David Reacted Personally to Goliath’s Challenge
 
When David heard Goliath’s challenge, he asked, “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?” He heard that Saul had offered to richly reward anyone who killed Goliath. David’s oldest brother scolded David for getting into something he thought was none of David’s business. 
 
³¹ When the words that David spoke were heard, they repeated them before Saul, and Saul sent for David.
 
David’s question had apparently reverberated around the camp. Perhaps the question was not just an idle question. There was a strong note of indignation when David talked about Goliath being an uncircumcised Philistine and defying the armies of the living God. David sounded like he wanted to “take away the reproach from Israel.” Word reached King Saul when it seemed like there was someone who might be interested in taking on the giant, Goliath.
 
³² David said to Saul, “Let no one’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 
 
David was willing to take on Goliath. Not only was he not afraid, he seemed to think no one’s heart should fail because of Goliath. Was this a mere bluster as David’s brother seemed to think? If Saul had gotten his hopes up that there was a worthy challenger, then his heart must have sunk when he saw that it was David, the young musician who helped calm Saul when his sprit was troubled.
 
³³ Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are just a boy, and he has been a warrior from his youth.” 
 
David had gotten this reaction some time earlier when the prophet Samuel looked upon him. God had told Samuel to go to Jesse’s house in Bethlehem, and there God would point out the one whom God had anointed to be the next king. When Samuel saw Jesse’s first-born, Samuel thought surely this son would be the one. This is when 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 does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 
 
One by one, Jesse’s sons passed before Samuel. It wasn’t until the youngest son, David, passed before Samuel that the Lord told Samuel that he was the one. It was the heart of David that God saw. It was David’s heart that God had appraised and made his determination. Now, as Saul looked on David, we see history repeating itself. Based on outward appearances, David could not possibly prevail against Goliath in Saul’s estimation. David had to convince Saul.    
  
³⁴ But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father, and whenever a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, ³⁵ I went after it and struck it down, rescuing the lamb from its mouth, and if it turned against me, I would catch it by the jaw, strike it down, and kill it.” 
 
David had the heart of a fierce protector. The sheep were David’s responsibility, and he took his responsibility to care for them and protect them seriously. To take on lions and bears requires incredible courage and bravery. He ran toward the danger instead of away from it. This kind of courage finds a way to take on the danger, and figure out in real time how to catch the predator by the jaw, strike it down, and kill it. He talked as if he had acquired the necessary skills to keep rescuing sheep confidently. David also had the audacity to believe that these skills were transferable to the case before him—standing up against Goliath.  
 
³⁶ “Your servant has killed both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God.” ³⁷ David said, “The Lord, who saved me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, will save me from the hand of this Philistine.” So Saul said to David, “Go, and may the Lord be with you!”
 
In the final analysis, the defining characteristic of David’s faith was not faith in himself or how he managed to defeat lions and bears in the past. Notice that David talks about how the Lord saved him from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear. He believed that he could not have managed those situations the way he did without the Lord’s help. The Lord helped him know how to take the measure of his foe and find a weakness and exploit it. The Lord helped him move with an amazing amount of strength, grace, and quickness. 
 
It should also be noted that David’s motives in wanting to take on Goliath were pure. David was not asking the Lord to help him become famous or to gain advancement. David was not on an ego trip. His motives had to do with Goliath defying the armies of the living God. In David’s mind, God’s reputation was ultimately at stake, and it was David’s desire that the armies of the living God would rise up to the occasion. So, when David asked to take on Goliath, Saul decided to let him and prayed that the Lord would be with David.
 
What elements in this story made this personal for David? How did David’s past experiences defending sheep inform David’s confidence in taking on Goliath? How did David know that it was God who defended him against the lion and the bear, and not just his own abilities? What role do you think David’s motives played in this story?
 
 
David Prepares for Battle
 
Saul also leant David his own armor and sword. Saul clothed David with it. We’re told earlier in scripture that Saul stood head and shoulders above other men, so naturally Saul’s armor on David did not fit. David tried to walk around in Saul’s armor and he couldn’t. He was unaccustomed to fighting in armor. David politely refused to wear Saul’s armor. 
 
Then the scripture says that David ^“took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the wadi and put them in his shepherd’s bag, in the pouch; his sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17:40) David had sized up the situation and chosen his course of action. He did not need Saul’s armor and weapons because he did not intend to fight like Saul.
 
The scripture says, “The Philistine came on and drew near to David, with his shield-bearer in front of him. When the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was only a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance. The Philistine said to David, ‘Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?’ And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. The Philistine said to David, ‘Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the wild animals of the field.’” (1 Samuel 17:41-44)
 
It is clear that Goliath was underestimating his opponent. Goliath intended to fight like Goliath always fought. 
 
⁴⁵ But David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword and spear and 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.”
 
It is interesting what David said to Goliath. David drew attention to the weapons Goliath intended to wield against David. David knew that the sight of himself without sword, spear, and javelin would be noticed to say the least. David wanted their absence to make a statement. Deciding not to fight with conventional weapons would help draw attention to what was on David’s side instead. David was coming to Goliath with the power of a name—the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel. The fact that Goliath had defied God’s army made it personal for David. David was fighting Goliath to uphold God’s name and God’s reputation.  
 
David told Goliath how he was going to strike Goliath down, and how it was Goliath’s flesh that would feed the birds and wild animals. David said it in such a way that gave the Lord the credit. He said, “This very day the Lord will deliver you into my hand…so that all the earth may know there is a God in Israel and that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not save by sword and spear, for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hand.” (1 Samuel 17:46-47)
 
What were the reasons that David chose to leave Saul’s armor behind and choose instead his sling and five smooth stones? How might this contribute to Goliath’s underestimation of his opponent? How did David use the contrast between Goliath’s weapons and armor and the “name of the Lord” to advance his cause? What would you say David’s cause was besides defeating Goliath and the Philistine army? In what ways did the battle belong to the Lord? 
 
 
The Battle and Goliath’s Defeat
 
⁴⁸ When the Philistine drew nearer to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. 
 
Goliath drew nearer to meet David like he had always drawn near to meet his opponent in battle. Would it have surprised Goliath for David not to stay where he was? Would it have surprised him that David closed the gap between them by moving so quickly toward the battle line? Would this have changed the timing of Goliath’s actions?  
 
⁴⁹ David put his hand in his bag, took out a stone, slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead; the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground.
 
David’s bag concealed the stone that would bring down Goliath until the last minute. The combination of David’s skill with a sling, and Goliath’s slow reaction time allowed David to exploit Goliath’s weak spot—his exposed forehead. When the stone sank into Goliath’s forehead, Goliath lost consciousness and fell face down on the ground.  
⁵⁰ So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, striking down the Philistine and killing him; there was no sword in David’s hand.
 
The final insult to Goliath, and the symbol of David’s triumph, was David using Goliath’s own sword to cut his head off. When the Philistine army saw that their champion was dead, they fled, and the Israelites pursued them, then returned to the Philistine’s camp that they had left behind and plundered it. 
 
 
Features of David’s Profile in Faith
 
It is interesting to compare and contrast David’s profile of faith with the faith of Ruth which we explored last week. There was a lot of love expressed in Ruth’s faith, and a lot of courage and bravery expressed in David’s faith. It should be said though that there was a lot courage and bravery involved in Ruth’s faith when you consider that Ruth left her home to go into the unfamiliar territory of her grief-stricken mother-in-law. Likewise, there was a lot of love expressed in David’s faith. You see David’s love and passion for God, for God’s purposes, for God’s name, and for God’s reputation. 
 
You also see David’s belief in the power of the divine name—the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel. Imagine a scale with the weapons and armor that Goliath took into battle on one side, and David’s five smooth stones and sling on the other side of the scale. Imagine Goliath on the scale and young David on the other side. From all outward appearances, it looked as if it was anything but a fair fight. How do you weigh the power of the divine name? How do you put courage and bravery on a scale? From the outcome of the battle, there is no doubting how the power of the name of the Lord, infused into David’s heart, mind, and body, prevailed.
 
The question that remains for us is, “What are our Goliaths?” Perhaps they are the seemingly insurmountable obstacles that stand between us and the spiritual victories we desperately need and for which we long. The obstacle may be a lack of belief in ourselves. It may be a lack of resources. It may be the long-term effect of our hurts, hang-ups, habits, or history.
 
What are some “Goliaths” that you have confronted in the past, or that you are now confronting? How do you call upon your faith in these experiences? How do you think this faith pleases God?
 
Goliath was an enemy who defied the living God and taunted and mocked God’s people. David killed him and cut off his head. This aspect of the story perhaps deserves attention. What about those who come up against us? How do we take in this story while remaining informed by the rest of what the Bible says? We temper our response with the mercy that the Bible lifts up consistently and strongly.
 
We judge not lest we be judged. (Matthew 7:1) This means that we must take our share of the blame when we have a conflict with someone. We love our enemies as Jesus commanded us and we pray for them. (Matthew 5:44) We go to them directly instead of talking about them behind their back. (Matthew 18:15) We seek reconciliation quickly with the one who is to be treated as our brother or sister in Christ. (Matthew 5:24) Jesus’ admonitions encourage us to name our enemies and deal with them lovingly, don’t you think? Just the very thought of it can sometimes seem like a Goliath-sized problem.
 
Sometimes our enemies mock the spiritual foundations upon which we stand by their words or actions. Often times they do not “fight fair.” They come at us with words and statements used like weapons that we are not permitted to use. 
 
What would it look like if we came armed, not with their weapons, but with the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of angel armies (remembering that the name of the Lord is associated with the Lord’s reputation, character, nature, and values)? How is this like praying in the Lord’s name? What if we summoned the courage of David to seek reconciliation? How does this demonstrate faith that pleases God?

Prayer
O God, the Lord of hosts, whose mighty name prevails in the battles of life, give us the courage of David which made him a man of action, that we may confront our “Goliaths” that stand in the way of the abundant life you offer, through Christ our Lord, Amen. 

Dr. Jay Harris serves as the Superintendent of Clergy and District Services for the South Georgia Conference. Email him at jharris@sgaumc.com. Find his plot-driven guide to reading the Bible, the “Layered Bible Journey,” at www.layeredbiblejourney.com.