ROAD TO GLORY:

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SHEEP IN THE WORD MINISTRIES Rev. Robert C. Lewis
Glendale Baptist Church Houston,
Texas quicknotes.org 2002
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ROAD TO GLORY

• DAVIDS TWO TESTS

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The Little Test

• David and Goliath

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timeline of Davids life
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Popular Story

• longer than any other Davidic battle story (912
  words in Hebrew)
• more quotations than in any other story (22
  direct quotes)

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includes the longest quotation in 1 and 2
Samuel (33 words from the lips of Goliath,
1789) includes many details normally omitted
(e.g., number of cheeses and loaves of bread,
171718)
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Test of Faith

• this is not a story about human courage but a
  life built around faith in the LORD
• it took great faith in God for a teenager to
  challenge Goliath (1 Sam 1737 cf. "the battle
  is the LORD's" 1747)

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Location of the Battle

• Socoh is about 8 miles east of Gath and 15
  miles west of Bethlehem

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the Valley of Elah is located between Azekah
and Socoh along the Wadi-es-Sant (dry river
bed) the Philistines camped at Ephes-dammim, 2
miles west of Socoh
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Battle of the Valley of Elah

• the Philistines held Azekah they wanted to
  conquer Socoh on the other side of the Valley of
  Elah

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the Israelite army blocked the Philistine
advance into the mountains lacking chariots,
Saul bided his time and didnt venture out into
the open plain (1 Sam 1713)
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Representative Combat

• a "champion" (lit. "man between the two") was a
  person who fought to the death in representative
  combat (1 Sam 174)

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Risk

• Goliath was 9 9 tall

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he was specially dressed for representative
combat (1747) (1) a bronze helmet (instead
of a feathered headdress as in Egyptian
art),(2) a 126 pound coat of scale armor,
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(3) bronze knee protectors,(4) a curved sword
(bronze scimitar) slung on his back,(5) a long
spear with a 15.1 pound iron point, and
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(6) a shield bearer with a large, rectangular
body shieldcalled a sinna (177)note this is
the longest description of military attire in the
Old Testament
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Object Lesson

• to the Israelites Goliath looked invincible,
  but we have just been warned about paying undue
  attention to outward appearances (1 Samuel 1667)

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Greek and Philistine Custom

• Goliath explained representative combat to the
  Israelitesapparently they had never seen it
  before (1789)

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it was a fight to the death between
representatives of two opposing armies
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the nation represented by the loser would
become subject to the nation represented by the
victor
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representative combat was very common in the
ancient world
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the Philistines reneged on the
agreementfighting instead of submitting (cf.
1830)
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Daily Challenge

• Goliath challenged Israel twice a day for 40
  days (1716)testing and putting to shame "the
  armies of the living God" (1726)

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long standoffs were difficult for agricultural
communitiesthe young men were needed in the
fields in the spring and summer
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Support Role

• David was under the age of 20, the minimum age
  for military service (Num 13 262)

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he played a support role, taking food to his 3
brothersabout 15 miles (1 Samuel 171224)
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families of soldiers supplied food for their
relatives he probably stayed overnight (cf.
his tent 1754)
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Reward for Killing Goliath

• King Saul offered a generous reward for killing
  Goliath, but there were no takers (172530)

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David Volunteers to Fight Goliath

• first, he exhorts those present to not be
  afraidall of them older than he (173132)

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after being rebuffed, he emphasized his
qualifications and experiencewhich persuaded
King Saul (173337)
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Battle Gear

• King Saul put his tunic, coat of armor, bronze
  helmet, and sword on Davidthe best battle gear
  in Israel (173839 cf. 131922)

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he inadvertently foreshadowed the future he
clothed David with his symbols of royalty as God
earlier anointed David with the Spirit as King of
Israel (1613)
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with the Spirits help, David began delivering
Israel from the Philistines while Saul was still
King (cf. 1613, 14)
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Davids Weapons

• a stick (1740)suitable only to spank dogs in
  Goliaths opinion (1743)

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a slingwith 14.5 ounce tennis-ball-sized
slingstones gathered from the dry river
bed(examples on display in the Lachish exhibit
at the British Museum)
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Goliath Cursed David

• he cursed a child of Abraham and Gods
  anointedbringing the curse of the Abrahamic
  Covenant upon himself (1743 cf. Gen 123)

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A Lesson in Faith

• David believed he would be protected and
  victorious because God had chosen him to be the
  future King of Israel (cf. 161, 1213)

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he realized he was teaching his people a lesson
in faithand that all this assembly may know
(1747)
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Failed the Test

• King Saul (916 cf. 92 1023) and the army did
  not have faith in the covenant promises (Deut
  2014 287) and were afraid to fight Goliath
  (1711, 2425, 32)showing the failure of
  Israel's trust in man instead of God (820
  101719)

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Passed the Test

• David persuaded Saul to let him fight Goliath
  (173137) and, with faith and courage
  (174547), went out (1740, 4142, 48) and
  killed him (174951 cf. Lev 2416)a job King
  Saul should have done

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Victory

• the Philistine army fled westward down the wadi
  (dry river bed)

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Israel chased them all the way to Ekrona
distance of over 10 mileskilling all the
stragglers left behind
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David dedicated the most prized trophy to the
LORDGoliaths sword (compare 1 Samuel 1751, 54
with 219)
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Rewards for Passing the Test

• (1) victory over the Philistines (1751b53),
• (2) riches (1725),

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(3) marriage into the royal family (1725 cf.
181727), (4) tax exemption for his family
(1725),(5) favor with the royal family
(1755184),
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(6) success and promotion (185, 13),(7)
popularity and fame (1869, 16, 30 1917), and
(8) God's help (1812, 1415, 2729)
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The Big Test

• Seven Years of Persecution

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timeline of Davids life
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the test

• undeserved persecution from King Saul (as
  observed by Jonathan, 1 Sam 1946 203234 and
  admitted by Saul, 2417 2621)

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Saul tried to kill David nine times

• (1) with his spear (181012),
• (2) through marriage (1817, 25),
• (3) through Jonathan (1913),

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(4) with his spear (19910), (5) at home
(191117),(6) at Keilah (23713),
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(7) in the wilderness of Ziph (232429),(8)
in the wilderness of En Gedi (24122), and(9)
in the wilderness of Ziph at the Hill of
Hachilah (26125, esp. 2612)
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undeserved persecution

• David did not know why Saul wanted to kill him
  (201 2618 cf. Psa 594)

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a long test

• this test lasted for seven years, created many
  hardships and unpleasant living conditions
  (fugitive life in the wilderness), and must have
  seemed like it would never end

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this test was from the LORD

• Jonathan told David, Go, for the LORD has sent
  you away (2022)

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he experienced great pressure (222023),
encouragement from his friends (231518
252635), betrayal (231924), and close calls
(232629 243)
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great attitude

• this test hurt (201, 41) but he continually had
  faith (Psa 5634), prayed (Psa 142), and wrote
  inspired hymns of praise to God (Psa 59, esp.
  verses 1617 56 34 57, esp. verses 711 52
  63 54 7 18)

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God protected David in many different ways (1 Sam
2314)

1. coming of the Spirit upon his enemies
   (191824),
2. friendship and covenant with Jonathan (1947
   20142),

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(3) divine guidance from a prophet (225 cf.
2315),(4) guidance with the ephod
(23613), and(5) diversion (232429)
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deliverance

• he continued delivering Israel from her enemies
  while being tested (2316 27812 30120),
  whereas King Saul killed the priests of the LORD
  (22619 cf. 916)

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temptation

• twice David refused to put an end to the test by
  killing King Saul instead he waited for God to
  provide a way of escape (24122, esp. 2447,
  911 26125, esp. 262324)

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passed the test

• he was faithful and blameless (Psa 182024),
  had an occasional lapse of obedience (1 Sam
  253235) and faith (2716), and left vengeance
  up to God (241115)

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way of escape provided by God (cf. 1 Cor 1013)

• Saul died the sin unto death in God's
  timingkilled in battle by the Philistines
  (2819 31113 cf. 2610)

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God rejected Saul and anointed David in his
place (ca. 1024 B.C.), but Saul was permitted to
reign another 14 years before David became King
of Judah (1010 B.C.)
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rewards for passing the test

• David was anointed King of Judah (2 Sam 24)
  and all Israel (515)and God greatly blessed
  his reign (336 510 71, 89 814)

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SHEEP IN THE WORD MINISTRIES Rev. Robert C. Lewis
Glendale Baptist Church Houston,
Texas quicknotes.org 2002