Plot Twist: The Strongman
1 Samuel 17
July 16, 2023
Jay Haugh
“When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” —Luke 11:21-23 ESV
David is faithful wherever God places him.
While he’s faithful, he gets a “call.”
Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle. And they were gathered at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. —1 Samuel 17:1 ESV
And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with a valley between them. —1 Samuel 17:3 ESV
(1) There is a strongman.
And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. —1 Samuel 17:4 ESV
(2) The strongman is fully armed.
He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. And he had bronze armor on his legs, and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders. —1 Samuel 17:5-6 ESV
The strongman is covered with armor from head to toe.
The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. And his shield-bearer went before him. —1 Samuel 17:7 ESV
(3) The strongman guards his own possessions.
He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” And the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together.” —1 Samuel 17:8-10 ESV
The strongman (Goliath) wants Israel to bring forth their representative to fight him.
(4) The strongman’s possessions are safe.
When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid. —1 Samuel 17:11 ESV
All of us need to face the “giants” that scorn our God and mock our faith.
(5) There’s One stronger than the strongman.
All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him [Goliath] and were much afraid. —1 Samuel 17:24 ESV
The nation thinks this man is too big to fight. David thinks this man is too big to miss.
And the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. And the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father’s house free in Israel.” —1 Samuel 17:25 ESV
And David said to the men who stood by him, “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?” —1 Samuel 17:26 ESV
David is motivated by God’s glory, not personal ambition.
And David said, “What have I done now? Was it not but a word?” —1 Samuel 17:29 ESV
When the words that David spoke were heard, they repeated them before Saul, and he sent for him. And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” —1 Samuel 17:31-32 ESV
Good servants make their superiors successful.
And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.” —1 Samuel 17:33 ESV
David’s confidence is not in himself, but God.
But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” —1 Samuel 17:34-36 ESV
Past experiences and past grace give David confidence in his present problems.
And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!” —1 Samuel 17:37 ESV
Then Saul clothed David with his armor. He put a helmet of bronze on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail. —1 Samuel 17:38 ESV
(6) The One stronger attacks the strongman.
Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the brook and put them in his shepherd’s pouch. His sling was in his hand, and he approached the Philistine. —1 Samuel 17:40 ESV
And the Philistine moved forward and came near to David, with his shield-bearer in front of him. And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance. And the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. —1 Samuel 17:41-43 ESV
The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field.” —1 Samuel 17:44 ESV
Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a 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. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hand.” —1 Samuel 17:45-47 ESV
When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground. —1 Samuel 17:48-49 ESV
(7) The One stronger strips the strongman.
So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David. Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. —1 Samuel 17:50-51 ESV
The sword of Goliath was a sign of terror, but now it’s a sign of God’s deliverance and victory.
(8) The One stronger plunders the strongman’s possessions.
And the men of Israel and Judah rose with a shout and pursued the Philistines… And the people of Israel came back from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their camp. —1 Samuel 17:52-53 ESV
The victory of One becomes the victory for all.
(9) The power the strongman held has now been removed.
And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent. —1 Samuel 17:54 ESV
BIG IDEA:
The true and better son of Jesse (one from Bethlehem) defeats the strongman and brings salvation.
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Memory Verse: 1 Peter 5:5b-6 NIV
“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
Read 1 Samuel 17
David is a significant figure in the Bible. What stands out to you about his character and faith? Based upon what we observe in this chapter, is there anything about David’s character that you want to embody? Why is this trait something you want to make part of who you are?
When culture refers to David & Goliath, God is left out of the story. How have you heard this story utilized outside of a Christian context? Why is God such an important player in this narrative? How can you add God back into the story the next time you hear the comparison made between David & Goliath? How can we help those around us learn not to be self-dependent but instead reliant on God?
When Saul and the other Israelites saw Goliath, they were afraid. What causes you to be fearful? What heart issues lay behind those fears? What truths from God’s Word can be applied to combat those fears?
When facing challenges, do you feel overwhelmed with thoughts about the giant and his power (like Saul), or do you meditate on God’s power and the victory He can bring (like David)? What power did David have (1 Samuel 16:13) that you also have? How can we get better at focusing on God rather than focusing on the problem?
What was Goliath doing that made David want to confront him? What should be our temperament towards those who are openly antagonistic toward God? How should we “battle” today against such people? Have you ever experienced an instance where someone who was hostile towards God became a champion for Him?
David felt prepared for his confrontation with Goliath because of his preparation and experience as a shepherd. In what ways are you currently training or developing yourself from a spiritual and leadership perspective? Where do you want to see growth?
David recalls God’s goodness at previous points in his life to give him confidence in the way God will act through him with Goliath. Are there testimonies in your own life that you look back upon that give you personal confidence in God and His character? If so, share more about what happened and how you were impacted. What Bible passages do you regularly reflect upon to be a light unto your feet (Psalm 119:105)?
What was initially viewed as a problem by many, one person (David) saw as an opportunity. Do you view challenges more as a barrier that needs to be overcome or as an opportunity to grow and advance God’s kingdom? Even though challenges and struggles are not pleasant, we know that God uses them to refine us more into His image. Do you struggle to appreciate the purpose God has shared for suffering? What can be done to grow in this area?
How does this story reflect a greater truth that is fulfilled in Christ? The Old Testament foreshadows many aspects of Jesus and His purpose. Outside of Scripture, where else do you see the truths of God and Jesus? Since unbelievers are unfamiliar with the Bible, how can we use these more common shared aspects to point people to Christ?