Stories from the Bible - Ep 12 The Victory of the King (1 Samuel 17)

Episode Date: December 7, 2021

After 40 years of wandering in the desert, the next generation of Israelites had come to edge of the land of Canaan, as we heard last time. Moses was now dead, and Joshua was their new leader. We heard that Joshua secretly sent in two spies into the Canaanite city of Jericho, where they were protected by a resident of the city, a prostitute named Rahab. In due course, Joshua and the Israelites entered Canaan. Rahab was saved, but the city of Jericho fell. The fall of Jericho was so miraculous it could have only happened because the God of heaven and earth was indeed fighting for Israel, just as Rahab had so intelligently predicted. The story of what happened next is told in this episode... The Scriptures quoted are from the NET Bible® http://netbible.com copyright ©1996, 2019 used with permission from Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved

Beauty, perfection, desire, deception, rebellion, judgment, hope. You're listening to Stories from the Bible. Bible stories told in order, using the words of the Bible, with introductions to give a recap and provide context. At the end of each story, you might want to pause and take a moment to reflect on what you noticed in the story. Things you liked or didn't like. Something the story showed you about God or about people. Don't worry if not everything makes sense. Keep listening to each episode and sit with the journey. I'm stoked to have you on the ride. Alrighty, so last time we heard that after 40 years of wandering in the desert, the next generation of Israelites had come to the

edge of the land of Canaan. Moses was now dead, and Joshua was their God-appointed new leader. We heard that Joshua secretly sent in two spies into the Canaanite city of Jericho, where they were protected by a resident of the city, a prostitute named Rahab. Rahab had shrewdly assessed the situation, taking into account the news she'd heard about Israel, and decided her best chance of survival was to pledge her loyalty to the God of the Israelites. So she didn't dob the spies into her king and instead cut a deal with them. She gained the promise of their protection of her and her family, on the condition of her keeping quiet and chucking a red rope out of her window. Well, in due course, Joshua and the Israelites

entered Canaan. Rahab was saved, but the city of Jericho fell. The fall of Jericho was so miraculous it could only have happened because the God of heaven and earth was indeed fighting for Israel, just as Rahab had so intelligently predicted. God continued to fight for the Israelites, and many other cities also fell. The Israelites, however, failed to completely trust and obey God, with the result that many Canaanites still remained in the land. Why was that significant? Well, we need to remember the promises God made to Abraham. Numerous offspring, a land to dwell in, and blessing. Now, for the Israelite nation to truly enjoy the blessing of living as God's special people,

they had to live in a place that was truly their own. A place where they could enjoy a special relationship with God, characterized by hearing God's voice, loving Him and obeying Him. Friendship with God is what it means to be truly blessed. One of the main things we keep seeing in our stories is the tendency of the Israelites to listen and obey God in the moment of hearing His voice, but later on, as time goes by, become fixated on their immediate surroundings once the memory of God's word to them fades. It is much easier to follow their own fears and what they see under their noses than it is to hold on to the unseen promises of God. That was why it was so important for the

Israelites to trust and obey God and fully drive out all of the other Canaanite nations. The Canaanites followed their own gods, idols made out of gold and stone, and the Israelites would be drawn away into following these impressive-looking, highly visible idols rather than the unseen God who had rescued them from Egypt so long ago. Following idols, of course, would mess up the blessing of living as God's special people who loved him and obeyed only him. So anyway, back to what actually happened. While Joshua was still living, the people followed the Lord God. But once the next generation came along, they forgot what God had done for their grandparents. They quickly turned away from

following his ways and began worshipping the idols of the Canaanites and doing what the Canaanites did for their idols, things like child sacrifice and temple prostitution. Would God just let his people go on like that? Well, to bring them to their senses, he allowed various foreign nations to invade and oppress Israel. Each time this happened, the Israelites would cry out because of their suffering, and God would raise up a leader, called a judge, to deliver them. Once the people were free and happy again, they went back to worshipping idols and doing evil, even worse than before. Then God would send another nation to invade and rule over them. They would cry out. God would raise a judge to deliver them. And the cycle continued for a

number of years. Each time the Israelites were free again, their evil got worse than the time before. You can read about this downward spiral in the book of Judges. It's pretty awful how bad things got. The book of Judges ends with the words, in those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what he wanted. The fact the people had no permanent king is given as a reason for all the chaos. Following the time of the Judges, the Israelites cried out to God to give them a king. Their reason for asking for a king was not so that they could have a good strong leader who would help them follow God, oh no,

their reason for wanting a king was so that they could be the same as all the other nations around them that had kings. And so God gave them a tall, handsome, impressive king, just like what they wanted. His name was Saul. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, Saul didn't turn out to be a very good leader of God's people. So God chose another man, a young shepherd boy of his choosing this time, called David to be the next king. At the time of today's story, David, although chosen, was not yet on the throne. Now, the Philistines, who were the oppressing nation at this time, had gathered their troops for battle. King Saul and the Israelite army gathered together as well. These two opposing armies were each camped on a hill, with a valley in between them.

The story starts here. Then a champion came out from the camp of the Philistines. His name was Goliath. He was from Gath. He was close to seven feet tall. He had a bronze helmet on his head and was wearing scale body armour. The weight of his bronze body armour was 5,000 shekels. He had bronze shin guards on his legs and a bronze javelin was slung over his shoulders. The shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam and the iron point of his spear weighed 600 shekels.

His shield-bearer was walking before him. Goliath stood and called to Israel's troops, Why do you come out to prepare for battle? Am I not the Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose for yourselves a man, so he may come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and strike me down, we will become your servants. But if I prevail against him and strike him down, you will become your servants. But if I prevail against him and strike him down, you will become our servants and will serve us. Then the Philistines said, I defy Israel's troops this day. Give me a man so we can fight each other. When Saul and all the Israelites heard these words of the Philistine, they were upset and really afraid. Now David was the son of Jesse from Bethlehem in Judah.

Jesse had eight sons, and in Saul's days he was old and well advanced in years. Jesse's three oldest sons had followed Saul to war. The names of the three sons who went to war were Eliab, his firstborn, Abinadab, the second oldest, and Shammah, the third oldest. Now David was the youngest. While the three oldest sons followed Saul, David was going back and forth from Saul in order to care for his father's sheep in Bethlehem. Meanwhile, for 40 days, the Philistine approached every morning and evening and took his position. Jesse said to his son David, Take your brothers this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread. Go quickly to the camp to your brothers.

Also, take these ten portions of cheese to their commanding officer. Find out how your brothers are doing and bring back their pledge that they receive the goods. They are with Saul and the whole Israelite army in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. So David got up early in the morning and entrusted the flock to someone else who would watch over it. After loading up, he went just as Jesse had instructed him. He arrived at the camp as the army was going out to the battle lines shouting its battle cry. Israel and the Philist going out to the battle lines shouting its battle cry. Israel and the Philistines drew up their battle lines opposite one another.

After David had entrusted his cargo to the care of the supply officer, he ran to the battle front. When he arrived, he asked his brothers how they were doing. As he was speaking with them, the champion named Goliath, the Philistine from Gath, was coming up from the battle lines of the Philistines. He spoke the way he usually did, and David heard it. When all the men of Israel saw this man, they retreated from his presence and were very afraid. The men of Israel said, Have you seen this man who is coming up? He does so to defy Israel. But the king will make the man who can strike him down very wealthy,

he will give him his daughter in marriage, and he will make his father's house exempt from tax obligations in Israel. David asked the men who were standing near him, What will be done for the man who strikes down this Philistine and frees Israel from this humiliation? The soldiers told him what had been promised, saying, This is what will be done for the man who can strike him down. When David's oldest brother Eliab heard him speaking to the men, he became angry with David and said, Why have you come down here? To whom did you entrust those few sheep in the wilderness? I am familiar with your pride and deceit. You've come down here to watch the battle. David replied, What have I done now? Can't I say anything? Then he turned from those

who were nearby to someone else and asked the same question, but they gave him the same answer as before. When David's words were overheard and reported to Saul, he called for him. David said to Saul, Don't let anyone be discouraged. I will go and fight this Philistine. But Saul replied to David, You aren't able to go against this Philistine and fight him? You're just a boy. He's been a warrior from his youth. David replied to Saul,

I, your servant, have been a shepherd for his father's flock. David replied to Saul, strike it and kill it. Your servant has struck down both the lion and the bear. This uncircumcised Philistine will be just like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God. David went on to say, The Lord who delivered me from the lion and the bear will also deliver me from the hand of this Philistine. Then Saul said to David, Go, the Lord will be with you. Then Saul clothed David with his own fighting attire and put a bronze helmet on his head. He also put body armour on him. David strapped on his sword over his fighting attire and tried to walk around, but he was not used to them. David said to Saul, I can't walk in these things, for I'm not used to them. So David removed them. He took his staff in his hand, picked out five smooth stones from the stream, placed them in the pouch of his shepherd's bag, took his sling in hand

and approached the Philistine. The Philistine, with his shield bearer walking in front of him, kept coming closer to David. When the Philistine looked carefully at David, he despised him, for he was only a ruddy and handsome boy. The Philistine said to David, Am I a dog that you are coming after me with sticks? Then the Philistine cursed David by his gods. The Philistine said to David, Come here to me, so I can give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the field. But David replied to the Philistine, You are coming against me with sword and spear and javelin. But I am coming against you in the name of the Lord of heaven's armies, the God of Israel's armies, whom you have defied. This very day the Lord will deliver you into my hand.

I will strike you down and cut off your head. This day I will give the corpses of the Philistine army to the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the land. Then all the land will realize that Israel has a God, and all this assembly will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves, for the battle is the Lord's, and he will deliver you into our hand. The Philistine drew steadily closer to David to attack him, while David quickly ran toward the battle line to attack the Philistine. David reached his hand into the bag and took out a stone. He slung it, striking the Philistine on

the forehead. The stone sank deeply into his forehead and he fell down with his face to the ground. David prevailed over the Philistine with just the sling and the stone. He struck down the Philistine and killed him. David did not even have a sword in his hand. David ran and stood over the Philistine. He grabbed Goliath's sword, drew it from its sheath, and after killing him, he cut off his head with it. When the Philistine saw their champion was dead, they ran away.

The story ends there. Thanks for joining us for today's story. You might like to take a moment to pause and think about what you noticed. Things you liked, things you didn't like, something the story showed you about God? Perhaps you might even have thoughts about how this story fits into the bigger narrative of the Bible. If you'd like to look it up, it's from 1 Samuel chapter 17. David certainly seems like a promising leader. You've been listening to Stories from the Bible. I'm Jen, and I look forward to sharing more stories with you.