1 Samuel 17:23 Commentary and Bible Study

But at this point, Goliath came out of the armies of the Philistines, and spoke according to the same word that we read earlier on. ‘Behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name.’ He came up. What it means is that now he has crossed the ravine, and he is coming up the Israelite side of the valley. Now he is almost entering into the army of the Israelites, and he let out with his bellowing cry: his same threatening, insulting words. David heard all these words, but it had a very different effect upon him than it had upon the others who were merely intimidated, and dismayed, and terrified.‘All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him.’ Well, there's no mass running away just yet. They are still in place, but evidently this is the people nearest moved away, recoiled from this, and were sore afraid. ‘And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.’ When they saw Goliath, the nearest people just shrank away from him in terror. So David was told what they were telling any newcomers: ‘Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up.’ There was very little faith among them. They are very defeatist; in spite of the blessings they have had. ‘It shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel.’ Saul is looking for a champion. He can't do it himself; he doesn't know anyone who can; he is a desperate man. Now that comes as very important information to David. We remember that he has been anointed to be king. He is a man of faith; he is a youngster, about twenty now, probably fairly stocky, but still not a fully massive man. He appears very fresh-faced and very young, but he is the anointed king. However, he has no recognition whatsoever, and no status at all in Israel. For the time being, he is the instrumentalist to King Saul – probably on an occasional basis, not a constant office – and he goes and plays at court when Saul is in these great depressions. Technically he is a ceremonial armour bearer, whatever that may have involved. But that doesn't make him a nobleman; that doesn't make him a royal or anything special. In fact, it rather lowers him. He is not a servant, it's true, but he is a fairly lowly operative at court, who knows his place and has to keep it. So what is in David's mind is this: ‘I have been anointed by the prophet Samuel to be king. What lies in the future for me? When will everything change and open up, and something happen to King Saul, and some unforeseeable chain of events elevate me to due recognition as king? How will it be done?’ And suddenly there is this apparent promise of King Saul that whoever kills the Philistine is going to become a royal, and is going to take to marriage a king's son. He thinks, ‘Is this the Lord's way of working? Is this his guidance for me?’ David looks at what the other soldiers see as nothing more than secular enrichment, and he sees this as possibly the great opportunity given by the Lord, which will bring him to ultimate office. So he needs confirmation, and this is so important and so central to the narrative, that he asks again.‘And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine?’ He has just heard, but he must hear this confirmed. Is everyone agreed that this is what the king said? Is this clearly the king’s edict? At first sight, it doesn't sound a very wholesome question. It almost looks as though David has his eye on the reward, first of all. But no, he is thinking to himself: ‘Is this how the Lord is going to work? Is this how I am going to be brought into the kingdom: that I will defeat Goliath and thereby be brought into royal status? Or is this going to be a complication for me in that somebody else possibly is going to defeat Goliath, and he will be preferred, and I will have to wait longer?’ So there are all sorts of reasons why he would ask this question, other than his being motivated by personal gain. In addition he is increasingly determined that the Lord would have him to do this, to carry out this mission. See how spiritually he puts it: ‘And taketh away the reproach from Israel.’ It is unlikely that Saul had said that. This is how David sees it. To defeat this champion is going to take the reproach from Israel. This is re-establishing faith, and the message. ‘For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?’, and that phrase occurs again. David has got it on his mind – ‘defying the armies of the living God.’ Scripture says, ‘If it's done against God; if it's done against his purposes, his plan, his name, his honour, then God will defend us and give us victory.’ He is a believer. At last a bit of spiritual light. David comes into the middle of this, and he is not so much concerned for national pride only; he is not so much concerned that one army is facing another. What concerns him is that an uncircumcised Philistine is getting away with challenging people who are supposed to be a nation of faith, proving the power of God, who should be able to send any one man out there, and with the prayers of God's people behind him, he should be able to be the victor. What upsets David is the lack of any spiritual interest in all this and concern. The others are forgetting all these promises and Scriptures, and their purpose, and their calling. The people answered that this is certainly what Saul has said.