We have before us now no longer the character but the career and activity of David, a type of Christ, from its beginning to its final and conclusive result, the complete victory over Goliath. In a word, the entire history of Christ, the Victor over Satan, is summarized in this period of David’s activity. The Philistines had already been conquered many times, but not their leader, the giant Goliath. Sure of his strength, he presents himself before the assembled people and challenges them; and when he has succeeded in inspiring terror in those whom he wishes to subjugate, he cries out: “I have defied the ranks of Israel this day!” He does not know that it is not with Israel that he has to do, but with God, and that he is defying God Himself in defying His people. This is his downfall.
As for David, he presents himself here (1 Sam. 17:1717And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren; (1 Samuel 17:17)) as the one sent by his father to his brothers; his service begins with them. But God’s purpose is a deliverance extending far beyond this limited circle. Joseph had done likewise (Gen. 37:1414And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. (Genesis 37:14)) and had become not only the savior of his brothers, but also the savior and master of Egypt.
David sets out on his mission, having already exercised a secret ministry in the wilderness where he kept the sheep. That is where he had smitten the lion and the bear, a type of Christ when He bound the strong man. Before entering into combat with the Philistine he had delivered his father’s sheep when the enemy sought to snatch them away and devour them. Christ did the same during His lifetime; not one of the sheep that His Father had given Him had been lost. He bound the strong man so as to set at liberty those who had been bruised and to preach the acceptable year of the Lord (Luke 4:18-1918The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. (Luke 4:18‑19)). He stood alone in the breach, saying: “Let these go away.” But He had much more to do than that, for He must abolish the power of the enemy himself.
Like Christ, David is here a true servant. He “[rises] up early in the morning” (1 Sam. 17:2020And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle. (1 Samuel 17:20)) and takes his charge, so as to accomplish his father’s will. Already anointed, he is the Spirit’s man for this service, while at the same time maintaining his character of humility in the pastures of the sheep.
He comes into the camp, where his brothers accuse his confidence in God and his faith of being pride and naughtiness of heart (1 Sam. 17:2828And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle. (1 Samuel 17:28)). We too can ever expect the same treatment ourselves in following the simple path of faith. Our relatives can no more understand our motives than the Lord’s brothers could understand His. David answers Eliab: “What have I now done? Was it not laid upon me?” (1 Sam. 17:2929And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause? (1 Samuel 17:29)). What had he done to deserve being insulted? Did he not have a reason for going down to his brothers, when the God of Israel was daily being insulted by the enemy?
David asks what will be done for the man who kills the Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel (1 Sam. 17:2626And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh 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)). He learns that the king will enrich him with great riches, will give him his daughter, and make his father’s house free. But it is not to obtain this reward that he enters the campaign; it is for God, for Israel’s deliverance, to make the Lord known in all the earth, and that all the congregation should know how the Lord saves (1 Sam. 17:46-4746This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hands. (1 Samuel 17:46‑47)). Doubtless his victory gives him, like Christ, great riches, a bride, and the liberation of his father’s house, but this is the result rather than the purpose of his work.
David announces to Saul what he is going to accomplish (1 Sam. 17:3232And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. (1 Samuel 17:32)). The king, who can think of nothing but human methods, wants to provide him with his own armor; but David cannot go with weapons belonging to the flesh, and he has never even tried them. He wants no other weapons than those a shepherd uses to defend or regather his sheep. As for us, the Word is that weapon that faith alone can use; it overthrows Satan. Human labor can have no part in such a conflict.
When he presents himself before the Philistine, although David is “a valiant man and a man of war” (1 Sam. 16:1818Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the Lord is with him. (1 Samuel 16:18)), he does not look like a warrior. Even his beauty, the reflection of the Lord’s grace, is disdained by Goliath (1 Sam. 17:4242And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance. (1 Samuel 17:42)). He is here the representative of God whom the Philistine had defied. To glorify this God whom Satan had dishonored: such was David’s purpose, and such was Christ’s purpose. Their strength consisted of fighting in His name: “I come to thee in the name of Jehovah of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied” (1 Sam. 17:4545Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. (1 Samuel 17:45)). In David’s spirit there was not a doubt about the results of the contest. “This day will Jehovah deliver thee up into my hand” (1 Sam. 17:4646This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. (1 Samuel 17:46)). Often when engaged in conflict we doubt; even a Jonathan is not sure of the result and says: “It may be” (1 Sam. 14:66And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armor, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the Lord will work for us: for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few. (1 Samuel 14:6)); here, there is nothing of the kind; rather, there is absolute faith which has the secret of the Lord and counts upon great things. Here David is the true type of Christ, for he represents God before the enemy.
With his first blow his sling strikes Goliath on the forehead; he falls, and David kills him with his own weapons (1 Sam. 17:5151Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled. (1 Samuel 17:51)). Through death Christ overcame him who had the power of death, that is to say, the devil. Then the victor withdraws to his own tent (1 Sam. 17:5454And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armor in his tent. (1 Samuel 17:54)), carrying off the trophies of his victory, like Christ who has gone up to His own dwelling place, leading “captivity captive.”
Goliath’s defeat is also the Philistines’ defeat; the world, like its leader, is now a conquered enemy; we may well take courage in facing it, even though, on the other hand, trouble and tribulation are our necessary portion.
Although he was relieved by Jesse’s son, Saul does not know David’s origin. “Whose son is this young man?” he asks Abner. Does this not recall the Jews’ ignorance in John 7 about the origin of Christ and the place from which He had come? Saul does not know him any better when he presents himself, holding in his hands the sure earnest of victory.