1 Samuel 16:21-17:29.
Saul made David his armor-bearer, and whenever the evil spirit troubled him, David played upon the harp, and the evil spirit departed. Music, which is always very appealing to nature, helped Saul on these occasions, but it did not change his heart nor make him right with God. Many are deceived in this way by music, for while it helps them to forget self for the time, only a work of God in the soul can produce any lasting change, and make true melody within. The first man is now entirely set aside, and the true worshipers “worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.” John 4:23.
The Philistines then gathered tether against Israel, and set the battle in array. They had a giant as their leader named Goliath, who was about ten feet tall, and he was armed with a heavy coat of armor. He carried a tremendous spear in his hand, and a man bearing a shield went out in front to protect him.
This great champion came out and shouted to the armies of Israel, asking them to send a man to fight against him. If the man whom they sent was able to kill him, then, said he, the Philistines would become the servants of Israel; but if he overcame their man, Israel would become the servants of the Philistines. The Israelites, said he, were the servants of Saul, while they were Philistines and proud of it. Goliath the giant continued this defiance of Israel for forty days, but neither Saul nor any in his army were ready to go out and fight against him. Instead, we read that “they were dismayed and greatly afraid.”
Now David is brought before us at this point. He was not in the army of Saul at this time and did not hear the challenge of Goliath. Nor was he in Saul’s court. He was caring for his father’s sheep in the wilderness, but his father sent him into the army of Israel with a message and a present for his brethren. When David came into the host the men of Israel were shoung for the battle, and he ran and saluted his brethren. While he was talking to them, Goliath the giant came forward and defied the armies of Israel as he had done before, and the Israelites fled from him. When David enquired why this should be, he was told of all the honors that the king would bestow upon the man who killed the giant.
Now David was not afraid of any man who dared to defy the armies of the living God. Goliath might call the Israelites the servants of Saul, but David was a servant of the living God, and he was not afraid of the giant. He looked upon the people of Israel as God’s people.
This courage on David’s part aroused the jealousy of his oldest brother Eliab. This is the one, we remember, whose appearance was so appealing to Samuel, but how weak he appears here, and opposed too to the one whom God was about to use against the Philistines. He accused David of pride and naughtiness of heart for coming into the army at all, but David in the beautiful spirit of grace simply asked, “What have I now done? Is there not a cause?” His father had sent him to inquire as to his brethren’s welfare; now, however, he was ready to deliver Israel from the Philistines. There was no further use trying to explain this to Eliab, jealous as he was of his younger brother, so he simply addressed to him these two brief questions. It should have aroused Eliab’s conscience.
ML 09/26/1954