THE little city of Bethlehem is often called the "City of David," because it was the birth-place of David. In this city David spent most of his youthful days.
He was the youngest of eight sons of Jesse, and it was his duty to feed his father's sheep. And David in his youth was a very brave and good shepherd boy. Did he love his father's sheep? Ah I better than this, he loved the Lord.
At this time there was a king reigning over Israel, whose name was Saul. The Lord had given the kingdom to Saul, yet Saul was a king who did according to his own will; he did not obey the Lord's commands, for his heart was not right in the sight of God. So that the Lord chose another to reign over Israel. The prophet Samuel told Saul that the Lord had refused him, and that he would give the kingdom to another; one better than he was. Then the Lord sent the aged prophet Samuel to Bethlehem, that he might there anoint one of Jesse's sons, to be the next king over Israel.
And Jesse brought his seven eldest sons, one at a time, before Samuel; and when Samuel first saw Eliab, Jesse's eldest son, he said " Surely the Lord's anointed is before him." “But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart."
The Lord takes more notice of the state of our hearts, than He does of what men call beauty of person. Absalom was praised more than anyone else in Israel for his beauty; "From the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him." Yet the Lord brought evil upon Absalom (2 Sam. 17:1414And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For the Lord had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the Lord might bring evil upon Absalom. (2 Samuel 17:14)): for Absalom could not hide from the Lord the wickedness of his own heart. The Lord can read all our hearts, far easier than we can read this little book. "All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do” (Heb. 4:1313Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. (Hebrews 4:13)). Next came Jesse's second son: he was not the one whom God had chosen. Then the third—it was not he. Then the fourth, the fifth, the sixth, and the seventh sons of Jesse, each passed before Samuel. “And Samuel said unto Jesse, The Lord hath not chosen these." So that Jesse had to send for David, his youngest son, who was even then keeping the sheep. And no sooner did Samuel see David, than the Lord said to Samuel, " Arise, anoint him; for this is he." David had beauty of person; yes, better still, his heart was right in the sight of the Lord. “Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward."
Then David returned to keep the sheep as before.
David is called in the word of God, the “sweet psalmist of Israel." It may be that even while as yet he was but a shepherd boy, he composed, and sang, some of those very psalms which we now have in our Bible. Perhaps he often sang “The Lord is my shepherd," &e.., as he was keeping the sheep. And did David, the brave shepherd boy, delight to “Praise the Lord upon the harp," and to “Sing to the harp with a psalm of thanksgiving?” Then what shall hinder youthful voices now from singing the praises of Jesu's name?
King Saul, sad to say, went on from bad to worse. And “an evil spirit from the Lord” troubled him. Saul was miserable. What was to be done? His servants sought for one who could play well upon the harp: and David was sent for that he might play before the king. The man who proposed David, gave him an excellent character, and then added these words: “And the Lord is with him." Could the same be said of all of us? And David played before Saul, and Saul loved him greatly: and when the evil spirit was upon Saul, then David played upon the harp: “So Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him."
But I will now tell you a little about David's bravery. One day, while David was minding the sheep, there came a lion and took a lamb out of the flock. Then David, young as he was, went after the lion and fought with him, and slew the lion, Thus he delivered the poor little lamb. Again, a bear took a lamb, and David killed the bear as easily as he had killed the lion: and thus the lamb was rescued. We do not read that David was any stronger in body than others, but David was “strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might."
After this, there was war between Israel and the Philistines. The army of the Philistines stood upon a mountain, and the army of the Israelitise stood upon a mountain opposite, so that the valley of Elah lay between the two armies. And there came out from the army of the Philistines, a giant, whose name was Goliath. And he drew near to the Israelites, and defied them to send out a man that could fight with him. There stood the giant, clad in armor, bearing terrible weapons; and when the men of Israel saw him, they every one felt “greatly afraid." Day after day came the giant, yet no man of the army of Israel had the courage to fight with him. For forty days the giant came thus forth, proud of his own strength and skill, nor thought he once of the Almighty power of the Lord God of Israel. And could no Israelite be found that would honour the Lord, and put this boasting giant to shame? Saul sought in vain to find such a man—he could not find one—even though he offered great rewards to the man who should fight with, and kill him. But God, who “hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty," knew of one who could, and who would, not only fight with Goliath, but would also overcome him, because he had great faith in God. And this was David, the brave shepherd lad of Bethlehem.
Jesse sent David unto the army, just to see how his brothers were getting on, and David came into the camp, just as both armies were ready to fight. And lo, the giant came as before, and all the men of Israel fled from him, and were sore afraid. But the brave shepherd lad felt no fear. He boldly said that he would go and fight with this giant. He thought more of honouring the Lord, than he did of the weapons, and the strength of Goliath. But the king would not let David go at first; until David told him that he had already fought with a lion, and a bear, as we have said. And David was not ashamed to tell the king also, that his sole trust was in the Lord. Then Saul said, " Go, and the Lord be with thee." And Saul thought to help David: and he gave him some armor to put on. But David had no confidence in this armor, so he took it off, for his confidence was in the Lord alone. And David went forth to fight the giant, dressed more like a shepherd than a warrior; he had neither spear nor sword, but he had his staff in his hand, also his sling, and five smooth stones which he took out of the brook.
It appears that both armies watched these two champions draw near to each other, and that all of them could hear all that was said by David, and by Goliath. It humbled the giant's pride to have to fight with a shepherd lad, and he became very angry, and cursed David, and uttered a most awful threat. But David cared not if the giant was angry. Let the giant curse on—David knew no fear—he boldly told his enemy before them all, that his own confidence was in the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel.
We all know the sequel. David ran, and slang a stone with a true aim, and the stone smote the giant in the forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell senseless to the ground. Then again David ran, and stood upon the fallen giant, and David cut off the giant's head, with his own sword.
Thus “by faith," David won a great victory on that day. For, when the Philistines saw that their great champion was dead, they fled: while the Israelites, nerved by the noble example, and the victory of their young champion, rushed with a shout upon the Philistines, and slew them as they fled.
Dear readers, we are not called upon to wrestle with flesh and blood; but we are told to “Fight the good fight of faith," and to “Lay hold on eternal life." We have not to fight with a human giant—ours is a more terrible enemy—but we have this promise, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." David overcame his enemy by his faith. “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith."