Intro
Samuel represents the end of an era for Israel. The people of Israel had grown beyond a loosely connected band of nomadic tribes, and they sought to “be like all the nations.” (1 Samuel 8:20, ESV). Back in Deuteronomy, God had already provided the basis for a rule of Kings in Israel. In Moses’ final blessing over Israel, he said, “[t]hus the LORD became king in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people were gathered, all the tribes of Israel together.” (Dt 33:5, ESV). For many years, all of Israel understood that they had a king, and his name was the LORD. Yet, the LORD had already provided for this eventuality. Through Moses, God had told Israel:
When you come to the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you possess it and dwell in it and then say, ‘I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me,’ 15 you may indeed set a king over you whom the Lord your God will choose. One from among your brothers you shall set as king over you.
Dt 17:14-15, ESV
The story of 1 Samuel is the story of how Israel became a monarchy.
Interesting facts from this week
Children are often told the story of David and Goliath; however, the Bible gives us a rich and deep glimpse into what happened that day far beyond the children’s stories. For example, in 1 Sam 17:5-7, the detailed description of Goliath’s armor is fascinating. It is worth noting that the one man that should have been ready to answer Goliath’s call was Saul. The Bible tells us that Saul was “taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward.” (1 Sam 10:23, ESV). The closest person in Israel to Goliath’s size and strength was Saul. Both Saul and Goliath were looking at their equipment for protection. When David was ready to fight with Goliath, Saul tried to give David his armor (1 Sam 17:39-39, ESV); this clearly shows where Saul trusted for safety.
Another interesting note about this battle is not often pointed out; David was running when he let loose that stone. In the artist’s rendering, Goliath is usually pictured standing on one side and David on the other. The battle was not that serene. The Bible tells us, “David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine.” (1 Sa 17:48, ESV) Goliath has 100s of pounds of armor and weapons; David does not even have a sword. Five stones and some leather is the only weapon David brings. Most people believe that David brought five stones because Goliath had four brothers. David and his men would end up defeating all 4 of the giant brothers before the end of David’s rule.
Map
The orange route is the army of Israel. The green is David’s route. The red is the route the one the Philistines took in retreat after David killed Goliath.
Theological note
You are not David. Perhaps you have seen the motivational statement:
The story of David and Goliath is not about you. It is about Jesus. If you are in this picture, you are the cowardly Saul who could not stand up to the enemy and needed a champion to fight for him. Jesus is our champion. He slew the Goliath of sin and death that we could not.