David - Lesson 1 (2-1-26)
Overview
David: Small in the World's Eyes, Chosen by a Great God
David emerges in salvation history at the close of the period of the judges (roughly 1200–1000 B.C.) and the beginning of Israel's monarchy. Saul, the first king, proved foolish, rash, irreverent, and hard of heart, and the Lord rejected him. Into that vacuum God sent the prophet Samuel to anoint a new king from among the sons of Jesse. Scripture skips David's birth and childhood entirely; what it gives us is what God wants us to know—how David fits into the unfolding story of redemption that culminates in Christ.
When Samuel arrived in Bethlehem, Jesse paraded seven older sons before him, but the Lord rejected each one. The youngest, still out tending sheep, was almost an afterthought. Yet the Lord told Samuel, "Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart" 1 Samuel 16:7. This is God's characteristic way of working. As Paul later writes, "God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong… so that no human being might boast in the presence of God" 1 Corinthians 1:27-29. When life's problems make you feel small and insignificant, that is precisely the truth—and it is the very place where God's greatness becomes visible.
The encounter with Goliath illustrates this beautifully. David's question—"Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?" 1 Samuel 17:26—reveals that he understood his identity as one in covenant relationship with the Lord. His five smooth stones likely correspond to Goliath and the four other giants mentioned in 2 Samuel 21; David walked into that valley armed not with confidence in himself but with confidence in the God who is greater. "There was no sword in David's hand" 1 Samuel 17:50—because the hero of the story is God. Our own identity is rooted not in accomplishments, salary, status, or schooling, but in baptism, where God claims us in covenant. From that identity we face whatever Goliaths confront us, remembering with Paul, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31-39.
The contrast with Saul is sobering. As David's victories grew and the people sang, "Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands," Saul burned with jealousy and tried to pin David to the wall with a spear 1 Samuel 18. Yet Saul's deepest problem was not David's rise; it was an unrepentant heart estranged from God. Jesus warns that envy, pride, and slander come from within and defile a person Mark 7:20-23. The remedy is to embrace where God has placed us—our neighborhood, family, workplace, and circle of relationships—as the very mission field he has assigned. Wherever you are, set up your altar there. Live for an audience of One. As we follow David in the weeks ahead, we will see him both used mightily by God and exposed as a sinner. His life is finally not about David but about God's grace toward sinful people—the law that exposes sin and the gospel that saves.
Transcript
Thank you. 1s
Gracious Heavenly Father, we give you thanks for this time to be in your house on this 7s
your day. 12s
We thank you. 14s
How you come to feed us through Word and Sacrament and to send us forth. 14s
Bless we pray now. 19s
This study to your glory and to your praise in Jesus' name. 21s
Well, welcome to our study on the life of David. 27s
I've so looked forward to this class with you. 30s
And for around the next two months, we're going to be studying this about David's life. 35s
What a fascinating, fascinating figure in Holy Scripture and how God used David. 40s
The events of David's life that are recorded in Scripture, obviously are not all of the 47s
events in David's life and ministry. 52s
But what we have here are the events that God wants us to know about. 56s
And so we're going to look at many of these events in these weeks ahead. 61s
When you look at the life of David, there is no account in Holy Scripture with regard to 67s
his birth or his childhood days. 74s
But what you see in Scripture is a perspective of David that is built off of the understanding 79s
of salvation history. 86s
In other words, where does David fit into this revelation of salvation history that 89s
the Scriptures tell us? 97s
So let's historically set David. 100s
First, we've got the period of judges, which is about 1,200 years to 1,000 years before 104s
the birth of Christ. 111s
Judges were not how we think of judges, judges in a courtroom. 114s
Judges were military leaders. 118s
And it was not a family line, it was not a dynasty of people. 122s
No various judges were simply raised up. 127s
They were formed a certain function and then were replaced by another judge. 132s
Following the period of judges, then you have the kings. 139s
And the first king was Saul. 144s
So, however, we see in Scripture was foolish. 148s
He was rash. 153s
He was irreverent. 155s
We see in Saul disobedience and a hardness of heart. 158s
And we also see in Scripture that the Lord rejected Saul. 163s
Let's take a look at 1 Samuel, the 16th chapter. 167s
First Samuel's in the Old Testament. 171s
Genesis Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, and Samuel. 173s
If you hit the kings, you're too far. 184s
First Samuel chapter 16, verse 1. 186s
There we read the Lord said to Samuel, 198s
how long will you grieve over Saul? 201s
I've rejected him from being king over Israel. 205s
Fill your horn with oil and set out. 209s
I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. 212s
For I have provided for myself a king among his sons. 215s
Let's drop down now, please, to verse 6. 221s
When they came, he looked at Ithia and thought surely. 225s
The Lord's anointed is now before the Lord. 229s
For the Lord said to Samuel, do not look on his appearance or on the height of his 232s
stature because I've rejected him. 236s
For the Lord does not see his mortal sea. 239s
They look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. 242s
Then Jesse called a binidab and made him pass before Samuel. 248s
He said, neither has the Lord chosen this one. 254s
Then Jesse made Shama pass by and he said neither has the Lord chosen this one. 257s
Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel and Samuel said to Jesse, 264s
the Lord is not chosen any of these. 270s
Samuel said to Jesse, are all your sons here and he said, 273s
there remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep. 279s
And Samuel said to Jesse, send and bring him, 284s
for we will not sit down until he comes here. 287s
He sent him brought him in and he was ready and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. 291s
The Lord said, rise and anoint him. 297s
For this is the one. 300s
Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, 304s
and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. 309s
Samuel then set out and went to Rama. 313s
When you look at David, David's a teenager, David here is small and insignificant 320s
in how so often the world looks at the things. 331s
The youngest of the sons, who would think, it's going to be the hatred. 336s
It's going to be any of the others, they seem to fit the bill. 342s
But David here, David seems too young, too insignificant for this. 346s
That's really the Lord's way of doing things, isn't it? 356s
Let's jump over to first Corinthians chapter one, Matthew Mark, Luke and John, 359s
Acts and Romans. 366s
Then first Corinthians chapter one will pick up in verse 27. 368s
But God shows what's foolish in the world to shame the wise. 384s
God shows what's weak in the world to shame the strong. 391s
God shows what's low and despised in the world. 396s
Things that are not to reduce to nothing, things that are, 400s
so that no one might boast in the presence of God. 405s
He shows what was lowly. 412s
He shows the insignificant. 415s
He shows the teenager. 417s
He shows the one least likely of all of the sons that you 420s
would think their souls are placement for sure. 425s
When you feel small and insignificant, 435s
faced with the problems that you face in life, 440s
you know what the problem is? 446s
You're small and insignificant. 449s
Right? 453s
When we face the problems that can come along in life, 455s
we realize our smallness. 461s
We realize our insignificance in light of the problem. 464s
When you go to the Grand Canyon, 471s
I remember a trip as a family trip as a kid 474s
and looking out of the Grand Canyon, what a sight. 477s
And how small I felt. 481s
When I go to the beach and you look out at the beach 486s
and all you see is water as far as you can see 489s
and there's more water beyond what you can see. 493s
It makes you feel very, very small. 498s
When all of a sudden a storm comes, right? 504s
You feel small. 509s
Right? 511s
When you see creation, 512s
when you see the grandeur of a mountain rage, 516s
the might in a thunderstorm, 522s
even a little layer of ice that can just stop everything 526s
for days. 533s
We understand our smallness and our insignificance. 536s
And so looking at then problems in life that come along 539s
and if you start to feel very small and insignificant, 545s
it's because you're small and insignificant. 549s
And embrace that because God is greater. 554s
You've got David a teenager 560s
and he's going to be the king. 564s
Talk about feeling small and insignificant 569s
and unprepared for that kind of task. 573s
But yet he is the one that God has chosen. 578s
When we face being small, 585s
God uses the opportunity to show how great he is. 594s
And in admitting our absolute dependency upon God, 602s
God brings about the understanding of His greatness 608s
and there is blessing in that. 611s
Well, after David has chosen to be king, 616s
there's a whole series of events here 619s
that occurs in his life. 622s
And of course, one of the most popular here 624s
is the story with regard to Goliath. 626s
So let's go to first Samuel, the 17th chapter, please. 629s
First Samuel, chapter 17. 633s
When it comes to David's motives with regard to taking on Goliath, 639s
they might not have been totally pure here. 646s
And we're going to see as we study David, 651s
we're going to see one used by God in a great way 652s
and we're going to see a sinner. 656s
And when it comes to David's story, 659s
it's interesting to note that probably the motives 663s
probably were not totally pure here. 665s
First Samuel, 17 verse 26, and it gets at that, 669s
where it says David said to the men who stood by him, 675s
what shall be done for the man who kills this filistine 680s
and takes away the reproach from Israel? 684s
Now, there's not an interesting question to ask. 690s
What do I get out of this? 694s
Or whoever takes care of this, what are they going to get? 696s
When you go to verse 28, you have the oldest brother of David, 701s
Iliab. 708s
Verse 28, his eldest brother Iliab heard him talking to the men 709s
and Iliab's anger was kindled against David. 712s
He said, why have you come down? 715s
With whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? 718s
Now, catch this, I know your presumption 723s
and the evil of your heart for you have come down 726s
just to see the battle. 730s
Isn't that an interesting assessment there from the brother? 732s
I know the presumption in your heart here. 735s
So you look at the story of David, incredible story, 737s
but also you have to wonder where the motives 741s
totally pure on the part of David. 744s
David picks up five stones, right? 749s
Five stones. 753s
Now, remember, in Scripture, 755s
always ask the question, 757s
when you see little details of that, 760s
I wonder why God in God's 762s
missions and God's putting together this incredible book, 765s
his word for us, I wonder why God chose to include the number five in there. 770s
And to let us know that level of details. 777s
This very well could be a real act of faith 782s
because what Scripture reveals to us 789s
in the 21st chapter of 2nd Samuel, 792s
is that there were four other giants. 797s
Now, think about this. 802s
Would David have been aware of the four other giants? 804s
Well, sure. 806s
So why does he pick up five stones? 808s
Well, he picks up five stones because he's going to go out 811s
and he's going to deal with Goliath, 815s
but then who else might he have to deal with? 818s
The four others. 820s
Now, contemplate this for a second here. 822s
You're going against potentially five giants. 825s
Wouldn't you want to arm off for this, right? 831s
But all he does is, here's five stones that will do the trick. 836s
They have to do the trick. 839s
Now, that is confidence, not in oneself, 841s
but it's in confidence in one who is wide. 844s
Who is greater than him. 848s
That's a statement, a faith. 851s
It's a statement of the greatness of God. 852s
Look, please, at verse 50 of chapter 17. 858s
So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling in the stone. 863s
Striking down the Philistine and killing him. 869s
There was no sword in David's hand. 873s
The contest was short-lived. 877s
What we will see constantly as we study the life of David 881s
is what we see constantly in Scripture 887s
that the hero of the story is God. 890s
David just won that's used by God. 899s
The hero of it all is God. 902s
Now, let's look at the first Samuel 17 verse 26. 910s
David says something very important here. 915s
David said to the men who stood by him, 921s
what shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine 924s
and takes away the reproach from Israel. 927s
For who is this uncircum-sized Philistine 930s
that he should defy the armies of the living God? 934s
What David is getting at there is David's identity. 941s
David is referring to the fact of Goliath being uncircum-sized. 952s
David is referring to the fact of his covenant relationship with God. 957s
And for God had established the covenant. 963s
Audit of Abraham and Sarah comes this great nation. 966s
Audit of this nation comes the Messiah. 969s
So when highlighting the fact that Goliath is uncircum-sized, 972s
he's lifting up his identity of who he is as one 976s
in the covenant relationship with God Almighty. 981s
We enter into relationship with God. 989s
So often through the waters of baptism, 993s
right? Sometimes God will bring someone to faith, 996s
bring in a relationship to them and then lead them to the font. 1000s
But what our experience is, 1004s
probably for most of us here, is that we were baptized as babies. 1006s
In baptism, we enter into that covenant relationship with God. 1012s
That's our identity that forms everything. 1018s
David lifts up as he compares himself to the uncircum-sized Philistine. 1022s
He's lifting up his identity in comparison to Goliath. 1027s
Our identity is rooted in baptism. 1033s
amidst our smallness and significance, God is great. 1039s
And the great God has given us our identity. 1046s
You are not what you have accomplished. 1053s
You are not what your salary is. 1059s
You are not how big your house is. 1064s
You are not what quote unquote status you have in the community. 1070s
You are not any of those things. 1079s
You are a baptized child of God brought into covenant relationship 1084s
with God Almighty. 1092s
That's your identity. 1096s
That's it. 1099s
And in that identity, we live. 1101s
World tells you the exact opposite message, right? 1106s
The exact opposite message is, and what's your position in the company? 1110s
Or, oh, little my new boat. 1119s
Or, you know how much is cost? 1122s
Or, look at how far I got in school. 1125s
Or, you have to know my grades. 1131s
See, all these kind of markers that people want to put on. 1133s
God just strips all of that away and says, 1138s
this is who you are. 1141s
This is who you are. 1142s
A baptized child of God, that's your identity. 1147s
David picks up five stones to deal with potentially five giants. 1152s
He knows who he is. 1157s
He knows who he is. 1158s
I'm sure that if you would have asked David and say, 1161s
do you have the experience to be king? 1165s
I mean, have you gone through kind of a kind of a training program 1168s
for this to take over this kind of leadership and are you up up to it? 1172s
You know, have you taken classes in administration? 1177s
Is there going to have to be some administration? 1180s
It's going to happen to occur here. 1181s
And picking of people here in terms of leaders. 1183s
If you've done all of that, what would have been David's response? 1186s
I can sheep. 1189s
I know sheep. 1192s
Ask me a question about sheep, right? 1194s
But David has a confidence in him. 1198s
Why? 1201s
Because he knows his identity. 1202s
He knows his greatness. 1203s
I've got. 1204s
He picks up the five stones to go against, potentially the five giants. 1205s
And he understands who he is in comparison to Goliath. 1209s
There's our identity to remember each and every day. 1215s
Each and every day. 1223s
Think about the Goliaths in people's life. 1225s
What frightens people? 1229s
What threatens to steal your peace? 1233s
And then ask yourself, what battles has God already won on my behalf? 1239s
We know that God has won the greatest battle, 1248s
which is being separated from him from all of eternity. 1252s
Look, please, at Romans chapter 8, Matthew Mark, Luke, John, 1256s
Acts, and then Romans. 1261s
Romans chapter 8, verse 31. 1263s
What then are we to say about these things? 1274s
If God is for us, who's against us? 1277s
He who did not withhold his own son, but gave him up for all of us. 1281s
Will he not with him also give us everything else? 1285s
Who will bring any charge against God's elect? 1288s
It is God who justifies, who is to condemn? 1291s
It is Christ, Jesus who died. 1295s
Yes, who is raised, who is at the right hand of God, 1297s
who indeed intercedes for us. 1299s
Who will separate us from the love of Christ? 1304s
Will hardship or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword? 1307s
Then down in 37, no, and all these things were more than conquerors 1313s
through him who loved us. 1319s
I'm convinced that neither death nor life nor angels nor rulers nor things present or things to come, 1321s
nor powers nor height nor depth nor anything else in all creation, 1327s
will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ, Jesus, or Lord. 1332s
That's somebody who understands what their identity. 1337s
And it's our smallness, God is great, and He has given us 1343s
an incredible identity. 1348s
Well, we see here that David becomes a national hero, a national hero. 1351s
In chapter 18, verse 5, we see that David's successes that God blessed him with, 1360s
pleased souls army. In the same chapter, it pleased the townspeople. 1369s
We see in the same chapter, it pleased the entire nation, 1375s
and it even became well known to Israel's enemies. 1380s
And soul, his reaction to this was jealousy. 1387s
Let's go back to first Samuel, please. 1395s
Chapter 18. 1399s
And we'll pick up in verse 8. 1403s
Let's go to seven, gives more of a context. 1408s
And the women sang to one another as they made Mary. 1414s
Soil has killed his thousands and David is 10,000s. 1418s
Soil was very angry for this saying to please them. 1423s
He said, they've described to David 10,000s, and to me, they've described thousands. 1428s
What more can he have, but the kingdom? 1434s
So, so I'd David from that time on. 1439s
Verse 10, it says the next day, an evil spirit from God rushed upon Soil and he raved 1446s
within his house while David was playing the liar and he did day by day. 1452s
Soil had his spear in his hand and saw through the spear for he thought, I will pin David 1458s
to the wall, but David alluded him twice. We also see in Scripture that Soil was seeing the loyalty 1462s
of his own family slipping away. Soil's core problem though, soil's core problem was not the rise 1472s
of the prominence of David. Soil's core problem was an unrepentant heart and a strangement 1486s
from God. Take a look, please, at Mark 7th chapter. Matthew and then Mark. 1496s
Mark 7th verse 20. 1508s
And he said, it is what comes out of a person that the files for his from within from the human heart 1518s
that evil intentions come. For an occasion, theft, murder, adultery, 1528s
averace wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly, all these things come 1534s
from within and they defile a person. Soil was jealous and jealousy can just eat away at a person. 1544s
And jealousy and envy can just set things on fire. And jealousy and envy is very easy to come by 1560s
in our sinful hearts. Instead of the grace of looking at that God calls us to various 1574s
stations, places in life and seeing wherever God has called us in the neighborhood that he's 1584s
called you in the circles that he has put you in. Wherever he has called you, 1595s
well that's your place of ministry. And we can delight in that instead of comparing our 1604s
self to another and say, well that person looks like God is using them in a much greater way because 1614s
they certainly have a larger sphere of influence than then I do. And there's the sin of jealousy creeping 1622s
in. Instead of the affirmation and the embrace of where God has placed you, we can begin to be jealous 1629s
of the other who was placed in another position because we start to evaluate in the ways of the 1639s
world and to say their sphere seems to be so much larger they have this opportunity or that 1646s
opportunity instead of embracing where God has placed us. There is the grace. 1655s
In our smallness God is great we have our baptismal identity and we can delight 1664s
in the place and the role that God has given us to do because in the end we all have an audience 1674s
of one. The audience of one. Only thing that matters is to say Lord I want to please you. 1684s
I want to hear the glorious words well done good in faithful servant. So I want to hear 1692s
and indeed God through Christ tells us those words because he empowers that faithfulness to him 1700s
and we can embrace where God has placed us in the situations in the circles and we can run 1709s
by God's grace far away from jealousy and envy. jealousy and envy burns. God calls us to delight 1717s
and who we are who he's made us to be and the place and the people that God has brought into our 1730s
lives to be our mission field. Many years ago we were on vacation we were worshiping in another 1738s
church pastor had a wonderful image that he used in his sermon and he said wherever you are 1745s
whatever situation in your life you're at set up your altar there. 1751s
Ooh what a beautiful word picture that was right. Set up your altar there because that's where 1756s
God wants you to serve him. That's where you worship him as you serve him the altar is set up 1764s
in that place where he has called you to be the smallest of David the greatness of God the 1771s
identity that formed him and understanding our place in distinction in the opposite of what 1778s
soul did in terms of his jealousy and anger. We can have a tendency to glamorize David to glamorize him. 1789s
We're going to see David in the expression of how God used him and we're going to see David as a center 1804s
because scripture lifts up that honest portrayal to us. We're going to place David's entire life 1813s
under scrutiny and what we're going to see in these weeks ahead is that David's life is not so much 1821s
about David but it's about God and God's grace toward a sinful human being. We're going to see 1829s
law that shows us far sin and we're going to hear and see the grace of God. We'll continue next week. 1842s