Temple Baptist Church - 6-16-2024
1 Samuel 17:1-11
Introduction:
A. Father’s Day normally takes a back seat to Mother’s Day and I have no problem with that. We need to make much of our precious wives and mothers because of their great importance to the family structure. We make much of the ladies and need to do so because we love them and are proud of them.
B. As I thought about Father’s Day and the men that grace the pews of our church, I thought about the story of David and Goliath. A story that we are all well acquainted with.
C. In 1 Samuel, chapter 17, we find the ages old battles between Israel and the Philistines. Today, the land of the Philistine is Gaza. We all know the battles that go on today as the “Philistines” continue to be the perpetual enemies of God’s covenant people, Israel.
D. The backdrop for this morning’s message is an old one. The armies of the Philistines are gathered on the hills on one side of the Valley of Elah (Judah - verse 1) while the armies of the Israelites are gathered on the hills above this great valley on the other side.
E. Neither side, Philistines or Israel, are sure of victory as they both shout for the battle but neither move to the Valley of Elah where the battle will take place.
F. The Philistines have a champion named Goliath. Goliath is 6 cubits and a span or app. 9 feet ½ feet in height and his weight must have been enormous. His coat of “mail” weighed app. 200 pounds and was made of iron wire mesh.
G. The staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron (app. 25 pounds): and one bearing a shield went before him.
H. What an awesome and terrible sight he must have presented to the armies of Israel as, for forty days, he blasphemed the God of Israel and challenged any man to come down and fight.
J. Israel, with all its mighty men and Kings Saul who probably over 7 feet tall himself, trembled!
K. This morning, I want to look at the request of Goliath: “Give me a man!” And he found one! David!
L. “Give me a man!” The world is still looking for men! This is Father’s Day and today we will honor the man for the position that the Lord gave to him.
1. He is the glory of his children - Proverbs 17:6 Children’s children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers. (Dads, you are so very important in the lives of your family and especially in the lives of your children!)
2. He is the head of his home - 1 Corinthians 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. (The father is the spiritual leader and as goes the father, so goes the home! Weak fathers = weak homes. Strong fathers = strong homes. Spiritual fathers = spiritual home.)
a) We, as fathers, need to take that responsibility seriously!
b) The wife is to willingly give him that headship and leadership.
c) Dr. B. R. Lakin used to say, “Some husbands are so henpecked that they roost on the foot of the bed at night.” America needs some men who are born again with a strong spiritual backbone who will begin to lead their family.
M. Only time and eternity will show the real importance of men in both the family and the work of the Lord.
N. In our text, we find that wonderful story of David.
1. David was a young man. Too young (under the age of 20) to go to war. God chooses to use all men, the youth for their strength and the older because of their wisdom.
1 Samuel 17:14 And David was the youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul.
2. David was an obedient man. David obeyed his father’s commandments.
1 Samuel 17:20 And 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.
3. David was a humble man. The statement “those few sheep” was a slander against David’s ability and usefulness.
1 Samuel 17:28 And 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.
4. David was a man of integrity. How many men were in this army who were not willing to stand for a just cause? If our cause is just, and it is, how come so few stand in our day?
1 Samuel 17:29 And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?
5. David was a brave man. The entire army of Israel (possibly up to 500,000 to 1,000,000 men cowered in fear. They shouted for the battle but would not take their army down into the valley to fight. A whole lot of shouting going on but not much warring going on.
1 Samuel 17:32 And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.
6. David was not afraid to face a giant! Later, we find mighty men under David who faced giants without fear. He saw and faced what these hardened soldiers feared.
1 Samuel 17:4 And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
7. David was a wise man. I know that Goliath had 4 brothers but David did not know that. He had the wisdom to know that it just might take more than one stone to kill this giant!
1 Samuel 17:40 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.
8. David knew that God was larger than the giant he faced. Our God is greater than all our enemies, circumstances, or fears!
1 Samuel 17:45 Then 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.
9. David was a confident man. David had no premonitions, dreams, voices from heaven, but knew that with God, all things are possible and no problem is to great nor any enemy too large.
1 Samuel 17:46 This 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.
10. David was a victorious man.
1 Samuel 17:49-51 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth. (50) So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. (51) Therefore 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.
Conclusion: Dear Lord, Please Give Us Some Davids!
Happy Father’s Day! I love the men of this church! Be a good man. Be a good Christian. Then you will be a good Dad! God bless each father, man, and boy here today!
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