Temple Baptist Church - 10-24-2021 and 10-31-2021
Psalms 144:1-2; 1 Samuel 18:6-7
Introduction:
A. Over the past few weeks, we have seen David—a man after God’s own heart—a man of contentment, character, and worship. Life is made of “building blocks” that make us the man or woman that we now are. It is so important to become the kind of man or woman that is pleasing to the Lord.
B. I find it of great interest that David (we often think of him as the "sweet psalmist of Israel) was a man’s man! I know that this may not seem right to some but, as a man, I look up to the “warriors” of our day. I thank the Lord for men like those in Seal Team Six who efficiently and effectively removed a threat to world peace and security. I am not glad that a man died without Christ, but I am glad that social justice was done!
C. In our text, we see several important things about "a man of war."
1. David's Reliance. As we look at this man, we need to remember that He loved his Lord and knew that, in his flesh, he could do nothing (John 15:3) but, with God, he could do all things (Philippians 4:13). As a young warrior, David faced the giant in the name of the Lord his God.
2. David's Hands. It was the Lord who strengthened David for war. Many men are physically imposing but that does not mean that they are strengthen for war. I heard a Navy Seal say that there are many male specimens who go to Seal training that "ring the bell." War is more mental than physical! David had a heart and mind conditioned for war. He was a warrior!
3. David's Fingers. David was a man skilled in the art of war. From a sling and 5 smooth stones to the sword of Goliath, David was a skilled warrior! He not only had a heart for war and but he knew how to get the job done.
4. David's Heart. David had a heart for war. Not that his heart panted after war as no man's heart should. No righteous man desires war or relishes war but, David had a heart in the war. He had no "backup" in him and carried the battle to his enemies.
5. David's God in War. Look at verse 2.
Psalms 144:2 My goodness (God gave David deliverance in war), and my fortress (God gave David refuge in war); my high tower (He is the High Ground; God gave David position in war), and my deliverer (God gave David victory in war); my shield (God gave David protection in war), and he in whom I trust (God gave David confidence in war as the battle is His); who subdueth my people under me (God gave David leadership in war, an army that would follow him).
D. In today’s society, men are expected to be on the soft side and violence has become a thing that is taboo. Our Lord asked a question of the Pharisees concerning what they expected to see when they saw John the Baptist, the greatest prophet born of woman (Luke 7:28):
Luke 7:24-25 And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to speak unto the people concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind? (25) But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings' courts. (John was not dressed in “soft raiment” nor was he “gorgeously apparelled.” John was a man both outwardly, he looked like a man, and inwardly, as he acted like a man. John did not shake! Today’s “men of the cloth” are portrayed by the world and especially Hollywood as men of softness and are to be made fun of but no one made fun of John. As I read and study the bible, I find that men of God were tough men, enduring men. I do want to reiterate that they were tough men, not hard men.)
E. David, a man after God’s own heart, was possibly the greatest warrior who ever lived! He was a man of war from his youth. 1 Samuel 16:18 says that David was “a mighty valiant man, and a man of war.” Jesse knew the dangers of shepherding (David killed a lion and a bear) and yet entrusted David with his sheep. In Ecclesiastes 3, the bible says that there is a time to hate, a time to kill, and a time for war!
Ecclesiastes 3:1, 8, 11 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: 8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. 11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
F. The Bible declares God to be a “man of war!” - Exodus 15:3 The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.
Psalms 24:8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.
G. I want to look at three things about David’s manhood:
1. David Was Revered By His People - 1 Samuel 18:6-7 And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick. 7 And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. (This is literal! In David’s day, one hundred thousand plus would die in one battle in one day.)
2 Samuel 23:8-22 These be the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite: he lift up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time. 9 And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away: 10 He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil. 11 And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines. 12 But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory. 13 And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim. 14 And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. 15 And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate! 16 And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD. 17 And he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men. 18 And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief among three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred, and slew them, and had the name among three. 19 Was he not most honourable of three? therefore he was their captain: howbeit he attained not unto the first three. 20 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two lionlike men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow: 21 And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and slew him with his own spear. 22 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among three mighty men. (David was mightier than all of these. While these “mighty men” cowered with the crowd, David arose and slew the giant, Goliath!)
2. David Was Feared By His Enemies - 2 Samuel 17:7-10 And Hushai said unto Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel hath given is not good at this time. 8 For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father and his men, that they be mighty men, and they be chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field: and thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people. 9 Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some other place: and it will come to pass, when some of them be overthrown at the first, that whosoever heareth it will say, There is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom. 10 And he also that is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, shall utterly melt: for all Israel knoweth that thy father is a mighty man, and they which be with him are valiant men. (The enemies of David knew what “metal” he was made of: fearless in adversity and mighty in battle. He was both respected and feared as a man. Because of the news media and public outcry, our military can no longer fight with the ferocity necessary to cause great fear in the hearts of our enemies. For the same reasons, a man can no longer carry arms or protect his home in such a manner as to keep it safe. Boys have become soft and soft boys become sissy or effeminate men.)
3. David Was A Warrior By God's Choice - Psalms 144:1-2 A Psalm of David. Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: (2) My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me. (The Lord taught David how to fight and aided him in the fight. You can be a “man of war” and be right with the Lord.)
** Last week, we saw that David—a man after God’s own heart—was a fearless man of war who had no equal.
a. This “sweet psalmist of Israel” was a force to be reckoned with when the cause was just and war was a necessity. I do not find where David ever fought or killed just for the sake of doing so. He was a loving man, not a mean one.
b. David was 1) Revered by his people 2) Feared by his enemies 3) Right with his God!
c. David never fought as either a young man or an old king just for the thrill of fighting. David fought only when it was necessary but, when he fought, he fought with strength and valor!
d. Now, I want to look at David’s Warfare found in 1 Samuel 17. We are all familiar with the story of David and Goliath so I will not read all of these verses. 1 Samuel 17:20-51
1. David Knew Who To Fight – 1 Samuel 17:26 And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? (David always fought the right enemy. A man once stated that “The church is the only army in the world that shoots its own soldiers in the back.” How sad but how true. So many good men are divided by things that do not matter and unified by things that they should be divided over. We are not here this morning to fight with one another; we are not here to fight with other churches; we have a common enemy. In both WWI and WWII, nations that were different came together to fight against a common enemy and defeated the enemy in both cases.)
a. David Never Fought God’s Man
1) David did not harm God’s man physically - 1 Samuel 24:10 Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the LORD had delivered thee to day into mine hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee: but mine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth mine hand against my lord; for he is the LORD’S anointed.
2 Samuel 1:14 And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the LORD’S anointed?
2) David did not harm God’s man spiritually - 2 Samuel 1:23 Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.
b. David Never Fought God’s People - 1 Samuel 28:1 And it came to pass in those days, that the Philistines gathered their armies together for warfare, to fight with Israel. And Achish said unto David, Know thou assuredly, that thou shalt go out with me to battle, thou and thy men.
1 Samuel 29:9 And Achish answered and said to David, I know that thou art good in my sight, as an angel of God: notwithstanding the princes of the Philistines have said, He shall not go up with us to the battle.
c. Our Fight Is Against The Devil And His Work - Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
1 Peter 5:8 your adversary the devil
Zechariah 3:1 Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.
Luke 22:31 Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
Matthew 13:39 The enemy
John 8:44 He was a murderer from the beginning
Ephesians 4:27 Neither give place to the devil.
Ephesians 6:11 the wiles of the devil.
James 4:7 Resist the devil
1 John 3:8 the devil sinneth from the beginning… the works of the devil.
Zechariah 3:1 Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.
2. David Knew How To Fight
a. He Fought With Courage - 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. (He was fearless in his attack upon the giant!)
b. He Fought With Conviction - 1 Samuel 17:26, 29 And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? 29 And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause? (He fought with the knowledge that he was on the right side!)
c. He Fought With Confidence - 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. (He fought in the name and power of the Lord!)
d. He Fought With Continuance - 1 Samuel 17:48-51 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. 49 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. (He fought until the enemy was DEAD!)
e. Fight The Good Fight - 1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
f. As A Good Soldier - 2 Timothy 2:3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 11:34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
3. David Knew When To Fight – 1 Samuel 16:29 And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause? God’s men do not just fight for the sake of fighting. I do not want to leave you with the impression that David went around killing people just for the fun of it. A man after God’s own heart fights when his cause is just. He fought when no one else would! This had been going on for forty days! The “cause” was right making the fight right.
a. David Did Not Move Too Slow - 1 Samuel 17:16 And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days. (God’s people cowered for 40 days: mighty men who later killed the rest of the giant of Gath’s 5 sons allowed Goliath to blaspheme the God of Israel. These men should have been lining up to see which one of them would be first. I am reminded of our men in WWII as they lined up at the recruiting offices after Pearl Harbor. No thought of death as they joined the armed forces to avenge the attack. My dad and his brothers went to war as well as your fathers and grandparents.)
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. (David went to war by himself. Sometimes, you will have to war by yourself. David did not give death a thought as he closed with the giant.)
b. David Did Not Move Too Quickly - 2 Samuel 5:22-25 And the Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. 23 And when David enquired of the LORD, he said, Thou shalt not go up; but fetch a compass behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees. 24 And let it be, when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself: for then shall the LORD go out before thee, to smite the host of the Philistines. 25 And David did so, as the LORD had commanded him; and smote the Philistines from Geba until thou come to Gazer. (Later in David’s life, we find that there were times when attack was not immediate. He followed the Lord’s leading. There is an old saying that goes like this: “Fools rush in where angels dare not tread.” There is a time to war and a time not to war and the Lord will help us to know the difference.)
c. We Are To Fight Now - Romans 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. (Today, the church sleeps while the enemy advances. Instead of the church attacking the “gates of hell,” the enemy has entrenched within the very walls of the local church. As men, we must stand for right and fight for the values that our church and country once stood for. “Dear Lord, give us some men who will be right with you, protect their home in both the physical and spiritual realms, be faithful to the house and work of the Lord, and give our wives and children “champions” to be proud of.”)
4. He Knew Where To Fight - 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.
a. He Did Not Take A Defensive Position - Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (I still do not care for the message in the song “Hold The Fort!” We are not holding ground! The best defense is still a good offense. You do not win wars in a defensive position. The church is to be the aggressor, not the defender.)
b. He Took The Battle To The Enemy – 1 Samuel 16:48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
5. He Knew The Lord Was On His Side – 1 Samuel 17:36-37 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. (37) David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.
a. David Knew Who His God Was - 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.
b. Goliath Was Going To Get Acquainted With David’s God - 1 John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
Romans 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Conclusion: We will never be a man or woman after God’s own heart until we become a “Man of war!”
