David, the early years - Part 5

Having a Heavenly Perspective

26^th November 2011

We saw last week how David discovered that a challenge from the Philistine champion had immobilised the Israelite army for 40 days. In 1 Samuel 17v26, he asked "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?"

We might think that David's zeal for the Name of the Lord. and his shock that no-one was prepared to stand and fight, was commendable. His brother took a different view:

1 Samuel 17v28-29
When Eliab, David's oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, "Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the desert? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle."
"Now what have I done?" said David. "Can't I even speak?"

David was full of passion for God and for His people. But all he got from Eliab was discouragement.

Sometimes a person's right attitude to God can embarrass us because we know in our hearts that we're lukewarm about God. Sometimes a person's bravery can embarrass us because of our own cowardice. At such times, we can manifest that cowardice, displaying what might be called "moral cowardice", accusing the righteous person of being conceited and wicked to deflect attention from our own inadequacy.

When we're accused by our brothers, it's important to look into our own hearts to see if the accusation is a fair one. If it is, we should repent. If it isn't, we should refuse to be discouraged by the negativity of our accusers.

This wasn't the first time David had been discouraged. We remember how, in Chapter 16, Samuel came to make a sacrifice and invited David's whole family, but his father made him miss the big event by sending him off to mind the sheep. But it was David that was anointed as king!

1 Samuel 17v30-31
He then turned away to someone else and brought up the same matter, and the men answered him as before. What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, and Saul sent for him.

Although his own brother brushed off David's desire to stand up for God, other soldiers in God's army noticed him, and told Saul what he was saying. Often, those nearest to us fail to see our character and our abilities but, if we persist, we will get an opportunity to serve.

1 Samuel 17v32-37
David said to Saul, "Let no-one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him."
Saul replied, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth."
But David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine."
Saul said to David, "Go, and the LORD be with you."

Saul was interviewing David for the role of champion, Looking at this young shepherd boy, he assured him that he had no chance of success, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth". So David had now experienced discouragement from his father, his brother and his king.

You'd understand it if he gave up, but he persisted. David explained - politely - that, while he had never killed a man, he had killed wild animals, and he insisted that Goliath was doomed because he has defied the armies of the living God.

Unlike Saul, David saw the conflict from a heavenly perspective, not an earthly one. We would have more courage in the face of adversity and negativity in others, if we were like him.