This is a text that preachers call a jump off text. This text gives you so many places to go with your sermon. We will examine that idea later ias we get into the real meat of this text. This book was part of one book that was later split into 3 parts by the Greek translators of the Septuagint. There are older texts that have 1Samuel and 2Samuel as one text not two. Author is Either Samuel or Samuel, Nathan and Gad. This second authorship is because of 1 Chronicles 29:29. They were all there and all claim authorship of at least one book.   Now the acts of David the king, first and last, they are written in the book of Samuel the seer, and in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer, (KJV) 1 Samuel 25:1 also includes the death of Samuel, so we have some trouble with his writing the rest of the book. The themes that we are looking at are the kingship of Saul and the Anointing and Rise of the new king David. Saul is the king of Israel and this young man comes along who in the story is just a Shepherd boy. The text also is a strong look at the faith in the Lord and what happens when you are  losing faith in the Lord.

We see in Verse 4 that Goliath is from Gath. Gath is known for its wine in the Philistines world. He is six cubits and a span, nine ft nine inches tall. One will always link this Giant with the Exodus giants, are they from the same line. We can never know for sure but it is a great jump off for a second sermon on faith in the Lord. The second issue to look at is Goliath taunting of the army of Saul and of The taunting of Saul’s God. Verse 8-10 we see that Goliath is coming and fighting for his name and his own glory. This text ultimately shows that when you leave God’s path and stop giving God the glory, no matter how strong and invincible you think you are. God will bring about your downfall. In verse 11 we see that Saul may have lost some of his faith in God. Saul is dismayed and afraid of this Goliath and his taunts. Here is one of the problem verses, verse 15 has David coming and going. We can not be sure that this is not an addition to the text. This has David being known to Saul, even when the text tells us later that he does not know this boy(verse 55). Goliath taunts them for 40 days and 40 nights, seems to be used later in the temptations of Jesus, also in the fasting of Jesus. (Matt.4:1-11) Verse 33 then tells of Saul’s doubt in the David’s faith in his God. In verse 37 David states that the same Lord that protects him from bears and lions will deliver him from this Philistine. David has faith in the Lord, even as Saul sends him out you have to wonder if he truly believes or if he has no other options. Saul in verse 38 has a problem

in that Saul dresses David in Saul’s armor. David understands the issue of your own armor of God. A great way to illustrate the armor of God from Eph 6:13-18. The next part of this also goes with the Armor of God in that David’s armor at this time was just a staff, stones and a sling. That is what he meets Goliath with, and God’s word(promise). Verse 45-47 has David explain to us the faith he has displayed. David in verse 49-51 has a couple of issues for readers, first the stones, why does he choose 5? Are Goliath’s brothers there? The issue of David not having a sword is interesting. David is given a sword by Saul but uses Goliaths sword to cut off Goliath’s head. Was Saul’s sword not the word of God or is the author using the Word of God as the sword, but that Saul has lost the use of the Word of God.

This text is full of the narrative ideas in that the author has given the reader much to look at. He uses much of the speeches of the narrative to really hit home the issues he is getting at. There are many issues that the New Testament writers are able to use again to look at this story of the simple anointed shepherd boy who would be king and the line that Jesus would come from. The author will show later in this book the shortcoming of David, but shows us the rise of the new king from humble beginnings. Again showing that God’s making use of people does not have to be from a noble beginning.

Works cited

King James Version