1 SAMUEL LESSON 18


     We will begin this lesson in I Samuel 17:1 "Now the Philistines
gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together
at Shochoh, which [belongeth] to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh
and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim."

     The very first thing we must remember, is that the Bible is not
in Chronological order. This, possibly, happened earlier than the
happenings in the last lesson. We do know that, during the reign of
Saul, there was great conflict with the Philistines. Not every
skirmish is mentioned. This particular one is important, because it is
where the fame of David in battle begins.

     I Samuel 17:2 "And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered
together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in
array against the Philistines." I Samuel 17:3 "And the Philistines
stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on
the other side: and [there was] a valley between them."

     It seemed, there was a large valley between the two encampments.
Saul's army was on one side of the valley, and the Philistines were on
the other side of the valley. They were poised, waiting for the battle
to begin.

     I 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."

     Goliath of Gath had entered this valley between the two armies,
to challenge someone of Saul's army. If a cubit is 18 inches, this
Goliath was 9 feet and about 6 inches tall. He was taller than any of
Israel's men by at least 2 and 1/2 feet. An average man would have
been no more than 6 feet tall, and Goliath would have been 3 1/2 feet
taller than the average. He was one of the last of the giants. Someone
would have to be filled with the strength of God, to overcome him.

     I Samuel 17:5 "And [he had] an helmet of brass upon his head, and
he [was] armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat [was]
five thousand shekels of brass."

     Not only was he a giant, but he was protected by metal on his
head and his chest. It would be extremely difficult to get an arrow
through all of that.

     I Samuel 17:6 "And [he had] greaves of brass upon his legs, and a
target of brass between his shoulders."

     This was almost like a suit of armour. His legs were covered and
protected from injury. There was a protection on the upper half of his
back, as well.

     I Samuel 17:7 "And the staff of his spear [was] like a weaver's
beam; and his spear's head [weighed] six hundred shekels of iron: and
one bearing a shield went before him."

     The iron head of the spear weighed about 25 pounds. This was a
very large spear. An average soldier would not even be able to pick it
up, and throw it a short distance. Probably, the giant and all of his
armour, was more to frighten Israel and make them give up, than for
fighting.  He would be clumsy, to say the least, as large as he
was, and with all of this armour on.

     I Samuel 17:8 "And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel,
and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set [your] battle in array?
[am] not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for
you, and let him come down to me."

     He cried out to the army of Saul, for a champion of Israel to
come to the valley, and meet him in battle. The Philistines were sure
that no Israelite would meet Goliath in battle. They were convinced
that Israel would fear the giant enough, that they would surrender to
the Philistines.

     I Samuel 17:9 "If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me,
then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill
him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us."

     He is saying, it is better for one to die, than for the whole
army to die. Whichever champion wins the battle, the other army will
serve the victor as their servants. It sounds like a very good idea,
instead of everyone getting killed. It is not fair, however, for a man
9 1/2 feet tall to fight a man 6 feet tall. Israel and the Philistines
are at a standstill.

     I Samuel 17:10 "And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of
Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together."  I Samuel
17:11 "When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine,
they were dismayed, and greatly afraid."

     Saul knew that he, himself, was the largest man in the army of
the Israelites. He, also, knew that Goliath was tremendously larger
than he was. Saul knew that he had no men the size of Goliath, so he
feared they had lost.

     I Samuel 17:12  "Now David [was] the son of that Ephrathite of
Beth-lehem-judah, whose name [was] Jesse; and he had eight sons: and
the man went among men [for] an old man in the days of Saul."

     David was the youngest of the sons of Jesse. "Beth-lehem-judah"
means he was from the city of Bethlehem in the land of Judah. This,
possibly, means that Jesse was an older man.

     I Samuel 17:13 "And the three eldest sons of Jesse went [and]
followed Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons that went
to the battle [were] Eliab the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab,
and the third Shammah."
     These three older sons had to be twenty years old or older
because they joined Saul to fight the Philistines. Fighting men had to
be at least 20 years old in those days.

     I Samuel 17:14 "And David [was] the youngest: and the three
eldest followed Saul." I Samuel 17:15 "But David went and returned
from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Beth-lehem."

     David was too young to join the army, so he went home to take
care of the sheep. His three oldest brothers stayed to fight with
Saul.

     I Samuel 17:16 "And the Philistine drew near morning and evening,
and presented himself forty days."

     "Forty" symbolizes a time of testing. The Philistines have sorely
tried the endurance of the army of Saul. It appears, no one person is
brave enough to go against this giant Philistine.

     I Samuel 17:17 "And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for
thy brethren an ephah of this parched [corn], and these ten loaves,
and run to the camp to thy brethren;"

     I am sure that Jesse had become concerned about his three sons.
The wait had been so long, they were, probably, short of food. Jesse
sends ten loaves of bread and an ephah of the parched corn to the
three eldest sons. David is taken away from the sheep to carry the
food to his brothers.

     I Samuel 17:18 "And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of
[their] thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their
pledge."

     These ten cheeses given to the captain of the thousand that is
over his brothers, will get David in, to take the other food to his
brothers.  Jesse wants a report on the condition of his three sons, as
well.

     I Samuel 17:19 "Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel,
[were] in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines."

     It seemed, at this point, that fighting had begun between the
troops of the Philistines and Saul's army, but no one had accepted the
challenge of Goliath.

     I 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."

     It appears that, David had other men working under him, to herd
the sheep. He entrusts the sheep with them, and goes to find his
brothers. They had cut trenches around the camp to hide in, to rest
from the battle. David found this trench, at the time for the men to
go to battle. The shout was being given, as David arrived.

     I Samuel 17:21 "For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle
in array, army against army." I Samuel 17:22 "And David left his
carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the
army, and came and saluted his brethren."

     It appears that, David had come in a carriage. It, also, is
apparent that someone was with him. We do know that David could not
have carried the ten loaves, the ten cheeses, and the ephah of corn.
He would have  to have had some transportation. The wagon would have
been ideal. The person, who was driving the carriage, stayed with the
carriage, and David ran through the men to find his brothers.

     I Samuel 17:23 "And as he talked with them, behold, there came up
the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the
armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and
David heard [them]."

     David found his brothers and was visiting with them, when Goliath
made his challenge, again. This was the first time David had heard
this challenge.

     I Samuel 17:24 "And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man,
fled from him, and were sore afraid."  I Samuel 17:25 "And the men of
Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy
Israel is he come up: and it shall be, [that] the man who killeth him,
the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his
daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel."

     David could hardly believe, that Saul's army would back down from
this challenge, and even run in fear. Every time the giant, Goliath,
called out a challenge, that was not answered, it dishonored Israel.
King Saul would do mighty things for any person who would come against
Goliath, and defeat him. Saul had even offered the hand of his
daughter in marriage to the one who kills Goliath.

     I 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?"

     It appears, at the time this challenge from Goliath happened,
that Saul had great power in Israel. He could do about anything he
wanted to do, because he was king. David cannot believe that some
Israelite had not taken up this challenge. He reminds these soldiers,
that Goliath is not on the side of the LORD {he is uncircumcised}. He,
also, reminds the army of Saul that they are the army of the living
God.




                        1 Samuel 18 Questions


1.  Who brought their army against Israel?
2.  Each army was gathered where to go to battle?
3.  Who was the champion, that went out for the Philistines?
4.  How tall was this Philistine giant?
5.  How much taller was he, than the the average man in the army of
    Saul?
6.  What armour did the giant, Goliath, have on?
7.  The staff of his spear was like what?
8.  The head of the spear weighed how much?
9.  What challenge did the giant give them?
10. If one of the Israelites could defeat him, what does he promise to
    do?
11. Why is this challenge not fair?
12. What effect did the giant's challenge have on Saul?
13. Where was David from?
14. How many sons did Jesse have?
15. What does "Beth-lehem-judah" mean?
16. Which three sons of Jesse went to war with Saul?
17. How old were these three sons?
18. When they went to war, where did David go?
19. How many days did the giant stand in the valley, and challenge
    Israel?
20. How many times each day did he do this?
21. What does "forty" symbolize?
22. What did Jesse tell David to take his brothers on the front lines?
23. What did Jesse send their captain?
24. What were Saul and all the other men doing, when David arrived
    there?
25. Who did David leave with the sheep?
26. Where did he find his brothers?
27. What happened soon after David arrived?
28. When the men of Israel saw Goliath, what did they do?
29. What had Saul offered to anyone who would kill Goliath?
30. What did David call the giant?