Sermon Tone Analysis
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God Provides a Savior
Intro
This morning we are going to cover quite possibly my favorite bible story.
It’s a story most people have heard before.
In fact, its so prevalent that it has made its way into popular culture.
This story is David and Goliath.
I want to challenge you to listen very carefully.
I know that many of you have heard and told this story many times.
But I want you to try and push aside all that you know about the story and try to listen to it with fresh ears and a clear mind.
It’s not gonna be easy.
But we can become so familiar with some things that we will turn off our ears.
That we will say to ourselves “I know what happens so I’ll tune out for a little while.”
But I promise you that if you listen you will probably hear this story in a way that you never have before.
Let’s pray.
The Big Problem
The story begins with describing to us the situation that the Israelites find themselves in.
These details are important and shouldn’t be overlooked.
God is intentional on telling us the his story and never wastes a word.
We are first introduced to the Philistines.
We need to recognize that the Philistines are a thorn in the side of the Israelites.
In fact, you can read about them taking the Ark of the Covenant from the Israelites in 1 Sam 4-5.
The Ark symbolized God’s presence and power among the Israelites and it was taken from them by the Philistines.
And here they face off against one another again, but it is a standstill.
They were on opposites sides of the valley of Elah, the Israelites on one hill and the Philistines on another.
What’s important to know here is that the Philistines were encroaching on Israelite land.
They were in the land of Judah and if they won this battle they would have a foothold in God’s Promised land.
Now the Philistines had a warrior named Goliath.
And he was a Giant.
He stood over 9 feet tall.
He wore armor that weighed in at 125 lbs.
He had a spear that’s handle was the size of a weaver’s beam.
Unable to be used by a man of normal size.
The tip of the spear weighed in at 15lbs when normal spear tips weighed in at around 1lb.
And he had a sidekick.
His shield bearer was there to protect him from any projectiles thrown at him.
Now his armor is made of bronze and the author of 1 Sam wants us to know this so much in fact that he mentions it 4 times.
Why?
Because the word for bronze in Hebrew sounds like the word for snake or serpent in Hebrew.
Additionally, he is clothed in scale armor.
And this word is used to describe the scales of fish and serpents.
The author of 1 Samuel is really wanting the original readers to see Goliath not only as a unconquerable warrior, but also as a snake that has crept into their land.
Where else in the Israelites history do we read about an unwelcome serpent?
Genesis 3.
Goliath’s description would make the original readers think back to that story in Genesis.
And it would cause them to think about whether he would be able to be overcome or if Israel would be subdued by the serpent once again like Adam and Eve.
1 Sam 17:8, tells us that each side would line up in formation and Goliath would come out there and tuant them.
He wanted to fight in what is called Representative Warfare.
Meaning that he would represent all of the Philistines.
And he wanted to fight one man who would represent Israel.
And the loser of the battle would submit to the winner.
Goliath did this as his profession.
We read later that he has been a warrior since his youth, no doubt fighting in similar circumstances.
And the fact that he stood there in front of the Israelites meant he was good at his job.
He had never lost.
He is a trained warrior.
Not only that he is gigantic.
He seemed like an insurmountable and unconquerable foe.
And he wants to fight.
He smells the fear on the Israelites.
And God’s people have a warrior that should be able to fight Goliath.
One that they had chosen to lead them.
One they had put their faith in.
One who stood a head taller than all the other Israelites.
King Saul.
He was considered a giant amongst the Israelites.
But instead of fighting against the enemy he was hiding in his tent.
We are supposed to feel the tension.
We are supposed to feel the weight.
We are supposed to feel the fear within the Israelite heart.
1 Sam 17:11 “11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words from the Philistine, they lost their courage and were terrified.”
What were they going to do?
Was God going to deliver them?
Who would be the champion for the Israelites?
A Providential Lunch
We are introduced to a young man, David.
All we know about his age is that he is less than 20 years old.
20 Years old is when the men of Israel would be part of the army.
Now here’s one thing we have to know, most of these men weren’t professional soldiers.
They were only called upon to fight when it was time to battle
Other than that they were at home tending to their families and land.
Being that they weren’t professional soldiers, their families would often provide them with the food and sustenance they needed to have while on the battle field.
And that’s where David steps onto the scene.
He is out tending sheep and his father tells him to bring some grain, cheese, and sandwiches to his older brothers that are on the battle field.
Isn’t it amazing that something so mundane and ordinary as lunch can bring an encounter with God.
God can use it to place us exactly where we need to be for exactly why he needs us to be there.
Meanwhile, we the readers learn that this standoff between the Israelites and Philistines occurs twice a day.
And has everyday for 40 days.
80 times Goliath has come out and mocked the people of God.
80 times Goliath has come out and taunted the army that he knows is afraid of him.
80 times Goliath has mocked and ridiculed God himself.
But things were about to change.
The number 40 in the bible usually describes a time of testing.
A time of trial.
And the Israelites have been tested for the last 40 days.
But God is about to provide for them a Savior.
An Unlikely Savior
In this section, we hear that there is an astounding prize for the man that stands in between Israel and Goliath.
The King is offering to give his daughter in marriage.
He is offering riches.
And most tempting of all he is offering a tax free living for all the extended family of Israel’s champion.
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