The Harder They Fall
Theme: Courageous Faith
Scriptures: 1 Samuel 17:1-58
Objectives: (From the D6 Fusion Sunday School Lesson book)
Know: Displaying great faith in God, the young shepherd David fought and killed Goliath, the giant warrior champion of the Philistines.
Think: Live with the assurance that anything is possible with the Lord’s help.
Do: Do everything God leads you to do, confident that He will bring about His will.
Notes and questions:
B1 Goliath, at this time
C1 Birth place—Gath
C2 Nationality—Philistine
C3 Ancestry—Sons of Anak
D1 Numbers 13:33 NKJV “There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”
D2 Joshua 15:13-14 NRSV According to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua, he gave to Caleb son of Jephunneh a portion among the people of Judah, Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron (Arba was the father of Anak). 14 And Caleb drove out from there the three sons of Anak: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak.
C4 Height—
D1 Everything from a little over 6 feet (Wikipedia) to 13 feet
D2 Bible—6 cubits and a span
E1 If cubit is 21 inches, then over 11 feet (~358 cm).
E2 If cubit is 18 inches, then over 9 feet (~297cm).
C5 Weight—
D1 If he was 11.75 feet, then based on the healthy BMI recommendation, his recommended weight is 515.7 lbs - 696.9 lbs lbs (237.1 kgs - 320.4 kgs).
D2 If he was 9.75 feet, then based on the healthy BMI recommendation, his recommended weight is 354.1 lbs - 478.5 lbs (163.2 kgs - 220.5 kgs).
D1 1,143 pounds for the squat
D2 850 pounds for the bench press
D3 1,348 pounds for the deadlift
C7 Armament—
D1 His torso armor, chain of mail, made of bronze weighed about 125 pounds (~57kg).
D2 He also had a bronze helmet and shin guards.
D3 His iron spear point was made of iron and weighed about 15 pounds (~6.8kg).
B2 David
C1 He was a shepherd, the youngest of 8 sons of Jesse of Bethlehem.
C2 He may have been ~17 years old.
C3 God gave him strength to kill a bear and a lion to protect his father’s flock of sheep.
C4 What other characteristics of David can you think of?
B3 Israel
C1 God’s chosen earthly people.
D1 Isaiah 45:4 NKJV For Jacob My servant's sake, And Israel My elect, I have even called you [Cyrus--ed] by your name; I have named you, though you have not known Me.
D2 Exodus 19:5-6 NKJV Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel."
C2 Many blessings are promised and will happen.
D1 Jeremiah 31:37 NKJV Thus says the LORD: "If heaven above can be measured, And the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel For all that they have done, says the LORD.
D2 Romans 11:26-29 NKJV And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The deliverer will come out of Zion, and he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; 27 for this is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins." 28 Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
C3 Israel has been and will be punished for disbelief.
D1 Ezekiel 24:13-14 GNB Jerusalem, your immoral actions have defiled you. Although I tried to purify you, you remained defiled. You will not be pure again until you have felt the full force of my anger. 14 I, the LORD, have spoken. The time has come for me to act. I will not ignore your sins or show pity or be merciful. You will be punished for what you have done." The Sovereign LORD has spoken.
D2 Deuteronomy 28—the list of blessings and cursings that happened because of obedience or disobedience.
C4 The church is
D1 Jesus’s body: Colossians 1:24 NKJV I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church.
D2 Heavenly assembly and church of firstborn: Hebrews 12:23 NKJV To the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect.
B3 Defiance
C1 1 Samuel 17:1-10
C2 1 Samuel 17:10 NKJV And the Philistine said, “I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.”
C3 Defined (Wordsymth)
- definition 1: resistance against authority; insubordination; rebellion.
- definition 2: contempt or disregard for some danger or opposing force.
- definition 3: a provocation or challenge for combat.
C4 Blasphemy is always in word or deed, injury, dishonor and defiance offered to God, and its penalty is death by stoning; (c) (חרף, ḥāraph) of idolatry as blasphemy against Yahweh (Isa 65:7); (d) (נקב, nāḳabh) “And he that blasphemeth the name of Yahweh, he shall surely be put to death” (Lev 24:11, Lev 24:16); (e) (נאץ, nā'ac) David's sin is an occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme (2Sa 12:14; also Psa 74:10, Psa 74:18; Isa 52:5; compare Eze 35:12; 2Ki 19:3 the King James Version; Isa 37:3). (ISBE on the topic blasphemy).
C5 How serious is blasphemy?
B4 1 Samuel 17:10-17: some background on David
B5 1 Samuel 17:18-23: how David got to the battlefield, then heard Goliath’s challenge
B6 1 Samuel 17:24-31,
C1 1 Samuel 17:26 NKJV Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, "What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?"
C2 Why did David become angry?
C3 What characteristics does David show?
C4 Why did Eliab, David’s older brother, become angry with David?
B7 1 Samuel 17:32-39,
C1 Why did King Saul believe David’s story about the bear and lion?
C2 Why did David refuse the King’s armor?
C3 What can Christians learn from this? Why do things happen in our lives before God calls us to a ministry?
B8 1 Samuel 17:40-47,
C1 Goliath and David address each other before the battle. What is the differences between the two?
C2 What was David’s purpose, what he wanted to show the Philistines? (See 1 Samuel 17:46-47).
C3 What is our purpose for doing something?
C4 Faith,
D1 What is faith?
D2 Why does God require faith?
D3 Why do we need God to initiate salvation freeing us to trust in Jesus Christ?
D4 Can any person seek God on their own? (Romans 3:9-18, which is a quote from Psalm 53:1-3).
D5 Why do we need to know God by faith?
E1 Hebrews 11:6 NKJV But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
E2 Numbers 14:11 NKJV Then the LORD said to Moses: "How long will these people reject Me? And how long will they not believe Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them?
E3 Psalms 78:21-22 NKJV Therefore the LORD heard this and was furious; So a fire was kindled against Jacob, And anger also came up against Israel, 22 Because they did not believe in God, And did not trust in His salvation. This Psalm speaks of the greatness of God, His help, His guidance, His care and compassion, yet they did not believe. They are fools, just like Psalm 53:1 states, “Psalms 53:1 NKJV To the Chief Musician. Set to "Mahalath." A Contemplation of David. The fool has said in his heart,"There is no God." They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity; There is none who does good.
D6 What was David showing to Israel and the Philistines? (Faith).
D7 How do trials affect faith?
D8 How did the bear and lion attacks on David and his sheep help prepare David?
D9 Does one have to be in their 60’s or 70’s before they can show great faith?
B9 1 Samuel 17:48-51,
C1 Why did David run quickly towards Goliath?
C2 What attitudes is David showing?
C3 Why did David cut Goliath’s head off?
B10 1 Samuel 17:52-58,
C1 Why didn’t King Saul and Abner recognize David?
D1 Note the words in verse 55: 1 Samuel 17:55 LITV And when Saul saw David going out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, the army commander, Whose son is this youth, Abner? And Abner said, As your soul lives, O king, I do not know.
D2 Perhaps with all the actions and brief encounter with David before going out, they did not recognize him.
D3 A suggestion given by Jamieson-Faussett-Brown commentary is that when David was the King’s musician he was too young to have a beard or much of one, but now, older, he does.
D4 King Saul may have known who David is but not whom his father was. King Saul needed this information to keep his promise to the victor. 1 Samuel 17:25 NRSV The Israelites said, "Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. The king will greatly enrich the man who kills him, and will give him his daughter and make his family free in Israel.
C2 Matthew Henry points out:
D1 The Philistines relied on Goliath; Goliath relied on himself.
D2 David relied on God.
D3 Pride precedes a fall.
B11 Other questions
C1 What hinders faith?
C2 What stops us from doing God’s will?
B12 Next week:
C1 Seeking to please him
C2 Theme: A heart for God
C3 Scripture: 2 Samuel 6:1-15 and 2 Samuel 7:1-29
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