IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH
17 May 2009
I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to 1 Samuel 17:1-11
1. Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Socoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Socoh and Azekah.
2. Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines.
3. The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them.
4. A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. He was over nine feet tall.
5. He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels ;
6. on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back.
7. His spear shaft was like a weaver's rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels. His shield bearer went ahead of him.
8. Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, "Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me.
9. If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us."
10. Then the Philistine said, "This day I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other."
11. On hearing the Philistine's words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.
-- have you ever been afraid of giants? -- I certainly have, and I imagine most of you have, too -- growing up, one of my favorite fairy tales was "Jack and the Beanstalk" -- I actually had a record of the story, and I would put it on the record player and I'd lay back on my bed and close my eyes and try to imagine the story of Jack and the magic beans and his adventures with the giant as the narrator told the story
-- I remember how terrified I was at the sound of the giant, as the narrator's voice would get very deep and very loud and he'd cry out, "Fee-fi-fo-fum! -- I smell the blood of an Englishman. -- be he 'live, or be he dead, I'll grind his bones to make my bread. "
-- if you think about it, that's pretty scary stuff for a little kid -- here's this giant who knows that you're hiding in his house, and he's threatening to find you and kill you and grind you up
-- I would always close my eyes tight at that point and just hang on, because I knew that Jack would get away and that he'd chop down the beanstalk and that the giant would fall to his death and everything would be o.k. again
-- when I got older, I outgrew my fear of fairytale giants -- I came to realize that they just weren't real -- that there weren't magical lands with giant castles and evil giants lurking in them
-- but, at the same time I outgrew my fear of fairytale giants, I came to realize that there were real giants stalking our land every day -- threatening our peace and security -- threatening life as we know it
-- in recent years, we've been attacked by the giant of terrorism, as we've watched terrorists fly planes into our buildings and kill people just like you and me
-- we've had the giant of natural disasters, as we've struggled through hurricanes and tsunamis and earthquakes
-- we've had the giant of economic disaster, as we've watched our country suffer through recession and flirt with depression -- as we've watched inflation grow and the stock market tumble and people lose financial security overnight
-- we've even had the giant of famine and disease -- with the current fears of a worldwide flu pandemic and other exotic diseases popping up throughout the world and many people going hungry
-- giants are all around us -- and maybe they're not as big as terrorism or hurricanes or economic disaster -- maybe they're as mundane as a child who has strayed from the faith -- or a spouse who says they just don't love us anymore -- or a month that's bigger than our checkbook -- or a boss that says, "I have to let you go -- or a doctor that says, "we need more tests"
-- giants come in many different forms and in many different ways and with many different names -- but they all have one characteristic in common -- they all appear invincible -- they all appear bigger and stronger and greater than us -- and they all tell us that we can't win -- that we can't defeat them -- that we have no hope
-- that was certainly the case with the Israelites in this passage -- as this chapter in 1 Samuel opens up, Saul has been made king of Israel, and he has started to make some real progress in their struggles with the Philistines
-- battle after battle, Saul and his army had won the day against the Philistines -- but then something happened -- Saul disobeyed God -- he took glory for himself -- and the hand of God turned against him -- now, all of sudden, battles that looked certain turned into bitter defeat for the Israelites -- and the army started to lose hope
-- the Philistines sensed their advantage and drew up battle lines against the Israelites in Judah at a place called the Valley of Elah -- this battle was to be the deciding factor in the war -- this battle would settle who was in charge of the Promised Land
-- the Israelites were facing a giant in their life -- both literally and figuratively -- they not only faced the giant of battle with the Philistines and the threat of destruction of their people -- but they faced the Philistine hero, Goliath -- a giant of the race of Anak
-- Samuel tells us here that Goliath stood nine feet tall -- his armor was made of bronze and weighed about 125 pounds -- and just the tip of his spear weighed more than the armor of the Israelites
-- every day, the giant Goliath would stride into the middle of the valley and shout out to the Israelites, threatening them with his presence -- trying to goad one of them to take him on in a fight -- and his presence accomplished what he hoped
-- look back at verse 11
11. On hearing the Philistine's words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.
-- this is what giants always do -- it doesn't matter what type of giant it is -- it doesn't matter what problem it is -- anytime you are facing adversity in your life -- anytime you are walking in the valley of Elah -- you can become dismayed and terrified -- you can lose hope -- and you can begin to believe that nothing will defeat this enemy that you face
-- but that is the message of the world -- not the message of the Bible
-- I once read about this man who faced terrible giants in his life -- when he was 22 years old, he failed at business and was bankrupt and destitute -- when he was 23, he ran for the legislature in his home state, and lost -- when he was 26, his sweetheart died -- and then he had a nervous breakdown and suffered clinical depression
-- over the next 20 years, he ran for political office eight times -- seven times he failed -- seven times he was rejected by the people around him -- he finally got elected to congress for one term, and was promptly defeated at the next election
-- his whole life was a failure -- he faced more defeats than he did victory -- he walked through the valley of Elah -- but even though the giants called out to him, "Give up -- you have lost -- you have no hope" -- he refused to give up and persevered -- learning from each failure -- growing from each loss
-- finally, at the age of 51, Abraham Lincoln succeeded and was elected President of the United States
-- there's a principle in the life of President Lincoln that we should learn -- problems often provide us with greater opportunities for success -- because he learned to ignore the voice of the giant and to never give up hope in the midst of adversity -- because he refused to give up and learned from his mistakes and failures, Abraham Lincoln was the right man to lead this country during the dark days of the Civil War -- and, for this, he is generally regarded as the best President that our country has ever had
-- we see this same principle carried out here in the life of a shepherd boy named David -- if you would, skip down to verse 26
26. David asked the men standing near him, "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?"
27. They repeated to him what they had been saying and told him, "This is what will be done for the man who kills him."
-- three of David's brothers had gone to war with Saul -- so, David's father sent him to carry them food and supplies on the front line -- about the time he got there and found his brothers, Goliath walked out into the middle of the valley and called out his daily challenge to the Israelites
-- David looked at the giant and didn't despair -- where the others were dismayed and terrified by the giant's presence, David looked for opportunity -- just like Abraham Lincoln, he knew that problems often lead to greater opportunities in life
-- and so he didn't look at the giant as something that was impossible to defeat -- he looked at him and said, "When I defeat him, what do I get?"
-- when problems come up in our lives, we need to do the same thing -- rather than expecting defeat, we need to ask ourselves, "What am I going to get when I overcome this giant?"
-- skip down to verse 31
31. What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, and Saul sent for him.
32. David said to Saul, "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him."
33. 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."
34. 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,
35. 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.
36. 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.
37. 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."
-- here's the second principle we should learn about giant problems in our lives -- problems can promote our spiritual maturity -- problems lead us to depend on God and help us grow in our faith
-- David volunteered to go and fight Goliath on behalf of the Israelites -- not because he was a mighty man of valor and knew he could stand his own against Goliath -- not because he was trained in the art of war -- but because he depended on God
-- when Saul questioned David and told him that he couldn't fight because he was just a boy -- David responded by saying, "It won't be me that will be fighting him -- it will be God fighting through me -- just as God delivered me from the bear and the lion -- He will deliver me from this giant"
-- David had learned to trust in God in all the problems of his life -- and now, he was trusting in God in the biggest battle that he would ever face
-- verse 38
38. Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head.
39. David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. "I cannot go in these," he said to Saul, "because I am not used to them." So he took them off.
40. Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd's bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.
-- when Saul finally agreed to let David go down and fight Goliath, he had David dress in Saul's own armor -- but it just didn't fit -- it wasn't who David was
-- this is the third principle we should learn about problems in our lives -- problems prove our integrity -- problems prove who we really are -- if we are to succeed in battle against the giants in our lives, then we have to fight them as God instructs -- we have to remain true to ourself
-- a lot of times, when we face problems and giants in our lives, we are tempted to compromise our beliefs and our principles -- when we're faced with financial difficulties, we might be tempted to not speak up if the cashier gives us back too much change -- or we might not share with those around us but hoard our food and money for ourselves -- but to be victorious, you must remain true to yourself -- you must remain true to God and to who He called you to be
-- if you lose your integrity, you have lost everything -- that's why David couldn't fight the battle Saul's way -- he could only fight the battle God's way -- the same way God had defeated the lion and the bear -- with nothing more than a staff and a sling and the power of the living God
-- verse 41
41. Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David.
42. He looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him.
43. He said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
44. "Come here," he said, "and I'll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!"
45. David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
46. This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.
47. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give all of you into our hands."
-- the fourth principle that we should learn about problems is that they produce a sense of dependence in our lives -- when you are standing in that valley and staring up into the eyes of an angry giant, you quickly realize that you have no power of your own -- if you are going to win this fight, you must stand in the power of God -- you must depend on Him for your strength and your victory
-- in these verses we see David's complete and total dependence on God -- when Goliath laughs at David for being a mere boy, David responds by saying, "I may be a boy, but I come against you in the name of the Lord God Almighty -- the Lord will hand you over to me -- the Lord will save -- this is the Lord's battle, not mine"
-- when we are faced with problems in our lives, we need to remember that the battle is the Lord's and not ours -- we need to trust and depend on Him and look to Him for deliverance -- it is through His power that we will overcome, not through our own
-- verse 48
48. As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him.
49. Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.
50. So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.
51. David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine's sword and drew it from the scabbard. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran.
-- so, David ran to meet the giant with nothing more than a sling and five stones and defeated him there in the valley of Elah -- the stone struck Goliath in the forehead and he fell down, face first, into the dirt -- David ran over, grabbed Goliath's sword, and cut his head off -- and when the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran and were quickly overcome by the Israelites
-- despite overwhelming odds -- despite the fact that he went against a giant who was a trained fighting man -- David, the shepherd boy from Bethlehem, prevailed and won the day -- proving that giants can be defeated if we but trust in God and His providence
-- by the way, did you notice in verse 40 that it says that David took up five smooth stones from the stream and put them in his pouch? -- why did he do that when he only needed one to take down Goliath?
-- well, according to the Scriptures, Goliath had four brothers -- and David thought he might have to fight them as well -- so, he prepared himself for what was to come
-- there's the last principle about problems that we need to remember -- problems are always going to come -- giants are always going to stand in the valley and threaten us -- we need to remember that and we need to be prepared to stand against them
-- the time to get ready to face a giant is not after the giant starts the battle -- the time to get ready is before he comes -- and we do that by preparing our hearts -- by learning to trust in God and growing in grace more and more every day
-- we do that by spending time with God and watching as He fights the little battles in our lives -- and by knowing that He will fight the big battles, too
-- we do that by putting on the armor of God and taking up His sword daily -- the word of God -- that means you have to be in the Word -- you have to be reading it on a regular basis -- you have to be talking with God on a regular basis -- so that when the giants come, you will be ready for them
-- so, what's the take-home message for you today? -- it's simply this -- it doesn't matter how big the giants are in your life -- it doesn't matter what problems you may be facing -- our God is bigger still -- God's grace is sufficient for us -- and if we trust in Him -- if we depend on Him -- then we will always win the day
-- let me close by restating the five principles of problems that we went over today:
1. Problems often provide us with greater opportunities for success
2. Problems can promote our spiritual maturity
3. Problems prove our integrity
4. Problems produce a sense of dependence in our lives
5. Problems are always going to come, so we need to be prepared for them
-- I don't know what giants you may be facing today -- I don't know what valleys you might be in -- what problems are plaguing you -- but I do know this -- God is bigger than all your problems -- and if you trust in Him, He will fight your battles for you
-- as we close in prayer today, I want to invite you to turn your problems over to Him -- to ask Him to fight your giants for you -- as always, the altar is open for any who wish to come, and I'd be happy to pray with you if you want
-- let us pray
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