Does God's Honor Matter?

Your Bibles with you today. Turn with me if you would do for Samuel chapter 17 really cover all 30 verses from disk and read the first 11 to begin with. Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle. They were gathered at Sukkoth, which belongs to Judah in the camp between psycho and is eco-in Ephesus. Damon and Saul and the men of Israel were gathered and encamped in the valley of the law and drew up in line of battle against the Philistines and the Philistines stood on the mountain on one side and Israel stood on the mountain, on the other side of the valley between them and there came out from the camp of the Philistines, a champion and Goliath of Gath whose height was six cubits and a span yet helmeted bronze on his head. He was armed with a coat of mail and the weight of the coat was 5000 shekels of bronze and he had bronze armor on his legs and a javelin.

A bronze salon between his shoulders. The shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam and his spearhead weighed 600 shekels of iron and if she'll bear went before he he stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, why do you come out to draw up for battle.

Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul choose a man for yourself. Let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me and we will be your servants. If I prevail against him and kill him, and you shall be our servants and serve us in the Philistine said I defile the ranks of Israel. This day give me a man that we might fight together, Saul and all Israel heard the words of the Philistine they were dismayed and greatly afraid get our Lord in prayer. Heavenly father we bow in your presence this morning with Hartsfield with gratitude for your grace. You led us to a study of David in this particular chapter is one of the most beloved and chair stories in the Bible we get excited.

We see the victory of a teenage boy over a godless giant warrior in our tendency is to put David on a pedestal to make him the hero of the story, help us not to do that help us to understand that this battle was the Lord's not David's.

This victory came not from David skill and wisdom by the power the Holy Spirit.

Help us to refuse to wear false armor and to put on the whole armor of God, that we might stand against the wiles of the devil feel less Lord with righteous indignation, help us not to cower before our culture help us to stand for truth.

Despite what people say, think or feel helpless to be jealous of your honor, and all the help us from spiritual pride.

Humble us before your mighty hand and may our humility be used for God's exultation. We love you Lord, thank you for saving our souls and giving us the privilege of bringing you glory, may we never forget that God's honor matters which in the precious holy name of Jesus that we pray. Amen. You may be seated. One of the most famous battles. It was thought the Old Testament was not between two armies, but between two people out some battles were fought over territorial rights, so battles were fought over political issues. Sabbatical battles were fought over social issues. But the battle between David and Goliath was a battle.

It was thought over the honor of God. I think most everybody has heard the story of David and Goliath and they've used it in the discussions of war sports, politics and business, and they portrayed the little guy taken on the bigger photo and defeating him. Folks, this is the longest of all the narratives in first and second Samuel are 22 different quotations in this one chapter and there's an unbelievable detail to small things in this chapter, interesting to read just the things that you you would wonder why the Lord will put them in here.

He tells us there. There were 10 cheeses that David was taken to his brother. He lets us know that I have much was the weight of glass armor. He tells us how many smooth stones work. Did David take to fight Goliath wanted the Holy Spirit desire to do that. I think he he wanted us to slow down.

I think he wanted us to take this passage and ponder over it that we would understand it and that we would know what this battle was all about it. This is a battle over God's honor at four points that I want to share with you today. The first one is God sets the stage look again at verses 1 to 3 now the Philistine gathered their armies for battle and they were gathered at Sukkot, which belongs to Judah and encamped between psycho and is eco-in Ephesus. Damon and Saul and the men of Israel were gathered encamped in the valley of the law and drew up in line of battle against the Philistines and the Philistines stood on the mountain, on the one side and Israel stood on the mountain, on the other side with the valley between them know what you to picture this battlefield. Napoleon once looked over the plains of Megiddo in Israel, and Napoleon said while this is gotta be the this place here.

The value Megiddo is gotta be the greatest place or location for a battlefield in the entire world. Napoleon would not have said that about Eli Eli was valley go to mountains on each side that he and the Israelites were on one side the Philistines were on the other side there was a stream that went right through the bottom of that valley, and that stream is probably where David collected his five smooth stones that the place was a place where the acoustics were absolutely unbelievable. A man could speak in a loud voice, and you could hear it just about anywhere, folks. Israelites were there for a purpose. They were there to protect their land and they were there to try to keep the Philistines from invading. Now choose a picture that same here. These two mountains that come down right to the stream. On one side there. The Philistines, on the other side there. The Israelites and if one were to attack the other the way they would have to attack as they would have to go up the heel march up the hill toward the enemy that is never an advantage. It is always a disadvantage have to go up the hill after your enemy. And so the Philistines came up with a plan. I said will have a representative fight. And so what we'll do is we'll have one warrior fight one warrior from the other and the winner takes all. And I said this is the way will do it if we win, then you will become our servants. If you win, then we will become your servants in the Philistines thought this is a great way to do it because we got the greatest warrior of all time. We got the biggest, strongest, toughest guy in the world. There's no way in the world. We can lose the guys. I'll tell you I have loved this story since the day that I was a kid, the teenage kid David takes on the bully and defeats him and saves the day. He is the protector of Israel. He is the defender at David all leave the king because he so courageous and he so powerful is that message of the story, absolutely not. This is not about what David did for God. This is about what God did through David so God sets the stage but remember why he had set the stage just to bring a David before Israel and get them to knowing the sets the stage for this to show both VN and nail that God's honor matters like point to a godless enemy. Look at verses four through 11 and there came out from the camp of the Philistines, a champion and Goliath of Gath. This height was six cubits and a span he had a helmet of bronze on his head.

He was armed with a coat of mail and the weight of the code was 5000 shekels of bronze and bronze armor on his legs and a javelin. O'Brien slung between his shoulders. The shaft of the spear was like a weaver's beam and the spears head white 600 shekels of iron and is she'll bear went before he stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, why do you come out to draw up for battle. Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul choose a man for yourself and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me.

Then we will be your servants but if I prevail against him and kill him. Then you shall be our servants and serve us in the Philistine said identify the rights of Israel this day.

Give me a man that we may fight together with Saul and all Israel heard these words of Philistines. They were dismayed and greatly afraid.

How tall was Goliath glass was 9'9" tall. That's enormous NBA would a loving PE. Had he had an enormous arms and I can imagine him just holding those arms up and what an imposing figure. They must've been how strong was he well just as armor, weight 200 pounds. The tip of his spear weight 15 pounds. They had a shield that was almost as tall as he was books.

This this man was a huge monstrous musclebound warrior, and I have to believe that his voice was probably as deep and as powerful as was his appearance. Now want you to picture him. He walks down the slope where the Philistines are these in front of his Army there right behind the he walks down to the point where he can speak not only to his people, but also where the Israelites can hear him as whale and he said you know the armies don't have to fight we can do this another way AEA said this is the way will do it. How did the one who fights and represents Philistine and and you bring a warrior out and let him represent Israel and we will fight together to bring the year your biggest. Bring me your toughest. Bring me your greatest guy bringing mountain standing before me. Then he defied the ranks of Israel in verse 16 tells us that he did this for 40 days that evening and morning. The morning and evening that he came before them for 40 days.

I'm not going to deal with this of this week. Next week I'm on explain to you why these for 40 days or so important what kind of effect did this have on Israel. Look at verse 11 again with Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine they were dismayed and greatly afraid all right with that in mind this go back to a verse that we studied two weeks ago when Samuel went to the house of Jesse to anoint one of Jesse's sons as the new king of Israel and its verse seven that I will look at and in chapter 16 says, but the Lord said to Samuel do not look on his appearance were on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. The Lord sees not as man sees man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. When King Saul was being chosen as as the first king of Israel. The Scripture says about him that he was extremely handsome and that he was head and shoulders taller than everyone else in in Israel. Nassau was the king he had leadership experience he had military experience. He was a foot taller than anybody else in Israel, and it would seem that if anybody would've taken up the challenge to go fight Goliath. It would've been Saul, it seems Saul should've been the one that Joe gone out and stood before this child and say to him, you can't come over here and Dan defied the armies of God you can't come over here and mock and cursed the God that we love. You're not going to do that and then he may have looked at at the air at that group and he says to them, and he says to Goliath will attack Goliath. I will will be the one who shuts the mail of this big blowhard. I will, but that never happened. Why did it happen because the Lord had departed from Saul. Saul had no backbone because he had no God in his usual if a leader is a coward in the followers organ of the cowards is whale is a sad sad day for Israel Richard Phillips that this Senate whale.

This failure also proved Israel to be devoid of faith in their God Goliath Challenger verse eight was really a test of their confidence in the Lord Roger L. Worst paraphrases glass talked am I not a pagan God hating Philistine, then why won't any of your men of the living God fight me. You must not really believe in him at all.

In fact, you must believe that a 9 foot warrior is actually stronger than your living God when it comes to a real battle. This is the kind of test with the world steel delights to pose for Christians, often with Goliath like mockery. We know what you teaching Sunday school. Leslie have a you do when you're faced with a real-life sensual temptation or an opportunity to gain riches by cheating with legal look on your God praising face when you receive a terrifying medical diagnosis or your stock portfolio. Folio crashes. Let's see how you respond when given an opportunity to cheat on important college exam behind Goliath was the same devil who wages spiritual warfare today. The issue is always the same. Do you really trust in a loving God of power and grace David Jeremiah tells a story true story of a workman construction worker who had climbed up hundred 50 foot scaffolds on top of that scaffold right beside a building and he had taken his this hook on his belt had a long leather strap and he had he had hooked it to the building, but for some reason he had to move around on the scaffolding he had unhook it for second plan to hook it back, but during that time where it was unhooked the crane bumped up against the scaffold and tilted it. The man fell out of that scaffold 150 feet. He landed just just missed the concrete and landed on the grass.

The ambulance got there very quickly and when amulets got there.

The man was coherent just as clear as it could be didn't have any blood he was not bleeding and he and he didn't have any seeable of broken bones and so they reached down, they started to pick him up and put them on the stretcher in order that they might lift them up in and put them in into the ambulance and as they were starting to lift them up. The man looked up at the paralytic's and said to them, please, please don't drop me that man's life had been spared. Most people would have died in a situation like that he didn't even have a bone that was broken. The Lord had shown him unbelievable mercy.

But after surviving 150 feet fall football. He's on a stretcher.

Features 3 feet off the ground and he looks up at the paramedics and he says to them please don't drop me you know you folks we do. That is, Christians don't we do that as Christians what what what we've got so much. What is the Lord done for us though the Lord has forgiven us of all of our sins, he is assured us that were not going to hell when we die. He is washed our sins always imputed to us the righteousness of Christ is made out of us new creations were all things are passed away behold all things are become new. We don't have to fear hell anymore free of put an assurance in our heart that we go to spend forever and ever and ever in heaven with him and then some little thing comes up in our life. Some little problems and frustrating problem in the first thing we do is go. Lord, please don't drop us. Saul and his army workers were saying the same thing. Lord don't drop us why they do that they forgotten who their God was but they forgotten that this God was their creator.

He is the one who made them. This God is the God who opened up the Red Sea for Moses and the children of Israel, and they went through on dry land and this God is the same God destroyed the Egyptian army by letting those waters come crashing down and destroying the entire Egyptian army.

This is the Lord who gave them the 10 Commandments. This is the Lord who defeated enemy after enemy after enemy. During Joshua's time in here this army of Israel is an award, please don't drop us. Saul and his army fail because they chose self instead of God and the Lord departed from .3 is an obedient David. Look at verses 12 to 22. David was a son of effort, type of Bethlehem in Judah named Jesse you at eight sons in the days of Saul the man was already old and advanced in years. The three oldest sons of Jesse had followed Saul to the battle and the names of the three sons who went to the battle were alive, the firstborn next to him a been a day of in the third Shama. David was the youngest of three elders followed Saul, but David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father. She Bethlehem for 40 days of listing came forward and took his stand morning and evening and Jesse said today that his son take for your brothers and F of this parched grain and these 10 laws and carry them quickly to the camp of your brothers also take these 10 cheeses to the commander of their thousand see if your brothers are whale and bring some token from them. That's all in the a and all the men of Israel were in the Valley Vela fighting with the Philistines and David rose early in the morning and left a sheet with the keeper and took the provisions in wind as Jesse had commanded him and he came to the encampment as the host was going out to the battle line shouting the warcry in Israel and the Philistines drew up for battle army against Army and David left the things in charge of the keeper of the baggage and ran to the ranks and went and greeted his brothers.

David was once again at work.

He was in the pastor is watching over the sheep doing what he did every day his father came he called today that I got a job for you. He said I want you to go to your brothers and on the battlefield and I want you take them food. I've got bread. I've got wind of got some parched grain of got cheese don't you take this to them and so they'll be refreshed and so they'll be energized and then I want you to come back and give me the report on your brothers at this time. I don't think David had a clue as to what was really going on in that battlefield. I don't think David even knew who Goliath was thinking you any of that. So David didn't go there to fight what he go there for the winter to take his brother some refreshing food and with their to bring his dad back report to let them know that his brothers were okay. David had no idea if this is going to be one of the greatest days of his life. He didn't know that there was no angel that blew a trumpet and and said your history today Goliath that there was no trumpet blown by an angel say David this is your day.

It was just a normal everyday day for David. He did know was coming.

Proverbs chapter 27 verse one says, but is not the self of tomorrow, for thou knowest not. What a day shall bring forth. You see, David was spiritually prepared. He's always spiritually prepared no matter what that day might hold. He was ready. That's why Paul said, be strong in the Lord and the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities and rules of darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places. It was Charles Stanley who said that he didn't get out of bed in the morning before going over in his mind.

Proverbs Ephesians chapter 6 and he puts on the whole armor of God. David didn't have Ephesians 6.

The limitation of this. He was wearing the armor of God. He was wearing it, and he was always ready and he successfully wore it. He was spiritually ready so we finally made the trip adrift, about 13 miles from Bethlehem to Ila and he finally gets there and I can see him walking over the top and he looks down he sees the Philistines on one side, he sees Israelites on the other side is that there probably got their shields out their swords in the and in the sun is beaming down on them and reflecting off of that. Probably an unbelievable site. The acoustics are unbelievable to aunt Sophia's they are listening they can hear voices for both sides and their very voices that are filled with anticipation and some with great anxiety so this is a powerful scene for David is one like he's never seen before at Texas to .4 and that is a godly defiance. Look at verse 23 through 30. As a talk with them a whole, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name came up out of the ranks of the Philistines and spoke the same words as before, and David heard all the men of Israel when they saw the man fled from him and were much afraid, and the men of Israel said, have you seen the man who is come up surely is come up to defy Israel and the king will enrich the man he kills them with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father's house free and Israel. And David said to the men who stood by what shall be done for the man he kills the Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God and the people answered him in the same way socially be done to the man who kills thing now live.

His eldest brother when he spoke to the men and aloud's anger was kindled against David and he said why'd you come down and with whom.

If you let those few sheep in the wilderness.

I know your presumption and the evil of your heart you come down to see the battle and David said what about done nail was it not, but a word he turned away from him toward another, and spoke in the same way and the people answered him again as before while David is standing there Goliath struts out to the front of his own army and he stands there anyway so everything gets perfectly quiet and then he speaks out and shouts loudly, arrogantly, with great venom and hatred and blasphemy and what is he do he curses the armies of Israel, he mocks them. He blasphemes the God of Israel, and he challenges them.

He defies them. He laughs at them and what a King Solomon and in the Army do they turn tail and they ran they are so scared so fearful that that that no not even concerned about the blasphemy is coming out of this man's mouth that they saw we would just let it go and will just met my view be appeased if we don't say anything and maybe we won't have to fighting the picture. David he standing there with his mouth hanging wide open. He can't believe Saul and Army are acting this way.

He says what is this army running from Warwick.

They feel with righteous indignation and don't they care about God's honor. Finally, David speaks generalize. These are the first words that David speaks in for Samuel we been studying David's life for three weeks we've been studying David and anointed to be the next king of Israel. We study David going to to Saul and play in the heart flooring that his depression might leave. Now we sing David come all the way to Ila and he's brought the food they are to refresh his brothers and given that nourishment that they need. He's done all that and we've not heard one word from the lips of David. Up to this point. The brothers and sisters. That's it.

At this point in time David can keep quiet any longer. At this point David speaks Goliath is blaspheming his God. Saul is doing nothing. The armies have run and like they were scared to death there running away totally afraid of Goliath and so David stands up and he said who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God people there comes a time when it's a sin to be quiet there comes a time when it's godless to keep your mouth shut. I am sick to death of the preachers and spiritual leaders so call spiritual leaders in this in this country in which we live. Who put their tail between their their legs and running and afraid. Just to call C&C and anarchist and Marxist shown king is starting a movement to pull down and destroy all the statues of Jesus across America. He says that the statues are simple of white supremacy. He says these statues remind us of Christianity and Christianity is a white man's religion. One of his recent rallies.

One of shown kings followers standing right deciding and us always got a big big poster that he's holding up to the crowd and the poster said if Jesus returns, killing him again brothers and sisters shown kings using his race to attack the only hope that this world has Christianity belongs to those of every tribe, kindred tongue and nation. Jesus died for those of every color and every ethnicity number Presbyterian. I don't agree with with statues of Jesus.

I think it's a violation of this of the second commandment but shown kings, not just attacking the statues shown kings attacking the church and he's attacking the church's Savior and what he was doing his exact same thing that Goliath was doing is mocking our God is mocking our faith. These mocking the Christian church and if we do sit steel and sit on our hands and keep our mouth shut and do nothing to appease a Marxist anarchist than God help us. God help us. David couldn't stay quiet and David spoke truth and who was his first critic. It was his own brother came from his own family, his own brother started jabbing his own brother said to them, why don't you just go back to your little flock of sheep there in Bethlehem want you just go back home to keep your mouth shut.

What he say that wanted what wanted a lot get so peeved that David got peeved at David because David was standing for righteousness and it made him look like a coward anytime you attempt to be obedient to the Lord you tech take a step out in faith, then let me assure you this you going to get criticized and people are not gonna like it.

Now when it comes from the criticism comes from the enemy, then you kind of expect that is, the way it was when Nehemiah was was commanded by God to build rebuilder the wall around Jerusalem and so he was rebuilding the wall in his two adversaries San Ballin and towed by came to them and said what you doing you can't bill that that wall. They said that wall so flimsy for fox jumped up on it. It would fall apart. There were mocking him and laughing at him. We expect the enemy to do that. This came to David from unexpected source came from his own family alive was offended because David's concerns were making or taken a shot at his manhood. They were making him look like a coward and he didn't like it so says they do want you just pack up your gear and go back home to go back to the sheep.

That's what you're good at what you just go back in and take care of them and just keep your mouth shut and Davis is one who what I do. All I did was ask a question, why in the world you taken that attitude. David did the same thing that that Nehemiah did when San Ballin Tovar started criticizing him, he said to them, why should I stop this great work that I'm doing for God to spend time arguing with you. David took that same attitude toward his brother brothers and sisters.

If you're attempting to obey God. Near attempting to do something worthwhile for the kingdom you're always going be criticized take a stand against abortion take a stand against me and use in women's bathrooms take a stand and start a Bible study, teach Moslems, the gospel, let me tell you the world. The world will jump on you and they will teach you up and they will save you staying in your own lane status stay between the the forecourt. The four walls of your church building and just mind your own business.

Leave the Goliath alone brothers and sisters we leave the Goliath alone and they're going to kill us. We leave the Goliath alone and and it's gonna do great damage to the people of God. Look at verse 25 someone says to David, have you seen this man who is coming up. What is that mean that means that Goliath is already stepped over the, the, the screen at the bottom of the valley and he's coming up the mountain, marching up toward toward Israel brothers and sisters. I want you know that's what happens. You see, if you tolerated Goliath you take your territory. If you tolerate Goliath feel moving to your camp and he'll consume your thinking and he'll make you fearful and you will train your courage. You can't tolerate giants you must kill him.

David had the guts to ask the right question the Israelites and their king were so fearful they want asking questions. They were just running with fear.

Ralph Davis said the following. I'll close with this David brings a whole new world view to this point the narrative is been godless, but now David injects the godly question into the episode doesn't having a living God make a difference in all the us. This bill has mock the ranks of the living God.

If God is so identified with Israel you think using different toward such slurs on his reputation do you expect a living God to allow an uncircumcised Philistine to trample his name in military and theological mud.

What Ralph Davis and what David are doing it say in the us they're saying God's honor does matter, and God's honor matters a lot is probably heavenly father is. We study this passage of Scripture today.

We saw comparison of human weakness to the Holy Spirit's infinite power and father. We realize that being faithless and intimidated brings you know, honor and glory. Help us to be dependent on you to trust you. Help us to realize that what you've done for us by saving our souls delivering us from hail forgiving us of all of our sins completely and gloriously made our boldness not be superficial and shallow, but deep in God honoring, help us not to beg you not to drop us but have faith that you will never drop us Lord like a spiritually tough and yet loving and humble Meza glass in our lives not shake us but motivate us to godly action, help us not to tolerate our Goliath, but they killed him. We love you Lord help us to love you more each day. 40 is in the precious and holy name of Jesus that we pray. Amen