Walking With God: A Journey Through the Bible by Jeff Cavins & Tim Gray

Author:Jeff Cavins & Tim Gray [Cavins, Jeff & Gray, Tim]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Amazon: B004G5ZTCY
Publisher: Ascension Press
Published: 2010-12-12T05:00:00+00:00

This daring trust in God is a hallmark of David. For him, it is the God of Israel who is the true King over Israel and her Deliverer; as he says to Goliath, “the battle is the Lord’s” (1 Sam 17:47).

Saul acquiesces, and David marches out to face Goliath—not with the king’s armor (which he tries on but finds oversized and cumbersome) but with the unsophisticated weapons of a shepherd: a slingshot and five smooth stones. This time, it is Goliath who is deceived by appearances: “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” (1 Sam 17:43). Undaunted, David brings down Goliath with one shot of his sling and cuts off his head with his opponent’s own sword. His victory spurs the Israelite armies to a great victory, and David brings Goliath’s head, the token of his triumph, to Jerusalem. This foreshadows two of the greatest acts in David’s imminent reign: Israel’s deliverance from the Philistines and the establishment of her religious and political center in Jerusalem.

Saul’s Envy and David’s Patience

David’s victory draws two very different reactions from Saul and his son, Jonathan. For Saul, David’s popular acclaim after Goliath’s defeat strikes at the heart of Saul’s insecurities and kindles in him the fire of envy, which will soon spread out of control. For Jonathan, however, it marks the beginning of a profound and lifelong friendship between the two men, who swear a covenant of brotherhood (1 Sam 18:3) that will later save David’s life and his future as king. Although Jonathan is the heir to Saul’s throne, he gives his robe, armor, and weapons as a sign of his allegiance to David and his willingness to relinquish the throne to God’s chosen one. Several times, Jonathan provides the only refuge David has against Saul. Not only does he help David escape his father, he also encourages David to persevere in a long and dangerous wait for the Lord’s timing. Moreover, although Saul’s disobedience deprives Jonathan of the kingdom, Jonathan not only accepts the prophetic word of Samuel but also risks his life for the sake of the new heir to the kingdom. Jonathan’s virtue serves to outline even more clearly the colossal failures of his father.

While Jonathan protects David, Saul makes two failed attempts to kill David with a spear and then expels him from the royal court, demoting him to a lower military rank. But David’s continued military success fans Saul’s envy and fear to a raging flame. Saul finally snaps and issues orders to his son and his men to kill David. Although Jonathan can temporarily alleviate his father’s rage and persuade him to restore David to royal service, Saul’s paranoia eventually compels him into an all-out hunt for Israel’s hero and deliverer. Indeed, Saul’s hatred for David extends even to those who assist David in any way, manifested when he slaughters the priests at Nob for harboring David.

Besides illustrating the friendship between David and Jonathan—and Jonathan’s virtue—the account of David’s flight from Saul, which makes up most of the remainder of 1 Samuel, develops two significant themes.

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