God Is the Hero

God is the Hero.

Lesson for Sunday, June 4, 2017

INTRODUCTION:

• In our last lesson we saw God lead the prophet Samuel to find and anoint David as the next king of Israel. God chose David from the Israelites, not because of his physical stature or oratory skills, but because he was a man after God’s own heart – he sought to do God’s will.
• Today is a familiar story! Let’s start with a test to see how accurate our memories are…
• Use the “Who Killed Goliath?” worksheet that we will provide for you.
• You can allow them to do this privately, or break them into groups for a competition.
• You will come back to their answers at the end of the lesson.

BIBLE STUDY:

1. Goliath taunts Israel (1 Samuel 17:1-16)
2. Observe the text:
3. Who was the enemy of the Israelites? The Philistines.
4. What are some of the things the text tells us about Goliath? He was the champion of the Philistine army; he was heavily armored and had a javelin and a spear (we learn later that he also had a sword); he was six cubits and a span tall; he was confident in his own strength.
5. Using today’s measurements, Goliath’s height was about 9’-9” and his armor weighed about 125 pounds!
6. What was Goliath’s challenge? He offered the Israelites man-to-man combat to settle the battle—the winner’s side would rule over the loser’s side.
7. How long had he been presenting this challenge? Forty days, morning and evening.
8. Discover the truth:
9. So, the stage is set for an epic battle. The Philistine army outnumbered the Israelite army, and the Philistines likely had superior weapons and armor.
10. We might understand the hesitance of the Israelites knowing that they were outgunned. But they had forgotten a very important part of the battle.
11. David trusts God (1 Samuel 17:17-58)
12. TEACHER NOTE: The material has a good idea about reading the text using different people for different voices. That’s a good (different) idea if you have the time!
13. Observe the text:
14. What did David witness as Goliath approached the assembled army? All of the soldiers were afraid of Goliath.
15. How had Saul tried to motivate the men to battle Goliath? He had offered riches, his daughter, and exemption from taxes.
16. In verse 28, how did Eliab address David? He was angry and accused him of just coming to watch the battle when he should have been tending the sheep.
17. What was the likely motive of Eliab’s response to David? He was probably bitter about David, the youngest, being anointed as king instead of the eldest son.
18. When David offered to fight Goliath (v. 30), what was Saul’s response? Saul told David he was too young to fight Goliath, who had been a warrior from his youth.
19. What credentials did David offer Saul? He had killed a bear and a lion while tending his father’s sheep.
20. Who did David credit for these brave acts? He said that it was God who had delivered him from the wild animals, just as He would from the Philistine.
21. When Saul offered his armor, how did David respond? He refused to wear it because he had not tested it.
22. Many people imagine David to be a little boy during this battle. However, that is really not an idea that can be supported from the text. David was described as a mighty man of valor in chapter 16, not a little boy.
23. Also, we know that Saul was a head taller than the typical Israelite (1 Samuel 10:23). Why would Saul offer a little boy his armor? It is a ridiculous proposition. David must have been about Saul’s size, or the armor would have never fit.
24. Notice that the text (v. 39) says that David had not “tested” the armor—he was not comfortable fighting in it; David didn’t say that the armor did not fit him.
25. Examining the text carefully, we can see that David was not a little boy. As we mentioned in a prior lesson, a few clues in the text suggest he was about 20 at this time, though we can’t be exact.
26. How did David respond to Goliath’s mocking? In verse 45 and following, David told Goliath that he was fighting in the name of God and was confident that God would deliver Goliath into his hands.
27. What did David want everyone assembled to know (v. 46–47)? That there is a God in Israel (v. 46); the battle was the Lord’s, and the outcome was not dependent on the weaponry involved (v. 47).
28. How did David defeat the giant? Using a sling and stone, he struck Goliath in the forehead, bringing him to the ground where David took Goliath’s sword and cut his head off, completing the promise he had made in verse 46.
29. How did the two armies respond to Goliath’s defeat? The Philistines fled while the Israelites pursued them, emboldened by the defeat of Goliath.
30. What does Hebrews 11:32–34 tell us about David’s actions? By faith in God, David conquered Goliath and put the army to flight.
31. Discover the truth:
32. David would not stand for this Philistine enemy to blaspheme God and stand in opposition to the army of God’s chosen people.
33. God used David to lead Israel in defeating this army as He empowered David through His Spirit. David knew the character and promises of God, and he acted in faith.
34. This is not a story merely to give us some moralistic incentive to be brave like David or to face up to the “giants” in our lives. Rather, it is a true account of how God showed Himself mighty to save His people from the Philistines.
35. It was by faith, in spite of the lack of numbers and weapons, that they were able to have victory. David trusted in God, and God used David to defeat Goliath.

Return to the worksheet and review the answers to determine who had the best recollection.

APPLYING GOD’S WORD:

• The big picture of the lesson today is that God is the hero. Yes, David was the one who acted to defeat the foreign army, but it was because of his trust in God that he prevailed.
• In this we can see David as at least a shadow of the Good Shepherd who would come to lay down His life for the sheep of God’s fold. Jesus, the Son of David, came to conquer an enemy far greater than Goliath. Our sin (and the death it deserved) was defeated by Christ’s work on our behalf. We wait for the full realization of that truth in a kingdom with no death or sin, just as David still waited for the kingdom of Israel to be delivered to him. As Israel looked to David as king, we must look to Christ and follow Him as King.
• What do we learn from David about placing our faith in God?
• In what way have you seen the importance of looking carefully at the biblical text as we studied this passage today?
• Which of the characters in this account do you most identify with?
• What is the difference between looking at this passage the way we have done today and using David as an example of a brave person who we can try to emulate?