IN THE NAME OF THE LORD ALMIGHTY

1 Samuel 17:41-58 / Keywords 17:45

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.

 

17:41 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 little more than a boy, glowing with health 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 and the wild animals!”

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 deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, 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.”

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 sheath. 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. 52 Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath[f] and to the gates of Ekron. Their dead were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron. 53 When the Israelites returned from chasing the Philistines, they plundered their camp.

54 David took the Philistine’s head and brought it to Jerusalem; he put the Philistine’s weapons in his own tent.

55 As Saul watched David going out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is that young man?”

Abner replied, “As surely as you live, Your Majesty, I don’t know.”

56 The king said, “Find out whose son this young man is.”

57 As soon as David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with David still holding the Philistine’s head.

58 “Whose son are you, young man?” Saul asked him.

David said, “I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem.”

Footnotes

f. 1 Samuel 17:52 Some Septuagint manuscripts; Hebrew of a valley

1. David went out with a staff and a sling in his hand to confront heavily armed Goliath. Goliath relied on his sword and spear, but David relied on the name of the LORD Almighty. David had faith in the living and mighty LORD, who would help him to defeat Goliath so that the whole world would know that there was a God in Israel. In general, those equipped with better weapons win the battle. But David was sure of the LORD’s victory, for the battle belonged to the LORD.

 

2. David ran quickly toward Goliath, took out a stone, slung it, and struck him on the forehead. Goliath fell face down on the ground. God gave the victory over the Philistines through David. Goliath symbolizes the world, sin, and the devil that threatens and paralyzes us with fear. We can’t beat them with our own strength. But the secret of victory is in the name of the LORD. The battle belongs to God. God will give us victory when we challenge our Goliaths relying on the LORD and his promise.

 

Prayer Father, thank you for Jesus in whom alone we find salvation from the power of sin and death. Help me to depend on the name of Jesus and win a spiritual victory over my Goliaths.

One Word In the name of the LORD Almighty