In the days of Eli the Philistines were in the ascendancy in Israel.

When they captured

the ark they also destroyed the city of Shiloh, and Israel reached its lowest ebb since
the bondage in Egypt: indeed the very existence of the nation was threatened. Their
ills were the direct result of their apostasy. All this sets the scene for the appearance of
Samuel, the one who was to bring the nation back to God and lead them from a
theocracy to a monarchy.

The phrase, "Though Moses and Samuel stood before Me" (Jer. 15:1), indicates that
he was regarded as the greatest man to arise in Israel since the days of Moses.

In 1 Samuel 1 Elkanah the Levite is introduced. He had two wives, Peninnah and
Hannah; the latter was childless, the Lord having shut up her womb.

Compare her with Sarah, Rebekah, and Rache. In each case their children were
special. Not only was it a disgrace in Israel to be childless, but also every woman
hoped for a son who would prove to be the promised seed. Hannah at the sanctuary at
Shiloh prayed unto the Lord and vowed a vow: the heart of the vow was "if Thou . . .
will give I will give" (1 Sam. 1:11).

In 1 Samuel 2 there occurs Hannah's song of triumph. Likewise Mary uttered a song
of triumph which occurs in Luke 1:46-55. There is a remarkable similarity between
the two songs, another indication that the spirit of prophecy in Mary recognized the
young Samuel to be a type of the young Messiah and Hannah to be a type of herself.

Mary therefore appropriately used the language of Hannah's song to express the
overwhelming joy, which, as with Hannah, welled up within her when she realized the
goodness and mercy of God, and her own privilege in being His handmaiden. Three
especial points of similarity between the two songs can be noted:

1. The opening words of praise and rejoicing.

2. The reference to the breaking of the proud and the humbling of the mighty.
3. The reference to the exultation of the poor and lowly

Her "complaint" (1 Sam. 1:16), "for out of the abundance of my complaint (lit.
meditation) and my provocation have I spoken " (RV).

This was not a time of rejoicing for Hannah, but a time of frustration and deep
unhappiness as her "adversary" (rival) provoked (angered) her "making her fret" (lit.
to cause to tremble, i.e. to play on her nerves) by her proud and arrogant talk (1 Sam.
1:6 and 2:3).

Where was she to turn for solace and comfort?

Elkanah could not quite understand that however much he loved her it could not
overcome her longing for a child ("am not I better to thee than ten sons?"), and so
Hannah turns to the Scriptures or the oral stories from Genesis.
It was Hannah's familiarity with the Word). In this way she received strength to
endure in the midst of trial and frustration.
The exhortation is obvious: wise men and women will saturate their minds with the
Word of God, and, they will derive comfort and assurance appropriate to their need.

Samuel's first message was not an easy one to deliver (1 Sam. 3:15), and when, towards the
end of his life, he was commanded to go to Bethlehem to anoint a new king, even though he
feared for his life yet he was obedient (16:1-4).

Samuel, as judge and prophet, was above reproach. Consider when he spoke to Israel and
showed them the manner of the king". God told him to "protest solemnly" to the people, that
is, to by reiteration, the Hebrew word occurring twice to make the point (1 Sam. 8:9,10).

In the ministry of Samuel there was no prophesying of 'smooth things', but rather, "If ye do
return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from
among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve Him only" (7:3). Later he
said: "I will teach you the good and the right way" (12:23).

After the happy picture given us of Samuel communing with Saul and of them going together,
"both of them, he and Samuel, abroad" (9:25-27), he later had to say to him: "Thou hast done
foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which He commanded
thee" (13:13). There is no respecting of persons here, only the faithful working of God's
righteousness.

In 1 Samuel 9 and 10 God appointed Saul to be the first king of Israel. Saul's first act as king
is recorded in 1 Samuel 11. The Israelite city of Jabesh-gilead was under siege by Nahash the
Ammonite. Appealing for help, the elders of Jabesh sent messengers throughout Israel (v. 3).

When Saul heard the news "the Spirit of God came upon Saul... and his anger was kindled
greatly. And he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all
the coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whosoever cometh not forth after
Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen" (w. 6,7). Israel obeyed Saul, and they
delivered Jabesh-gilead.

Saul's action of chopping up a yoke of oxen and sending it "throughout all the coasts of
Israel" (v. 7) should take our minds back to a similar, but more grotesque incident in the book
of Judges. Judges 19 recounts the story of a certain Levite and his concubine.

Below are some of the other parallels. (In each case the first reference is from Judges and the
second from 1 Samuel.)
1. In Judges Gibeah is the source of sin and depravity, but in Samuel it is the source of
salvation.
2. In response to the appeal for help, in each case Israel is said to have come out "as one man"
(20:1; 11:7see margin; literally, 'one man'). In Judges, they gather to destroy their own
people, but in Samuel they gather to save their people.
3. Both narratives refer to Jabesh-gilead (21:9-12; 11:1,9). In Judges, Jabesh-gilead is
destroyed, but in Samuel it is delivered.
4. After the victory in Judges the people "lifted up their voices, and wept sore" (21:2), but in
Samuel "Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly" (11:15).
5. In Judges they fulfilled an oath concerning those who had not come to the congregation:
"He shall surely be put to death" (21:5). This is why Jabesh-gilead was destroyed. In Samuel
"Saul said, There shall not a man be put to death this day: for to day the LORD hath wrought
salvation in Israel" (11:13).
It is apparent that this 'inspired comparison' is meant to be a contrast. What lesson is God
trying to emphasise for us? The answer is found in the refrain that occurs at the beginning and
end of those chapters of Judges (19:1; 21:25): "In those days there was no king in Israel:
every man did that which was right in his own eyes". In 1 Samuel Saul had just been anointed
king, and the events of chapter 11 were his first kingly actions. Without a visible,
authoritative, Divine government men will always do that which is right in their own eyes,
and they will suffer accordingly.
What an inspiring lesson there is in this for us today! God is trying to teach us that we need a
God-appointed king. How much suffering and unhappiness could be avoided in our personal
lives if we would only learn to let the commandments of our absent King be our sole guide,
and not what seems right in our own eyes!

SAMUEL AND CHRIST

The similarity between the lives of Jesus and Samuel begins at their respective births
for, like the birth of Jesus, the birth of Samuel was a miracle, a result of the direct

Mary perhaps already regarded the birth of Samuel as being typical of the birth of the
Messiah or perhaps, having questioned at first how it was possible for her to bear the
Messiah ("How shall this be, seeing I know not a man"verse 34), this phrase meant that, if
God could cause Hannah to have a son after being barren for so long, He could cause her to
have a Son, though she was a virgin.

Right from his birth Samuel consecrated for the service of God. Hannah promised God when
praying for a son: "I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life"; the details given, in
fact, suggest that Samuel was a Nazarite. This consecration to God's service was only
completely fulfilled in the life of Jesus.

(1 Sam. 2:26; see also 2:21 and 3:19)

"The child Samuel grew on and was in favour both with the Lord and also with men". Surely
Mary would consider, as she carried out the responsible task of bringing up God's Son, of how
the child Samuel was brought up to minister before the Lord when yet a child (1 Sam. 2:18)

Samuel typified Jesus in the three aspects of prophet, priest and king. This position is made
clear in the Scriptures; he appears to have been regarded as a fulfillment of the famous
passage in Deut. 18:15-22 which speaks of the rising up of the Prophet like unto Moses who
was to come from among his brethren.

Moses and Samuel are spoken of in terms of equality in Jeremiah 15:1 and Psalm 99:6. Peter
seems to say in Acts 3:22-24 that

Samuel was a fulfilment of Deuteronomy 18 for, having quoted from that passage, he speaks
of "All the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after" which indicates that Samuel
was regarded as the first of the prophets.

In 1 Sam. 3:1, after the ministering of the child Samuel before the Lord is spoken of, it is said:
"And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision. This was the
time of spiritual darkness.

.At the time of Samuel, the priesthood was wicked and corrupt and he was God's spokesman
in condemning them and prophesying their overthrow (1 Sam. 3:11-14)
The priesthood in the days of Jesus Christ was likewise evil and corrupt and Jesus spoke of
their overthrow. In both cases this was to be done by an alien nation, in the days of Samuel
the Philistines, in the days of Jesus Christ the Romans. Jesus, in describing the corruption of
the temple worship in his days, says to those who were buying and selling in the temple, "Ye
have made it a den of thieves," a quotation from Jeremiah 7:11. The following verse in
Jeremiah refers to the overthrow of Shiloh, the Israelite centre of worship when Samuel was
being brought up. Shiloh appears to have been subject to a violent typical of the overthrow of
Jerusalem .

Samuel that he was the obvious replacement for Eli, who died when he heard the news that
his sons had died .

The method by which Samuel carried out his ministry was the same as that adopted by
Jesus Christ. "Samuel went from year to year in circuit to Bethel, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and
judged Israel in all those places. And his return was to Ramah" (1 Sam. 7:16-17

I the early chapters of Samuel references occur to the companies of prophets which formed a
vital part of Israel's religious life. (1 Sam. 10:5).

However, neither the people of Samuel's day, nor the people of Christ's day were satisfied
with this God-given arrangement. The Israelites of Samuel's day said: "Make us a king to
judge us like all the nations" (1 Sam. 8:5).

Samuel told the people that they were not rejecting him, they were rejecting God (1 Sam. 8:7)

Samuel practised what he preached. His maxim to Saul was, "God is with you" (10:7).

Jonathans exploit at Michmash

From the time when the Philistines were terrified by a great thunderstorm, and chased from
Mizpeh (1 Sam. 7), there was peace in the land of Israel until Samuel was an old man, and the
people demanded to have a king. During this long and blessed time of spiritual guidance and
protection, there was no preparation for war.

On the borders of the land, many of the people became intimate with the Philistines, thus
furnishing them with information as to developments in Israel. When it became known that
Samuel's power was waning, that his sons did not follow in his steps, and, finally, that a king
had been appointed over Israel, the Philistines became aggressive. They had supplied the
Israelites with implements for their husbandry, but had skilfully prevented them from having
smiths of their own, with the result that few of the followers of Saul were properly armed.
When the fear of the powers vested in Samuel no longer deterred them, the Philistines
penetrated more and more into the hill country, and put garrisons in the heart of the land,
enabling them to plunder as they thought fit.

When Saul and his son revolted against this and smote a garrison of Philistines, the alarm of
war was immediately sounded (1 Sam. 13).

Many of the unarmed Israelites fled into caves and dens; others followed Saul trembling.

The Philistines came against the hill country with a great army and with many chariots, some
of which had sword-like projections fixed to the rims of the wheels.

In this crisis, Saul appealed to Samuel. For some time Saul had become increasingly
indifferent to the prophet, but now he needed Samuel's help urgently. Samuel told the king:
"Prepare for a sacrifice in Gilgal. On the seventh day I will be there to offer it". With
increasing fear and anxiety, Saul waited for Samuel to come; but when toward the close of the
seventh day Samuel was not there, and no one knew where he was to be found, Saul
presumed to offer the sacrifice himself. As it must be with all the servants of God, Saul's faith
had been put to the test, and he had failed. As soon as the offering was made, Samuel
appeared with stern reproof, and with prophecy of evil to come. Samuel then retired into the
hills, and took no further part in the war. The Israelites were hard pressed, for the Philistine
garrisons were strengthened, and raiding bands plundered the land and terrorised the people.
The situation was daily becoming worse, when Jonathan determined on an act of adventurous
faith, and said to his armour-bearer, "Let us show ourselves to some of the Philistines at
Michmash. If they say, 'Come to us', we will take it as a sign from God that we shall attack
them".
Early in the morning they approached the passage where the Philistines were sure to have
sentries on the watch. They came to a place where two sharp rocks, standing out clearly
against the morning sky, marked the gateway to the passage. Suddenly there came a challenge
from sentries who were perched above, but it was only the scornful bantering challenge of
men who had no fear, and who saw no reason to raise an alarm. "Why, two of the Hebrews
have crawled out of their holes! They need food, and fall away to us, Perhaps they will guide
us to Saul's headquarters. Here, you men of Israel, come up here, and we will show you
something to interest you".
"It is the sign", said Jonathan, "follow me". And without a moment's hesitation Jonathan ran
forward, not toward the rocks where the sentries stood, but to the entrance to the passage.
Followed by his armour-bearer, he fell with zealous fury on the sleeping garrison. The alarm
wassounded, but it was then too late. Men waking from sleep found death at their throats.
Twenty were slain in as many seconds; others fled without their weapons, shouting and
cursing. The alarm was spread from company to company. In the confusion, with men
running for their lives, it was impossible in the dim morning light to see whether they were
friends or foes. A garbled account of the clash spread like a flame.
The Israelites were attacking with new weapons, and there was a great slaughter among the
Philistines! Men of the garrisons, spoilers and charioteers all trembled, and their fear was
communicated to the chariot horses.
Then, just at the psychological moment, there was an earthquake, such as often shook the hill
country. This, with its suggestion of superhuman powers at work, completed the
demoralization of the Philistines. In their attempt to overawe the Israelites, they had brought
chariots into hill country for which they were not suited, and in too large numbers for them to
manoeuvre. Now, with men and horses terrified, there was a flight of chariots down the rough
hills, and into the ranks of the supporting army.
From the watchtower of Gibeah many of the lower slopes could be seen. The Philistines were
in confusion; they were beating down one another.
Men fleeing from before a runaway chariot were caught by the wheels of a second chariot.

It was found that of all the armed men who followed Saul, only Jonathan and his
armourbearer were missing. What had happened? Saul called for the priest who was there
with an ephod, and told him to enquire of the Lord. Meanwhile the sound of tumult among the
Philistines increased so much as to indicate that the main army was in flight. What need was
there to enquire of God, when the enemy was fleeing, and there was such opportunity for
revenge? So Saul called upon the priest to withdraw his hand, and commanded the fighting
men to pursue the fleeing Philistines. He called upon them to fight that he might be avenged
on his enemies, and pronounced a fearful curse upon any man who should taste of food before
the evening. "That I may be avenged on my enemies"; that was his mood. He had no thought
of God unless Divine help was urgently needed, and little consideration for the men who had
shared his privations.
Israelite warriors went forth to the pursuit hungry, for in their mountain fortress there had
been little food for many days, and they would not now take food because of the king's curse.
As the sequel showed, they feared the king's curse more than they feared the plain
commandments of God.
Jonathan, who had not been present to hear his father's foolish charge, took a little honey from
a honeycomb. This is one of Nature's most perfect foods, all ready for the system to
assimilate, and Jonathan was refreshed and strengthened by it, as the others might have been.
When he was told of the king's curse, he made the wise comment, "My father has troubled the
land. A little honey has strengthened me after our long experience of insufficient food. We
could have won a greater victory if the people had been permitted to eat freely of the spoil so
easily won".

The people still feared the curse, however, and dragged along their half-starved bodies until
the sun went down. Then they fell on some of the lesser cattle, killed them, and ate with such
haste that they violently transgressed the Law by eating blood. Saul took steps to stop this evil
as soon as he heard of it, but he showed no sign of understanding his own errors.
He built an altar, the first he had ever built, and enquired of God whether they should go
down to the land of the Philistines. No answer was given him; none could reasonably have
been expected.

Saul, still unrepentant, demanded, "Who has sinned, that we get no answer? Even if it is my
son Jonathan, he shall die".

If a fearless prophet had been there, he might have said, "You have sinned, king. Your faith
failed when it was put to the test, for you did not wait until the end of the seventh day. You
sinned in presuming to offer a sacrifice which should have been offered by Samuel. You
stopped Ahiah when he was about to make intercession, because you thought that the way of
fortune was plain enough without any answer from God.

You put a curse on your starving warriors which resulted in their eating blood. Your whole thought
is for your own honour, and for your revenge on your enemies, and not for the glory of God. Your
heart is not right now. Jonathan had an answer from God, and this great deliverance is the result,
but no answer will be given to you".

Unfortunately, there was no prophet to make such a statement, and Saul, in his self-centred pride,
ignored his own sins, and assumed that someone had broken his command to abstain from food.
He proceeded to cast lots, first between the royal family and the people, and then between himself
and Jonathan. "God gave him no answer that day", or the result of the lot would assuredly have
been different.
The first chance between two possibilities took the royal family, and let the people escape; the
second chance took Jonathan.

What had Jonathan done?

Well, his faith had not failed; he had not tried to usurp the functions of a priest; he had not put a
sudden stop to a lawful approach because he saw an immediate chance of revenge on his enemies;
he had not eaten blood.
In ignorance of his father's foolish curse, however, he had taken a little honey, and, for this, Saul
was ready to slay him! But the people saved Jonathan, recognising that he was their deliverer, and
declared that not a hair of his head should be hurt.
We note the growing perversity of Saul's mind. He had no thought for his own rebellion, or for the
violation of the Law into which he had goaded the people. His only thought was for his own
command and the curse he had uttered. For the innocent act of one who had not heard his words,
he was ready to slay his son. No wonder that God would not give him an answer!

War with the Philistines marked a turning point in the history of Israel. The period of Divinely
guided peace which they had enjoyed in the days of Samuel was definitely at an end. For the
remainder of Saul's reign there was war, with the Philistines, with Moab, Ammon and Edom. But
the triumph won through the adventurous faith of Jonathan had equipped Israel for such warfare.
The Philistines, in their hasty flight, with runaway chariots and with the confused beating down of
one another, had left many weapons in the land, with the result that Saul could now command an
army far better armed than it was when he was made king.

1 Samuel 14 and 15
While Saul tarried under a pomegranate tree, Jonathan brought about a great victory for
Israel. Acting on his faith in the power of Yahweh, Jonathan went alone with his armour
bearer to attack the Philistines. God worked with Jonathan and caused an earthquake to occur
which made a great confusion among the Philistines (w. 15,20).

With this advantage, Saul and the people rallied to pursue the Philistines. A great victory was
in the making for Israel, but it was cut short by Saul's foolish oath: "And the men of Israel
were distressed that day: for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that
eateth any food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies" (v. 24).
Jonathan had not heard when Saul put the people under oath, so when he came upon wild
honey in the forest he ate some. Unwittingly Jonathan had brought himself under Saul's curse.

In 1 Sam. 14:40-42 the deliverer of Israel, instead of being received in glory, was condemned
to death as a criminal. Jonathan's humble submission to his fate beautifully prefigures Christ's
willing submission to his Father's will. Jonathan said, "lo, I must die" (14:43). Jesus said,
"Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
What a wonderful confirmation this is of our faith in the crucified Christ!

David and Goliath

Chapter 16 David is anointed as successor to Saul. The same chapter sees Saul
plunging into depression, which remains a feature of the record for the rest of his life.
The fine warrior who promised so much becomes a pathetic shadow of a king.

Chapter 17 opens with what might be a consequence of Saul's emotional incapacity:

the Philistines invade Israel. Perhaps Saul's tragic and obsessive condition robbed the
nation of the leadership needed to keep the Philistines at bay.

The scene of the battle

Verses 1 and 2 present a picture of two armies facing one another in stalemate. Both
occupied strong defensive positions, and for the present neither side was willing to
risk an attack on the other.

It would appear that at the bottom of the valley there was a small ravine-like
streambed, a deep trench with vertical sides, impassable except at certain placesa
valley in a valley.

The giant and his armour

It was to the edge of this small ravine that the Philistine champion came to challenge the
Israelites (v. 4). The word translated "champion" is used only twice in Scripture; the other is
in verse 23. It is the plural form of a word meaning an interval, or a space between. In this
context it seems to indicate that Goliath was the man who dominated the 'no man's land'
between the two armiesthe only man brave enough to stride into this open territory.

Goliath was from Gath. This is significant, because it is recorded that the Israelites had not
managed to dislodge all the Anakim when they invaded under Joshua; some remained in
Gaza, Gath and Ashdod (Josh. 11:21-23). Israel's failure 400 years previously now returns to
trouble them.

There is a powerful spiritual lesson in this for us. Any element of the old man that we fail to
eliminate will inevitably plague our future walk.

The Anakim were men of considerable stature (Num. 13:32), and Goliath was a giant, six
cubits and a span tall. Goliath was nine and a half feet tall. Goliath was a formidable warrior..
His armour, described in verses 5-1, was impressive.
The overlapping nature of the scales would facilitate movement. The device might also have
been chosen for religious reasons. Dagon, a Philistine god, was represented as half man and
half fish. Over and above all this weaponry and armour, Goliath was accompanied by a
shield-bearer. This was not indicative of a lack of confidence on the part of Goliath; rather it
marks him out as a man of high rank.

Goliath s challenge is directed to Saul in particular, and to any other warrior in general.

Saul was the obvious man to accept the challenge. He was literally "head and shoulders"
above any other Israelite (9:2), yet he makes no move to silence Goliath. I

n fact, Saul is specifically mentioned as cowering before the taunts of Goliath, thus making a
mockery of the desire expressed by the people when they demanded that Samuel appoint a
king for Israel.

Day after day the Israelites witnessed this humiliating challenge but failed to respond. Clearly
they had no faith in God to deliver them. They looked to the flesh for their strength, and on
this basis there was no Israelite equal to the task.

David arrives at the camp

Jesse sent David to the Israelite camp to minister to his brothers. He arrived to find a
cowering army and was amazed at their response. Why was David back with Jesse and not at
the palace or with the army? 17:14,15 suggests that when Saul went to war against the
Philistines he had no further need for David's services, so he was sent home. The older
brothers, however, were expected to serve in the army. Verse 16 indicates that the stalemate
lasted at least forty days. The battleground was only twelve miles from Bethlehem, so forty
days would be a long time for Jesse to wait for news of the outcome. Naturally Jesse grew
concerned about the fate of his sons, so he sent David with supplies and to inquire about their
welfare. The phrase "take their pledge" in verse 18 indicates that David was to return with a
token confirming their wellbeing. In verse 20 David travels to the battle front, arriving as the
two armies assume their usual positions, "going forth to the battle array" or "going out to its
battle positions" . The stalemate would drag on for another day.

David leaves the supplies in the camp and goes in verse 22 to see his brothers at the front. He
is not simply curious, but rather he is fulfilling his mission from his father.

The description of David himself in verse 18 implies that, although the youngest in the family,
he was strong and courageous. It seems reasonable to conclude that his brothers who were
serving in Saul's army might have had similar characteristics. From these references we must
conclude that Saul's army was an elite fighting unit, yet in spite of the reward no man felt able
to take up the challenge.

The faith of David

The response of Saul's men astounded David. His indignant response in 17:26 to the implied
blasphemy in Goliath's taunt demonstrates a commitment to God and a robust faith that God
would deliver His people. David's words go straight to the heart of the issue. He uses the title
"living God" to describe the Deity. This title is frequently used in direct contrast to lifeless
idols.

It was the same living God that David knew would deliver Israel from the threat posed by
Goliath and the Philistines. But David's faith was not shared by all of his family; Eliab his
older brother felt personally slighted by David's bold statement. Eliab's outburst in 1 Samuel
17:28 is without any foundation, evidence of the rage he must have felt. David had come
down at the express instruction of his father and had ensured that the sheep were looked after
before he left (v. 20). He had not, therefore, come down merely to satisfy youthful curiosity
about the battle. David was not intimidated by his brother: " 'What have I done now?' said
David; merely asked a question'". David is described as "prudent in speech" (16:18, AV
mg.). His words were blunt but fair. Although Eliab was his older brother, David could not
allow his enraged outburst to go unchallenged.

In 17:31 David's confident words are relayed to the king, and he is summoned to Saul's
presence.

The young man, perhaps about sixteen to eighteen, confidently addresses the king: "Let not
my lord's heart fail because of him [Goliath]" (v. 32). He offered to fight Goliath. Saul was
amazed; after forty days a man finally volunteers to engage the giant in battle! Perhaps stung
by David's bold acknowledgment of the king's fear, he expresses incredulity that David could
meet the challenge (v. 33). In verse 33 two different words are translated 'youth'. The first
denotes a young male between birth and about twenty years of age. It has connotations of
servantship and inexperience, making it highly appropriate to describe David. In contrast,

Goliath is said to have been "a man of war from his youth". On this occasion the word used
means a young man. "You are only a lad, and he has been a fighting man all his life". There is
no suggestion in this verse that David was a mere juvenile with no fighting skills.

In 16:18 he had been described as "a man of war". The issue is that he lacked the experience
of Goliath. To counter Saul's reservations about his ability David recounted an incident in
which he had fought and overcome two ferocious wild beasts. As he had delivered his sheep
from those threats, so the shepherd would deliver the flock of Israel from this enemy,
implying that Goliath was no more than a wild animal. That this was David's meaning is clear
from verse 37, where the Hebrew word used for the "paw" of the lion and of the bear is the
same word used for the "hand" of Goliath.

David is careful to state that it is not through his own prowess that deliverance would come.
In verse 36 Goliath is said to have "defied the armies of the living God" (does the plural
suggest both the army of Saul and the angels?). In verse 37 David counters this by
proclaiming that Yahweh, the living God, would deliver His servant.

Saul, to his credit, does not react negatively to David's expression of faith in God's saving arm
as Eliab had in verse 28 when David invoked "the living God". On the contrary, he supports
David in his boldness.

David and Saul's armour

Saul in verse 38 offers David his armour. Although the AV uses the term "coat of mail", as in
verse 5 with reference to Goliath, the Hebrew is not exactly the same. On this occasion there
is no reference to the 'scales' of armour. This "coat of mail" was just a form of body armour.
Sometimes we are tempted to think of this offer as foolish. Some picture books present
images of David as a scrawny boy, and it seems ridiculous that a large man like Saul would
try to put his armour on such a youth. But, as we have seen, there is good reason to assume
David was a well-built, imposing man. Saul was not a fool; he would not offer his armour to
David, and David would not try it on, if it were likely to be an impediment to him.

But there is more to this verse. It is a cameo of the future. In this act Saul implicitly
acknowledges David as better than himself. The armour of a king when the army is on the
battlefield constitutes his robes of office. There is an echo here of 1 Samuel 15:28. David did
not think Saul's offer odd. He girded himself with the armour but found it unsuitable.
According to Girdlestone, the Hebrew word yaal, translated "assayed" in 17:39, indicates
volition, an expression of free will. "David was on the verge of starting off [Vulgate, he began
to step out] in Saul's armour but [he put them off, for] he had not proved them".7 David tried
to use Saul's armour, but found it awkward and unnecessary. "He desired to go forth to the
battle in the lightest possible armour: strong in the Lord not in himself: armed not with steel
but with faith".8

David goes with no more equipment than he needs as a shepherdjust a staff, a sling, and
five water-worn stones for the sling (1 Sam. 17:40). Goliath, accompanied by his shield-
bearer, comes to meet him, reacting with disdain when he has a close look at his opponent
(vv. 41,42).

He regards him as a youth, using a Hebrew word that denotes inexperience.

But pride goes before destruction. Goliath gives vent to his disdain in verses 43 and 44,
lampooning his young opponent. It is ironic that he compares himself to a dog, for the
Israelites would have so regarded him; but that was not the reason David came against him so
lightly armed. Goliath focused on the staff, yet it was the sling that would bring him down.
He invoked his gods in pouring scorn on David, but he was oblivious to the power of David's
God to deliver. In every respect Goliath missed the point.

David corrects Goliath's misunderstanding. The armour of each of the protagonists is

irrelevant. David declares that Goliath has defied the living God, Yahweh, "the God of the
armies of Israel", and will be defeated (vv. 45,46).

David freely ascribes his impending victory to God. The issue at stake in this contest is the
vindication of God. Israel is in need of this lesson, as verse 47 indicates. David wants Israel to
know that God can deliver in spite of the apparent weakness of the flesh.

A similar lesson is expressed in the song of Hannah (2:1-10), in 1 Samuel 14:6, and in 2
Chronicles 20:14,15. It is a lesson that saints in all ages must learn and yet are so apt to
forget.

The combat
After David had clearly enunciated the facts of the case, and in the process no doubt enraged
Goliath, the two advanced to meet in combat. Verse 48 is emphatic; David was not
intimidated by his mighty opponent, he "hasted" to meet him. Before Goliath reached David,
a stone was despatched and the giant fell to the ground (v. 49). Although armed to the teeth
with mighty weapons, protected with an enormous quantity of armour and accompanied by a
shield-bearer, he was felled with one small stone. David cooperated with God to ensure that
God would deliver him. Of ourselves we can do nothing, but if we have faith in God "[we]
can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth [us]" (Phil. 4:13).

David decapitates Goliath in verse 51, providing stark confirmation of his utter defeat. The
head of the Philistine becomes a grisly token of David's victory. The Philistines were terrified
by what they saw, and fled in disarray, with the Israelites in pursuit (vv. 52,53). Having
witnessed David's victory, the Israelite army understood the lesson: their God was mighty to
deliver them.

There was no need to place their confidence in the flesh or to cower before the supposed
might of their enemies.
Verse 52 says they chased the Philistines "to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron". In the
place of "valley" the Septuagint gives "Gath", suggesting they chased the Philistine army to
Gath and Ekron. This seems more likely. To the very walls of their strongholds the Israelites
chased the enemy, even to Gath, the city of Goliath, before returning to spoil their camp (v.
53). The nation, and Saul in particular, rejoiced at the deliverance wrought through David (1
Sam. 19:5).

The significance of the victory

In the meantime, David was gathering the trophies of his victory (v. 54). Why take the head of
Goliath to Jerusalem? At this stage the city was still occupied by the Jebusites. "David . . .
took it to Jerusalem (his destined capital), exhibited it perhaps to the Jebusites would know
what he meant.

The reference to Genesis 3:15 is a key to appreciating this record. David's victory over
Goliath is a type of the victory of Messiah over the power of sin. The seed of the serpent
received a fatal blow to the head, and this triumph is memorialised at the place where the
ultimate victory of the seed of the woman would take place. It is possible that Golgotha, the
place of the skull, derived its name from this prescient incident.

Saul's reaction

Saul was particularly impressed by David's success. He wanted him to join his army, and sent
Abner to inquire after him (w. 55,56). Abner brought David to Saul, and David told the king
he was the son of Jesse (vv. 57,58).

Saul had promised his daughter to the one who killed Goliath. The ancestry of this man would
be of significance now, whereas not for his previous job of playing the harp before Saul
Although David might have been a member of the royal household, this need not mean he
was personally acquainted with the king. Saul was at least twice his age, and it seems that
David was employed specifically at times when Saul was at his worst, in the depths of
depression, to assist in managing the king's mental illness (16:14-23).

It need not be surprising, therefore, that Saul appears to be unaware of David, even though he
has in the past been acquainted with the youth when in the depths of depression.
But now Saul is well aware of David, and from now on David will play a pivotal role in the
decline of Saul.

Psalm 8
The title of Psalm 8, "upon Muth-labben" (found at the beginning of Psalm 9), means, 'for the
death of the champion'.

Verse 2 says, it was God's victory, not David's; Goliath was literally 'stilled' by God.

This Philistine, whom he likened to a wild animal, would suffer a similar fate (w. 34-37). In
verse 8 the parallel with 1 Samuel 17 continues. The dominion of which the psalmist speaks is
not restricted to beasts of the field. It also extended to the fish of the sea. In 1 Samuel 17:5
Goliath is depicted as wearing armour comprised of scales of metal. He was imitating the
Philistine god Dagon, half-man and half-fish, but he fell before the representative of the living
God.
Psalm 8 is a wonderful paean to God's plan of redemption, to the power of the living God to
deliver those who trust in Him.

A prophecy of Christ
In 1 Samuel. God designed this comparison to prepare the reader for the fact that the true
Saviour of Israel, the Messiah (prefigured by Jonathan), would be condemned to death as a
criminal.
Further parallels
When Jonathan was originally told of his father's oath he said: "My father has troubled the
land: see, I pray you, how my eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this
honey" (1 Sam. 14:29).

Through the lot, God had condemned Jonathan.

Saul was the troubler of Israel. Jonathan recognised this fact. In 1 Samuel 15 God identifies
the true troubler of Israel, with a striking allusion to Joshua 6 (Achan).
In the beginning of 1 Samuel 15 God gave Saul a command to destroy the Amalekites utterly:
"Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but
slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass" (v. 3). Compare
this with the total destruction that God ordered Israel to inflict on Jericho: "And they utterly
destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young
and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword" (Josh. 6:21). By disobeying
God in saving alive Agag and the best of the Amalekites livestock (1 Sam. 15:9) Saul showed
that he was the true Achan.

Saul and Christ's enemies

With Jonathan representing Christ, Saul may represent the leaders of Israel in Christ's day.
They condemned Christ because he violated their man-made traditions, just as Saul brought
Jonathan under condemnation through his foolish oath. The Jews' envy of Christ (Mk. 15:10)
was their motivation to kill him, and Saul's envy of Jonathan's success may have accounted
for his eagerness to slay Jonathan (1 Sam. 14:44).

Christ was condemned as the troubler of Israel, and the people did not rescue him as they did
Jonathan (1 Sam. 14:45). God, though, did make known the true troubler of Israel.
God publicly brought judgement on that unbelieving and perverse generation when the
Roman armies desolated the land less than forty years later.

A comparison of Christ's words to the Jews with Samuel's words to Saul confirms our
understanding that Saul is a type of the rulers of the Jews who condemned Christ:

"And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and
hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou" (1 Sam. 15:28);

"Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a
nation bringing forth the fruits thereof" (Mt. 21:43).
Hebrews 11:39 concludes: "these all . . . obtained a good report through faith". Samuel indeed
obtained a wonderful "report" from God and man. When he was old and grey-headed he said
to the people: "Behold, here I am: witness against me before the LORD . . . that ye have not
found ought in my hand. And they answered, He is witness" (1 Sam. 12:3-5).