1S17-15: Questioning the Odds – David’s Boldness in the Face of Criticism

“Eli’av his oldest brother heard when David spoke to the men, and it made Eli’av angry at him. He asked, ‘Why did you come down here? With whom did you leave those few sheep in the desert? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is! You just came down to watch the fighting.‘ David said, ‘What have I done now? I only asked a question.'”-1 Samuel 17:28-29

The young David keeps throwing questions at the soldiers about the reward King Saul will offer the man who successfully defeats Goliath.

Finally, his older brother Eliav has had enough.

“Would you shut the hell up?!” he says.

I can understand Eliav’s frustration.

Think about it.

From his perspective, David was just a young punk shepherd who had never wielded a sword or spear in his entire life.

On top of that, he hadn’t even been assigned to do battle.

So what business did he have going around questioning all of the soldiers?

Now, how David reacted next is a good life lesson for us all.

His brother’s criticism didn’t discourage nor deter him.

Out of the divine impulse that God had placed inside of him, David kept asking questions whether the rumor about Saul’s reward was true or not.

When it became clear that David was seriously thinking about taking on Goliath, one of the soldiers finally reported this to Saul.

Intrigued, Saul called for David, and David told him it didn’t make any sense to let the situation drag on.

He wanted to face Goliath and take care of the matter once and for all.

I can imagine how King Saul must have felt at that proposal.

A huge smile of amusement probably broke out on his face when he viewed the young David decked out in his tattered shepherd’s outfit.

David had zero military experience and was proposing to take on a giant Philistine who had been a seasoned warrior since his childhood.

The idea was beyond absurd.

See, here’s the thing.

Saul, being the selfish and self-centered man he was, didn’t give two hoots about David.

He was worried about his reputation.

Think about how ridiculous Saul would look by sending an inexperienced young lad like David to fight Goliath.

Everyone would think he’d have lost his mind.

In this situation, it was the King who chose who would represent Israel in this battle.

The consequences of this decision were huge.

Remember, the deal was the side that lost would have to completely surrender to the winner.

If Goliath won (which seemed likely), Saul and his men would become defacto slaves of the Philistines.

And of course, the opposite was also true.

If Israel won (highly unlikely), the Philistines would have to submit to Saul who would instantly become famous as a great warrior and king in the region.

It was one battle between two men that would decide everything.

Okay, let’s pause here for the takeaway.

Notice how everyone doubted David.

His brothers doubted him.

The people probably doubted him.

And King Saul was probably laughing inside when David told him he wanted to fight Goliath.

Plus, let’s face it.

On top of that, all of the evidence was on the doubters’ side.

The bottom line was David was an inexperienced young shepherd who had never fought a battle in his entire life.

And he was proposing to single-handedly take on one of the most powerful warriors at that time.

So the lesson to be learned here is when God inspires you to move forward with what seems to be an impossible task.

Don’t let the “facts” that say it’s impossible deter you…

And don’t let the critics discourage you.

Stick with the faith the Lord has given you and move forward in confidence.

Ya feel me?

CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT

“Everything is possible
for one who believes.”
-Mark 9:23

“Yeshua replied, ‘Truly I tell you,
if you have faith and do not doubt,
not only can you do what was done
to the fig tree, but also you can say
to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself
into the sea,’ and it will be done.
If you believe, you will receive
whatever you ask for in prayer.'”
-Matthew 21:21-22

“I can do all this through
him who gives me strength.”
-Phillippians 4:13