“When Sha’ul and all Isra’el heard those words of the P’lishti, they were shaken and terrified. Now David was the son of that Efrati from Beit-Lechem in Y’hudah named Yishai. He had eight sons; and in the time of Sha’ul he was old — the years had taken their toll. Yishai’s three oldest sons had followed Sha’ul to battle; the names of his three sons who went to battle were Eli’av the firstborn, next to him Avinadav, and the third Shammah.”-1 Samuel 17:11-13
Yesterday, when I said the Philistine army was one of the most powerful military forces in the world, I wasn’t kidding.
At the time, the Philistines possessed the most cutting-edge iron weaponry and the largest number of chariots on the planet.
So it wasn’t just Goliath that had the Hebrew army shaking in their boots.
It was that giant combined with the sheer might of the Philistine soldiers that kept the Israelites paralyzed with fear.
From an earthly perspective, Israel seemed doomed and like there was no escaping the destruction about to befall them.
Onward.
Starting from verse 12, we encounter about 20 verses you will NOT find in the Septuagint.
Notice the word “Efrati”.
You may be familiar with different forms of that word in other phrases like “Efrath of Judah” or “Efratah of Bethlehem”.
Instead of referring to a family or a clan, this term refers to a certain class of people, particularly those who were well-off or prosperous.
That’s what Efrati means.
It means “abundant” or “fruitful”.
So it seems like Yishai’s family, which includes David (Jesse’s youngest son), belonged to this prosperous group.
Also, notice the part where it says Jesse was an old man.
That’s no throwaway statement.
The Scripture is making a point that Jesse was too senior to fight.
That’s why he wasn’t present during this battle.
Instead, his sons Eliav, Avinadav, and Shammah would fight the Philistines on his behalf.
Now, we don’t know exactly how old David was, but contrary to popular image, he wasn’t a child.
He was a man, likely in his late teens at the youngest.
It seems like at this time, he had two main duties.
He would tend to his father’s sheep, and then he would go to King Sha’ul and play music for him when needed.
So the takeaway I’m getting for today is pretty much what I’ve been saying.
Israel is facing what seems to be a pretty hopeless situation.
But that’s only from an earthly perspective.
As believers, we’re NOT supposed to take the earthly perspective.
We’re supposed to take God’s perspective.
Once we do that, everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING changes.
Despair turns into hope.
Fatigue turns into energy.
Chaos turns into clarity.
Ya, feel me.
Adopt the Lord’s perspective…
And watch your life turn around for the better…INSTANTLY.
Later.
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