David versus Goliath?

Mo. 1/27/14: 1 Samuel 17:19, 23 – 24                  What was the challenge?

Now Saul and (David’s brothers) and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. Then … there was the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, … and he spoke according to the same words. So David heard them. And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid.

What was the challenge? Fight me, man-to-man.

Tu. 1/28/14: 1 Samuel 17:26, 31 – 32                   What was David’s reaction?

Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

Now when the words which David spoke were heard, … Saul … sent for him. Then David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”

What was David’s reaction? I will fight!

We. 1/29/14: 1 Samuel 17:37, 40                  What was David’s armor?

Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!”

Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand.

What was David’s armor? David had no armor at all: only faith in God.

Th. 1/30/14: 1 Samuel 17:42 – 43, 45                  What was David’s challenge?

And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was only a youth, ruddy and good-looking. So the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

What was David’s challenge? David came in the name of the Lord his God.

Fr. 1/31/14: 1 Samuel 17:46 – 47                  Whose battle was it?

This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. … Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.”

Whose battle was it? The battle is the Lord’s! It was the Lord versus Goliath. May we accept this in our own lives.

Stuff!

The King James Version uses ‘stuff.’ The NKJV uses other words.

 

Mo. 1/20/14: Joshua 7:11    What was done with the cursed things?

Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff.

What was done with the cursed things? Israel (Aiken) hid the loot among his own stuff.

 

Tu. 1/21/14: 1 Samuel 10:22                                           Where was Saul?

Therefore they inquired of the Lord further, “Has the man come here yet?” And the Lord answered, “There he is, hidden among the equipment (stuff).”

Where was Saul? God told Samuel that Saul hid himself among the stuff!

 

We. 1/22/14: 1 Samuel 25:13           Were the supplies unprotected?

Then David said to his men, “Every man gird on his sword.” So every man girded on his sword, and David also girded on his sword. And about four hundred men went with David, and two hundred stayed with the supplies (stuff).

Were the supplies unprotected? No, David left 200 soldiers to protect the stuff.

 

Th. 1/23/14: Nehemiah 13:8                             What did Nehemiah do?

And it grieved me bitterly; therefore I threw all the household goods (stuff) of Tobiah out of the room.

What did Nehemiah do? Nehemiah emptied the Temple chambers of Tobiah’s stuff.

 

Fr. 1/24/14: Luke 17:31                         What was the Lord’s warning?

“In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods (stuff) are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back.

What was the Lord’s warning? In the day of Jacob’s trouble, lives should be saved, not stuff.

The Philistines test the LORD

Mo. 1/13/14: 1 Samuel 5:10 – 11                  Why was there fear?

So it was, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, “They have brought the ark of the God of Israel to us, to kill us and our people!” So they gathered … all the lords of the Philistines, and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel” … For there was a deadly destruction (in) the city; the hand of God was heavy there.

Why was there fear? The Ekronites knew that plagues would follow.

Tu. 1/14/14: 1 Samuel 6:2 – 3                  What did the priests suggest?

And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, “What shall we do with the ark of the Lord? ”

So they said, “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty; but … return it to Him with a trespass offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why His hand is not removed from you.”

What did the priests suggest? They suggested a trespass offering be sent.

We. 1/15/14: 1 Samuel 6:7 – 9                  Why milk cows?

Now therefore, make a new cart, take two milk cows which have never been yoked, and hitch the cows to the cart; and take their calves home, away from them. Then take the ark of the Lord and set it on the cart; and put the … trespass offering in a chest. Then … let it go. And watch: if it goes up the road to its own territory, to Beth Shemesh, then He has done us this great evil. But if not, then we shall know that it is not His hand that struck us—it happened to us by chance.”

Why milk cows? A clever plan to test the Lord!

Th. 1/16/14: 1 Samuel 6:10 – 12                  What happened?

Then the men did so; they took two milk cows and hitched them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home. … Then the cows headed straight for the road to Beth Shemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and did not turn aside to the right hand or the left. And the lords of the Philistines went after them to the border.

What happened? Forgetting their calves, they followed God’s direction.

Fr. 1/17/14: Romans 14:10 – 12                  Will we be tested?

But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written:

      “As I live, says the Lord,

      Every knee shall bow to Me,

      And every tongue shall confess to God.”

So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.

Will we be tested? Yes, we will stand before the Judgment seat of Christ.

Right in your own eyes?

Mo. 1/6/14: Judges 17:1 – 2                  What was confessed and replied?

Now there was a man from the mountains of Ephraim, whose name was Micah. And he said to his mother, “The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you, and on which you put a curse, even saying it in my ears—here is the silver with me; I took it.” And his mother said, “May you be blessed by the Lord, my son!”

You shall not steal. Exodus 20:15

You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain Exodus 20:7a

What was confessed and replied? Stealing, taking His name in vain.

Tu. 1/7/14: Judges 17:3                  Was the dedication unsound?

So when he had returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, “I had wholly dedicated the silver from my hand to the Lord for my son, to make a carved image and a molded image; now therefore, I will return it to you.”

You shall not make for yourself a carved image Exodus 20:4a

Was the dedication unsound? Yes, a carved image dedicated to the Lord!

We. 1/8/14: Judges 17:4 – 5                  Where was the idol housed?

Thus he returned the silver to his mother. Then his mother took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to the silversmith, and he made it into a carved image and a molded image; and they were in the house of Micah. The man Micah had a shrine, and made an ephod and household idols; and he consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.

You shall have no other gods before Me. Exodus 20:3

You shall not bow down to them nor serve (other gods). Exodus 20:5a

Where was the idol housed? It was in a shrine in Micah’s house.

Th. 1/9/14: Judges 17:6                  Did they read Scriptures?

In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

Did they read Scriptures? No, they did not use their eyes to read.

Fr. 1/10/14: 1 John 5:21                  Do we do such things now?

Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

Do we do such things now? Yes, we still repeat such mistakes.