Peter Williams: 1 Samuel 17; David vs. Goliath - Biola University Chapel

Talbot Chapel from April 16, 2013.

[@SimpsonAbraham]

Did David know he was anointed as the King of Israel by Samuel? 1 Samuel 16:5 Samuel replied, “Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

[@lawrencestanley8989]

Sir, the reason that David took 5 stones from the river was not because he had not quite yet worked out how he was going to defeat Goliath, it was because Goliath had 4 descendants who may have showed up for battle. Take a look at 2 Samuel 21:15-22 (1 Chronicles 20:1-8) they were Ishbi-benob, Saph (Sippai), Lahmi, the brother of Goliath the Gittite, (Not Goliath of Gath) and the 6-fingered man of Gath (who was not given a name…) These four were born to the giant in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants. Only one stone per giant - now THAT'S faith in God!

[@shawnlink8732]

Are you suggesting they were already at that showdown in 1 Samuel 17? If so where does it say they were at the war with Goliath in 1 Samuel 17 from the text? Besides that Goliath said the battle was dependent on whoever would kill him, not him and his 4 descendants. And where does it say in 2 Samuel 21:15-22; 1 Chronicles 20:1-8 they were killed by stones? Those are different battles.

[@lawrencestanley8989]

@@shawnlink8732 Sir, I can not go beyond what the text says. David knew how he was going to kill Goliath because he said as much. The existence of the other giants was well known, but we cannot say whether they were there at that battle or not because the text doesn't say. All that we can say is that he was prepared to kill them that day as well, should they have showed up not willing to honor the deal Goliath was proposing.

[@shawnlink8732]

I can imagine the other giants. “Oh man he killed Goliath with a stone, he has four more, stay away from David.” I think it is a good theory with the support of those texts you mentioned, but would that not be going beyond the text saying David knew about Goliath’s descendants at that time or were even at that battle. Nothing in the text suggests he knew. Do you think having more stones incase one didn’t work means he had less faith. 1 or 5 stones as artillery to go up against Goliath is still going to be seen as very ridiculous in the eyes of man. 1 or 5 stones show that David had his faith in the one true living God and not man.

[@shawnlink8732]

Nothing in the text say he was prepared to kill them that day if they showed up and didn’t honor Goliath’s deal.

[@lawrencestanley8989]

@@shawnlink8732 Sir, the only point that I was trying to make is that the only thing that we can safely rule out about why he took five stones is that he didn't have it worked out how he was going to kill Goliath. To assert that is ridiculous because not only did he admit how he was going to do it, but that there were logical reasons deduced from the text as to why he took five stones. Was that the reason? I don't know, I'll ask him when I meet him.