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The Battle Is The Lord’s - 1Samuel 17
The Battle Is The Lord’s - 1Samuel 17
When David faced Goliath, he said to him: “Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, a spear, and 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 taunted. "This day the Lord will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the Lord's and He will give you into our hands." (1 Samuel 17:45-47)
David was willing. David used what he knew. David trusted in the LORD. David did it for the glory and honor of God and not self.
This is how it was supposed to be for Israel. God had won their battle against Pharaoh. He had won the battles during the wilderness. With Joshua, He gave them the land by winning the battles against the people of the land. During the times of the Judges, God was the victor in their battles. The battle IS the LORD’s.
This lesson is repeated several other times:
· “15 and he said, "Listen, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: thus says the Lord to you, 'Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God's” (2 Chronicles 20:15).
· “3 Do not trust in princes, In mortal man, in whom there is no salvation” (Psalms 146:3).
· “6 For I will not trust in my bow, Nor will my sword save me” (Psalms 44:6).
Even so, though our battle is spiritual, we must yet put our trust in the LORD: not in earthly leaders, not in politics, not in wealth or power, not even in ourselves, but in the LORD. We SHOW and DEMONSTRAT such trust by living a life of obedience unto Him. We faithfully follow His instructions and trust that He will be faithful to His promises to us. Whom do you trust?
Hugh DeLong
