So David got up early in the morning, left the flock with a keeper, loaded up, and set out as Jesse had instructed him. He reached the camp as the army was marching out to its position and shouting the battle cry. So David got up early in the morning,David promptly carried out his father’s command, displaying diligence in an ordinary duty before he was called to an extraordinary one. His readiness reflects the devotion later expressed in Psalm 63:1 and the wisdom that rejects slothfulness in Proverbs 6:6–11. Jos 3:1 Early the next morning Joshua got up and left Shittim…
Gen 22:3 So Abraham got up early the next morning,…
Gen 19:27 Early the next morning, Abraham got up and returned…
left the flock with a keeper, David did not neglect the sheep entrusted to him while attending to Jesse’s errand. Faithfulness in caring for his father’s flock prepared him for greater responsibility, according to the principle of Luke 16:10. His shepherd’s care also anticipates the greater Shepherd-King, Jesus Christ, who lays down His life for His sheep (John 10:11). 1Sa 16:11 And Samuel asked him, “Are these all the sons”…
Luk 2:8 And there were shepherds residing in the fields nearby,…
loaded up, David prepared the provisions Jesse had assigned for his brothers and their commander. His careful preparation shows that obedience to God often begins with faithfully completing the responsibilities already placed before us. Gen 24:10 Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels…
Gen 42:26 and they loaded the grain on their donkeys and departed.
and set out as Jesse had instructed him. David honored his father by obeying without delay, in keeping with God’s command to honor father and mother (Exodus 20:12). Jesse’s instruction became the means by which God brought David to the battlefield and set before him the challenge that would reveal his faith. Pro 1:8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction,…
Gen 12:4 So Abram departed, as the LORD had directed him…
He reached the camp as the army was marching out to its position David arrived at the Valley of Elah as Israel took its place against the Philistines. God’s timing placed the young shepherd at the scene where Israel’s fear and God’s power would soon be displayed. Jos 8:14 When the king of Ai saw the Israelites, he hurried out…
2Sa 5:24 As soon as you hear the sound of marching…
and shouting the battle cry. Israel’s soldiers raised the customary cry of war as they approached the battle line, yet their outward display could not overcome their fear of Goliath. David would soon show that victory does not rest in military strength or human courage, but in trust in the living God. Jos 6:20 So when the rams’ horns sounded, the people shouted.…
Jdg 7:20 The three companies blew their horns and shattered their jars.…
2Ch 13:15 and the men of Judah raised the battle cry.…
Persons / Places / Events 1. DavidThe youngest son of Jesse, a shepherd who would later become the king of Israel. At this point, he is obediently following his father's instructions. 2. JesseDavid's father, who sends David to the battlefield to check on his brothers and bring back news. 3. The FlockRepresents David's responsibilities as a shepherd, which he temporarily leaves in the care of a keeper. 4. The CampThe location where the Israelite army is stationed, preparing to face the Philistines. 5. The ArmyThe Israelite forces, who are preparing for battle against the Philistines, led by King Saul. Teaching Points Obedience and FaithfulnessDavid's immediate response to his father's instructions highlights the importance of obedience and faithfulness in small tasks, which prepares us for greater responsibilities. Preparation and ReadinessDavid's early rising and preparation demonstrate the value of being ready and proactive in fulfilling our duties. Trust and DelegationLeaving the flock with a keeper shows David's trust in others and the importance of delegation in managing responsibilities. Courage and ConfidenceThe army's war cry signifies the courage and confidence needed in spiritual battles, reminding us to face challenges with faith. Divine TimingDavid's arrival at the camp at the precise moment of the army's movement underscores God's perfect timing in orchestrating events for His purposes. Bible Study Questions 1. How does David's obedience to his father in 1 Samuel 17:20 reflect the biblical principle of honoring one's parents, and how can we apply this in our own lives? 2. In what ways does David's preparation and readiness to serve provide a model for how we should approach our daily responsibilities? 3. How can we practice trust and effective delegation in our own lives, as David did when he left the flock with a keeper? 4. What are some "war cries" or declarations of faith that we can use to bolster our courage in facing spiritual battles? 5. Reflect on a time when God's timing was evident in your life. How does David's experience encourage you to trust in God's timing for your current circumstances? Connections to Other Scriptures 1 Samuel 16Provides context for David's anointing by Samuel, indicating God's choice of David as king, which sets the stage for his future role. Psalm 23Reflects David's experience and heart as a shepherd, which is foundational to his character and leadership. Matthew 25:21The parable of the talents, emphasizing faithfulness in small responsibilities, which parallels David's faithfulness in tending the flock. People Abinadab, Abner, David, Elah, Eliab, Ephah, Goliath, Israelites, Jesse, Saul, ShammahPlaces Azekah, Bethlehem, Ekron, Ephes-dammim, Gath, Jerusalem, Shaaraim, Socoh, Valley of ElahTopics Army, Array, Barricade, Battle, Battle-array, Camp, Care, Carts, Charge, Circle, Commanded, Cry, David, Directed, Early, Encampment, Fight, Flock, Force, Forth, Giving, Got, Host, Jesse, Keeper, Leaveth, Lifteth, Line, Lines, Loaded, Morning, Path, Positions, Provisions, Rank, Reached, Riseth, Rose, Sheep, Shepherd, Shouted, Shouting, Supplies, Trench, Wagon-defence, Wagons, War, War-cryDictionary of Bible Themes 1 Samuel 17:20 4954 morning
5196 voice
5433 occupations
5528 shouting 1 Samuel 17:17-22 5661 brothers 1 Samuel 17:17-26 5086 David, rise of 1 Samuel 17:20-51 5658 boys Library The victory of Unarmed Faith
'And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. 33. And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. 34. And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock; 35. And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScriptureApril the Thirtieth the Test of victory
"David behaveth himself wisely." --1 SAMUEL xvii. 55--xviii. 5. The hour of victory is a more severe moral test than the hour of defeat. Many a man can brave the perils of adversity who succumbs to the seductions of prosperity. He can stand the cold better than the heat! He is enriched by failure, but "spoilt by success." To test the real quality of a man, let us regard him just when he has slain Goliath! "David behaved himself wisely"! He was not "eaten up with pride." He developed no "side." …
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year April the Twenty-Ninth the Mood of Triumph
"I come to thee in the name of the Lord of Hosts." --1 SAMUEL xvii. 38-54. The man who comes up to his foes with this assurance will fight and win. Reasonable confidence is one of the most important weapons in the warrior's armoury. Fear is always wasteful. The man who calmly expects to win has already begun to conquer. Our mood has so much to do with our might. And therefore does the Word of God counsel us to attend to our dispositions, lest, having carefully collected our material implements, …
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year The Call of David.
"So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone."--1 Samuel xvii. 50. These words, which are taken from the chapter which you heard read just now in the course of the Service[1], declare the victory which David, the man after God's own heart, gained over Goliath, who came out of the army of the Philistines to defy the Living God; and they declare the manner of his gaining it. He gained it with a sling and with a stone; that is, by means, which to man might seem weak and …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII How David Prevailed.
"So David prevailed over the Philistine!"--1 SAMUEL xvii. 50. Yes, he did, but he would not have done so if he had remained as quiet as the other Israelites. David was one of those who could not be easy so long as the enemies of his country were in the ascendant. To see a Philistine strutting about, defying the armies of the living God, was more than he could bear. Is not this the spirit which should animate Christians to-day? It is not one GOLIATH merely, there are many. DRUNKENNESS, PROFANITY, …
Thomas Champness—Broken Bread Knox -- the First Temptation of Christ
John Knox, the great Scottish reformer, was born at Giffordgate, four miles from Haddington, Scotland, in 1505. He first made his appearance as a preacher in Edinburgh, where he thundered against popery, but was imprisoned and sent to the galleys in 1546. In 1547 Edward VI secured his release and made him a royal chaplain, when he acquired the friendship of Cranmer and other reformers. On the accession of Mary (1553) he took refuge on the Continent. In 1556 he accepted the charge of a church in Geneva, …
Various—The World's Great Sermons, Volume I Hwochow Women's Bible Training School
COURSE OF STUDY FIRST TERM Book of Genesis. Gospel according to St. Luke or St. Mark. Acts of the Apostles, chapters i. to ix. "A Synopsis of the Central Themes of the Holy Bible." Reading Lessons, with necessary Explanation and Writing of Chinese Character. Arithmetic. Singing and Memorisation of Hymns. SECOND TERM Book of Exodus, Numbers, and 1 Samuel i. to xvi. The Gospel according to St. John. The Epistle of St James. "A Synopsis of the Central Themes of the Holy Bible"--(continued). Reading …
A. Mildred Cable—The Fulfilment of a Dream of Pastor Hsi's He Does Battle for the Faith; He Restores Peace among those who were at Variance; He Takes in Hand to Build a Stone Church.
57. (32). There was a certain clerk in Lismore whose life, as it is said, was good, but his faith not so. He was a man of some knowledge in his own eyes, and dared to say that in the Eucharist there is only a sacrament and not the fact[718] of the sacrament, that is, mere sanctification and not the truth of the Body. On this subject he was often addressed by Malachy in secret, but in vain; and finally he was called before a public assembly, the laity however being excluded, in order that if it were …
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh The Shepherd-King
'And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt them mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel! fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Beth-lehemite: for I have provided Me a king among his sons. 2. And Samuel said, How can I go? If Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the Lord said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the Lord. 3. And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Temporal Advantages.
"We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content."--1 Tim. vi. 7, 8. Every age has its own special sins and temptations. Impatience with their lot, murmuring, grudging, unthankfulness, discontent, are sins common to men at all times, but I suppose one of those sins which belongs to our age more than to another, is desire of a greater portion of worldly goods than God has given us,--ambition and covetousness …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VII The Quotation in Matt. Ii. 6.
Several interpreters, Paulus especially, have asserted that the interpretation of Micah which is here given, was that of the Sanhedrim only, and not of the Evangelist, who merely recorded what happened and was said. But this assertion is at once refuted when we consider the object which Matthew has in view in his entire representation of the early life of Jesus. His object in recording the early life of Jesus is not like that of Luke, viz., to communicate historical information to his readers. …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament The Blessing of Jacob Upon Judah. (Gen. Xlix. 8-10. )
Ver. 8. "Judah, thou, thy brethren shall praise thee; thy hand shall be on the neck of thine enemies; before thee shall bow down the sons of thy father. Ver. 9. A lion's whelp is Judah; from the prey, my son, thou goest up; he stoopeth down, he coucheth as a lion, and as a full-grown lion, who shall rouse him up? Ver. 10. The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come, and unto Him the people shall adhere." Thus does dying Jacob, in announcing …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners:
A BRIEF AND FAITHFUL RELATION OF THE EXCEEDING MERCY OF GOD IN CHRIST TO HIS POOR SERVANT, JOHN BUNYAN; WHEREIN IS PARTICULARLY SHOWED THE MANNER OF HIS CONVERSION, HIS SIGHT AND TROUBLE FOR SIN, HIS DREADFUL TEMPTATIONS, ALSO HOW HE DESPAIRED OF GOD'S MERCY, AND HOW THE LORD AT LENGTH THROUGH CHRIST DID DELIVER HIM FROM ALL THE GUILT AND TERROR THAT LAY UPON HIM. Whereunto is added a brief relation of his call to the work of the ministry, of his temptations therein, as also what he hath met with …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 Man's Chief End
Q-I: WHAT IS THE CHIEF END OF MAN? A: Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever. Here are two ends of life specified. 1: The glorifying of God. 2: The enjoying of God. I. The glorifying of God, I Pet 4:4: That God in all things may be glorified.' The glory of God is a silver thread which must run through all our actions. I Cor 10:01. Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.' Everything works to some end in things natural and artificial; …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity Samuel
Alike from the literary and the historical point of view, the book[1] of Samuel stands midway between the book of Judges and the book of Kings. As we have already seen, the Deuteronomic book of Judges in all probability ran into Samuel and ended in ch. xii.; while the story of David, begun in Samuel, embraces the first two chapters of the first book of Kings. The book of Samuel is not very happily named, as much of it is devoted to Saul and the greater part to David; yet it is not altogether inappropriate, …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links 1 Samuel 17:20 NIV1 Samuel 17:20 NLT1 Samuel 17:20 ESV1 Samuel 17:20 NASB1 Samuel 17:20 KJV
1 Samuel 17:20 Commentaries
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