Category: David and Goliath

Stripling

Saturday, February 3, 2024

“And the king said, Enquire thou whose son the stripling is” (1 Samuel 17:56 KJV).

What is a “stripling?”

Possibly everyone familiar with the Scriptures knows how the Philistine giant Goliath challenged Israel. The Philistines have been oppressing the Jewish people for decades, and now they are at war with King Saul. Goliath is said to be a “champion,” with a recorded height of “six cubits and a span” (verse 4). This was probably the standard cubit of 18 inches (1.5 feet, or 46 centimeters, or 0.5 yard, or 0.5 meter). A “span”—or handspan—would be the maximum distance from the tip of the outstretched thumb to the tip of the outstretched little finger. That was a half-cubit, or 9 inches (0.75 foot, or 23 centimeters, or 0.25 yard, or 0.25 meter). If we take these figures into account, we conclude Goliath stood at least 9 feet 9 inches (3.25 yards or 2.97 meters) tall!

Furthermore, Goliath’s coat of mail—his armor—weighed “five thousand shekels of brass” (verse 5). This was roughly 166 pounds (75 kilograms). The head of his spear alone weighed “six hundred shekels of iron” (verse 7), approximately 15 pounds (7 kilograms). He was an enormous man, someone whom the Philistines assumed would proudly represent them on the battlefield as he fought Israel’s best warrior. The Jewish people, even King Saul, are greatly afraid, worried, or troubled because of Goliath (verses 8-11). Young David is sent to minister to his older brothers who belong to Israel’s army. Trusting the LORD, David decides to fight Goliath. “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” (verse 33). By chapter’s end, however, Goliath is dead and David is victorious!

Having watched the fight from afar, King Saul wishes to know the identity of the “stripling” who has slain Goliath (today’s Scripture). This appellation is applied to a young person (see Hebrew word translated “young man” in 1 Samuel 20:22). David was likely a teenager, having a slim body, one as thin as a strip. Being an unbeliever, Saul could not understand how a “lightweight” could vanquish a “heavyweight!”

The Living God #4

Friday, March 4, 2016

“For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?” (Deuteronomy 5:26 KJV).

Exactly why is the God of the Bible called “the living God?”

The fifth and sixth occurrences of the term “the living God” are 2 Kings chapter 19, verses 4 and 16. About 710 B.C., Assyrian King Sennacherib attempts to invade and destroy Judah and Jerusalem. Judaean King Hezekiah, seeking the LORD’S counsel, sends men to speak with the Prophet Isaiah.

These men tell Isaiah in verse 4: “It may be the LORD thy God will hear all the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God; and will reprove the words which the LORD thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that are left.” And, Hezekiah prays in verse 16: “LORD, bow down thine ear, and hear: open, LORD, thine eyes, and see: and hear the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent him to reproach the living God.” This is similar to when young David, anticipating military victory, spoke of “the living God” on Israel’s side (1 Samuel 17:26,36).

When the Psalmist saw God as his Deliverer, he wrote Psalm 42:2: “My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?” This closely resembles Psalm 84:2: “My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.”

Isaiah, commenting on the events of 2 Kings, used the term twice more. Isaiah 37:4: “It may be the LORD thy God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God, and will reprove the words which the LORD thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left.” Verse 17: “Incline thine ear, O LORD, and hear; open thine eyes, O LORD, and see: and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent to reproach the living God.”

The Bible’s definition of “the living God” is becoming more pronounced.

The Living God #3

Thursday, March 3, 2016

“For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?” (Deuteronomy 5:26 KJV).

Exactly why is the God of the Bible called “the living God?”

The Jews, sons of Abraham but also (sinful) sons of Adam, had been barred from entering the Promised Land because of their unbelief (see Numbers chapters 13 and 14; cf. Hebrews 3:7-19). Refusing to take God at His Word, Israel doubted He would surely drive out their enemies. They doubted they would dwell safely in Canaan. So, once that generation had died off in the wilderness, at the end of 40 years, Moses addressed Israel’s new generations in Deuteronomy (see today’s Scripture). He reminded them just how strict God is under the current Covenant of Law. Not long after today’s Scripture, Moses died, making Joshua God’s leader for Israel. We come to the second instance of “the living God.”

Reading Joshua 3:10: “And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites.” Israel is where she was with Moses 40 years earlier, before the wilderness wanderings. Joshua reaffirmed that Israel had “the living God” on her side. There was great power to give them victory. While Israel under Joshua’s command had some notable military triumphs, Israel once again doubted God’s Word to her and was never faithful in remaining separate from her pagan neighbors.

The next two instances of “the living God” concern little boy David’s victorious fight with Goliath: “And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?….Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God” (1 Samuel 17:26,36). There is power with “the living God!”