SAUL, THE FIRST KING OF YISHARAL, HAS BEEN FIRED BY YAHUSHA AND A NEW KING HAS BEEN ANOINTED. SAUL NO LONGER HAS THE SET-APART SPIRIT AVAILABLE TO HIM, IN FACT HE'S NOW INFECTED WITH A SPIRIT THAT CAUSES EVIL AND TORMENT. DAVID, HOWEVER, HAS BEEN ANOINTED AND IS NOW FLUSH WITH YAHUSHA’S IMMUTABLE POWER, WISDOM, AND ENLIGHTENMENT. BUT WILL DAVID FOLLOW THE SPIRIT AND SUBMIT TO YAHUSHA’S AUTHORITY, OR WILL HE DO AS SAUL AND SUCCUMB TO TEMPTATION AND ATTEMPT TO RULE UNDER A DIFFERENT AUTHORITY?
THE PHILISTINES (NO DOUBT SUSPECTING THAT SAUL WAS A KING IN DECLINE AND PRONE TO IRRATIONAL BEHAVIOUR) MOVED INTO YISHARALITE TERRITORY. AND THE PLACE THEY CHOSE WAS STRATEGICALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE VALLEY OF ELAH WAS A NATURAL HIGHWAY INTO THE HILL COUNTRY OF JUDAH AND IF THE
PHILISTINES COULD CONTROL THIS VALLEY THEY COULD MOVE LARGE AMOUNTS OF TROOPS AND SUPPLIES RATHER EASILY (SOMETHING THAT YISHARAL SIMPLY COULDN’T ALLOW TO HAPPEN). THE VALLEY PLAIN SEPARATED THE TWO ARMIES: THE PHILISTINES OCCUPYING THE HILLS ON ONE SIDE, SAUL’S ARMY OF MILITIA ON THE OTHER. EACH SIDE WAS SIZING UP THE OTHER, AND NEITHER WAS TOO SURE OF WHAT THE OUTCOME MIGHT BE IF A BATTLE BROKE OUT (A BATTLE THAT WAS INEVITABLE).
GOLIATH (SAM.17)
The Philistines got ready for war and brought their troops together to attack the town of Socoh in Judah. They set up camp at Ephes-Dammim, overlooking the Valley of Elah and King Saul's Army set up camp on the other side of the valley, facing them.
The Philistine Army had a champion-warrior named Goliath who was from the town of Gath and was over nine feet tall (3.5metres). He wore a bronze helmet and had bronze armour to protect his chest and legs. The breastplate alone weighed 125 pounds. He carried a bronze sword strapped on his back, and his spear was so big that the iron spearhead alone weighed more than 15 pounds. And a soldier always walked in front of Goliath to carry his shield.
THE CITY OF GATH WAS ESPECIALLY KNOWN AS A PLACE WHERE REMNANTS OF THAT RACE OF GIANTS CALLED THE ANAKIM LIVED (NOT FEE-FIE-FOE-FUM GIANTS, BUT VERY TALL MEN WHO WERE FIERCE WARRIORS) AND AT THIS TIME THE ONLY KNOWN REMAINING ANAKIM WERE LIVING AMONGST THE PHILISTINES SO IT WOULD HAVE COME AS NO GREAT SURPRISE TO THE YISHARALITES TO RUN INTO ONE OF THEM HERE AT THE VALLEY OF ELAH.
So Goliath went out and shouted to the Army of Yisharal: "Why are you all lining up for battle? I’m the best warrior in our Army, and you’re all just Saul’s slaves, he doesn’t pay you to fight! You’re just farmers, herdsman and merchants and have no chance of beating me. Let’s make a deal and stop all the bloodshed before it starts. Just choose one of your best men to come out and fight me! If he can kill me, our people will be your slaves. But if I kill him, your people will be our slaves.
Here and now I challenge Yisharal’s whole Army! Choose someone to fight me!" Saul and his men heard what Goliath said, but they were freaking out and so petrified of Goliath that they couldn’t do a thing.
David’s father was Jesse, who belonged to the fruitful Ephrath clan and lived in Bethlehem (in Judah). He was too old for battle now and had eight sons: the oldest was Eliab, the next was Abinadab, and Shammah was the third and the three of them had gone off to fight in Saul’s Army. David was Jesse’s youngest son (IN HIS TWENTIES) and he took care of his father’s sheep, going back and forth between Bethlehem and Saul’s camp. And Goliath came out and gave his challenge every morning and every evening for forty days.
A PERIOD OF 40 (DAYS, MONTHS, OR YEARS) IS ALWAYS A PERIOD OF TESTING AND TRIAL THAT ENDS WITH RESTORATION AND DELIVERANCE OR JUDGMENT AND PUNISHMENT. E.G. NOAH'S ARK, MOSES WAS ON THE MOUNTAIN, WANDERING 40 YEARS, YAHUSHA FASTING AND ALSO WAS SEEN FOR 40 DAYS AFTER HIS DEATH. 40 IS A PATTERN AND SHOWS US THAT YAHUSHA IS CONSISTENT, SO THE MEANING OF 40 IN GENESIS IS THE SAME ALL THE WAY TO THE BOOK OF REVELATION.
One day, Jesse told David, “Hurry Dave, and take this sack of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread to your brothers at the Army camp. And here are ten large chunks of cheese to take to their commanding officer. Find out how your brothers are doing and bring back something that shows that they’re OK. They’re with Saul’s Army, fighting the Philistines in Elah Valley.”
And David obeyed his father, getting up early the next morning and, leaving someone else in charge of the sheep, he loaded the supplies and started off. He reached the Army camp just as the soldiers were taking up their posts for another day of what had become a stand-off between opposing Armies. So the Army of Yisharal and the Philistine Army just stood there facing each other.
So David left his things with the man in charge of supplies and ran up to the battle line to ask his brothers how they were do’in. While David was talking with them, Goliath came out from the line of Philistines and started taunting the soldiers again, and David took a good look at him. The Yisharalite soldiers who saw Goliath, were scared and ran off, saying, “Look how he keeps insulting us, what do we do?”
“Really? This guy? What’s the King offering for killing this brute and shutting his mouth for good, so he can’t insult us anymore? Who does that worthless uncircumcised filth think he is? Mocking the Army of the living Alahim! He’s not of a chosen people like us!”
“The King’s offering a huge reward to the man who kills Goliath, he’ll even get to marry the King’s daughter, and no one in his family will ever have to pay taxes again.”
David could hardly believe his ears! All someone had to do was kill this guy and then marry into the royal dynasty and have no more financial or military obligations to the government for the rest of his life? Why weren’t they all lining up’, he thought.
Eliab heard David talking with the soldiers and was angry, saying, “What the hell’re you doing here Dave? Who’s taking care of ya’ little flock of sheep out in the desert, you spoiled brat? You just came out here to watch the fighting, didn’t you?”
“Hey, what did I do? Can’t I even ask a question? Take a chill-pill bro!” Then he turned and asked another soldier the same thing he’d asked the others, and got the same answer.
Some soldiers overheard David talking, so they told King Saul what he’d said. Then Saul sent for David and he approached the King. “Your Majesty, this Philistine shouldn’t turn us into cowards, he’s a joke! I’ll go out and fight this uncircumcised bastard all by myself!”
“Settle down Dave, you’re just a boy, and he’s been a soldier all his life. You don’t stand chance!” Saul said.
“But Master, I take care of my father’s sheep, and when one of them is dragged off by a lion or a bear, I go after it and beat the wild animal until it lets the sheep go. And if the wild animal turns and attacks me, I grab it by the throat and kill it. I’ve killed heaps of lions and bears that way, so I can kill this worthless Philistine. He won’t be making fun of the living Alahim’s Army after today!
Yahuah has rescued me from the claws of lions and bears, and He’ll keep me safe from the hands of this Philistine”.
“All right son, if you say so!” Saul wasn’t worried about sending a young soldier to his death, but about saving face and not having to surrender to the Philistines because of Goliath’s vow. “Go ahead and fight him. And I hope Yahuah will help you.”
SAUL REALLY HAS HIS NUT’S IN A VICE - THINGS WERE NOT GOING WELL AT ALL. THE MILITIA HAD GATHERED TO THIS SPOT TO FACE THE PHILISTINES, YET NOT AN ARROW HAD BEEN SHOT IN ANGER IN OVER A MONTH. IT WAS A DEADLOCK. AND WHILE THE PROFESSIONAL AND WELL-SUPPLIED PHILISTINE ARMY COULD BE FORCED TO REMAIN THERE INDEFINITELY, SAUL’S MILITIA COULD NOT, FOR SOON THE MEN WOULD GROW WEARY AND LEAVE. THE HEBREWS HAD HERDS TO MAINTAIN AND FIELDS AND CROPS TO ATTEND. TO SIMPLY SIT THERE (DAY AFTER DAY WITHOUT END) IN THE HILLS ABOVE THE VALLEY PLAIN AND LISTEN TO GOLIATH YELLING INSULTS AT THEM HAD ITS LIMITS AND SAUL KNEW THIS.
IT WAS PAINFULLY OBVIOUS BY NOW THAT NONE OF THE MEN WHO HAD COME TO FIGHT WERE EVER GOING TO LAY THEIR LIFE ON THE LINE FOR THE SAKE OF THEIR KING AND KINGDOM BY FACING GOLIATH. THOSE WHO HAD EXPERIENCE IN BATTLE KNEW THAT THEY HAD NO CHANCE AND WEREN’T ABOUT TO WASTE THEIR LIFE FOR NOTHING.
BUT THERE IN THE LANGUAGE OF YOUTHFUL NAIVETY WAS A POWERFUL REMINDER OF ANOTHER TIME.
A VOICE OF STRENGTH WAS COMING FROM THAT SHEPHERD BOY WHO STOOD BEFORE THE KING OF YISHARAL - A VOICE THAT WAS BASED ON SIMPLE BELIEF AND NOT THE BITTER NEGATIVE DEFEAT THAT HAD COME WITH THE DISAPPOINTMENTS OF LIFE AND FROM THE SADNESS OF A FAILED LEADERSHIP AND FROM BEING ABANDONED BY YAHUSHA. IT WAS HOPE THAT SAUL ANS THE MEN OF YISHARAL WERE HEARING (AND FEELING) AND THEY HAD NOT EXPERIENCED THAT FOR A VERY LONG TIME. TO DAVID, THIS ISN’T ABOUT THE TWO BIGGEST KIDS ON THE BLOCK HAVING A DISAGREEMENT.
THIS IS ABOUT SOME PAGAN GENTILES WITH THEIR FALSE DEITIES DARING TO CHALLENGE YAHUSHA’S ARMY AND BY EXTENSION, YAHUSHA HIMSELF. THIS CAN’T BE ALLOWED TO STAND AND IF SAUL WOULD JUST RESPOND THIS WOULD BE OVER IN A HEARTBEAT. WHAT DAVID ACTUALLY SAYS IS THAT YISHARAL’S ARMY IS PART OF THE HOSTS OF THE LIVING ALAHIM YAHUSHA !!
Saul had his own military clothes and armour put on David (it was just collecting dust anyway), and he gave him a bronze helmet to wear, but when David strapped on a sword and tried to walk around, but he was not used to wearing those heavy things. “I can’t move with all this stuff on,” David said. “I’m just not used to it.”
So David took off the armour and picked up his shepherd’s stick. Then he went out to a stream and picked up five smooth rocks and put them in his leather bag. Then with his sling in his hand, he went straight toward Goliath.
NOTE THAT THIS SLING IS NO CHILD’S TOY, BUT A RESPECTED WEAPON. ARMIES OF THIS ERA OFTEN EMPLOYED ENTIRE DIVISIONS OF STONE-SLINGERS AS A DEADLY TACTIC. ACCORDING TO JUDGES 20:16 THERE WAS A DIVISION OF 700 LEFT-HANDED STONE-SLINGERS FROM THE TRIBE OF BENJAMIN “WHO COULD SLING A STONE AT A HAIR AND NOT MISS.”
Today Yahuah will help me defeat you - I’ll knock you down and cut off your head, and then feed the bodies of your Philistine soldiers to the birds and wild animals. Then the whole world will know that Yisharal has a real living Alahim. YES, EVERYBODY HERE TODAY WILL SEE THAT YAHUAH DOESN’T NEED FLIMSY SWORDS OR SPEARS TO DELIVER HIS PEOPLE. HE ALWAYS WINS HIS BATTLES, AND WILL HELP US DEFEAT YOU EASILY. THIS BATTLE ALREADY BELONGS TO YAHUAH... FOOL!”
And Goliath came toward David, walking behind the soldier who was carrying his shield, and when he saw that David was just a healthy, good-looking boy, he laughed his head off. “Do you think I’m a bloody dog? You gunna come at me with a stick?” And he cursed David in the name of all the Philistine Deities, bellowing, “Come on you stupid boy! When I’m finished with you, I’ll feed you to the birds and they’ll pick the flesh from your bones!”
“So you’re gunna fight me with a sword and a spear and a dagger, HO-HUM…. (YAWN) pleaaaase, that’s sooo yesterday… I’m fighting you in the name of Yahuah of Hosts, the All-Powerful Alahim of Yisharal’s Army, and you’ve pissed him off big time today you behemoth!
DAVID SHOWS THAT HIS MAIN CONCERN IS FOR YAHUSHA’S REPUTATION, SO WHEN THIS YOUNG, SMALL, HEBREW SHEPHERD KILLS THIS GIANT ENEMY WARRIOR, EVERYONE PRESENT WILL KNOW WITHOUT DOUBT THAT THE ALAHIM OF YISHARAL IS PRESENT AND POWERFUL.
And when Goliath moved forward, David ran towards him with a rock in his sling and he swung it around violently by its straps, and when he let go of one strap, the rock shot out and hit Goliath square on the forehead, sinking in and cracking his skull open. He fell facedown on the ground in front of David, who ran over and pulled out Goliath’s sword, and used it to cut off the giant savage’s head. And that's how David defeated Goliath with a sling and a rock, killing him without even using a sword.
PATTERN OF SUBMISSION: REMEMBER HOW THE STATUE OF DAGON, THE PHILISTINE DEITY, FELL FACE-DOWN BEFORE YAHUSHA’S ANOINTED VESSEL (THE ARK OF THE BLOOD-COVENANT), AND THEN ITS HEAD FALLS OFF? HERE WE HAVE DAGON’S GREAT PHILISTINE WARRIOR, GOLIATH, FALL FACE-DOWN BEFORE YAHUSHA’S ANOINTED VESSEL (DAVID) AND THEN GOLIATH’S HEAD IS REMOVED. YAHUSHA WILL NEVER BE ANYONE’S BITCH!
And when the Philistines saw what had happened to their mighty champion, they buggered off in every direction away, but the soldiers of Yisharal and Judah let out a mighty battle cry and went after them as far as Gath and Ekron. And the bodies of the Philistines were scattered all along the road from Shaaraim to Gath and Ekron.
“Then find out!”
And when David came back from fighting Goliath, he was still carrying Goliath’s head. Abner took David to Saul, who asked, “Who’s son are you?”
“I’m Dave the son of Jesse, a loyal Yisharalite from Bethlehem.”
IN ORDER TO REWARD DAVID’S FAMILY THEIR FUTURE TAX EXEMPTIONS HE HAD TO KNOW WHO DAVID’S FATHER WAS. IT WAS NOT SAUL WHO FOUND DAVID TO BE HIS COURT MUSICIAN, BUT HIS COURT ADVISORS. THEY BROUGHT DAVID’S NAME TO THE KING, WHO AGREED AND SUMMONED HIM. SAUL'S ROYAL CABINET WOULD HAVE DONE EVERYTHING, SO DAVID WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN AS KNOWN AND RECOGNISABLE TO SAUL AS WE THOUGHT.
And when the Yisharalite Army returned from chasing the Philistines, they took what they wanted from the enemy camp. David took Goliath’s head to Jerusalem, but he kept Goliath’s weapons in his own tent.
FLED? THAT WASN’T THE DEAL THAT GOLIATH HAD PROPOSED. THE DEAL WAS THAT WHICHEVER SIDE LOST WOULD THROW DOWN THEIR WEAPONS AND SUBMIT TO THE WINNING SIDE. INSTEAD THE PHILISTINES PISSED OFF AND WERE CHASED DOWN AND KILLED!
And after King Saul had watched David go out to fight and conquer Goliath, he turned to the commander of his Army and said, “Abner, who’s son is that young man?” (knowing what his promised reward was)
“I’ve got no idea, I swear!”
After this conversation, David and Jonathan (Saul's son) struck up a friendship and became really good mates, almost inseparable. Infact Jon so admired Dave's strength of character and abilities in Yahusha that the two of them made a Covenant Agreement to always be there for each other as loyal friends and never let each other down. And Jonathan loved David as much as he loved himself and took off the robe that he was wearing and gave it to David, as well as his military clothes, sword, bow and arrows, and belt.
And from that time on, Saul kept David in his service and would not let him go back to his own family, and David was a success in everything that Saul sent him to do, and Saul made him a high officer in his Army, which pleased everyone, including Saul’s other officers.
AS SAUL’S ELDEST SON JONATHAN WAS BY CUSTOM THE NATURAL HEIR TO THE THRONE. ROYALTY WORE DISTINCTIVE CLOTHING TO SEPARATE THEMSELVES FROM COMMONERS AND VISIBLY ANNOUNCE THEIR STATUS. WHEN JONATHAN TOOK HIS GARMENT OF ROYALTY OFF AND PUT IT ONTO TO DAVID, IT WAS WELL UNDERSTOOD BY THE KING, HIS COURT, AND ALL WHO KNEW ABOUT IT WHAT THAT GESTURE MEANT. THIS WAS BUT THE FIRST OF SEVERAL SIMILAR EVENTS THAT SERVED TO UNNERVE SAUL AND MAKE HIM MURDEROUSLY JEALOUS OF DAVID.
ANTI/FALSE - HEBREW UNDERSTANDING: to pant and exert oneself in vain; to come to naught, strictly nothingness; trouble. vanity, wickedness; specifically an idol, affliction, evil, false, idol, iniquity, mischief, mourners, sorrow, unjust, unrighteous, violence, unjust, cruel(-ty), damage, false, injustice, oppressor, liar, lie, lying.
We've been looking at patterns, and David, Yahusha's Anointed servant is having experiences with all sorts of false, evil (ANTI) behaviour. His family doesn't accept him, his brothers resent him, King Saul wants to use him in any way that benefits himself, and now David's faced with Goliath, a savage barbarian who boastfully degrades the Name and reputation of the only living Alahim Yahusha.
THIS IS ANTI-BEHAVIOUR - the false, opposite behaviour of Yahusha ! (HATRED)
David keeps his chin up and moves forward in belief, using the specific skillset he's been trained in and he doesn't deviate. No flashy armour, weapons or boasting - no pomp or ceremony, just Yahusha's Words in his heart.
And right after the victory, we see a very interesting encounter between Dave and Jon, where a completely OPPOSITE BEHAVIOUR is shown, one of love, care, kindness and loyalty ('loving your neighbour as yourself' as Yahusha said). What a stark contrast to Saul and Goliath, who showed cruelty, manipulation and evil.
KING SAUL BY ALL OUTWARD APPEARANCES WAS PART OF YISHARAL AND EVEN THEIR ANOINTED AND LEGITIMATE LEADER. HE ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT HOW HE WAS LEADING YAHUSHA’S KINGDOM, AND THAT THE WARS HE FOUGHT WERE YAHUSHA’S WARS. HE WAS PRESENT AT SACRIFICES TO MAKE FINE SPEECHES, HE SURROUNDED HIMSELF WITH PRIESTS, HE USED RELIGIOUS SOUNDING WORDS AND TRIED TO CREATE AND MAINTAIN AN AURA OF PERSONAL PIETY AND LOYALTY TO YAHUSHA. HE CONTINUED TO SEE HIMSELF AS A LEGITIMATE PART OF YAHUSHA’S KINGDOM (DESPITE WHAT SAM HAD TOLD HIM) BUT IN REALITY HE WAS FAR FROM YAHUSHA, WHO'D COMPLETELY REMOVED HIMSELF FROM SAUL, NEVER TO RETURN.
THE HEBREW PEOPLE DIDN’T KNOW THAT YAHUSHA HAD ABANDONED SAUL, CHOSEN DAVID, USED GOLIATH AS AN ULTIMATELY DOOMED SYMBOL OF THE NATION'S PAGANISM AND WAS GOING TO ELEVATE DAVID AND FRUSTRATE SAUL IN THE PROCESS. THEY DIDN’T KNOW THAT ALL THESE EVENTS WERE ABOUT DELIVERANCE AND REDEMPTION. BUT WE CAN SEE THAT!
Paul says that there's a difference between the circumcisions of the flesh and spirit, and now John says (in the Scriptures above) that this contasting behaviour (the anti-messiah) is still in the world, right here under our very noses, mingling in the Bride. Understand that no matter what colour or creed or belief or Name a person declares loyalty to, the behaviour of the `anti- ' is always lurking, knocking on our hearts to infect us with the enemy's hatred and lies, and make us a falsehood on this earth, shut up, down, depressed and useless to our king of kings.
WE MUST STAY AWAKE AND SOBER, DISCERNING THIS IN OURSELVES AND ALSO THOSE AROUND US! WE MUST MOVE ON FROM THE FIRST PRINCIPLES OF THE BELIEF AND MOVE INTO THE `HEARING AND DOING' ABSTRACT EXPERIENCE WITH YAHUSHA. ONE EXPERIENCE IS TRUE AND THE OTHER IS FALSE (ANTI) BEHAVIOUR !
