Tehillah Generation Chapel
Daily Manna
Friday, July 29, 2016
Topic: Safety is of the Lord 10
Reading: 1Sam 23:7-14
Scripture: And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah. And Saul said, God hath delivered him into my hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that hath gates and bars. (1Sam 23:7)
Note: Saul’s insane jealousy against David that drove him into intense hatred and murderous obsession against Israel’s young hero, was as a result of a harmless song by the cheering women during the reception in honour of the king and his fighting warriors back home from the battlefield that saw the Philistine bully, giant and champion, Goliath capitulate to the unheralded David, trained in the backside of the wilderness, while shepherding his flock.
David deserved every recognition, praise and honour done him by the women. The fight against Goliath was the one moment in his life that was to change the dynamics and direction of his life forever. Saul was the king but the victory over Goliath wasn’t his moment. Saul had 40 odd, long days to have reacted to the humiliating taunts from the braggart and bully, Goliath, when the giant threw an open challenge to the whole of Israel for a mortal combat. Saul missed that glorious moment of taking up the challenge to confront the giant because he feared for his own life.
It took the guts of a seemingly ignorant, unassuming and brash young man in the person of David to defy commonsense, age, size and experience in combat to dare the bragging giant to a mortal combat, that the king himself had expressed his doubts and discomfort against his own conscience in sending an inexperienced neophyte, without the basic military protective wear necessary for all his fighting men. Those military gadgets were designed for adults going to war. David wasn’t yet an adult so the gadget was oversized and he felt clumsy in it, so he couldn’t use it. But he was the only willing person in Israel, ready to go and fight the giant.
David had a secret which the king didn’t know about. He had been anointed of the Lord. He believed and trusted in the power of the Lord as the Captain of the Host of Israel, mighty in battle. David’s trust in the Lord brought down the dreaded Goliath through a single sling of a stone. This unusual but mighty victory over Goliath became the greatest moment in David’s young life. Unfortunately, king Saul wanted the honour and the glory of this wonderful victory to himself. He wanted the credit for the big moment all to himself although he wasn’t ready for the high risk at stake before the glory.
Food for thought: Success has many friends, but failure is an orphan. Saul wanted a giant glory to himself but he wasn’t ready for a giant risk.
Declaration: And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but the kingdom?” (1Sam 18:8)
©Author: Rev Fred Aboe
