Psalm 149:4
King James Version
4 For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people:
he will beautify the meek with salvation.
Thanks to the video above, and through the HOLY SPIRIT's promptings (well, of course, SPIRIT led me to the video, and the resulting inspiration for this article), we came up with a second part to the "HAVEN'T you NOTICED yet?" article we wrote three days ago.
GOD is truly the Author of the Unexpected.
As well as Author of Life, Love, and Laughter.
And this time, He leads me to two main characters in the Bible.
Both loving GOD, and adoring Him, with all they've got.
Even at the cost of their own life.
And mind you, they're both kings, but didn't have the "attitude".
Unlike most monarchs then, and now.
First we share with you about king David.
Here's a backgrounder on the shepherd boy:
1 Samuel 17:12-13
King James Version
12 Now David was the son of
that Ephrathite of Bethlehemjudah,
whose name was Jesse;
and he had eight sons:
and the man went among men
for an old man in the days of Saul.
13 And the three eldest sons of Jesse
went and followed Saul to the battle:
and the names of his three sons
that went to the battle were
Eliab the firstborn,
and next unto him Abinadab,
and the third Shammah.
1 Samuel 17:14-16
King James Version
14 And David was the youngest:
and the three eldest followed Saul.
15 But David went and returned from Saul
to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem.
16 And the Philistine drew near
morning and evening,
and presented himself forty days.
1 Samuel 17:17-18
King James Version
17 And Jesse said unto David his son,
Take now for thy brethren an ephah
of this parched corn, and these ten loaves,
and run to the camp of thy brethren;
18 And carry these ten cheeses
unto the captain of their thousand,
and look how thy brethren fare,
and take their pledge.
1 Samuel 17:19-21
King James Version
19 Now Saul, and they,
and all the men of Israel,
were in the valley of Elah,
fighting with the Philistines.
20 And David rose up early in the morning,
and left the sheep with a keeper,
and took, and went,
as Jesse had commanded him;
and he came to the trench,
as the host was going forth to the fight,
and shouted for the battle.
21 For Israel and the Philistines
had put the battle in array,
army against army.
Giant Goliath roared for 40 days, challenging the Israelites.
1 Samuel 17:22-25
King James Version
22 And David left his carriage
in the hand of the keeper of the carriage,
and ran into the army,
and came and saluted his brethren.
23 And as he talked with them, behold,
there came up the champion,
the Philistine of Gath,
Goliath* by name,
out of the armies of the Philistines,
and spake according to the same words:
and David heard them.
24 And all the men of Israel,
when they saw the man, fled from him,
and were sore afraid.
25 And the men of Israel said,
Have ye seen this man that is come up?
surely to defy Israel is he come up:
and it shall be, that the man who killeth him,
the king will enrich him with great riches,
and will give him his daughter,
and make his father's house free in Israel.
David's miffed branding of Goliath made me laugh the most.
1 Samuel 17:26
King James Version
26 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?
Young David had a cause, and definitely not to bow down to this "uncircumcised Philistine".
1 Samuel 17:27-28
King James Version
27 And the people answered him after this manner,
saying, So shall it be done to the man
that killeth him.
28 And Eliab his eldest brother heard
when he spake unto the men;
and Eliab's anger was kindled against David,
and he said, Why camest thou down hither?
and with whom hast thou left
those few sheep in the wilderness?
I know thy pride,
and the naughtiness of thine heart;
for thou art come down
that thou mightest see the battle.
1 Samuel 17:29-30
King James Version
29 And David said,
What have I now done?
Is there not a cause?
30 And he turned from him toward another,
and spake after the same manner:
and the people answered him again
after the former manner.
That's when king Saul heard of the shepherd boy.
1 Samuel 17:31-33
King James Version
31 And when the words were heard
which David spake,
they rehearsed them before Saul:
and he sent for him.
32 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.
1 Samuel 17:34-36
King James Version
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 arose against me,
I caught him by his beard,
and smote him, and slew him.
36 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 17:37
King James Version
37 David said moreover,
The Lord that delivered me
out of the paw of the lion,
and out of the paw of the bear,
he will deliver me
out of the hand of this Philistine.
And Saul said unto David,
Go, and the Lord be with thee.
Don't you love the way young David would stress his indignation that anyone DARE defy "the armies of the living God"?
Taking up David on his innate confidence from the LORD, king Saul prepared him for battle:
1 Samuel 17:38
King James Version
38 And Saul armed David with his armour,
and he put an helmet of brass upon his head;
also he armed him with a coat of mail.
Oh, but the little warrior would have none of that.
He had his own "gear":
1 Samuel 17:39-40
King James Version
39 And David girded his sword upon his armour,
and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it.
And David said unto Saul,
I cannot go with these;
for I have not proved them.
And David put them off him.
40 And he took his staff in his hand,
and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook,
and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had,
even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand:
and he drew near to the Philistine.
Now, fearsome Goliath faces his fearless challenger:
1 Samuel 17:41-42
King James Version
41 And the Philistine came on
and drew near unto David;
and the man that bare the shield went before him.
42 And when the Philistine looked about,
and saw David, he disdained him:
for he was but a youth, and ruddy,
and of a fair countenance.
1 Samuel 17:41-44
King James Version
43 And the Philistine said unto David,
Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves?
And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
44 And the Philistine said to David,
Come to me, and I will give thy flesh
unto the fowls of the air,
and to the beasts of the field.
1 Samuel 17:45-47
King James Version
45 Then said David to the Philistine,
Thou comest to me
with a sword,
and with a spear,
and with a shield:
but I come to thee
in the name of the Lord of hosts,
the God of the armies of Israel,
whom thou hast defied.
46 This day will the Lord deliver thee
into mine hand; and I will smite thee,
and take thine head from thee;
and I will give the carcases
of the host of the Philistines this day
unto the fowls of the air,
and to the wild beasts of the earth;
that all the earth may know
that there is a God in Israel.
47 And all this assembly shall know
that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear:
for the battle is the Lord's,
and he will give you into our hands.
The battle was swift, mind you.
1 Samuel 17:48-49
King James Version
48 And it came to pass,
when the Philistine arose, and came,
and drew nigh to meet David,
that David hastened,
and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
49 And David put his hand in his bag,
and took thence a stone, and slang it,
and smote the Philistine in his forehead,
that the stone sunk into his forehead;
and he fell upon his face to the earth.
Brave, bold, little David knew how to end battles, too:
1 Samuel 17:50-51
King James Version
50 So David prevailed over the Philistine
with a sling and with a stone,
and smote the Philistine, and slew him;
but there was no sword in the hand of David.
51 Therefore David ran,
and stood upon the Philistine,
and took his sword,
and drew it out of the sheath thereof,
and slew him, and cut off his head therewith.
And when the Philistines
saw their champion was dead,
they fled.
1 Samuel 17:52-53
King James Version
52 And the men of Israel and of Judah arose,
and shouted, and pursued the Philistines,
until thou come to the valley,
and to the gates of Ekron.
And the wounded of the Philistines
fell down by the way to Shaaraim,
even unto Gath, and unto Ekron.
53 And the children of Israel returned from chasing
after the Philistines, and they spoiled their tents.
1 Samuel 17:54-56
King James Version
54 And David took the head of the Philistine,
and brought it to Jerusalem;
but he put his armour in his tent.
55 And when Saul saw David go forth
against the Philistine, he said unto Abner,
the captain of the host,
Abner, whose son is this youth?
And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, O king,
I cannot tell.
56 And the king said,
Enquire thou whose son the stripling is.
1 Samuel 17:57-58
King James Version
57 And as David returned
from the slaughter of the Philistine,
Abner took him, and brought him before Saul
with the head of the Philistine in his hand.
58 And Saul said to him,
Whose son art thou, thou young man?
And David answered,
I am the son of thy servant Jesse
the Bethlehemite.
*Goliath's height was between 9'-6" to 10'-6".
That's between 2.8956 meters to 3.2004 meters, depending upon cubits conversion.
Compare that to David, just a shepherd boy.
Height is not necessarily might.
Having GOD as your Protector is.
As we said early on, the LORD is Author of the Unexpected.
He likes the humble.
He chooses the humble.
He protects the faithful, and humble.
ESPECIALLY those He predestined for His cause.
We did write here, that GOD "purposely chooses the humble".
Or those others look down upon, such as young David.
And He gives them the glory, for His GLORY.
Isaiah 52:6
King James Version
6 Therefore my people shall know my name:
therefore they shall know in that day
that I am he that doth speak:
behold, it is I.
Derided for his youth, and boldness, David astounded them all, saving Israel from the Philistines.
Israel, today, must take a cue from little David, with what she's going through right now.
Israel was meant to live, thrive, and survive -- not be slain.
We shall write about the second king in another article.
For that is the GREATEST king of all.
And deserves an article all His own.
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