David’s father, Jesse, now an old man, sent David to the ongoing battle with the Philistines. He wanted news, but he also wanted to send supplies. When David reached the army and greeted his brothers, he heard the words of Goliath and observed their terrifying effect on the Israelites. Among the chatter, David heard the king’s offered reward: wealth, the king’s daughter in marriage, and no taxes required of his father’s house. But to David, who was this who dared defy the armies of the living God? In this historical record, we learn how perceived weakness met perceived strength. David was perceived weak by his family, and in comparison to the enemy, but was strong in the Lord.
By His Family
David was the youngest. Even his brothers saw him as the little kid who showed up where he wasn’t wanted. Eliab accused him of shirking his responsibilities and being full of pride and insolence.
In Comparison to the Enemy
There was no comparison between the lad and the giant. The king told David he couldn’t fight because he was just a youth. Goliath had been a man of war since his youth
Strong In the Lord
But, David was strong in the Lord! Out in the fields, looking after the sheep, he learned a few things about God. With God’s help, he was able to kill a lion and a bear when they threatened the sheep. He also knew God as the source of Israel’s army, and their strength against the “uncircumcised Philistines”. David walked in absolute trust in God. Though he was the youngest in his family, considered just a lad against a trained warrior, and uncomfortable in the armour of Saul, he knew he could trust God and spoke it into existence on the battlefield. David was perceived weak by his family, and in comparison to the enemy, but was strong in the Lord.