As the young David continued to make his inquiries in regards to Goliath, his brothers became somewhat irritated with him. In fact, “When David’s oldest brother Eliab heard him speaking to the men, he became angry with David and said, ‘Why have you come down here? To whom did you entrust those few sheep in the desert? I am familiar with your pride and deceit! You have come down here to watch the battle!’” (1 Samuel 17:28) Stinging words for sure. They remind us of words that were spoken to Jesus, when the elders of Israel, the older brothers of Jesus (in a manner of speaking), challenged His teaching, demanding to know by what authority He was doing the things He was doing and saying the things He was saying. In essence, Israel’s elders rebuked Jesus, saying, “Why have you come down here? Who do you think you are? What do you think you are doing?”
Continuing his press for information, as he is intent upon engaging this Philistine, David dismisses his brother’s accusation. Jesus would one day do the same. Despite accusations and opposition, He would press on in His mission, never wavering from His intention to engage the enemy that stood against and continued to bring ruin into God’s creation. Eventually, David is brought before Saul, where he recounts events in his life concerning a lion and a bear, insisting that he is ready, willing, and more than able to engage Israel’s enemy. David expressed confidence that “The Lord Who delivered me from the lion and the bear will also deliver me from the hand of this Philistine!” (17:37a) Once again, these words of David cause us to hearken to the life and voice of our Savior, as through the numerous instances in which He spoke of His death and Resurrection, Jesus expressed supreme confidence that the Lord would deliver Him from the grip of the enemy with which He intended to do battle on behalf of all of those that would come to believe upon Him.
With this said, David set out to face the enemy. As he did, “The Philistine kept coming closer to David, with his shield bearer walking in front of him” (17:41). Though his enemy approached, David did not waver. We must imagine Jesus, in His final days, as he marched forth boldly toward His cross. His enemy came closer and closer, holding forth the accursed and shameful and humiliating cross as the instrument with which Jesus would be engaged in the battle. Jesus, of course, did not waver. He never once faltered, and thankfully, He did not fail, nor did the One in Whom He placed His trust.
“The Philistine said to David, ‘Am I a dog, that you are coming after me with sticks?’” (17:43a) As this analogy has been developed, it is ironic that it is the enemy of God’s people and God’s man that utters these words, as when Jesus would set His face against His enemy and its chosen weapon (the cross), He is the One that could rightly ask, “Am I a dog, that you are coming after Me with sticks?” In addition, “The Philistine said to David, ‘Come here to me, so I can give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the field’.” (17:44) To Jesus, death also said, “Come here to me.” With this, it is interesting that death would be employing crucifixion against Jesus, as on many occasions, the bodies of the crucified victims were left on the cross, to be picked over by scavenger birds. Along with that, the traditional conception of crucifixion has the body set several feet above the ground, whereas in actuality, the victim was set just a few inches off the ground, so that the victims were left exposed to scavenging animals as well.
David’s reply is that “You are coming against me with sword and spear and javelin. But I am coming against you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel’s armies, Whom you have defied” (17:45b). Indeed, death thought that it had weapons that would serve to defeat and destroy, but ultimately, it’s weapons lacked power. Jesus also stood in the face of His adversary, and just as David reminded Goliath that he was attempting to defy the Lord God of Israel, so too would Jesus remind death that it was an illegitimate and unintended usurper inside God’s created order. Death had defied God and His plans long enough, and God, through His Messiah, was going to deal death its mortal blow.
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