At this time, as is
well known, David was not a part of the army. He was merely a
shepherd. His father had sent him to find out how his brothers were doing,
as they had followed King Saul into a confrontation with the Philistines.
When David went to the Israelite camp, he is said to have done so in order to
bring gifts to his brothers. He came bearing gifts. A shepherd,
sent to his brothers, bringing gifts---truly, a picture of the one that would
eventually be called Lord.
When David reaches
the place of the army’s encampment, “he ran to the battlefront” and “asked his
brothers how they were doing” (17:22b).
While there, he hears the defying speech of Goliath, and witnesses the
retreat and fear of his countrymen. He learns that this has been going on
for forty days. Additionally, he comes to learn that King Saul is
desperate to deal with this problem, but that there is no one from all of
Israel that is willing to represent the people.
Enticements are
offered. David learns that “The king will make the man who can strike him
down very wealthy! He will give him his daughter in marriage, and he will
make his father’s house exempt from tax obligations in Israel” (17:25b).
No taxes is always a nice motivator. The
story presents a David who was unafraid. To an extent, the Gospels
present a Jesus who was also unafraid, while also presenting a Jesus possessed
of some understandable doubt (think of the Garden of Gethsemane) that the
messianic path that He had chosen was the correct one, and that it would lead
to His vindication at the hands of Israel’s faithful God. Because he
would emerge victorious from his battle against Goliath, David ultimately earned
a bride for himself, eventually marrying a daughter of the king. As is
suggested by those that would offer their commentary on the Resurrection of
Jesus (New Testament authors), who also emerged victorious from His pitched
battle with death, Jesus also earned a bride.
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 to be
sure. They remind the reader of words that were spoken to Jesus by His
family, indicating that He was out of His mind or beside Himself, and bringing
shame to His family.
Similarly, when the
elders of Israel, the extended family of older brothers to 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 then, Israel’s elders rebuked Jesus in the same way that David was
rebuked by his brothers, 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 appears to be quite intent upon engaging this
Philistine, David dismisses his brother’s accusations. Jesus would one day
do the same. Despite accusations and opposition and questioning of His
methods, 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 His God’s
creation.
I like your concluding paragraphs.
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