And how did he relate to God? You came down just to see the battle! 1 Samuel 17:28 ISV. He had a ton of excuses but no actual sorrow over failing to obey God. Things have not been going well for Saul of late. Thus, 1 Samuel 16:1 tells us: 1 Samuel 16:1 "My belly is as wine, I'm ready to burst like new bottles" - suggesting drunkenness/silliness. Could be. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Considering how they had been debating so far, this doesn't sound very likely (8:2, 11:2-3, 12:2-3, 15:2-6, and more). It is not really a surprise that it is Eliab (the oldest of Jesses three sons who are fighting for Saul) who would be so upset with David. He then concludes by saying that God is constantly looking for those who are wholly devoted to Him, because He will strengthen such people to give them great victories. Yes, he fears God and turns away from evil (1:1, 1:8, 2:3). The official way that a person was shown to be chosen by God was to be anointed. ); Saul actually loans David his outfit, including his armor. I have provided me a king among his sons 1 Samuel 16:1. (d) Thinking that Eliab had been appointed by God to be made king. First he takes the sting out of Job's thinking. This means we fight for family, protect and empower family, and NOT fight against family. The Spirit departed from Saul, but He came upon David in a powerful way. But the king will make the man who can strike him down very wealthy! Its not also because one person is more Christian than the other (David had his behavioral lapses). We have an open worship meeting where the men in our church are to lead the body in worship. As a result, Eliabs appearance is barely mentioned in the Bible, and his name only shows up years later when his daughter Abihail marries King Rehobom. And David said, What have I now done? Often, we hear that our efforts to serve God will be misunderstood or despised by others. The reason he would do so, I believe, is because to some degree he seems to have been inspired by David to believe that God would give him (and thus Israel) the victory. But when we come to 1 Samuel 17 and the challenge of Goliath, Saul fails to live up to his calling as Israels champion. The fact that God said He rejected Eliab from being selected as King indicates that God had considered Eliab as a candidate to be the King. Apart from Sauls offer, it is enough for anyone who is zealous for the honor of Gods name to want to be the one to strike him down. Im inclined to look at this question in the light of Davids ministry to Saul with his harp. People often judge a person by their looks, but the LORD looks at the heart. What we are told is that David was not used to them (the NASB renders, he had not tested them. The point is the same. Other than Goliath, Davids greatest opposition came from his brother Eliab. You will never regret the adventure. His children all followed in his steps, becoming leaders in Christian missionary work. 24 When all the men of Israel saw this man, they retreated from his presence and were very afraid. Then Samuel got up and went to Ramah ( 1 Samuel 16:13 ). 9 For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight The irony of this is that Saul could not see what God was doing He was reducing Israels forces so that it would be clear that the battle, and the victory, was His. It is no wonder Saul is not eager to do battle with the Philistines or their giant. For whatever reason, neither Jonathan nor his two brothers are mentioned in chapter 17. Conversely David by his response to Eliabs diatribe, exhibited the very characteristics that fitted him to one day become the King. When you feel rejected by someone, think of Hagar and be receptive to God's angels. David came in obedience to his fathers instructions8 (something he seems to have done fairly often9), and he left the sheep in the care of another.10 And as we shall soon see, David did not come merely to observe and to go home; he would accept the challenge and face Goliath in the name of the Lord. If you would like someone to pray for you, click the button and well connect with you. He rejected Eliab because of the lack of quality in his heart. This slaughter involved only about 20 Philistines, but it started something much bigger. Asa had placed his trust in Ben Hadad, rather than in God. Elihu does understand what Job is concerned about. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. His firstborn status caused him believe that. He has twice been told that his kingdom will not endure, the Spirit of God has left him, and an evil spirit now fills him with fear. Sign Up for Daily Lessons to Feed Your Spirit. God loved David as well as Eliab, Cain as well as Abel. If I look at their merits, there are countless too. He knew that God was selecting David, who had served as the sacred musician for King Saul. Sauls army was vaporizing before his eyes. The Book of Job is one of the great works of literature, as well as a very important book of the Bible. Second, Saul had already been told this his kingdom will end and that none of his heirs will reign in his place (there will be no dynasty). 15:26]? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he defies the armies of the living God? How to exactly find shift beween two functions? The Israelites were so badly outnumbered that they fled in terror. Job tries to please God for his own profit (34:9). In chapter 17, it is David who is the military hero, while Saul continues as the reluctant one. Look at chapter 32 and verses 1-2. For the battle is the Lords, and he will deliver you into our hand (1 Samuel 17:45-47). Some argue that God doesn't bother to rebuke Elihu and just ignores his speech. In all of this, Saul was not seeking to distance himself from David, but rather he was identifying himself with David. What are the white formations? As he saw Job's and the other three men. himself with God. I have my thoughts about that too, as well as on many other treasures in the book. But I also figured that I should just stick with OP's question. A Reubenite, son of Pallu ( Numbers 16:1 Numbers 16:12; Numbers 26:8 Numbers 26:9; Deuteronomy 11:6). Lets be secure in knowing that God loves each of us and has a unique destiny for us all. 1:37 Wednesday, 20 January 2010 God rejected Eliab History is occupied by famous people. While the elders and deacons need to be visible and to fulfill their leadership responsibilities, there is a great need for other men to step forward and lead, in prayer, in reading Scripture, in calling out a hymn, in passing the elements, in speaking a word of exhortation or testimony. Why was David excluded? I am sure these famous people are not toodifferent from us. How could Saul be so quickly and easily persuaded to put the entire nation at risk by entrusting the nations future to a young shepherd boy? Why did David keep asking the same question to different soldiers? But Sauls offer in addition to this makes it inconceivable to David that no one would face this loud-mouthed heathen. They recognized Goliaths defiance, but in a very different way than David did. St. Paul, painfully recognizing the fact of the present exclusion of Israel as a nation from the inheritance of the promises made to their fathers, and having in ch. I believe that in the eyes of God, we are equally valuable to Him. But he got disappointed with the lack of wisdom of these older friends (32:11-15). When God chooses someone else instead of us? He seems to keep asking because he cant believe that they understand the offer. An earthquake set the Philistines into a panic, so much so that they were killing each other with their swords. Job and his three friends all believed the same bad theology. Over and over in Israels history God came to the rescue of His people in most miraculous ways often ways that involved Gods control over nature, such as the exodus when God parted the Red Sea. I want you to take note of the fact that David is a true leader in our text, a far better leader than Saul, or Abner,15 or any of the commanders of the Israelite army. The Philistines called him Goliath, and named him their champion. He was ignored by God because he was impudent in his condemnation of Job. God knew the difference between the two. But now your kingdom will not continue! To whom did you entrust those few sheep in the desert? Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. You should wait for seven days, until I arrive and tell you what to do (1 Samuel 10:8). He would look down past the Terebinth trees to the valley of Elah, where that giant stood on the field of battle, daily challenging any soldier in the army of Israel to singlehanded combat. Some argue that the others discounted Elihus words and ignored him. There is an interesting consequence to this. David,a holy king, committed adultery and murder. Eliab is a Hebrew name that means god. He was a Reubenite and was the father of Dathan and Abiram. I doubt it is because he didnt understand the offer, or because David didnt believe it. The casual mention ( 1Samuel 17:34) of the boy's prowess, when the lion and the bear attacked his father's flock, tells us that the boyhood and youth of David had been no ordinary one, and Eliab's jealous disposition had been, doubtless, often aroused. God had been preparing David for this moment in time for many years. First, the Spirit of God has left Saul, the Spirit that gave him both wisdom, courage, and strength. @Robert thanks much. did not know Job well enough to make any personal accusations against him, and so spoke only of abstract principles. ( God in his infinite wisdom and thoroughness probably had considered every male in Israel for the position .) Will he tell Jesse that for 40 days nothing has happened, that no actual fighting has occurred? Lets be people who rejoice in Gods victories and choices. And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD's anointed is before him. There are times when leaders must make decisions or take action, and they are not able to explain all their reasons for doing so. Again, the issue is not external actions but internal sin nature. 7:15)], "How long [a prophetic rebuke] will you mourn [see 15:35] for Saul [perhaps over his loss of the kingdom, his disobedience, or for him personally], since I have rejected him as king over Israel [see 1 Sam. Leaders do not merely lead by command, or even by inducements, but by example. He had merely come to deliver supplies and then to return with a report to his father. Instead, Eliabs heart and soul had to match the attributes of a king. When the Spirit abandons Saul and comes upon David, it is a sure sign of things to come. No wonder he would not go up against Goliath. With whom hast thou left those few sheep? The Lord will be with you (1 Samuel 17:37b). That meant disregarding his brothers rebuke, knowing that he had failed to assess the situation correctly. At this moment in time, it is a few. He dared not tell them the truth, so silence was his only option. Amen. We are powerless, and Satan loves to intimidate us and make us fearful. He claimed to know Davids heart. Others argue that Elihus speech was inserted later. 1 Copyright 2007 by Community Bible Chapel, 418 E. Main Street, Richardson, TX 75081. First, the Lord looks at the heart. While God seems to have "passed over" David's other brothers, the text is very specific that when it came to Eliab, God "rejected" him. They began to seek places where they could hide from the Philistines, and it seems that some even surrendered and joined the Philistines (see 1 Samuel 14:21). History isoccupied by famous people. The story gives us several clues why Elihus speech should be taken seriously: Job's friends talk mostly about God's blessings or punishments, whereas Job seems more concerned about God accepting or rejecting him. He also saw that the three friends misrepresented God badly. 2 Asa took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the Lords temple and of the royal palace and sent it to King Ben Hadad of Syria, ruler in Damascus, along with this message: 3 I want to make a treaty with you, like the one our fathers made. This is what will be done for the man who can strike him down. 28 When Davids oldest brother Eliab heard him speaking to the men, he became angry with David and said, Why have you come down here? When the Philistines got word of this, they mustered their forces for battle and this caused (forced?) He fought bravely, striking down the Amalekites and delivering Israel from the hand of its enemies (1 Samuel 14:47-48, emphasis mine). After all, we are all sinners in need of God's salvation and in the end, we all share the eternal life of God. Its not because God loves us any less. 23 A garrison of the Philistines had gone out to the pass at Micmash (1 Samuel 13:19-23, emphasis mine). And He chose David as the anointed king of Israel. Am I not the Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Elijah saw himself as the lone defender of God . Why was Elihu excluded? Job repeatedly interrupts his other friends but not Elihu. Is a naval blockade considered a de jure or a de facto declaration of war? Instead of courage, inspired by Gods Spirit, Saul was terrorized with fear. Elihus rebuke was strictly based on the fact that Job was self righteous and he justified himself rather than justifying God. When young David, questioned why no one would take the challenge from the monstrous giant Goliath, Eliab lost his temper and berated David. King Baasha of the northern kingdom (Israel) attacked Judah, establishing Ramah as a military outpost, so as to contain Judah. 17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in things relating to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people. As such, he went to Jesses house to select the right person. It was enough to make a strong man want to puke. When he vented his spleen on the head of innocent David, whom Samuel, Gods Prophet, had so recently anointed in Eliabs presence, he demonstrated his lack of spiritual maturity. He had a wife and children to worry about, and his reputation to protect. Elihu knows Satan has influence and power on the Earth. He provides no comic relief. 9 Certainly the Lord watches the whole earth carefully and is ready to strengthen those who are devoted to him. There was a great victory for the Israelites, and it was all Gods. When we come to the story of David and Goliath, we should recall that this is by no means Israels first battle with the Philistines. It worked (or so it seemed). Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. The men of Israel said, Have you seen this man who is coming up? Personal opinions are not sought but sourced material to substantiate any claim is helpful. So Elihu must have been listening quite carefully. God's Standard for Service Samuel was the prophet of God sent to find the man who would be the new King of Israel. It is not really too difficult to understand why. When we choose God, we will find that God has the power to fulfill His purpose, even in the midst of opposition. Satan leaves the sons of Job on the threshold, and God gets Jobs less than perfect kids into the fold. How many ways are there to solve the Mensa cube puzzle? Job's three friends accused Job of either doing something sinful or refraining from doing something that he should have done. The reason that God did not rebuke Elihu is because he spoke the truth about Jobs condition, unlike Jobs three friends. as much as he does in obedience? Granted, in this text lightening is not specifically mentioned. We would love to answer any question you have or help suggest next steps on your journey. He came in human flesh, lived a perfect, sinless, life (something no one had ever done before), and then He died on the cross in our place, bearing our punishment. 1 Chronicles 2:13 I can only think that maybe it was because He can see his heart and motives. I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle. Chapter 16 opens with God telling Samuel to stop grieving Saul, as He is ready to select a new king. The simplest answer is King Saul had offered a sacrifice or a burnt offering out of disobedience and therefore lose the trust of God and main trust of his people that they are following a Man of God. kindled, because he justified himself rather than God. 34 :29"Yet He is over individual and nation alike". If Job admits he did wrong, he would fit in their thinking again and be no threat anymore. He held his tongue out of respect, hoping to gain wisdom from listening (32:6-7). The silence of the text in 1 Samuel 17 is indeed perplexing in the light of two things. Consider this very significant (and relevant) text in 2 Chronicles 16: 1 In the thirty-sixth year of Asas reign, King Baasha of Israel attacked Judah, and he established Ramah as a military outpost to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the land of King Asa of Judah. It is a Hebrew name, meaning God. First, David graciously (Let no mans heart fail. But Goliath seems to notice only the staff (a stick), and not the sling, which may have been largely concealed in the palm of Davids hand, or at his side. What action do these giants require of you? Samuel was eager to find a king to lead Israel. He was Samuels bet as Gods chosen one, but the all-knowing God who sees human hearts perfectly, had this to say: Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. Samuel thought that Eliab was the chosen man of the LORD because he was tall and handsome. The appearance of Eliab resembled that of an army soldier. Seeing what was happening, the Philistines panicked, perhaps throwing their swords down, leaving their iron-wheeled (and shielded) chariots behind, and running for their lives. The point above counters that argument. He was also self-absorbed and preoccupied with his future in the army, his reputation, and his fathers position. Do we hold offense against God? Go! These incidents are the reason God is replacing Saul with David. The same term, " rejected ," that is used in reference to Eliab is also used of Israel's rejection of God as their king (1 Samuel 8:7; 10:19), and of God's rejection of Saul (1 Samuel 15:23 . Furthermore, David had the Spirit of God dwelling in him, empowering him with wisdom and great strength. 25 The reason that God did not rebuke Elihu is because he spoke the truth about Job's condition, unlike Job's three friends. He sent Samuel to the home of Jesse to anoint one of Jesse's eight sons as king of Israel. Life is a journey we can travel together! Job may have been considered to be as righteous as a sinful man can possibly be, but he was by no means perfect. Welcome to Bible Hermeneutics SE and thank you for your contribution. And who did you leave those few sheep with in the wilderness? Both fear and faith are contagious. And yet he would come, and by his words and actions, he would condemn his older brothers for failing to stand for God and for their king. First Samuel 13-15 paints a pretty negative picture of Sauls character, and this is to show why God would remove him as king and replace him with a man after Gods heart. But we should also recognize that while Saul failed miserably in some aspects of his life and reign as king, overall he did deliver the Israelites from many of their oppressors: 47 After Saul had secured his royal position over Israel, he fought against all their enemies on all sides the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. Welcome to this site! Leaders sometimes have to be willing to stand alone. In The Composition of the Elihu Speeches Helen Hawley Nichols stated that this view represents "the verdict of the majority of modern scholars.". Eliab was incredulous. But if I prevail against him and strike him down, you will become our servants and will serve us. 10 Then the Philistine said, I defy Israels troops this day! Divisions at Corinth were not godly, but God used them to reveal those leaders who were approved. I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle. 1 Samuel 17:28, Judgmental words can sting! In a culture that actually respected elders, he held his tongue out of respect, hoping to gain wisdom from listening to them. He was apparently big and strong. There are some who think that because they dont hold a position in the church that they are not, and cannot be, a leader. It was not to be. The Prophet, to Eliabs dismay, passed over him, his younger brothers, Abinadab, Shammah, and all the rest there present. Leaders need to be aware of the fact that our motivations and our deeds may be misunderstood by others. The text has indicated several factors. And Eliabs anger was kindled against David. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. We have seen in 1 Samuel 14:47-48 that Saul was a valiant warrior, so what happened here? The reason is that God's speech was included prior to Elihu's speech, not because God endorsed what Elihu said. While King David did not lose the trust of God and did not defile a sacred offerings, and God had look upon his contrite heart seeking forgiveness . See, I have sent you silver and gold. Job's other friends could only throw false accusations and vague speculations. Young people, take note; you dont have to be older to fulfill a leadership need. What will be done for the man who strikes down this Philistine and frees Israel from this humiliation? Not even when Elihu invites Job to respond (33:5, 33:32, 34:33). No one but Saul and his son Jonathan had them. As his friends only think in terms of blessings and punishments, they don't understand what Job is really concerned about. 22 You are a Father who takes care of Your kids. David had to act in accordance with his faith in God and with his sense of what action he needed to take. He checks how we handle rejection. 6 and he raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 to demonstrate in the coming ages the surpassing wealth of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Had you done that, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever! Jesse never seems to have even considered that David should be present. He is the father of Dathan and Nemuel. The prophet Samuel invites Jesse and his family to a sacrificial feast, but Jesse only brings his seven oldest sons, including Eliab, Abinadab, and Shammah; all seven were rejected by God as king (1 Samuel 16:6-10). Job is still perfect and upright even though he asked to pay for his childrens sins, even though his three friends mock his perfectness, even though SATAN tortured him.
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