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I. The Birth of Samuel and His Call (Chap 1 – 3)• Distress of Hannah and Samuel’s birth and dedication • Sin’s of Eli’s sons and the rebuke of Eli • Samuel’s early life• Samuel’ s call to the prophetic office

II. Loss of the Ark to the Philistines and Its Recovery (Chap 4 - 7)

• Loss of the Ark of the Covenant; Death of Eli and his sons • Philistine possession of the Ark brings curse • Return of the Ark to Israel• Israel repents and Philistines are conquered • Samuel was the last of the judges in Israel

III. Selection of Saul and His Reign (Chap 8 - 15)• Samuel’s sons did not judge honestly • Israel demands a king and the Lord’ s reply • Saul anointed as first king; Spirit comes on him• Saul installed as king• Saul leads Israel in victory over Ammon• Samuel’s address to the people; their confession• Saul leads Israel against Philistines• Saul offers sacrifices to the Lord• Saul spares Agag and the spoil from the Amalekites

IV. Selection of David and the Conflict Between David and Saul (Chap 16 - 31)

• David anointed as next king; Spirit comes on him• Spirit of God departs from Saul • David and Goliath

Read Chapter 17

- It was after 27 years that the Philistines had mustered courage and attacked the Israelites.

- Goliath, of Gath: The Philistine Champion belonged to a race or family of giants, the sons of Anak who lived in Gath, Gaza and Ashdod.

"Hear, O Israel! You are crossing over the Jordan today to go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than you, great cities fortified to heaven, a people great and tall, the sons of the Anakim, whom you know and of whom you have heard it said, 'Who can stand before the sons of Anak?'

Deut 9:2

“There was none of the Anakims left in the land of the children of Israel: only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, there remained.”

Joshua 11:22

- Goliath was 9 ft and 9 inches tall. (Robert Wadlow, 8ft 11in)

- His armour was 58 kgs in weight.- The tip of his Javelin was 7 kgs

“Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me.” Vs 8

“For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand.”

Vs 17:16

• The rains (in Noah's day) fell for 40 days and nights (Genesis 7:4).• Israel ate Manna for 40 years (Exodus 16:35).• Moses was with God in the mount, 40 days and nights (Ex 24:18).• The spies searched the land of Canaan for 40 days (Num13:25).• God gave Nineveh 40 days to repent (Jonah 3:4).• Jesus fasted 40 days and nights (Matthew 4:2).• Jesus was tempted 40 days (Luke 4:2, Mark 1:13).• Jesus remained on earth 40 days after resurrection (Acts 1:3).

- It represents a period of Testing or Judgment.- It speaks about a Divine Intervention by God for His people.

- The 40 days is very significant:

What we learn from David’s life ….

Go for the Giants“David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.” 17:32

- God called Moses to fight King Pharaoh

“And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” Exodus 3: 9-10

What we learn from David’s life is that….

Go for the Giants- God called Moses to fight King Pharaoh

“And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” Exodus 3: 9-10

- Jesus was sent on a mission to rescue us. “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4: 18-19

What we learn from David’s life is that….

Go for the Giants- Moses was called by God to face the Giants. - David took initiative to face the Giants.- Jesus was sent to face the giants.- If we choose any other way of living our life in

God, we will perish.

“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”

Mark 8: 35-36

What we learn from David’s life is that….

Being wholehearted prepares us to face Giants

“But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”

17: 34-37

What we learn from David’s life ….

Being wholehearted prepares us to face Giants

David enjoyed that Intimacy with God. His Psalms are a reflection of his intimacy with God: Lets look at Psalm 73

“Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.” Vs 1

It starts with an “Orientation” to God.

“But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” Vs 2-3

“This is what the wicked are like—always free of care, they go on amassing wealth. Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence.” Vs 12-13

Then it progresses towards “Disorientation”.

“Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Vs 23-26

Finally it ends with “Reorientation”. But this is Faith.

Giants are overcome by an undaunted Conviction in God“David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied….So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.” 17: 45,50

What we learn from David’s ….

When we look at David,

- He was very small- He had no weapons of offense or defence- He was not trained to be in a war- He did not come prepared for it- He was alone, he did not even have a single person to

support himBut He knew God had given him the Victory;

Demonstrate that Victory and Declare that Victory

Every time we walk out of the door, we are like David on the outside.

- Very small- No match for anyone- We are not trained for that kind of battle- We are never going to be prepared- We are all alone

But when we live with a conviction that God has given us Victory through Jesus, we will be able to Face and Defeat every Giant

When Christ came into this world:

- He came in a very insignificant way- He had no throne nor an army- He was weak and poor- He couldn’t convince or please the Jews or the Romans - He was all alone

Yet He defeated the Giants of “Sin” and “Sickness” and “ Death” for the people of this world.

When I believe in Him I too Can

“Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he has brought justice through to victory. In his name the nations will put their hope.”

Matthew 12: 18-21