If you'd like to join me in 1
Samuel chapter 17. As I was studying, some lines of a song kept coming
to my mind. Up Calvary's mountain, one dreadful
morn, walked Christ my Savior, weary and worn. Are you prone, as I am, to repeat
words of a song? To read passages of scripture
and just gloss over them? Why is it that my heart is so
cold, so stony, so unresponsive, that at every mention, every
reminder of what the Lord Jesus Christ did for me, that he came,
God, in the likeness of sinful flesh, dwelt among us, went to
the cross and shed his blood, why doesn't my heart fall down
in wonder and adoration and praise at every single remembrance? Up Calvary's mountain, one dreadful
morn, walked Christ my Savior, weary and worn, What was my Savior
doing walking up Calvary's mountain that morning? Do you see him
going up to that mountain in your mind's eye? Do you see him
going up as a defeated martyr? Or do you see him, his face set
steadfastly at the task before him? the Son of God, the God-man,
the woman's promised seed, set, determined to complete his battle. 1 Samuel 17. This is a very familiar
passage of scripture, and we've heard many messages from it.
This chapter records the events leading up to and surrounding
the battle between David and Goliath. And we're just gonna
look at a few verses, verses 45 through 47 will be our text. But let's begin reading 1 Samuel
17, verse 42. And when the Philistine looked
about him and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth,
and ruddy, and of fair countenance. And the Philistine said unto
David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And
the Philistine cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine
said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the
fowls of the air and to the beasts of the field." Then said David
to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with
a spear, and with a shield. But I come to thee in the name
of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom
thou hast defied. This day will the Lord deliver
thee into mine hand, and I will smite thee, and take thine head
from thee, And I will give the carcasses of the host of the
Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air and to the wild
beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there
is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know
that the Lord saveth, not with sword and spear. For the battle
is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hands." The battle
is the Lord's. How often I've heard this quoted,
how often I've heard it read, and yet it is a verse, it is
a statement that is so often glossed over. What battle exactly
is the Lord's? Against whom and how was the
battle fought? What did he win? And what is
my response? We know the Holy Spirit recorded
this account for us that we might see David as a picture of our
Lord Jesus Christ. David was sent out by his father
to see to the well-being of his brothers. Going down to where
they were, he found them prepared for battle and facing an enemy
they were afraid of and had no hope of defeating of themselves. David made known that he was
ready and willing to fight for Israel against the Philistine.
David was at last taken to Saul, who looked upon him and he basically
said, there is no way you can achieve victory. But at last he conceded that
David could go down, but first he would have to put on some
armor of Saul's. But David wouldn't have it. He
went. out alone from amongst his brethren
to face for them the threat that they could not overcome themselves.
And he came out victorious. I know that you know the picture,
but I'm gonna tell it to us again. The Lord Jesus Christ, God the
Son, was given a people by God the Father. a sinful, rebellious
people who stood before a holy law and holy justice with no
means of satisfying it. Our Lord came to where we are. He came down from glory. He dwelt
among us. And when the time came, He went
out from us. and faced the wrath and justice
of God alone, and he has slain the enmity and reconciled us
to the Father. He tread the winepress of God's
wrath alone, and he emerged victorious. The battle is the Lord's. What battle is of such importance
that the just, righteous, holy God, and savior of sinful men
would claim the battle as his own? We find our answer in David's
declaration to Goliath, starting in verse 45. Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword,
and with a spear, and with a shield. But I come to thee in the name
of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom
thou hast defied. First David declared, I come
to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts." David didn't go before
Goliath trusting that because he had slain a lion and because
he had slain a bear, he was able to slay this giant. No, he went
before Goliath in the name of the Lord of hosts. David put
his trust, his confidence, his assurance, not in his own ability,
but in the ability of the God of Israel who had chosen Israel
out of all the people of the earth to put his name upon them. Glance back a few pages to 1
Samuel chapter 12, verse 22. 1 Samuel 12, 22. For the Lord will not forsake
his people for his great name's sake, because it hath pleased
the Lord to make you his people. The battle is the Lord's because
his great name, his character, his person, is at stake, and
He will magnify His name. He won't leave it to another.
He took up the battle because it concerns His name. Continuing in verse 46. This
day, 1 Samuel 17, 46, This day will the Lord deliver
thee into mine hand, and I will smite thee and take thine head
from thee, and I will give the carcasses of the host of the
Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air and to the wild
beast of the earth, that all the earth may know that there
is a God in Israel." David said the Lord made this battle his,
that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. In
taking the battle up himself, all men are without excuse when
they do not bow and submit and come to the Lord Jesus Christ
for salvation. He has made it known through
all the earth there is a God in Israel, and He is the mighty
God. The Lord Jesus Christ is not only the Lord of all the
earth, but He is the Savior of sinful men. Verse 47. All this assembly shall know
that the Lord saveth, not with sword and spear. For the battle
is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hands. All this
assembly shall know that the Lord saveth. Salvation is of
the Lord. beginning to end, first to last,
He is all in all in the sinner's salvation. The Almighty Holy
God of heaven and earth has taken up the battle for the glory of
His great name so that all are without excuse and to the salvation
of those He has purpose to save from all eternity. In any battle, there must be
two parties involved, at least two parties. So who are the parties
involved in the Lord's battle? Let's consider this from the
battle that we're reading about as David is speaking to Goliath. Behind him is his family, his
brothers, his cousins, his flesh and blood. Before him are the
Philistines, those who have taken the peace away from his family. What is represented here? Given,
as we know, that David represents the Lord Jesus Christ, what is
represented by the Israelites and the Philistines? Israel,
of course, represents all of those whom Christ has taken the battle up for, those
who were chosen and given to him, those helpless sinners who
God chose in Christ before the foundation of the world. What are the Philistines? What
do they represent? All that stands against us before
God, pride, self-righteousness, sin, iniquities? Certainly, all of those. What
about the law of God? The holy, unyielding, unbending
justice of God that stands against me because of my sin? What about the holy triune God? As I stand confident in my abilities,
confident in my righteousness, looking to myself and not looking
to Christ for my salvation, who stands against me? The almighty
God himself. This is a battle I cannot win. Before David stood before Goliath,
he stood before Saul. Glance over at verse 32. And David said to Saul, let no
man's heart fail because of him, Goliath. Thy servant will go
and fight with this Philistine. And Saul said to David, thou
art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him,
for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war. May God forgive me for having
such low thoughts of him. Do you remember the first time
you heard, not with the hearing of ears, I've heard the gospel
almost all my life, but the first time it reached the heart? That gospel that said, the work
is finished. Christ Jesus has put away your
sins by the sacrifice of himself. Do you remember thinking something
similar too? It's not possible. It can't be. You don't know. What's in here? You don't know
what I am. Is it truly possible one man,
by the sacrifice of himself, can do something for this? That's essentially what David
said to Saul. Then after David said that, I
mean Saul said that to David, he proceeded just like we do
in our own natures. Saul tried to add his glory to
David's. David, I really don't believe you're
going to survive this battle. But go ahead, you go out there
and you face Goliath. But while you're doing that,
put my armor on. I'm going to give you my armor,
just in case. Should you survive, I get some
of the glory. It's not going to be all you.
Saul gave you that armor. And because of that armor, you
survived this battle. Don't we try to do the same? Jesus Christ died on the cross,
but I've got to do something to make it effectual. I've got
to accept him. I've got to pray every day. I've
got to read my scriptures. Lord, forgive me. for thinking
so little of the great things God has done for me in Christ
Jesus. Saul didn't receive any glory.
David didn't take any armor with him. David went out alone, taking
with him only that that he brought with him to face the Philistine
giant. Our Lord Jesus Christ tread the
winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God alone. He came down to where we are. The mighty God robed Himself
in the likeness of flesh. He undertook for us and by Himself
obtained a righteous standing before God. He willingly separated
Himself. On the night that they came to
take him, he said, If therefore ye seek me, let these go their
way. All his friends forsook him,
yet he never forsook us. He went before the judgment seat
alone. He endured the suffering alone. He hung on the cross. alone. He bled alone. And in those hours of darkness,
the Father forsook Him as our sin was found upon Him. Our sin and our iniquities were
placed upon Him, and all those that stand against us, the law,
justice, The triune God met together on Calvary's cross. He paid our
debt. He died our death. He was buried in our grave for
our sins and our iniquities that we commit. On the third day,
He of His own power rose again and gave to us the righteousness
which he lived and the eternal life which he has. Ephesians
2 says, for he is our peace, who hath made both two opposing
parties, one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition
between us, having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even
the law of commandments contained in ordinances, for to make in
himself of Twain one new man, so making peace. and that he might reconcile both
unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby. How did the Lord Jesus Christ
fight the battle for our salvation? 2 Corinthians 5.21, For he hath
made him sin for us, no sin, that we might be made
the righteousness of God in him. And in Hebrews 9, now once in
the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the
sacrifice of himself. You've heard it said, To the
victor go the spoils. So what is Christ's reward for
this victorious battle? What are his spoils? Turn with
me to Isaiah 61. You don't have to hold your place
there in first Samuel. Isaiah chapter 61. Towards the beginning of our
Lord's earthly ministry as a preacher, He read this passage of scripture.
And then He began to say unto them, this day is this scripture
fulfilled in your ears. So we know that this passage
is concerning Christ. Isaiah 61, verse 1. The Spirit of the Lord God is
upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings
unto the meek. He hath sent me to bind up the
brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening
of the prison to them that are bound, to proclaim the acceptable
year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort
all that mourn. to appoint unto them that mourn
in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for
mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness,
that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting
of the Lord, that he might be glorified." Our Lord's reward for His victorious
battle He preaches good tidings to the meek. He binds up the
brokenhearted. He proclaims liberty to the captives. He opens the prison to them that
are bound. He proclaims the acceptable year
of the Lord. He proclaims the day of vengeance
of our God. the day of vengeance against
the sin of those that he came to save, and the day of vengeance
against those who refuse to bow to him. He that believeth on
the Son hath everlasting life. And he that believeth not the
Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. He comforts all that mourn. giving beauty rather than ashes,
the oil of joy rather than mourning, the garment of praise rather
than the spirit of heaviness, calling them trees of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord." As we read these rewards, these
spoils, did you notice all the giving He who gave himself for
me and won the victory as his reward continues to give. Remember the words of the Lord
Jesus, how he said, it is more blessed to give than to receive. Now look at the last five words
of verse three. that he might be glorified."
The Lord Jesus Christ won the victory, and in short, his spoil,
he gets all the glory. The battle is the Lord's. His
name is at stake. If even a single sin remains
for one he set his love upon to save from Adam's fallen race,
his holy character will be marred. And that cannot be, and he trusts
it only to himself to ensure his name is magnified. He makes
all the earth to know there is a God in Israel, and He is the
mighty God. there is no excuse for not coming
to Him. He is the Savior of sinful men. He fought the battle and He emerged
victorious when He had by Himself purged our sins. He receives
all the glory for the finished battle. Now what is our response? What
can we possibly say to this? Turn with me to Psalm 103. We began with David's declaration
And we'll close with David's declaration. Psalm 103. What is our response to his finished
victorious work? Bless the Lord, O my soul, and
all that is within me. Bless his holy name. Bless the
Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. who forgiveth
all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases, who redeemeth
thy life from destruction, who crowneth thee with lovingkindness
and tender mercies, who satisfieth thy mouth with good things, so
that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's." The Lord executeth
righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. He made
known His ways unto Moses, His acts unto the children of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always
chide, neither will He keep His anger forever. He hath not dealt
with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above
the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him. As
far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions
from us. Like as a father pitieth his
children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth
our frame, he remembereth that we are dust. As for man, his
days are as grass, as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it,
and it is gone, and the place thereof shall know it no more. But the mercy of the Lord is
from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and
his righteousness unto children's children, to such as keep his
covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.
The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom
ruleth over all. Bless the Lord, ye His angels
that excel in strength, that do His commandments, hearkening
unto the voice of His word. Bless ye the Lord, all ye His
hosts, ye ministers of His that do His pleasure. Bless the Lord,
all His works, in all places of His dominion. Bless the Lord,
Oh, my soul. Amen.