Day 13: The Way Of The Warrior

The Way Of The Warrior

In our last devotion, we introduced David, the warrior/king.  We noted that he was ‘called’ by the Lord, chosen to become a man of superior character and lead a nation to glory.  The Lord took him from the most menial of jobs, shepherding sheep, to become one of the most famous empire builders of all time.

After he was anointed to be king, by God  – things did not immediately change.  David still had to tend sheep and help his father take care of family business.  His brothers were off to war against the Philistines, so David took on more responsibilities.  He was not the center of attention, nor were people taking an interest in him – though he had been confirmed as the next king!  The Lord allowed mundane things to shape him.

David also had another part-time job.  He was a musician, for King Saul!  Read 1 Samuel 16:14-23.  Here is a description about David: “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the LORD is with him.” (1 Sam. 16:18 ESV).  6 attributes are noted about David as a young man: 1) skillful musician; 2) man of valor – he is not an adolescent.  Don’t trust Hollywood to get Bible stories correct. 3) a man of war.  He is already a skilled warrior, but not old enough for formal military service. 4) prudent speech – he speaks with insight and discernment.  5) man of good presence – he’s a handsome guy.  He can fit into the staff of a royal court. 6) the LORD was with him. It was discernable that that David and the LORD were tight – inseparable.

Three times in the description, he is called a man.  David could be an NFL tight end.

He had two jobs. but David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem. (1 Sam. 17:15 ESV).  Two polar opposite places of work: in a royal court, with all sorts of important, sophisticated people.  Also, humbly working in the most menial, inglorious tasks, out in the boonies with sheep.

Being with the sheep did not degrade his character, read the previous 6 attributes.  Working in the king’s presence did not make him pompous either.  The Lord is training David in humility, and in high-level refinement.  The Lord is adding to his humility, a level of culture, to make him a person ready to take on the mantle of royalty.

God did the same thing with David’s future descendant – Jesus.  After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. (Lk. 2:46, 47). This was when Jesus was 12 years old (2:42)!

The result? And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man. (Lk. 2:52).  Will the Lord train you in ways to make impressions on all strata of culture?  Count on it. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant (1 Cor. 13:4 ESV).  Being a representative of Christ, one behaves with manners, a level of decorum that is attractive to all levels of people. You will be comfortable with blue-collar folk, as well as the professional class.

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.  (2 Cor. 5:20 ESV). An ambassador speaks on behalf of a king, to royalty or the common man.

The Lord added to David’s warrior prowess, his musical talent, and a further level of skill in refinement.  He could operate in the highest levels of culture without being a bumkin. Thus, David had substance, and credibility.  He would be the warrior/king. The Lord is shaping him into being a man of character, for a job, that only a man of God, can handle.

Then, David’s young life was interrupted.  Things were going so well.

Three of his brothers were in Saul’s army, fighting the Philistines (1 Sam 17:13).  No wonder David is skilled in warrior tactics, his brothers are already trained soldiers.  They must have come home on leave, and taught David some fighting skills.

Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle. And they were gathered at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped… in Ephes-dammim. (1 Sam17:1). So, the Philistines invaded Israeli territory, looking for a fight.  Ephes-dammim = ‘Border of Blood.’  Sounds like a Hollywood horror movie.  But is has a reputation of being a place of contention. A lot of fighting, and a lot of dying took place there.  Both armies faced off.

The Philistines have a super-hero – Goliath.  His name means ‘splendor.’  His daddy must have been mighty proud of his boy.  Goliath was 9’ 9” tall.  NBA players would be three feet shorter than him! He weighed about 650 pounds.  He could play Guard and Tackle on an NFL offensive line! Goliath was gi-normous!

At the same time, guess who shows up?  Jesse, David’s father directed David to take food to Saul’s army and check on his brothers who were soldiering: See if your brothers are well, (1 Sam. 17:18).  Little brother faithfully, shows up to deliver some chow to the warriors, and he gets a show.  The future king does not shirk being a humble servant.

Well the warrior class of the Israelite army would surely challenge this brute: All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were much afraid.  (17:24).  One can understand their attitude.  Facing this manster would be futile.

David had a different perspective: For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (17:26).  David was unimpressed and shocked.

When David got up on that morning, he had no idea that he was going to see this incredible event.  The Lord never gave him a ‘heads-up.’  Circumstances unwrapped themselves in front of David, and he had to make sense of the issue before him.  Israelite warriors are waiting for someone else to have the gumption to address the problem, they are secure in their anonymity. Will David do the same thing?

Remember, he has been anointed to be king.  A king fearlessly leads.  David quickly learns he has three adversaries to face – not just Goliath.  We’ll see all three in our next devotion.

The Warrior’s Prayer