God is the source of power in heaven and on the whole earth. He is the one that determines who wins in any battle. He does not need a sword or spear to fight. There was no sword in the hand of David during the fight.
God gives power to the faint, and to them that have no might He gives strength. All powers belong to Him and He has made it available to us through His Son Jesus.
Jesus confirmed this in Matthew 28 verse 18,
“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”
It is wise to tap into this power especially when the battle is against someone against God’s people. God will use anyone that makes himself available to fight His interest. David was not prepared nor was he qualified for the fight but he was available and the only one that sees beyond the fight.
Saul and the congregation of israel were frightened when they saw the weapon of Goliath and his army. The little boy David knew the army of israel have a God that does not need physical weapons.
He went with his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand.
Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. (1 Samuel 17 verse 45)
God cannot lose battles, He has never lost any. Approach that battle in His name and you will never regret it.
Who wrote 1 Samuel 17:47 and when was it written?
1 Samuel 17:47 was written by Samuel. It was written about 550 BC.
What is the context of 1 Samuel 17?
The context of 1 Samuel 17 talks about the demonstration of the power of God which was revealed in the battle lines between David and Goliath.
This chapter talks about the supremacy of the power of God over the power of men.
We see a Philistine giant in a contest with a shepherd boy armed only with a sling, five stones, and the power of God.
The profile of Goliath is scary to the ranks of israel. The battle array of the Philistines on this very day is very terrifying to the men of israel. He was so sure of himself that he put a bet on the fight that whoever loses shall be the servants of the other. His appearance and challenge to the israelite army were a threat to Saul and his people.
1 Samuel 17 verse 11,
“When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.”
Goliath trusted in all his physical armours while David approached him with the name of the living God.
1 Samuel 17 verses 4 to 7 gave a clear description of Goliath
“And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. And he had bronze armor on his legs and a bronze javelin between his shoulders. Now the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his iron spearhead weighed six hundred shekels; and a shield-bearer went before him.”
This threat of Goliath, the Philistine of Gath continues for forty days morning and evening until when David showed up. No one was able to confront Goliath except David.
The intimidation of the Philistine champion did not move David an inch. He saw the battle as an opportunity to defend God’s people, the Israelites.
David said in 1 Samuel 17 verse 26,
“Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
David was so sure of the conquest. His confidence was not in himself but the God that he serves. First, he believes the battle is not his but God’s and secondly he had past testimonies of how God has delivered him several times from the hand of lion and bear.
But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, 35 I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!”
(1 Samuel 17 verses 34 to 37 )
These are the basis of his victory over Goliath. David prevailed without a sword but with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. He ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. What a victorious God we serve!
What is the message of 1 Samuel 17:47?
The message of 1 Samuel 17:47 talks about the potency of faith in God.
David has a strong faith in God and was conscious of it.
He showcase that faith as he addressed Goliath,
“I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel.”
I am not fighting my battle, I am just a delegate of the army of the living God. He knows what the Lord of host can do.
He boasted the same way Goliath did but his boasting was not in his own strength like Goliath but in the capability of God.
The scripture says in 1 Samuel 2 verse 9,
“He will guard the feet of His saints, but the wicked shall be silent in darkness. “For by strength no man shall prevail.’
He stated to Goliath boldly that the Lord will deliver him into his hand. The most effective weapon to fight any battle is the weapon of faith, not the outward means. David carried no other weapon than that.
He was not even a soldier or a warrior but a young shepherd who just have a heart for God. No wonder God referred to him as a man after His own heart. He knows God does not need any help to conquer.
Ephesians 6 verse 16,
“Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.”
What can you see in that challenge? Are you seeing defeat or triumph? All the twelve spies sent to Canaan saw the people as giants except Joshua and Caleb. These two men saw what the rest of the spies also saw but they demonstrated the spirit of faith.
This is the spirit God was talking about in Numbers 14 verse 24,
“But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it.”
They were the only men from their generation permitted to go into the promised land.
The same spirit of faith was displayed by David. He put his faith in God and was sure of the victory and he got the victory without stress.
“Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear” meaning
“Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear,” means we can win any battle by our level of spirituality and our reliability in God.
Our physical abilities or attributes will fail us in the battle of life. The only person that guarantees safety is God.
Proverbs 21 verse 31,
“The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but deliverance is of the Lord.”
If God is for you, nobody can be against you. Your strength cannot help when the going gets tough.
David made this astounding statement to humble Goliath and his great army. God is known to use our weaknesses to show forth His amazing power. David knew this and took advantage of it.
The assembly David was talking about is the people watching the fight. They cannot imagine the little David fully kitted with the weapon to defeat Goliath not to talk of when he choose not to use any arm.
We have seen the same power of God demonstrated in Gideon’s army against the Midianites. Twenty-two thousand men were reduced to three hundred by the instruction of God.
And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me. (Judges 7 verse 2 )
David said, God has spoken once, Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God.
“For the battle is the Lord’s” meaning
“for the battle is the Lord’s” means God is in charge of the battle.
God has always been the source of strength and power for the people of Israel since they were in Egypt. He owns the people including their battles. We have seen several places in the holy bible where God referred to the Israelites as His people. (2 Chronicles 7:14, Deuteronomy 7:6-8)
This was confirmed in the warfare principles and the promises He made to them in Deuteronomy 20 verses 1 to 4,
“When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt. So it shall be, when you are on the verge of battle that the priest shall approach and speak to the people. And he shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel: Today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies. Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them; for the Lord your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’
David must be hanging on to these promises when he faced Goliath. He said it twice to the face of Goliath, that he has defied the armies of the living God. No one confronts God’s people and expects God to stand watching.
He must take over. This is the reason David was so confident to make that statement twice. The family members of David could not stop him. His eldest brother Eliab became angry at him, all these did not quench the faith of the young man. God eventually defended Himself.
“And He will give you into our hands” meaning
“and He will give you into our hands” means God cannot lose any battle.
David was talking about the capability of God. He knew long time what God can do. His faith was built on God’s promises concerning victory against the enemies of His people for their obedience to His word.
Goliath threatened to give David’s flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field while David declared he will give the carcases of the host of the philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth.
In the end, the entire army of Philistines was delivered into the hands of the Israelites. The men of Israel and Judah pursued the Philistines as far as the entrance of the valley and to the gates of ekron.
What is the difference in biblical translations of 1 Samuel 17:47 (NKJV, KJV, NIV & ESV)?
1 Samuel 17:47 NKJV biblical translation “ Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.”
1 Samuel 17:47 KJV biblical translation “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.”
1 Samuel 17:47 NIV biblical translation “All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”
1 Samuel 17:47 ESV biblical translation “and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hand.”
There is no difference in the four translations between NKJV, KJV, NIV, and ESV
The four translations are written almost the same and have the same meaning.
How do I apply 1 Samuel 17:47 to my life?
Applying 1 Samuel 17:47 to my life is to build our faith ready for the battles of life.
The whole world we live in is a battlefield, not a fun field. The good news is that God has made us more than conquerors before the fight.
Isaiah 43 verse 2 says,
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.’
It did not say if you pass. Challenges will come. We just need to build our faith ready.
Feed constantly on the word of God. What food is to the physical body is what the word of God is to the children of God.
Remember, Faith is built by continuous hearing and understanding of the word of God.
What is 1 Samuel 17:47 prayer?
Almighty Father, I recognize the good works and great things you have done in my life. I know You are with me wherever I go and no matter what life brings, You will never leave nor forsake me. I declare that I am heavily protected by you because you are my shield and my soul is preserved in you in Jesus Christ I pray. AMEN
Conclusion
There is a huge difference between fighting the Lord’s battles and letting the Lord fight his battles through you. Let God fight His battle by Himself.
The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace. (Exodus 14 verse 14)
Just surrender to him, He will give you rest roundabout.
