Latest / Scripture Central / The Battle is the Lord’s (David’s Rise) | 1 Samuel 17-2 Samuel 10 | Come Follow Me 2026 | John Hilton III

Transcript

The Battle is the Lord’s (David’s Rise) | 1 Samuel 17-2 Samuel 10 | Come Follow Me 2026 | John Hilton III · Scripture Central

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  Sometimes it's not the Giants. That undo.
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  Us. It's the little.
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  Things. So many of us make a great fuss
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  of matters of small consequence. We are so.
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  Easily offended is life. Going to be.
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  Fair for. Us.
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  No, it's not. Because of Christ's.
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  Atonement. All that is unfair.
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  About this life is resolved. The question for us?
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  Is what will we do today? The.
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  Battle really is the Lord's. We just have to look to Him.
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  So for the next. Two classes we're going to be
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  looking at the life of David. His story is so.
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  Epic that Amazon is making a multi season.
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  Show about it called The House of David and I've really been
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  enjoying it. The story of David.
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  In the Bible is. 43 chapters long from first.
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  Samuel 16. All the way to.
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  First Kings chapter 2 and it's interesting this is the longest.
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  Account Historical account of a. Single life in ancient near
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  eastern. Literature.
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  God. Really wants us to.
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  Learn from David. But there's a problem.
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  Because there's 43 chapters. About David's life and just
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  because of expediency and needing to.
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  Cover a lot of text. The Come Follow Me chapters they
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  only include 10. Of the 42 chapters.
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  From David's life. So unless you read.
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  The whole account. You're going to miss a lot of
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  subplots and interesting details that I think.
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  You don't want to miss SO. I want to start.
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  Out with an invitation. Get a modern Bible.
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  Translation and try reading. Or listening to 1st.
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  Samuel 16 all. The way through First Kings
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  chapter 2 I actually tried this for myself while I was driving
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  to the airport. I was loving the story so much,
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  actually missed the. Exit to the airport.
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  It was so intriguing. Seriously, this is a.
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  Captivating story. Now before we dive into some of
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  the. Stories of David let's.
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  Set the context. David lived around 1000 BC and
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  when he was. The child Saul was the king.
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  Later, when David becomes king, he'll solidify the unification
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  of the 12. Tribes of Israel and he'll also
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  capture Jerusalem. It's under David.
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  That Jerusalem becomes the political and.
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  Spiritual Capital. Of God's people.
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  Now, because there's 40. 3 chapters we won't have time to.
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  Talk about every aspect of David.
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  'S life, but. Today we'll focus on.
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  Four stories, some of. Which are well known and some of
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  which you. Might have never heard of
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  before. They're David and Goliath, David
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  and McCall, David and Abigail and David and Jonathan.
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  So let's start with. David and Goliath.
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  This is probably. The most well known.
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  Stories having to do with David. I think we're familiar with the
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  scene the Philistines have come to.
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  Attack the. Israelites, and rather than
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  everyone, didn't join in hand. To hand combat.
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  A giant named Goliath. Offered a challenge.
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  He said to the Israelites choose.
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  A man and have him come down to me.
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  If he's able to. Fight and kill me.
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  We will become your subjects. But if I overcome him and kill
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  him, you will become. Our subjects and serve us.
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  So it sounds like a. Great way to save a lot of
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  bloodshed. But there's one problem.
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  Goliath is enormous. We read in the King James that
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  Goliath was. 6 cubits in a. Span, which is about 9 feet 9
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  inches tall. Now a quick.
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  Nerdy detour, the old. Testament is coming from the
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  Masoretic text, which if you. Remember from our very first.
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  Class is a. Hebrew version of the Old
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  Testament, dating to about the year. 1000 AD, so the Masoretic.
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  Text says that Goliath. Was 6 cubits in a span, but in
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  some Bible translations you might read Goliath being a
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  different height. That's because the.
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  Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of the.
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  Hebrew says that Goliath was 4. Cubits in a span about 6 foot 9
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  inches tall. And what's?
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  Interesting is that? The Dead Sea Scrolls, which were
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  only discovered a few decades ago, agree with the Septuagint,
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  but for our purposes. Either way, Goliath is.
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  Still a giant. Because at the time.
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  The average Israelite male. Was.
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  Barely 5 feet tall, so Goliath towers over of them.
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  And he's not just tall, he has this.
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  Crazy awesome equipment, we read he wore a bronze helmet on his.
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  Head and wore a coat of. Scale armor of bronze weighing
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  about 125 lbs. I don't even think I could.
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  Lift 120. £5 let alone. Wear 125 lbs on his legs.
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  He. Wore bronze Greaves.
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  These would be like. Really sweet shin guards.
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  And a bronze. Javelin was slung on his.
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  Back his spear shaft. Was like a weaver's rod.
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  And it's iron. Point weighed about. 15 lbs.
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  So a weaver's rod is the. Thick, heavy beam.
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  It's not the kind of thing that you normally.
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  Carry around. And think about the.
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  Point of the spear weighing. 15 lbs.
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  Picture the scene Goliath. Strutting around in his armor.
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  No wonder the Israelites are afraid the.
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  Text says on hearing the Philistines words Saul and.
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  All the Israelites were. Dismayed and terrified.
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  Then comes David. David was the youngest of
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  Jesse's sons. A.
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  Boy who tended his. Father's sheep, he.
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  Wasn't even in the. Army.
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  He's basically a glorified Uber Eats delivery boy who's bringing
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  bread and cheese to his brothers and while he's.
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  Delivering the food. He hears Goliath taunts.
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  So there's a. Contrast a giant encased.
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  In. Bronze versus a boy.
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  And I love how Timothy Keller points out that.
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  The source of strength for Goliath and David is very
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  different. Goliath has a lot of natural
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  powers and abilities, and he's got a lot of what we might call
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  technology. Backing him up, that's.
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  His source of strength? Goliath.
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  Isn't afraid, He thinks nothing can hurt him.
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  And maybe. Sometimes we ourselves are in a
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  similar. Situation.
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  Everything's going great. In our lives, we're happy, we're
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  content. We can do anything.
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  Nothing can hurt. Us until it does.
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  And we wake up one day and find out that good health.
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  Can turn to bad. Health for.
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  Us or for someone? That we love and we find out
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  that all the. Stuff that we thought was.
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  Protecting us from pain. Can't protect us anymore, so the
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  way of Goliath. Could work for a.
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  Time, but it never lasts. Contrast Goliath's source of
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  strength with David's over and over.
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  David says the Lord will deliver.
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  Me, I come to. Thee in the name of the.
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  Lord of hosts, this day will the Lord deliver.
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  Thee into my hands I will smite thee, that all the earth may
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  know that. There is a God in Israel, and my
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  favorite, the battle is the Lord's.
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  We've talked. About 1 liners.
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  Before have you marked? That one.
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  Liner in your scriptures, I mean that's.
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  Powerful David's at the level where.
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  We all. Want to be.
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  When you get to where David is you.
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  Can face the Giants in your life with confidence.
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  Because you really believe the battle.
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  Is the Lord's. And I think you can still have.
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  This. Kind of faith even in our modern
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  challenging. Society I think about.
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  A man he was. 48 years old and he had a huge task in front of
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  him. He was the president of a
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  junior. College.
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  And he was given the task of. Turning it into a four year
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  university. It was difficult.
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  By all accounts, and. Especially because there could
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  have been people in the local community.
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  Who were opposed to the change when one of his.
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  Colleagues on the transition team asked him.
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  President, are you scared? He responded.
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  If I thought we had to execute. This transition, relying
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  exclusively upon our own experience in our own judgment.
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  Then I would be terrified. But.
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  We will have help. From heaven because we know who
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  is in charge and that we are not alone then.
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  No, I am not scared. That's the spirit David had when
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  he faced Goliath. And it's the Spirit.
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  Of another David too, David A Bednar.
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  Who led the transition? From Rick's College.
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  To BYU Idaho and I think it's possible for us to develop this
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  David like faith. It happens line.
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  Upon line, not overnight. But small, simple experiences.
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  Build. That's how it was for David,
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  too. He said when a lion or bear came
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  and carried off a sheet from the flock, I.
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  Rescued the sheet. From its mouth.
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  When it turned. On me I seized.
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  It by its hair struck it and killed it.
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  I have killed both the. Lion and the Bear this
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  uncircumcised Philistine will be like.
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  One of them. Small experiences.
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  We have in our. Lives can help us.
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  And I know sometimes this won't sound very optimistic, but.
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  Sometimes in our lives, it might.
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  Feel like we're. Facing a Goliath, but really
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  it's the lion or the bear. We're facing.
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  Preparing us for even bigger challenges ahead.
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  I don't say this to have anyone be gloomy.
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  Or think, Oh no, what's to come? Because in the.
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  Strength of the Lord. We can do all things and we can
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  have. True confidence in God no matter
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  what the outcome is, so David declared.
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  The battle is the Lord's. I want you to imagine a person
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  who. Faces serious challenges.
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  What would? Change in their life if they.
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  Deeply, truly believed that the Lord would fight their battles
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  for them. I fall a lot into the trap of I
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  have to do it all and if I don't do it all right then it's all
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  going to fail. But I can rest then and say I
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  have done everything that I can do and I know that you have this
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  battle. What I have done is enough.
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  Will you consecrate that effort to the victory?
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  Thank you. What we go through in this life
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  isn't just about this life, it's about eternity and learning to
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  put our trust in the Lord enough to give us that kind of
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  strength. The kind of strength we would
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  need to battle a Goliath is not only going to make us stronger
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  for ourselves and for our families, but for our eternal
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  lives. Thank you.
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  So we don't want to be like Goliath.
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  We do want to be. Like David, But what?
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  Happens on days when we're neither.
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  Because I'll be honest, a lot of times I'm like Saul, dismayed
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  and terrified. And when Saul was.
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  Terrified, he looked to a deliverer.
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  For Saul the deliverer was David, and for.
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  US. When we're dismayed and
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  terrified, the deliverer isn't David, it's his descendant.
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  Jesus Christ. David looked like a very
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  unlikely hero. Christ was the same.
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  Speaking about him, Isaiah said there was no beauty in him that
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  we should. Desire him, but Jesus is the
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  truer and better David. David traveled to the Valley of
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  Elah to. Face Goliath.
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  Jesus walked. Through the Valley of the
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  Shadow. Of death setting us.
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  Free from captivity. So think about your life.
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  Who are you today? If we're Goliath, it's time to
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  repent. Of trusting in my own strength
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  of. Thinking I can do everything if
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  I'm like Saul, dismayed and terrified, I can remember the
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  greater David has already won the victory.
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  If you're David, you deeply. Know.
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  The battle. Really is the Lord's we just
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  have. To look to him.
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  Now the story of David and Goliath.
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  It's really famous, but this next story, the story of.
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  David and Mchall. Much less famous.
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  In fact, I recently asked a group of.
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  About 50 people. How many of you?
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  Have heard the story. David and Bathsheba almost.
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  Every hand went up. But when I asked who's heard the
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  story of David and his first? Wife Mchall Almost no.
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  Hands went up, although if you're watching the House of
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  David series. That might change.
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  Over time, people, the. Story might become.
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  Better well known. But let's discuss.
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  Shortly after David slew Goliath, the.
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  Woman sang to 1. Another as they made merry, Saul
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  has killed his. Thousands and David his 10.
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  Thousands. Saul did not like this song, but
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  we read that Me Call Saul's daughter.
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  Loved David. It's like Romeo and Juliet, boy.
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  Meets girl but. The parents hate each other.
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  Saul is really jealous. Of David.
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  And so he. Decides to use Mccall's love for
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  David. To set a trap, Saul.
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  Sent some of his. Servants to tell David Oh,
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  Saul's daughter. Is in love with you.
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  Saul wants you to. Marry his daughter.
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  David was surprised, he said. Do you think it's a small thing
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  to become the? King's son-in-law.
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  I'm only a. Poor man.
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  I don't have enough. Resources to give a dowry for
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  the King's daughter. That was all part of Saul's
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  plan. Saul told the servants to tell
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  David the king desireth not any dowry, just 100 foreskins.
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  Of the Philistines to be avenged of the King's enemies.
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  So Saul's plan is that David's? Going to go out attack the.
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  Philistines, David's. Going to get killed.
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  Problem solved. But instead we read.
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  David arose and went, he and his men and slew.
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  Of the Philistines, 200. Men.
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  And David brought their foreskins.
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  And gave them in. Full number.
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  To the King. Now maybe we're.
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  Starting to understand why this is a lesser known story we often
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  talk. About Ammon chopping off the
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  arms and giving them to the kings, but.
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  The Story of. Foreskins being delivered to
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  Saul. Maybe don't share that in
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  Primary. So Saul is surprised, but what
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  can he? Do right?
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  So we read Saul gave David McCall his daughter to wife, and
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  again we read McCall. Loves.
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  David it's an amazing love story.
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  Boy meets girl girl. Falls in love with.
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  Boy boy gets 200 and. Foreskins in the Philistines.
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  What could go wrong? But in the very next chapter,
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  Saul. Continues to be angry with
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  David. He wants to kill him and McCall
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  finds out about it. So.
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  She helps David escape through a window and then tells the.
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  Soldiers that David is sick to stall for time she creates a.
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  Fake David using goat hair and she even puts a goat.
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  Liver under the blanket. So it kind of looks like David
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  is moving a little bit. It's sort of like.
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  Ferris Bueller's Day Off So McCall stalls the soldiers and
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  David escapes, and David is safe for the day.
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  But the problems multiply. David is.
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  Constantly on the run and Saul takes McCall and gives her to
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  someone else. To marry David also while.
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  He's on the run, marries 2 additional women.
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  So now. Our star crossed lovers.
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  Are both married, but two different people.
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  Flash forward several years. By the time we get to the end of
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  First Samuel, Saul is killed in a battle with the Philistines.
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  And over time, David becomes. More and more powerful, but
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  there are still some of. Saul's descendants.
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  Who oppose him? So one day one of Saul's
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  descendants generals comes to David and says I want to defect.
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  I want to join your team, David says.
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  Well, I will make an agreement. With you but I.
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  Demand one thing of you do not come into my presence unless you
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  bring me. Call daughter of Saul.
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  When you come to see me now, I want.
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  To acknowledge, there are a lot of details that we don't have in
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  this. Story but I like.
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  To imagine that McCall. Was happy.
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  To come back to. David, who knows?
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  Maybe. She liked her second.
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  Husband a lot better. But let's imagine it's.
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  Just this beautiful. Reunite can.
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  You just see this. Is an amazing.
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  Love story. They're back.
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  Together everything's amazing. They conquered Jerusalem one.
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  Day David's victorious. In battle and he.
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  Brings the Ark of the Covenant. Into Jerusalem?
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  What would? You do if you brought the Ark of
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  the Covenant into Jerusalem. You'd have a dance.
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  Party, of course we read David dance before the Lord with all
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  his might. In fact, we.
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  Actually have some footage of this event.
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  Now if you're thinking to yourself.
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  What? This looks like an awesome
• 15:48
  movie. I wish I could.
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  Watch the whole thing. Wish granted.
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  I have a link to it on the course website.
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  There's actually. Multiple movies about David.
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  And if you're wondering to yourself.
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  Was David really? Dancing in his underwear?
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  Probably not, but there was definitely something.
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  Odd about his dancing because we read as the Ark of the.
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  Lord came into the. City McCall, Saul's daughter,
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  looked through a window. And saw King David leaping and
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  dancing before the Lord, and she despised him.
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  In her heart. So, as we'll see in a moment, me
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  Hall. Felt like David was.
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  Immodest in his dancing. So in my mind I.
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  Picture David. He's.
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  Coming home to bless his family, he's.
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  So happy. He's like, hey guys, I'm home,
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  everything. 'S great.
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  Now me call. Has a choice.
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  She could say, welcome home honey, give him a little kiss on
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  the cheek, serve him some food next Monday night, bring out for
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  the strength of youth the music and dancing section, you know,
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  like have a little family home evening about it.
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  She could have done that. But instead.
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  She comes out swinging. How the King of Israel honored
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  himself today uncovering. Himself today before the.
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  Eyes of his. Servants, maids as any.
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  Vulgar fellow might shamelessly uncover himself so the.
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  Hebrew word here doesn't necessarily mean that.
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  David is dressed immodestly. That's possible.
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  It could also mean that he was. Just being immodest or vulgar
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  for acting beneath his. Dignity in his dance.
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  But either way, now David has a choice.
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  He could say, honey, you're right, I'm so.
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  Sorry, let me take. You out to dinner tonight, but.
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  Instead, David hits back. He says the.
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  Lord chose me in place of. Your father in all his
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  household. To appoint me as.
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  Prince over Israel. I will make myself yet more
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  contemptible than this. The maids of.
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  Whom you have spoken. By them.
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  I shall be held in honor. How does the story end?
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  We read. Therefore me call.
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  The daughter of Saul. Had no child.
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  Until the day of her death. The end.
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  I shared this story once and someone was like oh man, they
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  struggled. With infertility.
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  That is so hard. Just to be.
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  Clear that is not what was happening and I want to
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  acknowledge there are different ways that you.
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  Could read this story? Right.
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  Maybe. David truly was dancing.
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  Before the Lord in an. Awesome righteous way and
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  Mccall's being. Really petty or maybe.
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  David has been a. Jerk for years.
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  And this is the. Straw that breaks.
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  The camel's back. I'm not trying to maybe say
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  exactly what. Happened in the story, but one
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  thing's for sure at 1:00. Point in time, McCall.
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  Loved David. And now there's an
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  irreconcilable. Breach.
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  Does anything like that happen today?
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  President Hinckley said. So many of us make a great fuss
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  of matters of small consequence. We are so easily offended.
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  Happy is the. Man who can brush aside the.
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  Offending remarks of another. And go on his way.
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  The Story of. David and McCall reminds me of a
• 18:40
  story in the Book of Mormon you might remember, that Chief
• 18:43
  Captain Moroni was frustrated with.
• 18:45
  Pahoran Chief Captain More. Needed more men.
• 18:48
  More. Resources.
• 18:48
  And so he writes for Horn the scathing letter.
• 18:51
  He says if you don't send us some resources, we're going to
• 18:53
  come kill. You and.
• 18:54
  What more and I didn't know is that.
• 18:56
  Pahorn was on the run. He'd been driven out of the land
• 18:58
  of Sarah Hemlet. He was barely surviving.
• 19:00
  Himself. But Pahorn wrote back.
• 19:03
  And said in your. Epistle you have censured.
• 19:05
  Me, but it mattereth not I am not.
• 19:09
  Angry. Think about how.
• 19:11
  Different things would have been if.
• 19:13
  Pahoran would have responded like David.
• 19:17
  What if Pahoran? Wrote to Moroni and.
• 19:19
  Said well the Lord chose me instead of you to be the chief
• 19:22
  judge in the whole Nephite society could have erupted into
• 19:25
  civil war and think about how David's life.
• 19:28
  Might have been different if he had responded softly.
• 19:32
  Like Pahoran. So maybe the next time you or I,
• 19:35
  we find ourselves in a conflict situation, we can remember
• 19:38
  Pahoran's words. You have censured me.
• 19:41
  But it mattereth. Not I am not angry.
• 19:45
  Now here's a pro tip. For you.
• 19:46
  If you happen to be in an argument with a spouse, I
• 19:50
  recommend not using the exact. Phrase you have censured.
• 19:55
  Me, but it mattereth not I am not angry, I have.
• 19:58
  Learned from personal experience.
• 20:00
  That this can. Actually have the.
• 20:02
  Opposite of the intended. Effect.
• 20:04
  But we can't have the. Spirit of that phrase.
• 20:08
  In our hearts, and it's so important that we do because.
• 20:11
  David could slay Goliath. But he couldn't win.
• 20:15
  Mikhal's heart. And it's a reminder.
• 20:17
  For us, that sometimes. It's not the Giants that undo.
• 20:21
  Us. It's the little.
• 20:22
  Things so let's. Take a moment and just try
• 20:26
  something. Close your eyes.
• 20:28
  For a moment. And I'm going to ask you 3
• 20:29
  questions. First, think of a.
• 20:31
  Recent conversation where you. Wish you had responded
• 20:36
  differently. What was said?
• 20:40
  Second, think of one phrase or sentence.
• 20:43
  You could have spoken instead. Third what?
• 20:48
  Practical Habits. Could help you speak with
• 20:51
  Kinder. Words, what thoughts have.
• 20:55
  Come to your mind. I had to have a difficult
• 20:57
  conversation with a woman where we had a disagreement and of
• 21:02
  course I knew I was in the right and I was really hesitant
• 21:04
  because I'm not very good at those awkward difficult
• 21:07
  conversations. But I went out there and I said,
• 21:10
  you know, this isn't going to work and I hope you're OK with
• 21:14
  that. I walked away very
• 21:16
  uncomfortable. I thought, how do I do this
• 21:18
  better? So I started doing research and
• 21:21
  as a 70 year old, it's about time I learned how to do this.
• 21:25
  And I found out that it says start off with something nice,
• 21:29
  start off with something positive.
• 21:31
  So I've really just been thinking a lot about that.
• 21:34
  Like I could have said, thank you so much for what you said
• 21:38
  and the direction you wanted to go.
• 21:40
  That really says a lot about you.
• 21:43
  Can I offer a different opinion? Can we just talk about something
• 21:46
  else? It would have gone so much
• 21:49
  smoother. Thank you.
• 21:51
  So. The Story of David and.
• 21:53
  McCall it's tragic. It ends in a broken marriage.
• 21:56
  There's no happy ending. I love though that.
• 21:59
  The Book of Revelation. Promises a different ending.
• 22:04
  In a future wedding celebration, we read.
• 22:07
  The marriage of the. Lamb.
• 22:09
  Has come and his bride. Has made herself ready.
• 22:13
  Where McCall was forsaken by David.
• 22:16
  Christ, the true Bridegroom, will never abandoned.
• 22:20
  His bride us and where David failed McCall Jesus Christ is
• 22:26
  always. Interceding on our behalf.
• 22:30
  And in our next story, we see a. Powerful example of intercession
• 22:34
  as we look at David and Abigail. So here's the background.
• 22:38
  David's on the run from Saul. He and about 600 of his soldiers
• 22:43
  they're. Living in the wilderness.
• 22:44
  They're kind of like unpaid security guards protecting the
• 22:47
  shepherds of a wealthy. Man named Nabal So when it comes
• 22:51
  time to. Shear the sheep.
• 22:52
  David politely sends some. Messengers to Nabal.
• 22:55
  And says. When your shepherds were with
• 22:57
  us. We did not mistreat.
• 22:58
  Them therefore be favorable toward my men.
• 23:01
  Please give your servants. And your son, David, whatever
• 23:04
  you can find for. Them.
• 23:05
  But Nabal, whose name literally means fool?
• 23:08
  Makes you. Wonder what his mom was?
• 23:10
  Thinking when he was born. Nabal retorts.
• 23:12
  Who's David? Who's the son of Jesse?
• 23:14
  Why should I take my bread and water and my meat?
• 23:17
  And give it to men coming from. Who knows where?
• 23:19
  What's the? Wrong thing to say.
• 23:21
  To a hungry warrior with 600 armed men.
• 23:24
  So, David? Tells his soldiers each of you
• 23:26
  strap on your sword he's. Ready to wipe out?
• 23:28
  Nabal in his entire. Household, so the servants.
• 23:32
  Go to Abigail. And they tell her how Nabal is
• 23:34
  mistreating. David.
• 23:35
  Abigail makes a quick run to Costco, gets a bunch of fig
• 23:38
  cakes and comes to meet David. On the road.
• 23:41
  Now pause and think about this. This is a time when most women
• 23:44
  didn't leave the safety of their tents, let alone go out.
• 23:48
  To confront an army. David and his men.
• 23:50
  Could have easily ignored her or worse.
• 23:54
  But Abigail is so brave. And she gives what might be one
• 23:57
  of the most powerful. Speeches in the entire Old
• 23:59
  Testament, she bows before David and says.
• 24:02
  Upon me alone my. Lord, be the guilt.
• 24:07
  She says, look, my husband, he really doesn't know what he's.
• 24:08
  Talking about. I brought you this food, please
• 24:11
  accept it and also David. Remember, God has a bigger plan
• 24:15
  for you, she says. The Lord will certainly make you
• 24:18
  a sure house because you are fighting the battles of the
• 24:20
  Lord. And when the Lord has done to
• 24:22
  you according to all the good. That he has spoken, you shall
• 24:25
  have no cause of grief or pangs. Of conscience for having shed
• 24:30
  blood. Without cause so.
• 24:33
  Abacus like. Don't blow your future over some
• 24:35
  fool, David. You'll.
• 24:37
  I regret it. You.
• 24:38
  Have a Kingdom coming your way and David listens.
• 24:41
  He lowers his sword and says to Abigail, blessed be your good.
• 24:45
  Sense and. Blessed be you who?
• 24:47
  Have kept me. Today from blood, guilt.
• 24:49
  In other words, Abigail, thank you for saving me from myself.
• 24:52
  Your intercession has made all the difference.
• 24:55
  So Abigail goes home. Nabal, of course, is drunk when
• 24:58
  he sobers up. She tells him what she's done
• 25:01
  and the scripture says. That Nabal's heart turns to
• 25:03
  stone and he passes away. So when David hears that.
• 25:07
  While is. Dead, he writes Abigail and
• 25:08
  says, hey, do you want to get married?
• 25:10
  And they do. So we go from near disaster to
• 25:14
  marriage in just one chapter. It's almost like Provo.
• 25:19
  So what do we? Learn from.
• 25:20
  The story of Abigail First, the proverb says a soft answer turns
• 25:26
  away. Wrath Abigail just models what
• 25:29
  this looks like. But she doesn't just show us
• 25:31
  human tact, she points us. Forward to Jesus.
• 25:36
  Notice that Abigail said upon me.
• 25:39
  Alone, my Lord. Be the guilt.
• 25:41
  Had Abigail done anything wrong? No.
• 25:44
  She takes guilt upon herself that wasn't hers.
• 25:48
  Just like Jesus himself. Bore our sins in his body on the
• 25:52
  cross. What, Abigail?
• 25:54
  Did is called intercession? Intercession is when?
• 25:57
  There's a mediation. Between two parties, you're
• 26:00
  trying to bring about reconciliation.
• 26:02
  One person will step into the gap to.
• 26:05
  Make up the difference to create a bridge?
• 26:07
  Between two disagreeing parties, Abigail intercedes for Nabal's
• 26:12
  household, even though. Nabal is a.
• 26:14
  Fool and. Jesus Christ intercedes for us.
• 26:17
  Even when we are. Still sinners.
• 26:20
  In fact, the book of Hebrews. Says Christ is able for all
• 26:24
  time. To save.
• 26:25
  Those who approach God through Him, since He always lives to
• 26:31
  make intercession for them. And I want to step back and
• 26:34
  think about what. Might this look like for us
• 26:36
  today? Abigail interceded on behalf of
• 26:40
  NABAL. In our day and time, what would
• 26:43
  it look like for? A person to intercede.
• 26:46
  Today. Maybe it's a friend who speaks
• 26:50
  up on behalf of someone who isn't present.
• 26:52
  Or maybe it's a parent who's. Praying for a struggling child.
• 26:56
  Maybe it's the person. Who stays quiet?
• 26:59
  Instead of hitting back with a cutting remark.
• 27:02
  When we intercede for others, we're being like Abigail.
• 27:07
  We're being like Christ now. That takes us to the.
• 27:10
  Story of David. And Jonathan?
• 27:12
  And this could be. The.
• 27:14
  Greatest story of friendship. In all of scripture.
• 27:16
  But the two of them were not destined to be buddies.
• 27:19
  Remember, as David starts rising in prominence, Saul becomes
• 27:22
  jealous and. Hates him.
• 27:24
  Jonathan is. Saul's son.
• 27:27
  So Jonathan is next. In line for the throne once,
• 27:31
  David. Comes on the scene and not only
• 27:33
  threatens. Saul it threatens Jonathan.
• 27:36
  Jonathan could. Have followed the path of Saul,
• 27:38
  become jealous, tried to kill David, but he didn't instead.
• 27:42
  Jonathan became one in. Spirit with David.
• 27:46
  And he loved. Him as himself and Jonathan made
• 27:50
  a covenant with. David because he loved.
• 27:52
  Him as himself. It's so tender.
• 27:55
  And look at what happens next. Jonathan took off the.
• 27:58
  Robe he was wearing. And.
• 28:00
  Gave it to David. Along with his tunic and even
• 28:04
  his sword. Symbolically, Jonathan is
• 28:08
  saying, I acknowledge you are the true king of Israel.
• 28:11
  I surrender. All of my power, all of my.
• 28:14
  Authority. I give it to you.
• 28:15
  You take the throne. David.
• 28:17
  Not me and Jonathan. Held true to this covenant once
• 28:21
  they were. Having a family dinner.
• 28:23
  David was. Absent and Jonathan.
• 28:25
  Was trying to. Cover for him.
• 28:27
  Saul got so angry at Jonathan. That he said you.
• 28:30
  Son of a perverse and rebellious woman, Don't I know that you
• 28:33
  have sided with the son of Jesse to your own?
• 28:35
  Shame, and to the shame of your mother.
• 28:38
  Who bore you? As long as David.
• 28:40
  Lives on this earth, neither you nor your.
• 28:42
  Kingdom will be established now. Send someone to bring David to
• 28:46
  me. For he must die, Jonathan
• 28:48
  responded. Why should he be put to death?
• 28:51
  What has he done? Saul was so mad.
• 28:53
  That he picked. Up a spear and hurled it at
• 28:56
  Jonathan to kill him. This is a pretty.
• 28:58
  Dysfunctional family dinner here.
• 29:00
  But. Even with all of.
• 29:02
  This Jonathan doesn't quit on David.
• 29:06
  David's on the run. He's trying to.
• 29:08
  Avoid Saul. Jonathan.
• 29:10
  Figures out where David is and he goes to meet him.
• 29:12
  Note this beautiful verse. Jonathan went to David and.
• 29:16
  Helped him. Find strength in God.
• 29:20
  That's true friendship. That's how you know if someone
• 29:23
  is a really good friend because they strengthen you.
• 29:27
  In the Lord, Jonathan said Don't be afraid, my father will not.
• 29:31
  Lay a hand on you, you will be king.
• 29:34
  Over Israel and I will be second to you.
• 29:39
  Now think about that phrase. I will be. 2nd to you.
• 29:43
  The two of them made a covenant. Before the Lord.
• 29:47
  And that's the last time that David and Jonathan will see
• 29:50
  each. Other immortality.
• 29:52
  David's going to remain on the run and the fringes.
• 29:55
  Jonathan will die in a. Battle with the Philistines.
• 29:58
  Now, if this were just a story of great friendship, it would be
• 30:01
  worth talking about. There's.
• 30:02
  So many great lessons. Be a good friend.
• 30:06
  Be the kind of friend that strengthens.
• 30:08
  Others and God, but this? Is more than a.
• 30:11
  Story just of friendship, have you already?
• 30:14
  Seen Have you already? Seen the connections to Christ,
• 30:18
  Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and.
• 30:23
  Gave it to David. Along with his tunic and a
• 30:26
  sword, Timothy Keller points out that.
• 30:28
  Jonathan taking off his. Robe.
• 30:31
  Giving it to David. That symbolizes Jesus Christ who
• 30:34
  gave up his. Throne.
• 30:36
  To come to Earth. To save us.
• 30:39
  Jonathan in giving. Up his earthly powers.
• 30:42
  Points us to Christ. Who gave up his divine
• 30:45
  privileges? He took the humble position of
• 30:48
  a. Slave and was born.
• 30:50
  As a human being, when he appeared in human form, he
• 30:53
  humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death.
• 30:58
  On the cross. When Jonathan abandons his
• 31:01
  divine privileges, he. Gives up his.
• 31:04
  Throne so that David. Could rise.
• 31:06
  To the throne Jesus abandoned his divine privileges so we can.
• 31:10
  Rise in the resurrection. That's the whole good.
• 31:13
  News of the Gospel. Now we might ask ourselves, was
• 31:16
  this fair? Was it fair that.
• 31:18
  Jonathan lost his throne. No, it wasn't.
• 31:21
  Was it? Fair Christ had to.
• 31:24
  Suffer. No, it wasn't.
• 31:26
  Is life going to be? Fair for us?
• 31:29
  No, it's not. But Jonathan wasn't worried
• 31:32
  about fairness. And because of Jesus Christ, we
• 31:36
  don't need to worry about it either.
• 31:37
  Elder Quentin L Cook said. Because of Christ's.
• 31:40
  Atonement. All that is unfair.
• 31:42
  About this life is resolved. So in the conversation.
• 31:46
  Between David and Jonathan, we can see Jonathan as a type.
• 31:50
  Of Christ sacrificing for David like Christ sacrificed for us.
• 31:55
  But there's also another connection.
• 31:57
  To Christ in this. Friendship, because remember
• 32:00
  that David is. The Lord's anointed and the
• 32:03
  Word. Messiah means Anointed 1.
• 32:06
  So what happens if we look at this same conversation?
• 32:08
  But see David. As the type.
• 32:11
  Of Christ, Jonathan looks. To David Jonathan.
• 32:15
  Looks to Christ. And says.
• 32:17
  I will be second to you. You take.
• 32:21
  My throne, your number one. I will be second, Timothy Keller
• 32:27
  says. You have to do exactly what
• 32:29
  Jonathan did. You have to look.
• 32:32
  At Jesus Christ and you have. To say if.
• 32:34
  You are going to get in my life. I have to get.
• 32:36
  Off. The throne of my life.
• 32:38
  I can't just. Believe in you.
• 32:39
  I can't just. Try to emulate you.
• 32:41
  I have to. Give you my life.
• 32:42
  I have to take off my robe. I have to say you're first.
• 32:46
  You're absolute Lord of my life. Have we done what Jonathan did?
• 32:53
  Have we really said to the Lord? I will be. 2nd to you, you're.
• 32:58
  First, you're the Lord. Of my life.
• 33:01
  Now today we've seen. Four stories from David.
• 33:04
  All of which point? To Jesus Christ.
• 33:07
  And this is not surprising, because there's a powerful
• 33:10
  prophecy. About David and his.
• 33:13
  Connection with the Savior. In Second Samuel Chapter 7, God
• 33:17
  promised David. Your house and your.
• 33:18
  Kingdom will endure. Forever before me, your throne
• 33:22
  will be established. Forever.
• 33:25
  This promise is fulfilled. In David's descendant.
• 33:28
  Jesus Christ the. Savior's title, Son.
• 33:32
  Of David is. So important that Matthew.
• 33:35
  In the very first verse of the very verse chapter tells us of
• 33:39
  Jesus Christ the Son. Of David.
• 33:43
  Do we recognize him as the true king?
• 33:46
  There was a blind man. His name was.
• 33:48
  Bartimaeus, he heard that. Jesus was coming.
• 33:50
  He. Cried out, Jesus, thou son of
• 33:52
  David, have. Mercy on me.
• 33:54
  Even though Bartimaeus was blind, he recognized.
• 33:58
  Christ as the True. King, but not everyone did.
• 34:01
  One day Christ was talking with some Jewish.
• 34:04
  Authorities. He asked what think he of
• 34:06
  Christ. Whose son is he?
• 34:09
  They gave the correct answer, the son of David.
• 34:12
  But they didn't recognize. The person in front of him.
• 34:15
  As their king. When Christ rode into.
• 34:18
  Jerusalem on a donkey, the multitudes, cried Hosanna.
• 34:22
  To the son of David. Jesus Christ, the Son of.
• 34:25
  David is the true king, and one day.
• 34:29
  He's going to return. And we don't have to ask
• 34:31
  ourselves, what will we do? On that day because.
• 34:33
  We already know the answer. Every knee will bow before him.
• 34:38
  The question for us. Is what will we do today
• 34:42
  because. Every heart has a throne.
• 34:44
  Who sits on? Yours.
• 34:46
  You. Or the son of.
• 34:48
  David.