David Wisniewski - Developing Spiritual Intelligence - Class 2 - Discernment

Automatically transcribed. Accuracy is good but not perfect, and words are sometimes wrong. Trust the audio over the text.

1. 0:24

   All right, if you can open up your Bibles, we’ll do a reading. Before this third class. And the reading that we’re going to do for this third class is from First Samuel chapter 16.

2. 0:41

   So First Samuel chapter 16. And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long will that mourn for Saul, seeing I’ve rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill thine horn with This is the Watch and Lake Bible School 2025, our speaker’s brother David Wisniewski. His series this week is developing spiritual intelligence from the lives of Jonathan and David. This is Class 2 discernment and the reading for this class was First Samuel chapter 16 for the David. Good morning again.

3. 1:30

   I trust you’re all warm. Well, we’ve got a very familiar section of Scripture before us this morning, Probably one of the most familiar stories in all of the Bible. The story of David and Goliath is of course known to most people in even the business community in this world that whether they believe in God or not, they’re familiar with the story. But let’s take a look into this to understand some of the principles as it relates developing spiritual discernment.

4. 2:05

   The word discernment means to see and understand the difference, to see and understand the difference. Our discernment or spiritual discernment was a gift from God that was granted to all of mankind, all human beings in the Garden of Eden because Genesis one verse 26, it says that we were created in God’s image and his likeness.

5. 2:33

   Those are the two qualities that separate human beings from the animal Kingdom. And when those two qualities are missing, God looks upon man and he sees well, a beast like David will see when we come to first Samuel chapter 17. God saved him from the paw of a lion, the paw of a bear, and he would save him from the paw of this Philistine.

6. 2:54

   He says hand, but no doubt it was the paw of a Philistine. It was another beast. So this is a blessing, a gift that God has given us. And we feed discernment, the ability to choose between right and wrong by putting spiritual things into our mind. Spiritual discernment is the ability to see things for what they truly are.

7. 3:19

   And that was this young man, David. There are 5 introductions to David in the Bible. Sorry, there are 4 introductions David in the Bible. Before we get that we wanted to find his name. His name means beloved. It was interesting. So often when I think about David and his name meaning beloved, my mind of course goes to the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the beloved. We saw in one of the prophecies that brother Roger took us this morning that in fact it it talks about Christ as being the beloved who will sit on the throne and the Kingdom. It’s there in Ezekiel 36 as well. In Ezekiel 37, it says David, their Prince shall rule over Israel and Judah united in that day. And it’s not David, it’s the beloved, the Lord Jesus Christ. And so often our mind goes to Christ and we think of the meaning of David’s name.

8. 4:12

   But it was interesting to trace through the record the number of times it talks about people loving David. Saul loved David greatly and made him his armor bearer. Our president just read. Jonathan loved David as his own soul. All Israel and Judah love David because he went in and went out and came in before them.

9. 4:38

   Michael, the daughter of Saul, love David and in our Bible reading yesterday, Hiram, king of Tyre always loved David. He was a lovable person, not because of the physical appearance, though he had it. He was a lovable person because of the heart that he had and no doubt was beloved of God, for he had a heart after God’s own heart.

10. 5:05

    That’s the first introduction to David in First Samuel 13 verse 14. He’s not on the record, he’s just not named, but he’s referred to by Samuel when the kingship is removed from Saul for his impetuous action and offering the sacrifices and not waiting through the end of that seventh day as we read. And there Samuel introduces the next king as someone that has Yahweh’s heart.

11. 5:35

    Then there’s the introduction to the family in First Samuel 16, as we just read, and there the family doesn’t even consider him worthy of bringing into the feast when Samuel comes into the town, ah, he’s not going to be interested in seeing David. We’ll leave him out with the sheep. David never forgot the events that transpire in this chapter, as we’ll see momentarily. And then we have another introduction to David in First Samuel 16.

12. 6:05

    Quite a contrast to the introduction that’s made by the family of David, and that’s an unnamed servant of Saul. And we see it there in verse 18 of chapter 16. Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse, the Bethlehemite, that is cunning and playing, a mighty or valiant man of war, a man of wars, the third prudent in matters, a comely person, and Yahweh is with him. Think about that introduction, brothers and sisters. This was a young man, probably about 16 years old. He’s cunning and playing, IE, he had been playing the Psalms, many of which we have recorded for us in the Word. He’d been playing them publicly.

13. 7:00

    People had heard his playing. He was a valiant man, a man of war. He was prudent in speech. He’s a comely person. Yahweh is with him at 16 years old. How could such things be said of such a young man? And then finally, he’s introduced to all of Israel in chapter 17 when he becomes the hero of the nation in defeating Goliath.

14. 7:25

    Well, in the chapter we’ve skipped over because we’ll consider it tomorrow in our class when we consider honor in chapter 15, Saul was now rejected as being king. Remember previously we said that the kingship had been removed and that it, after the kingship was removed by Samuel, for the first time, Jonathan is put into context, Jonathan the Prince, the heir to the throne, the one who would no longer ascend to the throne because of Saul’s impetuous actions.

15. 8:02

    And so Saul now in chapter 15, himself is rejected as king because of his disobedience as it relates to the children of Amicus. We’ll consider, God willing tomorrow. And now Samuel comes by God’s instruction down to Bethlehem, where God has told him that in the family of Jesse he’ll find the future king and he’s to anoint him. And Samuel gets in front of a lie of the oldest of the brothers.

16. 8:33

    And if Jonathan was a comely person and and had nice eyes and was tall, we know he’s tall because Saul offers him his armor. And Saul was head and shoulders above most people. So David had to have been taller of stature certainly than I am. And so a lie of the first born stands before Samuel and Samuel looks at this handsome young man. He’s been instructed by God to come and he says surely this is the always anointed standing before him. Samuel being a representative of God. And God says look not on his countenance or the height of his stature.

17. 9:09

    I have refused him. How humiliating for a Liab who no doubt had spent time making sure that this was pleasing, making sure that the hair was nice, making sure that the shoulders and the forearms and the biceps and the hectoral muscles and the all the other ones were nice and big. This towering man, handsome guy, stood before Samuel.

18. 9:40

    God says no, this is not the man, because I don’t see any of this. When I look at people, I see this. What a sobering thought, brothers and sisters. And I think the lesson is that as much time we spend looking in the mirror, preparing ourselves for the day, for this, we should be spending at least that much time looking at a mirror that points into our heart to understand our desires, our motivations, and our character.

19. 10:23

    To see if it’s a reflection, Not that reflection we see in the mirror, but a reflection of our Lord and to whose name we were baptized, A reflection of God. It’s a scary thought, isn’t it? God doesn’t see what everyone else sees when he looks at us. See straight through to the heart, straight through to the heart. And so we need to, as David did, Psalm one O 1, we won’t have time to look at.

20. 10:53

    But before someone I want, before David comes to the throne, he reflects on what type of influences he wants in his life. Who am I going to hang around with? It’s going to strengthen my ability to reflect God as I rule over his Kingdom. What am I going to listen to? What are the influences in my life going to be? What am I going to watch?

21. 11:15

    How am I going to spend my time? Are all these things going to get me into the Kingdom? Well, we know one thing will is the Ephesians 5 verse 26 tells us that we need to be washed by the Word so that we can be with our Lord when He returns. And gladly, rejoicingly, all of us here and all of the young people that are here this week have made that choice to be washed by the water of the Word. So great job.

22. 11:49

    And when you look in the mirror later today to see if things are all things are right before you had to lunch or dinner, whatever it is, give yourself a pat on the back ’cause you chose this week to be washed by the water of the Word. Those were the choices that David made every day.

23. 12:07

    So Jesse comes before Samuel with his seven sons and Samuel stands before Eliab and God says I’ve not chosen him. And he, he goes to the next and God says I’ve not chosen him and he stands before the next and I’ve not chosen him. And before the 4th I’ve not chosen him. Not the 5th, not the 6th, not the 7th.

24. 12:28

    Samuel’s like, hey, God didn’t didn’t you send me to Jesse? Did I get the name right? Did I get the town right? I’ve just been before his seven sons and not one of them is the one you’ve anointed. How can this be? And so perplexity turns to Jesse and says, do you have any more sons? Well, yeah, but we we didn’t think you’d want to see him the one who’s out watching the sheep. And so David is called before Samuel from watching the sheep. Verse 12.

25. 13:04

    Samuel sent, or Jesse sent, and brought David in. Now he was ready, and with all of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look upon, which God cared none of. And he always said, Arise, anoint him, for this is he. Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren. And the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward.

26. 13:30

    So Samuel rose up and went to Rhema. I said earlier that David never forgot that he was anointed in the midst of his brethren. Psalm 45, which David reads later on in life at verses 6 and seven. Read Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of thy Kingdom is a right scepter.

27. 13:57

    Thou lovest righteousness and hatist wickedness, therefore God, thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy brethren. Obviously pointing forward to the Lord Jesus Christ, but in its first application pointed back to David’s anointing in the midst of his brethren in First Chronicles chapter 28. We know the time frame at the end of First Chronicles. David is preparing mightily for the building of the temple by his son Solomon, which we’ll consider in our last class, God willing, and in the context of the end of his life, preparing for the temple that his son is going to build, he writes. Howbeit, the Lord God of Israel chose me before all the House of my father, to be king over Israel forever. He never forgot that moment.

28. 14:50

    But consider for a moment, brothers and sisters, the Psalm before us on the screen. Consider the spirit of Jonathan that comes out in the words of David. Now David no doubt had heard of Jonathan, this hero in Israel that was willing to take on the Philistines by himself with only an armor bearer. But they wouldn’t have met at this point in time. The first meeting’s going to be in First Samuel 16 after verse 18, when Jonathan, standing by his father’s side, hears this. Intriguing introduction.

29. 15:27

    Intriguing introduction because Jonathan would have been pondering how it would come to pass that he would not ascend to the throne. He no doubt had heard that Yahweh had chosen a man after his own heart, but how is it that he would not come to the throne? Something needed to happen and now we have this incredible introduction in 16, verse 18. This is the first time Jonathan will meet David when he comes into the court of Saul.

30. 16:01

    But consider the spirit of Jonathan that comes out in these words. Thy throne, O God, who was anointed with the oil of gladness at the end of verse seven. Well, it was David, but whose throne was it? David clearly acknowledges it’s God’s throne. He gives God the glory, and then he goes on to talk about God’s character.

31. 16:26

    For thou lovest righteousness and hatist wickedness. The order is extremely important, brothers and sisters. It doesn’t say that thou hatest wickedness and lovest righteousness. For there are some that seem to spend all of their time in ecclesial life trying to root out wickedness. And when you spend your time in ecclesial life trying to root out wickedness, where are you looking? Are you looking in the mirror that points back into the heart and assessing where your heart is? Are you examining the actions and the words of others? Love righteousness, and we will by default hate wickedness because they’re diametrically opposed. But first and foremost, the more time, brothers and sisters, we try to love righteousness.

32. 17:36

    That is loving what is right and straight with God. That is loving God’s character. Jeremiah says he that let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am Yahweh, which exerciseth loving kindness, judgment and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight sayeth the Lord.

33. 18:02

    So loving righteousness is to love that which is right before God. And when we spend our time seeking to understand what is right before God and seeking to adopt God’s love of righteousness, and when that becomes our focus, naturally we begin to hate wickedness. But where do we hate it first? Well, in our own lives, see, when when our focus is loving righteousness, brothers and sisters, the first thing it causes us to do is look inward at our own hearts. And then having sought to root out wickedness from our own lives, we’re in a position to help our brother, our sister, try to work out wickedness from their lives. But that then comes with a different perspective, a different perspective, does it not? It comes from a perspective of recognizing that there was wickedness and there is wickedness in ourselves. And that we’ve had to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, and that we’ve had to work out that wickedness from our lives.

34. 19:20

    And that we recognize that we continue to fail. And some of those things we just can’t get rid of. And we place our burdens on God. And now, having tried to overcome Sinner selves, were in a position to go help others rather than standing on a pedestal, looking around at others to see what wickedness exists in the ecclesia.

35. 19:40

    Love righteousness. And you’ll learn to hate wickedness first in your own life, and then you’re in a position to help, not to root out, to help others deal with wickedness in their life. What we see in the Psalm that David sought to give God the glory, not just by acknowledging it was his throne, but acknowledging God’s character was the character he needed to put on himself.

36. 20:14

    And when we seek brothers and sisters for glory for ourselves, do you know what it does Well? It does not develop spiritual intelligence. It actually dwarfs discernment, spiritual discernment. One of the things that David obviously learned very early on in his life was to love the principle, the principles that were contained in the law above the letter of the law. We know this because it was based on the principles of the law that David will later, as we consider God willing in Class 5, appeal to God for forgiveness.

37. 20:54

    For there was no sacrifice under the letter of the law. But he understood God’s desire to forgive was bound up in His name, and so he appeals to God on the basis of principle. We know that David understood the principles of the law above the letter of the law when he moved the ark to Jerusalem and set up a tent that didn’t have a court of the Gentiles, that kept the Gentiles from coming in and worshiping before the Lord.

38. 21:19

    That wasn’t according to the instructions in Exodus or Leviticus. And yet David established a worship at a Tabernacle in Jerusalem that becomes the foundation for the Tabernacle or temple that will be built when Ezekiel’s prophecy comes to pass after the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. For that temple is called the Tabernacle of David. So David understood and lived by principle rather than letter of the law.

39. 21:52

    And so David is chosen above his brethren. As we said, he was probably about 16 or 17 years of age. In Second Samuel 5 and verse 4, he is 30 years old when he comes to the throne. We believe he spent about 10 years being chased or running from Saul, and at this young age, he’s already described as a man after God’s own heart.

40. 22:23

    What books of the Bible did David have available to read? Possibly none but books that he had available to hear in the synagogue being read on the Sabbath day. What would have been the first five books of the Bible? Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, and possibly Joshua, Judges and Ruth. And no, certainly he would have had the oral traditions of Ruth being his own great grandmother. And so here’s a young man who had perhaps the first seven books of the Bible available to him, and he’s 16 years old, and he’s described as a man whom Yahweh is with. He’s described as a man that has a heart after God’s own heart. He’s described as a cunning man, a mighty valiant man, a prudent and speech man, a comely person at 16 years of age. There’s only one way, brothers and sisters, that happens. It doesn’t happen by streaming Instagram or TikTok. It doesn’t happen by watching television or listening to music of this world.

41. 23:42

    It only happens by putting the word of God in and then having time and space to ruminate, to chew on mentally, to meditate in silence upon the word of God. And we know that’s the case, that that was the case with David. Because if we put our hand here in first Samuel 16 and turn over the pages to Psalm 8, we can see where David’s mind was as he sat day and night watching those sheep, watching for the wolf, for the coyote, the Mountain Lion and the bear, watching to keep them safe as he sat there by himself as the stars started to show in the night sky. And so we read in Psalm 8, which we know as a Psalm he wrote after Goliath, at least pended after Burt Goliath, but gives us insight to where his mind was as he was a shepherd in the field. O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name, and all the earth, for that who was set by glory above the heavens. Verse three.

42. 24:53

    Who, when I consider thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon, and the stars, which Thou hast ordained, what is man, that thou art mindful of him?

43. 25:05

    And over a couple of pages to Psalm 19 we read again. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handiwork. Day unto day, utterance, speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. And so David, sitting amongst the sheep, out in nature, without anyone around, spent time thinking about the word of God. How much time would David have had to study the Bible and to ruminate on the Word of God as he spent 10 years fleeing from Saul?

44. 25:47

    Even the time would have diminished as he was called into Saul’s court and became the King’s armor bearer. How much time did David have to do Bible study once he became king over Israel? That wasn’t an 8 hour a day or a 40 hour week. That was seven days a week or at least six days a week. Judging all of Israel.

45. 26:05

    The foundation that David laid as a young man became the basis for what he was able to do for the rest of his life. It was these early years that were his foundation and the early years that he capitalized on because we scarcely get the opportunity again to lay such a strong foundation.

46. 26:30

    And so he was able to develop spiritual discernment. No doubt he spent time understanding the laws of uncleanness because the whole purpose of the laws of uncleanness was to teach spiritual discernment that you might discern between what is clean and unclean. Not the way the Pharisees understood it, but the way Christ explained it. There’s nothing from without that can defile a man but that which comes from the heart.

47. 26:56

    Clean and unclean. What things distract us from our focus in working for God? And now this man is called into the court of Saul to comfort Saul for an evil of the Spirit. Lord, evil Spirit of the Lord has come upon him. And now this young man who had been trained by God to be a leader, a shepherd in the field. Just as God instructed Moses for 40 years by sending him out into the wilderness to be a shepherd first before he would lead Israel through the wilderness, so God had instructed David as a shepherd now brings him right into the court of the king. And as emissary.

48. 27:44

    Some other nations pass by the throne. As Saul is sitting there, David’s at his right side and he gets to see how the court is operated. He gets to see how judgement is passed as people in the nation bring their cases before Saul and before the court of the king. He is able to see and he learns how to manage a Kingdom at this young age by being brought into this position. And we come to First Samuel 17.

49. 28:13

    We know that David has been sent back at this time. We see that at verse 15. But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem. So David is not there when the giant first presents himself. But there is a question that begs to be asked, is there not?

50. 28:38

    As this guy stands before Israel and yells day by day, why are you come out to set your battle in array? Am I not a Philistine? And ye servants of Saul choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me and to kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then shall ye be our servants?

51. 29:09

    And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day. Give me a man that we may fight together. And he ranted for 40 days. Now I can understand Saul, and I can understand all Israel being dismayed and greatly afraid, as it says in verse 11. But where’s Jonathan?

52. 29:38

    Well, remember that we’ve been told in the record in First Samuel 14 how Jonathan operates. At verse eight of First Samuel 14, Jonathan said to the armor bearer that was with him, look, this has been my prayer. He doesn’t say it was his prayer, but it’s clear that it was. If we discover ourselves to when we discover ourselves to the Philistines, and if they say to us stand and wait for it’s not our time to go and attack them. But if they say to us come up unto us, then we know that Yahweh has delivered them into the hand of Israel. So Jonathan, before he goes into battle, prays to God for a sign. Should I go up?

53. 30:26

    And although it’s not recorded, we can be confident brothers and sisters, that Jonathan prayed for a sign when on day one when this guy came out. Who cares about a nine foot soldier when he was willing to take on hundreds of thousands of Philistines after climbing the Cliff? What is 1 tall man when you have that perspective?

54. 30:51

    Nothing. But God said no, like Jonathan might have prayed again. Are you sure I can’t go kill this Philistine? And God says no. And perhaps he prayed again. Can I please go kill this Philistine who’s dismaying all of Israel and made Israel greatly afraid? And God says no. And then we go back to the dinner table, and there’s Jonathan sitting across from his dad.

55. 31:23

    Hey, dad, remember the reason Israel wanted a king? They wanted somebody who would lead them into battle. There’s just one guy out there, Dad. You’re head and shoulders above most of the people. You’ve got a sword. I’ve got a sword. Where they go, You know what? I’ll join you. How about we go take them together, Dad?

56. 31:45

    And Dad is dismayed and greatly afraid. And no matter how much prompting and how much urging, all Saul does in verse 25 we read is offer a reward for anyone willing to kill the giant. The man that killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches and give him his daughter and make his father’s house free in Israel.

57. 32:18

    You know, when David killed the giant, God or Saul rather did not enrich David and he didn’t give him his daughter to be his wife, not at first anyways. It was after much urging, and he did not make his father’s house free in Israel. He was not a man of his word. We can picture this scene, can’t we? This giant in the valley and all Israel trembling. On one side is the armies of the Philistines, on the other side is the army of Israel.

58. 32:51

    And there’s this big ball of flesh in the middle. We’re given at the beginning of First Samuel 17 a bunch of names that says, now the Philistines gathered together their armies to to battle and were gathered together at Shoko, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Shoko and Ezeka. And Efaz Damim and Saul and the men of Israel were pitched together and pitched by the Valley of Elah and set the battle in array against the Philistines.

59. 33:23

    And so when we’re given a bunch of names, I like to look up the definitions of those words. And we see there that the word Philistine means to be an immigrant. And it comes from a word meaning to roll about in the dust and in ashes. Well, that’s interesting. What creature rolls about or slithers about in the dust?

60. 33:47

    Why a serpent does Shoko means bushy and it’s used in Hosea chapter 2 verse 6 of God who would hedge up thorns in Israel’s way to bring them back to Him. Speaking of the second Exodus, when God will finally bring Israel back into the land as our brother Roger’s looking at in first class, Azika means dug over and it’s translated to fence. And Isaiah 5 it’s used to speak about God’s care for his vineyard.

61. 34:23

    Ephesh de Meme is the edge of the sword, literally the shedding of the ceasing of bloodshed, which is what the Lord Jesus Christ would typically do in this chapter when this man of flesh, the serpent in the flesh, stands up against a champion who is beloved and has the heart of God. And finally, Goliath’s name means splendor uncovered or exposed.

62. 34:52

    And then we’re given 6 verses to describe this man. And we might ask ourselves, well, why do we? Why are we given such a detailed description of Goliath? And I believe there’s 2 answers to why we’re given this description. First, it’s to tell us what Israel saw. It’s to tell us what a man or a woman without spiritual discernment sees.

63. 35:26

    When they look at a giant, they see something that is insurmountable. It’s not what David saw when he looked at a giant. What did David see when he looked at the giant? Verse 26 What shall be done? David asks in a question. What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, that takes away the reproach of Israel? He’s a reproach for who is this uncircumcised Philistine? He’s uncircumcised, not the seed of Abraham. This land was not promised to him. It was promised to us and to our fathers that he should defy the armies of Israel.

64. 36:09

    No, the armies of God. This man’s a reproach. He’s uncircumcised and he’s defied the armies of God. That’s how David saw Goliath. But Israel, they saw a nine foot man towering over them. They saw a helmet of brass. They saw a coat of males that weighed over 110 lbs. They saw brass armor on his legs, a javelin between the shoulders, a spear and a shield. You know that’s not the whole armor of Goliath, because when David kills Goliath in just a few verses, he goes and grabs his sword.

65. 36:58

    Not listed. So why were just six items given? No doubt it was to strengthen those of spiritual discernments, understanding that this man represented the flesh. And when you looked on this giant towering man, the flesh, you saw brass, another symbol for the flesh. And you know, brothers and sisters, when we’re going through trials, when we’re going through temptation, when we spend our time focusing on the 9 feet, how tall that trial is, when we spend our time focusing on the brass, how fleshly those thoughts are, do you know what happens? Well, what Uncle Bob taught us about a pink elephant happens when he said close your eyes and don’t think about a pink elephant.

66. 38:01

    And of course, what do we do? We think about a pink elephant. And when we tell ourselves don’t think about the sin that you’re doing, don’t think about the sin that you’ve done, don’t think about the sin, don’t think about the sin. What are we thinking? What is occupying our mind? The sin better is to turn our back on the sin and to look at Christ who overcame sin Better is to turn our back on the sin and to look at the Saint that we want to be justified by God’s grace, not because we earned it. And you know what happens when we look this way instead of that way?

67. 38:48

    Well, now we’re thinking about the characteristics of our Lord and Master who we want to reflect when we stand before Him at his return. And we’re not thinking about the sin that we committed or the sin that we’re struggling with. So critical, brothers and sisters, this next sentence I’m about to say, we must live our lives as the Saints we wish to be rather than as recovering sinners.

68. 39:22

    We must live our lives as the Saints that we wish to be, rather than as recovering sinners. Can you imagine an Olympic athlete training his or her mind to stand on the podium, thinking about the fact that I might tear my Achilles heel? Thinking about the fact that I might trip? Thinking about the fact that I’m too hot or too cold. No, they’re, they’ve got, they’ve got their eye on the prize.

69. 39:55

    They’re thinking about them running that race, jumping that jump the farthest, the fastest they’ve ever done. They’re picturing themselves winning the gold medal. That’s how it works. Because when we spend all of our time in this, well, that’s what we spend all our time doing. And when we spend all of our time looking at that, well, that then becomes the model. The fashion, the guide for our daily lives. So much of this world has lost hope. Why?

70. 40:36

    Because they say God is in all of us and then they put their hope in humanity. It’s called the doctrine of humanism. It’s why sitting in your home in Toronto or Kelowna or Brighton, MI or Branford, you can read about a woman who lost her cat in chili. Who cares about someone who lost their cat in chili?

71. 41:01

    Well, the world does because the person that’s suffering is the center of the world. They’re the God. The person is at the middle of everything. So the world cares. And that’s why all of our news focuses about the suffering of individuals, because the individual is the God, but not for us brothers and sisters.

72. 41:25

    Those that have placed their hope there are suffering depression at a mass level and taking prescription drugs at a mass level and seeing therapists and psychologists at a mass level. And it’s not that those things don’t have a place if there’s a serious need, but it’s become an epidemic because why people have placed their hope in man instead of in God. But we we look forward to a better day. We look forward to the beloved sitting on the throne of God with God’s scepter of righteousness. We look forward to being with the one who loved righteousness and therefore hated wickedness.

73. 42:22

    The second reason we’re given these details about Goliath, the first remember, was because that’s what Israel saw. The second reason was to tell David and Jonathan. But Jonathan was told he couldn’t fight Goliath. At least that’s what I believe to tell David. This is just another ball of flesh. You’ve got nothing to worry about.

74. 42:46

    This is God’s battle and he will overcome for you. And so David saw the adversary for what it is. He hears the rants, he’s jealous for God. Verse 24 and all the men of Israel when they saw the man fled from him, for they were sore afraid. And the men of Israel said, have you seen this man?

75. 43:11

    Keyword saw seen this man that has come up surely to defy Israel. Is he come? It shall be that the man who kills. And so there’s the reward. And now this is beautiful. Remember, David is maybe 17, maybe 18 at this time. Is it David’s place to walk around the army of Israel, the captains over hundreds and captains over thousands, and to tell them this Philistine that you guys are all afraid of?

76. 43:41

    He’s a reproach. He’s uncircumcised, and he’s defied God. Maybe not, but this young man who was cunning in speech asks a question and he doesn’t just ask it once. See, the question is there in verse 26 as we’ve read. It’s there again in verse 30. And he turned away from his brother Eliab, who was taunting him. He turned his back on him, which Proverbs 15 verse one says should be our response when we’re being taunted. He turns from him and he speaks after the same manner. And the people answered him again after the former manner. So not once does he ask this question, but again to you, and to you, and to you and to you.

77. 44:26

    What’ll be done to the man that kills this uncircumcised Philistine? This reproach of Israel, this man who was defied the armies of God, what will be done to him? No, he’s going to get a reward. And then he goes to the next person. What’ll be done to the man who kills this uncircumcised Philistine, this reproach of God, who’s defied the armies of God?

78. 44:47

    What’ll be done to him? And all of a sudden, the people start to think, what? Wait a minute. Yeah, this guy’s an uncircumcised Philistine. He’s a reproach to God. He’s not defying us, he’s defying God. And David, by a wisely worded question, doesn’t usurp the authority of those around him. Starts to turn the hearts of the nation.

79. 45:22

    Well, we too, brothers and sisters, can ask questions that can inspire a change of thinking. Well, news of this gets to Saul, and he’s called into Saul’s presence and we know the story. Saul tries to give him the his garments, his armor, and David rejects it. And he said it’s not been tried. I’m not ready to go into battle with it and Saul gives his pathetic response with the King James is too kind with in verse 37 the CEV reads go and I hope hope the Lord will be with you is essentially what Saul said he had no faith even after David’s convincing arm convincing statement and so rejecting Saul’s clothing, but taking only what God has given him. He goes out and he confronts this giant, and of course when the flesh is confronted with spiritual discernment, there is disdain.

80. 46:30

    Verse 41 in the Philistine came on and drew near unto David and the man that bare the shield before him. And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth and Ruddy and a fair countenance. The Philistine says to him, Amaya dog, that you come to me with staves, with the staff.

81. 46:47

    And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. And then he says, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh to the fowls of the air and to the beasts of the field. And David hears that and he says, yes, now I know that Yahweh has delivered him into the hand of Israel.

82. 47:07

    Why? Where did we see David’s mind was when he was shepherding back in creation? Where is Goliath just taken David? Back to the fowls of heaven and the beasts of the earth, back to creation. And he knows he’s fighting against the serpent in the flesh.

83. 47:28

    And David responds, thou comest to me in verse 45 with a sword and a spear and a shield. But I come to thee in the name of Yahweh of armies, the God of the armies of Israel whom thou hast defied. There was the message to Goliath. This day will Yahweh deliver thee into mine hand, and I will smite you, and I’ll take your head off of you. But I’m not going to stop there.

84. 47:53

    I’ll give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day to the fowls of the air and to the beasts of the earth, and then still speaking to Goliath and the encampment of the Philistines, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And then no doubt turning back to his brethren. And all this assembly shall know that Yahweh saveth not with sword and spear, for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.

85. 48:26

    Was concerned more about the what than about The Who. And he picks up five stones through grace. Victory is 1 and runs toward the giant. And so we have a spiritual giant versus a giant of flesh. No competition. And in verse 52, the confidence of David then spreads throughout the nation, as he had already started to inspire with his question.

86. 48:52

    And the men of Israel and of Judah rose and shouted and pursued the Philistines. Until thou come to the valley. And so Israel was inspired by this man.

87. 49:08

    And before verse 54 happens, David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent. We must insert verses 55 to 58 because there’s another person in this scene, a person who does care more about The Who than about the what. A person who does care who gets the glory.

88. 49:35

    And Goliath, who for 40 days taunted Israel, while Saul sat dismayed and greatly afraid, when now Goliath is dead and the armies are following David to go after and to slay Philistine. Saul says in verse 55 unto Abner, the captain of his host Abner. Whose son is this? Abner says I I don’t know king, and the king says inquire thou whose son the stripling is. What do you mean whose son?

89. 50:03

    It’s the one who just stood before you and who you offered your armor to. Well, yeah, but remember he had promised his daughter. Now to this person doesn’t say who is he, but whose son is he? Well again, he knew who he was. He’d had him in his house. It had been his armor bearer.

90. 50:20

    But Saul is not of his right mind. And so David is brought before Saul in verse 57 with the head of the Philistine in his hand. Now think about the logistics of that for a minute. I don’t know that you’d want to have the head here carrying it because it there’s blood draining from the head because he’s cut his head off at the neck. So he’s probably got his hair wrapped around his hand and he’s standing there with this stomp of a man’s head, a big man’s head in his arm.

91. 50:56

    You’d think that would be enough to make Saul realize this is somebody that I should be very appreciative of. 58 Whose son art thou, thou young man? He calls him a stripling in verse 56. And David answered, I am the son of thy servant, Jesse the Bethlehemite. He doesn’t say I’m David, who, by the way, just killed Goliath.

92. 51:28

    Here’s the head. He doesn’t say I’m the hero of Israel. No, he doesn’t say I’m your servant. He says I’m the son of your servant, Jesse. And in our class got a building tomorrow we’ll consider that it was this response that caused Jonathan to love David as his own soul. And so we end this class, brothers and sisters, with David standing in Jonathan’s royal apparel, dressed as the heir apparent and dressed that way takes the head of Goliath to Jerusalem. We were told back in verse 54 that is Golgotha signifying that a greater beloved than he would crush the head of a greater giant than Goliath in that very spot by whom we all have the victory.

93. 52:34

    And so our principles to help us develop spiritual intelligence. The first discernment comes through reading, prayer and meditation. Second, we should love righteousness first, through which we grow to hate wickedness first in ourselves and then helping others deal with it in their lives. Third, we must seek first to give God the glory and all that we do 4th love principles over the letter of the law and 5th Remember that God is on your side and so live life as a future St.