Congratulations FlyingIllini!
You recall the story of David, having been anointed king by Samuel; then he helped his father on the farm as a shepherd boy. His older brothers were, involved in the service of Saul. The armies of the Philistines gathered on one mountain, and the armies and the hosts of Israel gathered on the other mountain (see 1 Samuel 17). There was a champion, Goliath, who went out from the Philistines. He was six cubits tall. Now, as I understand it, a cubit is the distance from your elbow to the end of your forefinger. That would make him probably over eight feet tall. Anyway, Goliath had on heavy armor. He had a man to carry his shield. I should tell you about his spear. They didn't say it was some kind of rod with a heavy end. They described his spear as "like unto a weaver's beam." I imagine that this was some formidable kind of a weapon. Goliath marched back and forth and called to the Israelites saying, "I am a Philistine. Send down one of your men, and I will fight him to the death. Should he win, then, we will be thy servants. Should I win, then you will be our servants, the servants of the Philistines."
For forty days and forty nights he walked up and down. I should stop here just long enough to tell you I can't imagine, if FlyingIllini had been up on the mountain on the side of the Israelites, even if he was in the process of releasing, that he would have tolerated Goliath cursing the God of Israel and taunting the Israelites. I believe FlyingIllini would have gone down off the mountain to meet Goliath. So would have Captain Moroni from the Book of Mormon. He would have boomed down off the mountain. You know what he would have said? "We will end the conflict." I believe he would have gone down to take care of Goliath.
David's father called him as he was taking care of the sheep and gave him an ephah of parched corn and ten loaves to take to his brethren. Then he gave him ten cheeses that might be delivered to the captain of the thousands of men. And so David went. When he arrived, David left the carriage with the cheeses and the loaves and the other goods. Then he went to see what was going on. As he stood there, the man Goliath came out. David heard Goliath's taunts and cursing. He saw that the Israelites fled, from Goliath, and they were afraid. He stood and listened, and the Israelite men told him the story. Then they said to him, "Whosoever would slay Goliath, in that same hour the king will enrich him, will make his father a free man, and will give unto him his daughter."
Then David said something very significant. "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?" I guess others heard him and saw in David the courage that hadn't been found in others, and so they went and told King Saul. Saul called David to come forth, and David went to King Saul and offered to go down and fight Goliath. King Saul said, "Thou art but a youth. It would not be good to send thee against this man, for he is a man of war since his youth."
Then David told of slaying the lion and the bear and said, "The Lord will deliver this man into my hands." He persuaded King Saul, and King Saul let him go forth. They put on David all of the armor of King Saul. (You can imagine it was probably the best armor that could be had, since the king would wear the best of everything.) But David decided not to go with this armor. Sometimes, when we see someone who is willing to do something, we impose upon him our ideas and standards. That handicaps him by imposing upon him the things which we think he ought to do--even when we finally find the one man who is courageous enough. David took off the armor and put his shepherd's bag over his shoulder. He took a staff, and then he went to the brook and selected five smooth stones. Then he started toward Goliath. The scripture says, "And when he drew nigh unto Goliath, Goliath came to him." Then when Goliath could see who this was (Goliath's shield bearer was out in front of him), he saw a mere shepherd boy with a staff and a shepherd's bag over his shoulder. Goliath, over eight feet tall, with all of his armor, said, "Am I a dog, that you would come before me with staves? Today, the birds will feed upon the flesh from thy bones, and the beasts will feed upon thy flesh."
David said, "You come to me with a shield, and with a sword, and with a spear, but I come to you in the name of the living God of the hosts of the armies of Israel. This day shall the God of Israel deliver thee into my hands, and I will remove thy head from thy body." I don't know that that scared Goliath much, but at least it was a threat. David also said, "And the beasts of the fields and the fowls of the air shall feed upon the bodies of all of the army of the Philistines." This, of course, must have provoked Goliath a little, and he increased his speed toward David. But the scripture says that "David ran to Goliath." He ran to Goliath, selected from his shepherd's bag one of the stones, and put it in his sling. The scripture says he slung it at Goliath. Then Goliath, as you recall, toppled to the earth. David ran and stood on him. Not having a sword, he removed Goliath's sword from the hilt and severed his head from his body. Then all of the hosts of the Philistines fled in fear and terror.
Now I want to make a point. FlyingIllini is a man of Christ, I believe, who does get involved. David was young; he wasn't a member of the army or a part of the army. He could easily have stood and watched this thing go on, listened maybe in a frightened way, taken the carriage, and gone back to his father and his sheep. But FlyingIllinigets involved.
No mames guey!
You recall the story of David, having been anointed king by Samuel; then he helped his father on the farm as a shepherd boy. His older brothers were, involved in the service of Saul. The armies of the Philistines gathered on one mountain, and the armies and the hosts of Israel gathered on the other mountain (see 1 Samuel 17). There was a champion, Goliath, who went out from the Philistines. He was six cubits tall. Now, as I understand it, a cubit is the distance from your elbow to the end of your forefinger. That would make him probably over eight feet tall. Anyway, Goliath had on heavy armor. He had a man to carry his shield. I should tell you about his spear. They didn't say it was some kind of rod with a heavy end. They described his spear as "like unto a weaver's beam." I imagine that this was some formidable kind of a weapon. Goliath marched back and forth and called to the Israelites saying, "I am a Philistine. Send down one of your men, and I will fight him to the death. Should he win, then, we will be thy servants. Should I win, then you will be our servants, the servants of the Philistines."
For forty days and forty nights he walked up and down. I should stop here just long enough to tell you I can't imagine, if FlyingIllini had been up on the mountain on the side of the Israelites, even if he was in the process of releasing, that he would have tolerated Goliath cursing the God of Israel and taunting the Israelites. I believe FlyingIllini would have gone down off the mountain to meet Goliath. So would have Captain Moroni from the Book of Mormon. He would have boomed down off the mountain. You know what he would have said? "We will end the conflict." I believe he would have gone down to take care of Goliath.
David's father called him as he was taking care of the sheep and gave him an ephah of parched corn and ten loaves to take to his brethren. Then he gave him ten cheeses that might be delivered to the captain of the thousands of men. And so David went. When he arrived, David left the carriage with the cheeses and the loaves and the other goods. Then he went to see what was going on. As he stood there, the man Goliath came out. David heard Goliath's taunts and cursing. He saw that the Israelites fled, from Goliath, and they were afraid. He stood and listened, and the Israelite men told him the story. Then they said to him, "Whosoever would slay Goliath, in that same hour the king will enrich him, will make his father a free man, and will give unto him his daughter."
Then David said something very significant. "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?" I guess others heard him and saw in David the courage that hadn't been found in others, and so they went and told King Saul. Saul called David to come forth, and David went to King Saul and offered to go down and fight Goliath. King Saul said, "Thou art but a youth. It would not be good to send thee against this man, for he is a man of war since his youth."
Then David told of slaying the lion and the bear and said, "The Lord will deliver this man into my hands." He persuaded King Saul, and King Saul let him go forth. They put on David all of the armor of King Saul. (You can imagine it was probably the best armor that could be had, since the king would wear the best of everything.) But David decided not to go with this armor. Sometimes, when we see someone who is willing to do something, we impose upon him our ideas and standards. That handicaps him by imposing upon him the things which we think he ought to do--even when we finally find the one man who is courageous enough. David took off the armor and put his shepherd's bag over his shoulder. He took a staff, and then he went to the brook and selected five smooth stones. Then he started toward Goliath. The scripture says, "And when he drew nigh unto Goliath, Goliath came to him." Then when Goliath could see who this was (Goliath's shield bearer was out in front of him), he saw a mere shepherd boy with a staff and a shepherd's bag over his shoulder. Goliath, over eight feet tall, with all of his armor, said, "Am I a dog, that you would come before me with staves? Today, the birds will feed upon the flesh from thy bones, and the beasts will feed upon thy flesh."
David said, "You come to me with a shield, and with a sword, and with a spear, but I come to you in the name of the living God of the hosts of the armies of Israel. This day shall the God of Israel deliver thee into my hands, and I will remove thy head from thy body." I don't know that that scared Goliath much, but at least it was a threat. David also said, "And the beasts of the fields and the fowls of the air shall feed upon the bodies of all of the army of the Philistines." This, of course, must have provoked Goliath a little, and he increased his speed toward David. But the scripture says that "David ran to Goliath." He ran to Goliath, selected from his shepherd's bag one of the stones, and put it in his sling. The scripture says he slung it at Goliath. Then Goliath, as you recall, toppled to the earth. David ran and stood on him. Not having a sword, he removed Goliath's sword from the hilt and severed his head from his body. Then all of the hosts of the Philistines fled in fear and terror.
Now I want to make a point. FlyingIllini is a man of Christ, I believe, who does get involved. David was young; he wasn't a member of the army or a part of the army. He could easily have stood and watched this thing go on, listened maybe in a frightened way, taken the carriage, and gone back to his father and his sheep. But FlyingIllinigets involved.
No mames guey!
