Gods Sabbath

186

E NTERING INTO G OD ’ S S ABBATH R EST

wonderful book of nature. So strong did David’s faith become that, when first a lion and then a bear threatened his flock, he was able to go out under God’s personal direction, and destroy these powerful beasts of prey (see 1Samuel 17:34–36). Later, he was sent by his father to the battle front where he became aware of the problem imposed by Goliath’s threats. King Saul, to his dismay and embarrassment, could find no solution to the situation, but when young David discovered the enemy’s boastful and defiant presence, he volunteered to go down and fight the giant. “David said to Saul, ‘Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.’ Saul replied, ‘You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth.’ But David said to Saul, ‘Your servant has been keeping his fa ther’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The L ORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.’ Saul said to David, ‘Go, and the L ORD be with you.’” 1Samuel 17:32–37. In these words there is very little to indicate that David re ferred the problem to God. Many Bible students conclude that David recognized the problem, worked out a plan based on a faith powerful enough to expect God to make the solution work, and then stepped forward to carry it out. But we know from what has now been learned in respect to di vine procedures that if David had adopted this course, he would never have successfully routed the Philistine hero. He would most likely have lost his life in the encounter or been terribly wounded and forced to flee. So from these evidences alone, we can assume that David did not work out his own specific orders of battle, but received and executed a plan devised for him in heaven. On closer examination of the scriptures, we find expressions made by David which confirm that he did not devise the solution himself, but looked to God and received the answer from Him.