DCLM Daily Manna 15 June 2024
TOPIC: Don’t Fear The Bully
TEXT: 1 Samuel 17:1-11 (KJV)
17 Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephesdammim.
2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines.
3 And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.
4 And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
5 And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.
6 And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders.
7 And the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam; and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him.
8 And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.
9 If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.
10 And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.
11 When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.
KEY VERSE
“And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.”
1 Samuel 17:10
DCLM Daily Manna 15 June 2024 MESSAGE
Between a bully and a tin god, there is little difference. The former erroneously assumes he is above the law and rides roughshod over those he relates with; the latter, also delusionary, ascribes to himself superhuman authority, which from the root of the word, is as weak as tin, a base metal. Both reckon neither with the superior power of God nor with the sensibilities of His creatures.
Goliath exhibited all the traits of a bully: arrogant, condescending, and fully bloated with pride. This Philistine believed he had the world in his pocket as he taunted the army of Israel. “Present a man from your ranks to fight me,” he called out. “If he defeats me,” Goliath boasted, “I and my people would be your servants.” If the contest goes the other way, Israel would be slaves to the Philistine nation. But he crossed the red line when he directly challenged God, the Captain of Israel’s army. “I defy the armies of Israel”.
READ DCLM Daily Manna Friday 14 June 2024 – When The Saviour Wept
He challenged the Lord to battle and God used an unprofessional soldier, a shepherd lad to cut down the self-conceited bully with a single stone flung by a sling. Goliath did not live to warn others of the sad tale of what would always befall those who play God or attempt to defy heaven based on their puny power.
All those who arrogantly challenge God by way of opposing His people or His work, making a boast of their power, position, influence and wealth, will definitely receive a disgraceful defeat like Goliath. Believers must not allow themselves to become intimidated by their bragging and pride and so submit to their ungodly demands. Like David, confront the situation by faith in the name of the Lord and see the defeat of God’s enemies.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Courage is an indispensable attribute of faith.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Chronicles 30-33
