1 Samuel 17: Christ is Our Champion

The Rev. David Duke, pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church in Newfane, NY and St. John’s Lutheran Church in Youngtown, NY, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Samuel 17. “David and Goliath” is one of the most well-known accounts in the Bible. Armed with only a sling, a few stones, and his faith and trust in God, David agrees to fight for Israel against the Philistine’s own giant champion Goliath. Almost everyone knows how David wins the day, but the question is – what does this tell us about Jesus? The Book of 1 Samuel beings with the unique birth of Samuel, the last judge of Israel. Soon, the people of Israel begin to press upon the aging prophet Samuel to anoint a king over them like the other nations. YHWH assures Samuel that the people are rejecting their God, not Samuel. He advises Samuel to give the people what they want. What follows is the rise and fall of King Saul, the eventual anointing and coronation of David as king, the forerunner of Jesus. It’s a true story of political intrigue and warfare, but it’s also more than that. 1 Samuel shows us God working to save his people from their enemies and even from themselves.