1 Samuel 17: (1a, 4-11, 19-23), 32-49 Psalm 9:9-20 2 Corinthians 6:1-13 Mark 4:35-41

Chapter 8 – Saul is made king by the people before God

Chapter 15 – Saul has been rejected as king. 

Chapter 16 – David is anointed king by Samuel; v. 14: “The spirit of the Lord departed from Saul;” David enters the service of Saul, playing the lyre to calm him, becomes armor bearer/warrior; Saul loved him greatly.

Chapter 17 – David slays Goliath.

Chapter 18 – Saul becomes jealous of David’s relationship with son Jonathan.

Chapter 19 – Saul seeks David’s life.

Chapter 20-30 – David flees to escape Saul’s wrath; Saga of David; Psalms; downfall of Saul. David has opportunities to slay Saul but spares his life.

Chapter 31 – Saul dies a noble death in battle

2nd Samuel begins with David’s lamentations over Saul, continues with David’s anointing as king of Judah and Israel.

So much of the Old Testament is expression of this tension between earthly human power and power in the name of the Lord of hosts, as cited by David as he confronts Goliath.  Throughout the history of these early centuries of the people of God, there is continuous back and forth between humans seeking to take control of their own destiny and the righteous humble who seek to place their destiny in the hand of God.  Of course, this back and forth is an ongoing pitfall for God’s people, and we note that it is a prevailing theme throughout the Old Testament, which is well-marked by human fingerprints – this ongoing pitfall of our incessant need to take control of our own destiny, dismissing or ignoring the need to trust God with our destiny.

In the saga of Saul and David, it appears that Saul, unlike David, is rather a self-made man; the words in Chapter 8 are: “Saul was made king by the people before God.”  Recalling our previous lesson, the people of Israel were clamoring for a king to rule over them; Samuel negotiated with God who relented and allowed for an earthly king.  Was that a hasty and ill-fraught earthly act?  We have begun to see that Saul’s kingship was an excruciating failure leading to his mental breakdown; his kingship will end finally when he is slain in battle.

David, on the other hand, seeks to place his destiny and the destiny of his people in the hand of God.  In our lesson for today from Chapter 17, Saul remains in the position of king even after David has been anointed at God’s behest by Samuel as we read in last week’s lesson.  By now, though, Saul’s mental health has declined; we are told the “spirit of the Lord has departed from Saul.”  As Chapter 16 comes to a close, we learn that David is called upon to play his lyre in hopes of calming Saul’s anxiety with his comforting music.  Saul grows to love David and appoints him to be his armor-bearer. 

When Goliath the Philistine became a threat to Israel, it was David who stepped up to the challenge without hesitation.  As Goliath drew near, David threw off the earthly armor and the sword of Saul, proclaiming “that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not save by sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s and he will give you into our hand.”  Surrendering his destiny into the hand of God, David went calmly and fearlessly into battle.

And, indeed, as we well remember the story, David slew Goliath with one stone launched from his slingshot.

The disciples in our Gospel lesson are facing their own Goliath.  Unlike David, however, they allow their fears to overwhelm them to the point that they are losing the battle against the storm; they are perishing much like Saul was perishing once the spirit of the Lord had left him; much like Goliath, dependent upon his own earthly strength, perished.  The disciples were outside in the storm; they were fraught with fear; they were perishing.

Jesus was inside, resting peacefully.  Finally, in deepest anguish, calling upon Jesus, the disciples’ fears were assuaged; Jesus calmly came out into the storm and ordered it to cease.  “Peace!  Be still!” were his words to the raging sea.  “Then the wind ceased and there was dead calm.”

Laden with cumbersome earthly armor, separating ourselves from the spirit of the Lord, singularly facing life’s raging storms, our little boats become swamped.  Finally, in fear of perishing, we cry out to Jesus, and Jesus comes into our storm with peace and calm.  Truly, our outward storms might continue to rage, but our hearts find peace and rest with great awe in the clear presence of the power of God through Jesus Christ.  Our battles become the Lord’s battles as was that of David and Goliath.

Again, and again, Jesus asks us, “Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?”  What are your greatest fears – your Goliaths?  Where do the storms rage in your life?  

Much of the remaining chapters of 1st Samuel are devoted to David’s distress and near-death experiences as he is on the run, hiding from the jealous and mentally deranged King Saul.  Undoubtedly, it was during these frightful times that many of the Psalms attributed to David were written.  Keeping in mind the dangerous situations that David faced, the words of his Psalms take on greater depth; to these times, we can relate our own desperate efforts to cry out to God amid life’s storms.   In faith, we affirm with David:

Those who know your Name will put their trust in you, *
for you never forsake those who seek you, O Lord.       [Psalm 9:10]