Five Smooth Stones

By: Josprel

Five Smooth Stones
by
Josprel

The Apostle John recorded the indispensable difference between a true shepherd and a hireling (John 10:11-14) - "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd . . ."

A good shepherd loves his sheep, but so does a wolf - only in another fashion. A wolf loves a meal of mutton; it considers such a meal delicious. So do lions, coyotes, bears, wild dogs, hyenas, and other predators. These all endanger the sheep and also the shepherd, without whose protection the flock has no chance of fending off the predators. No one better human hero exemplifies a true shepherd then King David, who has been called, "The Shepherd King of Israel."

God sent the Prophet Samuel to David’s hometown of Bethlehem to anoint a new king from among the sons of Jesse, David’s father. Upon Samuel's arrival at Bethlehem, Jesse's eldest son, Eliab, was the first to come before him. Apparently, Eliab appeared like kingly material, for so impressed was the prophet with his appearance that he exclaimed, "Surely the Lord's anointed is before Him!" (1st Samuel 16:6).

Nonetheless, Eliab's manly proportions did not impress God, who said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

One by one, David's seven brothers appeared before Samuel, but in turn each was rejected, no doubt puzzling the prophet, for he asked Jesse, "The Lord has not chosen these . . . Are all of the young men here?" (Verses 10 11).

The youngest remains. He is keeping the sheep," Jesse informed him.

“Send for him; bring him here,” Samuel instructed.

When the young shepherd arrived, God said to the prophet, "Anoint him; this is the one."

This account of David teaches three important lessons:

1. God calls busy people into His service: David was obediently tending his father's flocks when God sent Samuel to anoint him as king of Israel. Those who desire that God grant them responsible tasks must first be responsible to the tasks already before them, no matter how mundane they may seem. Sadly, many refuse the hidden, unglamorous tasks in a local church because they receive no public acclaim for doing them. David, however, was faithfully performing his task in a field. And it was there from which he was called to receive the anointing as the king of Israel. God will grant no higher responsibility to one who is unfaithful to a lesser one.

2. God does not gauge a person by ordinary standards: God applies His own measure to assess if He may use a person for His glory: Apparently, all of David's brothers appeared more kinglike than he. Yes, he was "ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking," but so are many teenagers. These characteristics do not qualify one to be a king. However, because of his outward appearance, Eliab impressed Samuel as being kingly material, yet Eliab was one who cowered with the rest of Saul's army when Goliath, the Philistine warrior - some nine feet, eight inches in height - defied the Israelite warriors by challenging them to send someone to fight one-to-one with him.

"He wore bronze armor that weighed about 125 pounds and a bronze helmet. His legs were also protected by bronze armor, and he carried a bronze javelin slung over his shoulder. His spear was a thick as the bar on a weaver's loom and its iron head weighed about fifteen pounds. A soldier walked in front of him carrying his shield" (1 Samuel 17: 4-7; Good News Bible; American Bible Society; New York).

3. God often uses those whom others consider unworthy for a task and, through them, achieves astounding victories for His name: Samuel recorded that Goliath "stood and cried out unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, 'Why have you come armed for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and you the warriors of Saul? Choose someone from among you to come down here and battle me. If he is able to fight and kill me, then we will be your slaves; but if I overcome and kill him, then you shall be our slaves . . . I defy the armies of Israel today. Send a man to battle me'" (1st Samuel 17:8-10).

Eliab, who seemed so kinglike to Samuel, cowered before the giant with the rest of Saul's army, not daring to accept the challenge. It required the simple faith of the teenage shepherd, David, who had tested his faith in God by killing lions and bears who dared to endanger his flock. He believed the God who had given him victory over the lions and bears would grant him victory over the blaspheming Goliath.

Jesse sent David to the battlefront with food for his three soldier sons.

“Take this half-bushel of roasted corn and these ten loaves of bread to your brothers in the camp. And take these ten cheeses to the commanding officer. Find out how your brothers are getting along and bring back something to show that you saw then and that they are well. King Saul, your brothers, and all the other Israelites are in Elah Valley fighting the Philistines.”

When David arrived at the battlefront, he deposited the food with the commissary officer. Then ran to his brothers at the battle line and inquired how they were getting along. As they talked, Goliath came forward, challenging Saul’s warriors as he previously had done, and they ran in terror.

“Look at him; listen to him. King Saul has promised a big reward to the man who kills him.”

“What will the man get who kills this Philistine and frees Israel from this disgrace? After all, who is this Philistine to defy the army of the living God?”

The others told David of the reward the one who killed Goliath would receive. But his brothers overheard him taking to the men and became angry with him.

“You little smart aleck, you!” said his oldest brother, Eliab, what are you doing here; who’s taking care of your sheep? You just came to watch the fighting!”

“Now what have I done?” David asked, “Can’t I even ask questions?” He turned to another, asking the same question; each time he asked, he received the same answer: “The man who kills Goliath will receive a big reward. He also will be given the king’s daughter in marriage, and his father’s family will not be required to pay any more taxes.”

Some of the men who heard David, reported it to the king. Saul sent for the shepherd.

“No one should be afraid of this Philistine, your Majesty! I’ll go and fight him,” David told Saul.

“No; how can you fight him?” the king asked, “You’re just a boy, and he has been a soldier all his life.”

“Your Majesty, I take care of my father’s sheep. Whenever a lion or a bear steals a lamb, I go after it and attack it, and rescue the lamb. I grab it by the throat and beat it to death. I’ve killed lions and bears, and I’ll do the same to this heathen Philistine. The Lord has saved me from lions and bears, and he will save me form this Philistine.”

“All right,” Saul answered, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”

The king gave David his own armor to wear. “ I can’t fight with this,” David said, “I’m not used to it.”

He removed it and took his shepherd’s stick. Then he picked five smooth stones from a stream and put them in his bag. With his sling ready, he went out to meet Goliath, who started walking toward David with his shield bearer walking in from of him. Goliath kept approaching closer, but when he got a good look at David, he was filled with disdain because his enemy was just a handsome boy.”

“What is that stick for; do you think I’m a dog?” he asked, calling down curses from his god on David, “Come ahead. I’ll give your body to the birds and animals to eat!”

“You’re coming against me with your sword, spear, and javelin, but I’m coming against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, God of the Israelite armies, which you have defied. This very day, the Lord will put you in my power; I will defeat you and cut off your head. And I will give the bodies of the Philistine soldiers to the birds and animals to eat. Then the whole world will know that Israel has a God, and everyone here will see that the Lord does not need swords or spears to save his people. He is victorious in battle, and he will put all of you in our power.”

Goliath started walking toward David again, and David ran quickly toward the Philistine battle line to fight him. He reached into his bag and took out a stone, which he slung at Goliath. It hit him on the forehead and broke his skull, and Goliath fell face downward on the ground.

And so, without a sword, David killed Goliath with a sling and stone! He ran to him, stood over him, took Goliath’s sword from its sheath, and cut off his head and killed him.

When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they ran away. As the Israelites shouted and pursued them, the Philistines fell wounded all along the road leading to Shaaraim.

When the Israelites returned, they looted the Philistine camp. David got Goliath’s head and took it to Jerusalem, but he kept Goliath’s weapons.

What a tremendous lesson for all of us! God frequently uses little things to demonstrate His power. He often uses things that appear insignificant to defeat obstacles that the world considers insurmountable.

Gathering the smooth stones of confidence in God from His stream of faith, each believer ought to step forward into the Lord's will, in the knowledge that He ever is with us.

As an anonymous hymnist of yesteryear wrote:

"I've seen the lightning flashing,
And heard the thunder roll;
I've felt sin's breakers dashing,
Trying to conquer my soul;
I've heard the voice of my Savior,
Telling me still to fight on;
He promised never to leave me,
Never to leave me alone."

Chorus:
"No, never alone!
No, never alone!
He promised never to leave me,
Never to leave me alone!
No, never alone!
No, never alone!
He promised never to leave me,
Never to leave me alone."

(Hymn, "Never Alone"; Composer anonymous).
-30-

© Josprel (Joseph Perrello)
Josprel@verizon.net

About Jospre:

Josprel is an ordained evangelical minister who resides in Western New York - just across the Niagara River from Canada. Though brought up in a Christian family, he rebelled against the Lord at an early age, finally enlisting in the U.S. Air Force. He served three years in the Air Force, two and one half of them in the Far East, as a sergeant of operating engineers. Josprel was among the first Air Force troops to enter Japan, after World War Two. Upon returning home, he accepted Christ as his Savior and studied for the ministry. A prolific writer, many of Josprel's stories and articles have appeared in print and on the Internet. For some ten years, he pastored in Attica, New York, site of the nation's worst prison riot. After the riot, at the request of the Attica Prison administration, Josprel sponsored and conducted three-hour-long, weekly Bible studies for the inmates. He is the author of two novels in progress, "Beloved Apostate" and "Kanfal."

Article Source: http://www.articles.narrowisthepath.com

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