Voice of God

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Bible Nugget 0228 [Hebrew 11: 32-37, KJV]

 ³²And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:

 ³³Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions.

 ³⁴Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

 ³⁵Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:

 ³⁶And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:

 ³⁷They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;

 There are achievers and there are great achievers. Hebrew 11 is a roll call of great achievers for the kingdom of God. These were ordinary men like you and me. What distinguished them was their total submission to the will of God for their lives. Their hearts were transformed choosing to pursue God wholeheartedly. They pleased God with their faith in His Mighty Power.  When severe unfavorable situations confronted them, their faith increased to match the threat. They believed the LORD’s report and not the threats of their adversary. They refused to live in fear. For example, David when he was yet a youth confronted and killed a bear and then a lion. These were trainings so that when he confronted the giant Goliath  with a catapult and five pebbles while his opponent came against him with spears and arrows his faith rose to meet the challenges. This story is a classic and we highlight some verses as events occurred in 1 Samuel 17:1-58

¹Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah,…..

 ²And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and

 ⁴And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

 ⁵And 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.

  ⁸And 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.

⁹If 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.

David, being the youngest of the eight sons of Jesse, kept his father’s sheep and visited the battle field to bring lunch to his brothers. The whole camp of Israel were cringing in fear at the sound of the voice of Goliath, so that when David confronted Goliath, Goliath disdained David wondering whether this was the best Israel could offer in battle.

 ⁴⁰And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.

 ⁴¹And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him.

 ⁴²And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.

 ⁴³And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

 ⁴⁴And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.

 ⁴⁵Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.

 ⁴⁶This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

 ⁴⁷And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give you into our hands.

 ⁴⁸And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came, and drew nigh to meet David, that David hastened, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.

 ⁴⁹And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.

 ⁵⁰So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.

 ⁵¹Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.

Goliath knew Israel had a God and heard stories of how he delivered them from their enemies. He challenged everyone including King Saul to come fight him because he saw fear in their eyes. Fear cannot bring promotion. Goliath did not know that David’s faith was built solid on God and not in the sling and five stones.