1 Samuel 17:12-15
Jesse Sends David to His Brothers
1Sam 17:12-15 explain why David is not with Saul. He is back to his father’s sheep. When he was called to be anointed, he was there (1Sam 16:11). When he was called to go to Saul, he was there too (1Sam 16:19). He can be found there every time. If he is shortly called to go to the army, he is there as well (1Sam 17:15). Every time David is called, he is found to be faithful busy in his daily work. The contrast with his three oldest brothers is great. They are afraid of the work that is expected of them as soldiers. Like Saul, they represent the greatness of man. They are only of slightly lower quality than Saul and just as powerless as he is to fight with Goliath.While David faithfully does his work, the Philistine comes forward twice a day on the battlefield to utter his sneering and defiant words. With this he demolishes the state of mind of Saul and his army. Forty is the number of trial. Saul, Israel, and the brothers of David are all being tried. Man has always been put to the test whether he can do something against the power under which he suffers as a slave. But nobody can stand up to the dragon.While God’s people are afraid of the enemy and the enemy boasts of his power, the father speaks to the son that he must go to his brothers in the camp (1Sam 17:17). In the same way Jacob once spoke to Joseph (Gen 37:13). It is a beautiful picture of God Who says this to His Son in view of people who are in the power of satan. David is sent when the situation is hopeless. There is no one who has any courage to fight.When Jesse sends David, he gives him blessings to distribute. Thus the Lord Jesus came into the world not to judge the world, but with blessing for the people. Jesse also asks him to “bring back news of them”. He wants something shown to him as proof that they are doing well. Jesse wants to know whether they are alive and how they live. We see here the care that God-fearing parents have for their children when they are no longer at home, for example because of study. They will want to know how they are doing, where they are staying, which places they visit, whether or not these are places of temptation. They are concerned about how they behave and in what company they are. It is good that children behave worthy their upbringing and are conscious of the fact that if they are not under the eye of their parents, they are under God’s eye.
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