40 Days with the Sheep
1 Samuel 17 is a very familiar chapter of the Bible to me. I have always enjoyed reading the narrative of David and Goliath, and have read it many times, but last week a detail stood out to me that I never noticed before. It comes just after Goliath has made his first appearance in the valley of Elah, causing the armies of Israel to cower in fear. Notice the quiet transition within the family of Jesse:
“Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem-judah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul. And the three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. And David was the youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul. But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem. And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.” (vv.12-16)
Imagine, David had been at the palace, serving as King Saul’s armorbearer and personal musician when word came that the Philistines had camped on the hillside of the valley of Elah. Preparations were begun for the impending conflict, and while David’s three oldest brothers journeyed to Elah to join Saul’s armies, David is sent home, back to the quietness of the Judean countryside and the bleating of sheep.
I wonder how the transition from royal court to sheep pasture hit David. A later passage tells us that Saul did indeed take an armorbearer into battle (1 Samuel 31:4) but why not David? His conversation with Saul further on in chapter 17 indicates that David might have been considered too young or too small to fight. And so he was sent back home. Instead of a young man with a valued position in the king’s court, he went back to being the youngest and the least, sent out with the sheep as if nothing had happened.
That brings us to the detail I just noticed for the first time: notice that the narrative shifts to Goliath again in verse 16, telling about his daily challenge, and giving us a staggering fact:
“And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.”
Forty days! That was one patient army to stay put for over a month, waiting for the Israelites to send out a champion. I suppose that might be an indicator of the Philistines’ confidence in Goliath, that this would be an easy win once the Israelites finally sent someone out to fight.
And the Israelite army sat day after day, cowering like clockwork at Goliath’s appearance, perhaps afraid to show themselves, lest they accidentally did or said something that made it seem they were volunteering to fight.
Meanwhile, David watched the sheep.
Maybe that’s you today, feeling stuck in the every day of life, while others seem to be experiencing all the adventure, thrill or importance. Or perhaps, like David with the sheep, you are in a solitary season, taken out of service or seemingly set aside. I don’t know what God was teaching David during those forty days with the sheep, but I know that God has often used similar seasons in my life to draw me closer to Himself and to prepare me for the next season.
Perhaps it was during these forty days that David encountered the lion and the bear, and gained experience in depending on God to help him fight victoriously. The Bible doesn’t tell us any more than that David watched his father’s sheep, and that Goliath continued his daily taunting for forty days.
I was reminded recently of a passage in 1 Corinthians which says,
“But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, God hath chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in His presence.” (1:27-29)
David was seemingly set aside, not considered valuable to the gathering armies of Israel. Yet, after that season of solitude and mundanity, God brought David forward to do what the entire army was afraid to attempt: to bring down the Philistines’ champion and defend the honor of the God of Israel.
The difference between David and the armies of Israel wasn’t so much one of physical strength (unless you count the fact that they were probably all bigger, stronger, and maybe more experienced than he) The biggest difference between David and the rest of the soldiers at Elah that day was his heart.
We serve a God who delights in those who delight in Him. He looks at the heart rather than physical strength or pleasing appearances. (1 Samuel 16:7) I have no doubt that David’s forty days with the sheep developed his heart for God and prepared him for the task ahead.
Now, how about you? What season are you in? Whatever it is, be assured that God has a good purpose for it. He often uses the most mundane seasons to strengthen us for the battles ahead. What’s happening in your heart during this season?
“I know, O Lord, that Thy judgments are right, and that Thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.”Psalm 119:75