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Testimonies for the Church Volume 3
Goliath trusted in his armor. He terrified the armies of Israel by
his defiant, savage boastings, while he made a most imposing display
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of his armor, which was his strength. David, in his humility and zeal
for God and his people, proposed to meet this boaster. Saul consented
and had his own kingly armor placed upon David. But he would not
consent to wear it. He laid off the king’s armor, for he had not proved
it. He had proved God and, in trusting in Him, had gained special
victories. To put on Saul’s armor would give the impression that he
was a warrior, when he was only little David who tended the sheep.
He did not mean that any credit be given to the armor of Saul, for his
trust was in the Lord God of Israel. He selected a few pebbles from the
brook, and with his sling and staff, his only weapons, he went forth in
the name of the God of Israel to meet the armed warrior.
Goliath disdained David, for his appearance was that of a mere
youth untaught in the tactics of warfare. Goliath railed upon David and
cursed him by his gods. He felt that it was an insult upon his dignity
to have a mere stripling, without so much as an armor, come to meet
him. He made his boast of what he would do to him. David did not
become irritated because he was looked upon as so inferior, neither did
he tremble at his terrible threats, but replied: “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.” David tells Goliath that in the name of the Lord he will
do to him the very things that Goliath had threatened to do to David.
“And 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.”
Our ministers should not defy and provoke discussion. Let the
defying be on the side of the opposers of God’s truth. I was shown
that Brother K and other ministers have acted too much the part of
Goliath. And then after they have dared and provoked discussion they
have trusted in their prepared arguments, as Saul wanted David to
trust in his armor. They have not, like humble David, trusted in the
God of Israel, and made Him their strength. They have gone forth
confident and boastful, like Goliath, magnifying themselves and not
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hiding behind Jesus. They knew the truth was strong, and therefore
have not humbled their hearts and in faith trusted in God to give the
truth the victory. They have become elated and lost their balance, and