Deuteronomy 1-3
Sunday Evening Bible Study
July 22, 2001
Introduction to Deuteronomy
Composition
Deuteronomy is the last of the five books that were written by Moses. The five books are called the “Pentateuch”, the “Torah”, of the “Law”.
The name “Deuteronomy” means “Second (deutero) Law (nomos)”.
This book is basically a series of messages that Moses gave to the nation of Israel during the last month and a half of his life.
The first message is chapters 1-4, recapping Israel’s history in the wilderness
The second message is chapters 5-26, reviewing the Law itself
The third message is chapters 27-30, giving the blessings of obedience and the curses of disobedience
The book ends with a Song of Moses (ch. 31-32), prophetic blessings on the tribes (ch. 33), and the death of Moses (ch. 34).
Context
With God’s help, Moses has brought Israel out of Egypt and led them for forty years in the wilderness. During the first year in the wilderness, they had camped out at Mount Sinai, where Moses received the Ten Commandments as well as the design of the Tabernacle, the instructions for sacrifices, and many other things. This was when the content of the books of Exodus and Leviticus were given. The history of their wanderings in the wilderness were recorded in the book of Numbers. Now at the end of their wilderness wanderings, it’s time for a review, hence the “Second Law”.
There are a couple of reasons why a “review” is necessary –
1 – The people have changed
The generation that heard the Law the first time has mostly passed away, and it’s time for the current generation to hear God’s truths.
2 – The times have changed
The people have been wandering in the wilderness for forty years. Now they are finally about to come into the Promised Land. Some of the Laws were intended specifically for use in the Promised Land and they haven’t been in the forefront of people’s minds for forty years. Some of the Law will see new application as they are about to cross over the Jordan.
Lesson
Keep reading God’s Word
The reasons for reading and re-reading God’s incredible Word are the same for us.
1 – You change
I am not exactly the same person as I was a couple of years ago. I am growing in the Lord, I am slowly changing. As I go through my own “stages” of development in my Christian life, I need to be reminded over and over again of God’s Word.
2 – Circumstances change
As I am growing, my circumstances change just like I do. I may not always be “wandering in the wilderness”. Each time I go through God’s Word, I learn more and more from it, sometimes simply because my own life’s circumstances force me to look at God’s Word from another perspective.
Theme:
This may be a surprise, especially considering that this is a book of the “Law”, but one of the special themes of the book of Deuteronomy is “love”, God’s love for us and our love for God. The word “love” or a form of it is found 26 times, the word “heart” is found 47 times, the word “soul” is found 18 times.
Jesus liked it
When Jesus was tempted by Satan after having fasted for forty days, Jesus responded to each of Satan’s temptations by quoting a Scripture.
When Satan tempted Jesus to turn stones into bread,
(Luke 4:4 KJV) And Jesus
answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word of God.
Jesus was quoting from,
(Deu 8:3
KJV) And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna,
which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee
know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth
out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.
When Satan offered to give Jesus the kingdoms of the world if Jesus would follow Satan,
(Luke 4:8 KJV) And Jesus
answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou
shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Jesus was quoting from,
(Deu 6:13
KJV) Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his
name.
When Satan tempted Jesus to jump from the pinnacle of the temple,
(Luke 4:12 KJV) And Jesus
answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
Jesus was quoting from,
(Deu 6:16
KJV) Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.
The point is, Jesus seemed especially fond of the book of Deuteronomy. He spent time in the book, He even had it memorized.
Deuteronomy 1
:1 on this side Jordan in the wilderness
The early history of the nation of Israel is filled with lessons that can be applied to the Christian life.
The apostle Paul taught about the events in the Old Testament as though they were lessons for us –
(1 Cor 10:6 KJV) Now
these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil
things, as they also lusted …
These stories can be pictures of different stages that a person goes through in their own life.
Egypt – a picture of our life before coming to Jesus. We were in bondage to sin, in bondage to Satan, until the day came that we were delivered by the blood of a Lamb.
The Promise Land – the land of Canaan, the Promised Land, is a pretty good picture of the person who is learning to live a life controlled by the Spirit. There are battles, but there is also the receiving of the promises of God for your life.
The Wilderness – a pretty good picture of the person who has come to the Lord, but has yet to get to the point where they seriously yield themselves to the Lord. There is a sense of God working in their life, but they are not anywhere near experiencing all that God has for them. It’s that “in-between” after we’ve come to the Lord, but before we begin to fully open ourselves up to the Lord.
:2 (There are eleven days' journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadeshbarnea.)
Horeb - another name for Mount Sinai, where Moses had received the Ten Commandments
mount Seir – the land that the Edomites settled in, to the southeast of Israel.
Kadeshbarnea – this was a border town (like Tijuana) on the edge of the Promised Land. After having received the Law from God, it was time to go into the Promised Land.
It was only an eleven days journey from Mount Sinai to Kadeshbarnea. They could have been in the Promised Land after two weeks, but instead it would take them forty years. Why did a two-week journey take forty years? Read on …
:5 On this side Jordan, in the land of Moab
This places the book of Deuteronomy has having been written after the conquest of Sihon and Og, and before the nation crosses the Jordan.
:6 The LORD our God spake unto us in Horeb
Horeb – another name for Mount Sinai, the place they received the Ten Commandments.
:8 Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land
Lesson
God’s Promises
For Israel, God’s plans included a physical piece of geography.
God has plans for each of us.
(Jer 29:11 KJV) For I know
the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and
not of evil, to give you an expected end.
God wants you to have all that He plans for you.
Just like Israel, God beckons you to go in and start receiving the things He has for you.
For some of you, you are at a place where you haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of finding out the wonderful things that God has for you.
You need to stay close to the Lord and His Word so God can begin to speak to you and show you what He has for your life.
For some of you, you are like the Israelites who knew what God had for them, and are faced with the challenge of doing something about it.
:9 I am not able to bear you myself alone:
Moses is referring to how he became overwhelmed with the needs of the nation. Two million people were coming to him to meet their needs.
:12 How can I myself alone bear your cumbrance, and your burden, and your strife?
cumbrance – torach – burden; problems
burden – massa’ – load, bearing, tribute, burden, lifting
strife – riyb – strife, controversy, dispute
At one point, Moses would sit down at his office desk and the people would line up and wait to talk to Moses. Every question, every problem, everything went to Moses. The people would have to wait in line all day. Moses and the people were getting tired out. (Ex. 18:13)
:13 I will make them rulers over you.
Under the leading of his father-in-law and God, Moses set up a system of elders that would take care of the people’s problems.
Moses had been trying to handle everything all by himself. His father-in-law, Jethro, gave him this advice,
(Exo 18:18 KJV) Thou wilt
surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing
is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.
Moses set up the seventy elders, teaching them the law, so they could in turn take care of the needs of the people.
Lesson:
A key to conquest is delegation.
If you are in the place of leading a ministry, there is only so much that you will be able to do by yourself.
The more you learn the art of delegation, the stronger your ministry will be.
Sometimes we think, “If you want something to be done right, do it yourself”.
But the problem is that if you are the only one doing the work, you are only going to get as far as one person can get.
If you can learn to find quality people and let them help you, then you get a lot more done.
:15 captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds
There was a system of hierarchy set up to help distribute the responsibility.
:17 Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man
respect persons – nakar – (Hiphil) to regard, observe, pay attention to, pay regard to, notice; to be willing to recognise or acknowledge, acknowledge with honour
ye shall not be afraid of the face of man –
Lesson
Wise judges aren’t moved by people
but God
I think this is one of the hardest things about making decisions.
Illustration
A small town prosecuting attorney called his first witness to the stand in a trial-a grandmotherly, elderly woman. He approached her and asked, “Mrs. Jones, do you know me?” She responded, “Why, yes, I do know you Mr. Williams. I’ve known you since you were a young boy. And frankly, you’ve been a big disappointment to me. You lie, you cheat on your wife, you manipulate people and talk about them behind their backs. You think you’re a rising big shot when you haven’t the brains to realize you never will amount to anything more than a two-bit paper pusher. Yes, I know you.” The lawyer was stunned. Not knowing what else to do he pointed across the room and asked, “Mrs. Williams, do you know the defense attorney?” She again replied, “Why, yes I do. I’ve known Mr. Bradley since he was a youngster, too. I used to baby-sit him for his parents. And he, too, has been a real disappointment to me. He’s lazy, bigoted, he has a drinking problem. The man can’t build a normal relationship with anyone and his law practice is one of the shoddiest in the entire state. Yes, I know him.” At this point, the judge rapped the courtroom to silence and called both counselors to the bench. In a very quiet voice, he said with menace, “If either of you asks her if she knows me, you’ll be jailed for contempt!
Too often we are influenced by what we believe people think, one way of the other.
Sometimes we are afraid of getting somebody mad at us, and this affects our decisions.
Sometimes we admire and respect a person so much, we are afraid of hurting their feelings or going against their wishes.
It’s good to listen to advice from others, but in the long run, we need to ask God for His wisdom, and then decide for what is right.
:19 we came to Kadeshbarnea.
Kadeshbarnea – the border town on the southern edge of the Promised Land; 91 miles southwest of Jerusalem.
This town would forever be known as the place of decision, the place of deciding to do the wrong thing, the place of turning away from what God had for them.
:21 fear not, neither be discouraged.
discouraged – chathath – to be shattered, be dismayed, be broken, be abolished, be afraid; (Niphal) to be broken, be dismayed
Again, God’s people are presented with the treasure that God has for them, they are encouraged to take what God has given to them.
:23 I took twelve men of you, one of a tribe:
The original twelve spies were sent out.
:24 came unto the valley of Eshcol, and searched it out.
Eshcol is located in the hills south of Jerusalem, near the city of Hebron.
:25 And they took of the fruit of the land in their hands
Part of what the spies brought back was a huge cluster of grapes, so big it took two men to carry it.
(Num 13:23 KJV) And they came
unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of
grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the
pomegranates, and of the figs.
I wonder if the two men that carried the grapes weren’t Caleb and Joshua. Caleb would later be the one to conquer Hebron, the city near Eshcol.
:26 Notwithstanding ye would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God:
rebelled – marah – to be contentious, be rebellious, be refractory, be disobedient towards, be rebellious against
God had commanded them to go and take the land, but they said, “No.”
:27 Because the LORD hated us
murmured – ragan – to murmur, whisper; backbiter (participle)
the LORD hated us –
Lesson
Spoiled children
In a way, the Israelites are acting just like spoiled children. They are acting like children who always get their way and don’t want anyone to tell them what to do.
I think that sometimes we have this notion that the only things that are “loving” to us are the things that we like. I like Twix ice cream, so if you give me a bowl of Twix ice cream you must therefore love me. I don’t like criticism, so if you criticize me, you must not love me.
The problem is, sometimes I don’t really like the proper things. Too much Twix ice cream will make me fatter and plug my arteries with lots of goo. Criticism may not be fun, but sometimes I can’t see what’s really wrong in my life and if I’m going to get any further down the road I am going to find that someone, sometime, is going to need to criticize me, for my own good.
For the Israelites, they saw that there were going to be tough times ahead, and they jump to the incredible conclusion that God must not love them.
Just the opposite was true.
(Deu 7:8 KJV) But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
:28 moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there.
There were two basic problems in taking the Promised Land.
The cities were fortified – they had high walls.
There were giants in the land – the “sons of the Anakims” was a term referring to a race of giants living at that time.
Lesson
Giants in the land
The truth is that even though God has wonderful promises for us, there will also be “giants” in the land.
Almost every good thing has some challenge attached to it.
If you are a person who is always looking for the easy way out, you will probably rarely see some of the treasures that God has for you.
Growing as a Christian
I think this is one of the aspects of coming into the “Promised Land”, whether or not we will learn to deal with the “giants”.
One of the greatest giants we face is that of our own personal “discipline”, the kinds of things that we do or don’t do to help our relationship with Jesus grow.
We can fall into a trap of thinking that because we have certain sins we’re personally enslaved to, that all the people we see God using must have the same secret sins as well. It’s no use to really get serious about these things because after all, everybody has these problems. I’ve got news for you – many of the people that God uses big time have learned to get God’s victory over those secret sins.
I used to think that the concept of daily spending time with God was a little overblown. I used to think, “I’ll bet Chuck Smith doesn’t really spend all that much time reading his Bible or praying.” Wrong.
Daily Devotions
When it comes to spending time daily reading God’s Word and praying, I have found that there are three types of people. And it’s all about GIANTS.
1) It’s too hard
For most people, they have all sorts of reasons lined up as to why they can’t spend time every day reading God’s Word and praying.
Sometimes it’s because they don’t think they know the Bible enough to just read it. How else are you going to learn about the Bible if you don’t read it?
Sometimes it’s because a person thinks they’re too busy.
Sometimes it’s simply because they don’t realize that they have the ability to discipline themselves to read every day.
These are the people who say, “There’s GIANTS in the land”
2) It’s all they do
Every once in a while you will run into a type of person who over does it and runs from their life and does nothing but read their Bible all day. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s GREAT to be reading your Bible, that’s what I want to encourage. But if you aren’t taking care of the rest of your responsibilities like working and taking care of yourself and your family, then there’s something wrong.
This too is a “giant” problem but the “giants” are the ones out in the world and instead of facing the giants and tackling life, this person runs from life into what seems “spiritual”, but is really a running away from their life.
3) The Giant Killers.
This is the person who finally gets around to realizing that they can’t make any more excuses. It’s not always easy to get to this point. You usually spend lots of time tripping yourself up and falling on your face, but that happens any time you go out to slay giants.
Best of all, this is the person who is beginning to enter into the Promised Land. This is the person who is beginning to learn to hear God’s voice. This is the person who is beginning to learn to find God’s help and strength.
:30 The LORD your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes;
It’s not like God had never done anything for the Israelites. All they had to do was think back over the last two years and they would remember that they had seen God do INCREDIBLE things!!! There were the plagues in Egypt. There was the night of the Passover when all the firstborn of Egypt died, except for those covered by the blood of a lamb. There was the parting of the Red Sea. There was the miraculous manna and water in the wilderness to feed them and quench their thirst.
:32 Yet in this thing ye did not believe the LORD your God,
Lesson
It’s all about trust
The writer to the Hebrews tells us,
(Heb 3:19 KJV) So we see
that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
(Heb 4:1-2 KJV) Let us
therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of
you should seem to come short of it. {2} For unto us was the gospel preached,
as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being
mixed with faith in them that heard it.
We can hear about God’s promises for deliverance, but if we don’t believe that God will do it, the promises won’t do anything for us.
Are you going to trust God to help you or not? Are you going to trust God that His ways are better or not?
Illustration
I had a single person share with me once that they were sharing an apartment with a person of the opposite sex. They were wondering what I thought of that. I said that it didn’t sound like a very good idea to me, or to God.
They shared with me that there was a group of Christians they had met and who offered to let them move in, but it would cost a couple of hundred dollars more a month than their current place. I said that it sounded a whole lot better than where they were.
It’s all about trust. Do you trust that God’s ways are best? Even if it might be more inconvenient or cost you a little more? You bet.
:33 Who went in the way before you
God had led the people with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. They followed God all through the wilderness.
:36 Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it
Caleb and Joshua were the only ones of that generation who were willing to trust that God would take care of Israel in the Promised Land. Of the adults that came out of Egypt, Caleb and Joshua were the only ones to make it into the Promised Land.
:37 Also the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, saying, Thou also shalt not go in thither.
Moses himself had blown it. He had misrepresented God.
When Israel complained about water in the wilderness, God showed Moses a rock and told him to strike the rock with his staff. Water came out.
The second time Israel complained about water, God told Moses to speak to the rock. But Moses was really ticked off with the people and he yelled at them and struck the rock again. Even though God let water come out to meet the people’s needs, Moses got pulled aside and God told him that he would not be allowed to see the Promised Land.
Lesson
Leaders have a greater judgment.
It can seem as if God was pretty harsh on Moses. What was the big deal? So what if God wasn’t mad at the people at that time, wasn’t God mad at them earlier?
That’s not the point.
Moses was the leader of the entire nation. Everyone looked to him to set the example.
If Moses can choose when to obey God and when not to, why should the people have to be made to obey God all the time?
James writes,
(James 3:1 NASB) Let not
many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a
stricter judgment.
As you grow in the Lord, be aware that God will continue to work in your life, making you more and more like Him and less and less like the world.
If you are a leader in the church, I don’t think there’s a place for you to be drinking alcoholic beverages. Yes, the Scriptures don’t forbid drinking, only drunkenness. But as a leader, you set an example that others will learn by.
:42 Go not up, neither fight; for I am not among you
When the people had been rebuked by Moses, the people thought that they would change their mind and go ahead and go into the land. In fact, even though Moses told them it was too late, they decided they would go, with or without Moses, with or without the Lord.
Lesson
Windows only last so long
Windows are the opportunities that are in front of us.
Some windows stay open longer than others.
Salvation – God wants all people to be saved. In a sense, as long as you are still breathing, there is still a chance for you to be saved. But there is also a sense in which your heart grows harder and harder each time you say “no” to the Lord. And eventually, even though you are still alive, your heart will become incredible hard and it will be very difficult for you to even be aware of God at all.
Some windows are for a limited time only.
I believe there was a recent Lottery winner back on the east coast. The man hadn’t been aware that he had won. When he found out that he had won 49 million dollars, he casually mailed his ticket in to the Lottery office and only just barely got there in time. If he had been too late, he would have lost his winnings.
There are going to be times when God has a special project in mind for you. There will be people to speak to, places to go, things to do. But these things don’t last forever.
Deuteronomy 2
:1 we compassed mount Seir many days.
This “many days” lasted 38 years.
:4 your brethren the children of Esau
The Israelites were the descendants of Jacob. The Edomites were the descendants of Jacob’s twin brother, Esau.
:5 Meddle not with them; for I will not give you of their land
Meddle not – garah – to cause strife, stir up, contend, meddle, strive, be stirred up; (Hithpael) to excite oneself against, engage in strife; to excite oneself (against foe), wage war
Lesson
Settle in your spot.
God didn’t want Israel to start thinking that they were going to conquer the Edomites and take their land. God had given that land to Edom.
God has a place for you. Don’t be spending too much time looking at and longing for what God has for others. Worry about what Jesus has for you.
Illustration
When Peter met with Jesus after the resurrection, Jesus told Peter about how Peter would one day be captured and led away to die for the Lord. Peter was a little uncomfortable about this and looking over at John, got to wondering if this would happen to John as well.
(John 21:21-22 NKJV) Peter,
seeing him, said to Jesus, "But Lord, what about this man?" {22}
Jesus said to him, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to
you? You follow Me."
Jesus’ whole point was this – don’t worry about what God has planned for other people, you just be concerned about what God has planned for you.
Just follow Jesus. Settle in the land Jesus has for you.
:9 Distress not the Moabites
The Moabites were the descendants of Lot, the nephew of Abraham. Abraham was the grandfather to Jacob, the father of the Israelites.
:12 they had destroyed them from before them
Lesson
You can do it too.
One of the fears that had kept Israel from going into the Promised Land was the fear of giants.
Yet in reality, the giants weren’t invincible. The Edomites had already conquered their own giants.
Moses is trying to encourage Israel and build up their faith. Other nations have taken care of the giants, so can Israel.
Fellowship’s value
This is one of the great benefits that we get when we rub elbows with other Christians who are walking in the Lord. When God helps one Christian, others can gain encouragement that God can help them too.
:13 And we went over the brook Zered.
The brook Zered is at the southern end of the Dead Sea. It is the boundary between the Edomites to the south of the brook and the Moabites to the north.
:14 thirty and eight years
The people were at Mount Sinai for a year, then spent 38 years wandering, and another year conquering the Amorites before coming into the Promise Land.
:18 Thou art to pass over through Ar, the coast of Moab, this day:
Ar – a capital city of the Moabites, located on the river Arnon, a border between Moab and Edom.
:19 the children of Ammon
The Ammonites were also descendants of Lot like the Moabites (vs.9)
:21 but the LORD destroyed them before them
Yahweh Himself had even helped the Ammonites defeat their giants. Here are the Israelites, the only true followers of Yahweh, and yet Yahweh had helped the Ammonites defeat giants. Hmmmm.
:23 the Caphtorims, which came forth out of Caphtor
These were people from the island of Crete, thought to be possible relatives of the later Philistines. These too had learned to conquer the giants.
:25 This day will I begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the nations that are under the whole heaven
This would be the beginnings of Israel’s battles to conquer the land.
:31 begin to possess, that thou mayest inherit his land.
The land of Sihon was part of what God had for Israel.
It was part of their training in learning to take the Promised Land.
:33 And the LORD our God delivered him before us; and we smote him, and his sons, and all his people.
Lesson
First victory
In a way, this is Israel’s first battle victory on their way to entering into the Promised Land.
They might perhaps look at it later and think that it wasn’t really all that big of a battle considering what they would encounter later, but it was still a victory.
Take one battle at a time. One victory leads to another.
:34 we left none to remain:
Why such destruction against the Amorites?
It was a judgment by God, through Israel, against their sin.
Hundreds of years earlier, God had spoken to Abraham about his descendants, and told him that they would become slaves in a foreign land, but that after 400 years of slavery, God would bring them out –
(Gen 15:16 KJV) But in the
fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the
Amorites is not yet full.
By Moses’ time, God’s patience with the Amorites was all used up.
Deuteronomy 3
:1 Then we turned, and went up the way to Bashan
Bashan would be the next stop in learning to conquer. It is the land to the northeast of Israel.
:5 All these cities were fenced with high walls, gates, and bars; beside unwalled towns a great many.
Lesson
Conquering your fears.
Remember that one of the concerns Israel had about the Promised Land was the cities that would be too “difficult” to conquer –
(Deu 1:28 NKJV) 'Where can
we go up? Our brethren have discouraged our hearts, saying, "The people
are greater and taller than we; the cities are great and fortified up to
heaven; moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there."'
But now that Israel has this initial victory over Sihon under their belts, God leads them up to their first “fear” – the “walled” cities.
What will happen?
:11 For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants
Og was the last of the giants that ruled on the east of the Jordan. His bed was 13 feet long and six feet wide, that’s a “GIANT” sized bed.
Lesson
Giant killing
One victory leads to another. It started with Sihon, it took a step further when they conquered the walled cities, and then they took on the big fear, the giants.
God may not have you start by conquering your biggest fears first, it seems He often starts with lesser things.
David was probably the most well known giant killer. But he wasn’t always a giant killer.
(1 Sam 17:33-37 KJV)
And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to
fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.
{34} And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there
came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: {35} And I went out
after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose
against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. {36} Thy
servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine
shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
{37} David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the
lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of
this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.
David had confidence in God’s ability to help him because he had seen God help him with other things, a lion and a bear.
Lions and bears are nothing to sneeze at, they’re pretty scary too, but they were a stepping stone from just being a shepherd to being a giant killer.
:27
Get thee up into the top of Pisgah