1Sa 17:28-37

Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men;
and Eliab’s anger burned against David and he said, “Why have you come down?
And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness?
I know your insolence and the wickedness of your heart;
for you have come down in order to see the battle.”

But David said, “What have I done now? Was it not just a question?”

Then he turned away from him to another and said the same thing;
and the people answered the same thing as before.

When the words which David spoke were heard, they told them to Saul, and he sent for him.

David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail on account of him;
your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”

Then Saul said to David,
“You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him;
for you are but a youth while he has been a warrior from his youth.”

But David said to Saul,
“Your servant was tending his father’s sheep.
When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock,

I went out after him and attacked him, and rescued it from his mouth;
and when he rose up against me, I seized him by his beard and struck him and killed him.

“Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear;
and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them,
since he has taunted the armies of the living God.”

And David said, “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”
And Saul said to David, “Go, and may the LORD be with you.”

This we can know.
When we begin to question the status quo…
When we wonder why nothing is being done…
When we begin to confront the enemy and fear…
Then the “religionists”…portrayed by Eliab the big brother…will arise in ridicule and lie.
They will demean - “who did you leave those few sheep with?”

The things of which Eliab accused David were true of Eliab, not David.
Eliab was insolent.
Eliab was wicked of heart.
Eliab was “watching the battle”.
He had not arose and done anything,

Now he belittles his youngest brother…who he knew was anointed King!

Remember this?

1Sa 16:6-7
When they entered, he looked at Eliab and thought,
“Surely the LORD’S anointed is before Him.”

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

1Sa 16:13
Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him (David) in the midst of his brothers;..

God had rejected Eliab due to his heart.
Now that heart was manifest.

David’s response?
“What have I done?
It was just a question.”

Expect this type of defensive, snarky attack as exhibited by Eliab.

Religionists hate Giant-Killers.

More to come…

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