Context: 1 Samuel 17: 1-58
Focus: 1 Samuel 17: 55-58
As Saul watched David going out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is that young man?”Abner replied, “As surely as you live, Your Majesty, I don’t know. The king said, “Find out whose son this young man is.”As soon as David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with David still holding the Philistine’s head.“Whose son are you, young man?” Saul asked him. David said, “I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem.”
When Saul saw David confronting Goliath with confidence and faith, he asked, “Whose son is he?”
Isn’t it interesting Saul thought it was so important to know about his father?
As though, the name of his father was connected to his faith.
When Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say that I am? Peter responded immediately, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus told him, that this truth was not revealed to him by any person, but by His Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 16:13-17)
When Nicodemus inquired of the Lord, he admitted that he knew Jesus came from God. But Jesus told him it was not enough that he recognized He came from God, but that he be born again by believing in the reason He was sent. (John 3:1-13)
Many times, the religious leaders engaged Jesus in an argument to test who He was. When Jesus told them their father was the devil, they boasted their father was Abraham, and they knew where Abraham came from but not Jesus. Jesus then spoke the truth which they considered blasphemy, when He called God His Father, and said
“Before Abraham, I AM.” (John 8:58)
When Jesus tried to perform miracles in His hometown, he was rejected, because they saw him grow up as the son of Joseph and Mary. They did not inquire about his miracle birth which took place in Bethlehem. (Matthew 13:54-58, Micah 5:2)
Jesse, David’s father, sent him to check on his brothers and to give them food. When David saw how Goliath was taunting God’s people, he became angry and wanted to take him out. The weapon Goliath tried to use on David was the very weapon that David used to take off the giant’s head.
Jesus, whom God sent, was God’s Son. He left heaven to nourish us on the word and to destroy the works of the devil. He accomplished both. The weapon used against Jesus was crucifixion, which was the very weapon that destroyed Satan, because he tried to destroy one who knew no sin. By this, Satan brought eternal judgment and condemnation upon his own head. (Genesis 3:15, John 6: 31-40).
Something similar occurs when we express confidence and assurance in the midst of adversity. The person who witnesses how we react in the face of a challenging situation will want to know from whence comes our faith . That is why the word says to be “ready to give a response for the hope that is within you”, whenever asked. Usually it goes something like this. The person will ask, while observing our faith. “What church do you go to?”, as though our confidence is the result of a doctrinal persuasion or pastor or someone influential. However, that is the perfect opportunity to respond how our faith comes from a relationship with our heavenly Father through His Son, Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 3: 15-17)
“The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John 3:8
I’ll never forget how after believing in Jesus Christ and receiving His Holy Spirit, I became, “Born Again”.
I heard the gospel and believed and prayed, afterward, God revealed to me He was my heavenly Father. The witness of His Spirit I could not contain, and so others began to notice the change. I found it interesting that my Sunday School teacher was so impressed with my faith, she came to visit my home to find out more about my family.
She left appearing a little dumb-founded, because no one in my family she talked to had my faith.
So it is true, faith in Christ comes not by any religion or doctrine, nor dedication to a church or mankind, but can only occur when God shows us His Son, makes us His Heavenly Father and we are “born of Him”.
Resources:
Bible Hub – biblehub.com
Video: Good Good Father – YouTube – Chris Tomlin
