Letter to the Hebrews Volume 149

 Overcoming Faith Part 7 (David)

Hebrews 11:32-34 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the Prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. KJV Note: CEV=Contemporary English Version

The writer of Hebrews next list six (6) men and also the Prophets whom the Lord God/Elohim/Jehovah/Adonai/Jesus Christ used in very miraculous ways to accomplish His will on the earth for the profit, protection, and preservation of children of Israel on the earth as per His promise to Abraham (then Abram) way back when He first called Him to leave his home country and sojourn to a land that He (God) would shew unto him (Genesis 12:1-3). Each of these men were born many years after Abraham's earthly life was over, however, each one of them were descendants of Abraham. Just as the writer of Hebrews declares, as it is written, "And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the Prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens." (Hebrews 11:32-34) (KJV), it would take up very much time to document all that the Scriptures have so documented for us concerning the exercising of extremely great overcoming faith by all of them. However, I will shine some light on each of these six (6) men as well as some of the Prophets that the writer of Hebrews highlights for us here in this part of his list of the heroes of the faith.

The fifth (5) man listed for us here by the writer of Hebrews was a man named David. David was perhaps only still a teenager when he is first mentioned in the Scripture. Even David's father and older brothers were not aware of how the Lord God/Elohim/Adonai/the Lord Jesus Christ would use David in His service for many years to come. After the first King of Israel (Saul) had been rejected by Adonai, He sent His Prophet Samuel to anoint the one that He (Adonai) had already decided would be the next King of Israel, as it is written here, "And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons. And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the LORD said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the LORD. And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee." (1 Samuel 16:1-3) (KJV). When Samuel (the Prophet of God) saw the elder sons of Jesse, he was certain that one of them was the one chosen by God to be Israel's next king, however, it was none of them at all, as it is written by these words from  the Lord God, "But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7) (KJV). Now, Jessie brought seven (7) of his sons before the Prophet of God Samuel (1 Samuel 16:10) and none of them were the Lord God's choice to be the future king of Israel. Jessie had not even thought to bring in his youngest son (David) from the fields where he was shepherding the families sheep, however, Samuel insisted and as soon as David passed before him this happened, "Jesse sent for David. He was a healthy, good-looking boy with a sparkle in his eyes. As soon as David came, the LORD told Samuel, 'He's the one! Get up and pour the olive oil on his head.' Samuel poured the oil on David's head while his brothers watched. At that moment, the Spirit of the LORD took control of David and stayed with him from then on. Samuel returned home to Ramah." (1 Samuel 16:12-13) (CEV).

David has now been anoited king of Israel by God, but Saul is still the reigning king over the armies of Israel (not by the will of God) which will lead to his defeat, destruction and death in a latter war. Although, David has not yet been acknowledged to be king by the people of Israel he quickly proves the reality of the Lord Jesus Christ being with him when Israel was in battle with the Philistines and were challenged by one of their super soldiers Goliath, as it is written, "The Philistine army had a hero named Goliath who was from the town of Gath and was over nine feet tall. He wore a bronze helmet and had bronze armor to protect his chest and legs. The chest armor alone weighed about one hundred twenty-five pounds. He carried a bronze sword strapped on his back, and his spear was so big that the iron spearhead alone weighed more than fifteen pounds. A soldier always walked in front of Goliath to carry his shield. Goliath went out and shouted to the army of Israel: Why are you lining up for battle? I'm the best soldier in our army, and all of you are in Saul's army. Choose your best soldier to come out and fight me! If he can kill me, our people will be your slaves. But if I kill him, your people will be our slaves. Here and now I challenge Israel's whole army! Choose someone to fight me! Saul and his men heard what Goliath said, but they were so frightened of Goliath that they couldn't do a thing." (1 Samuel 17:4-11) (CEV). When David arrived to the battle lines with food for his brothers in Israel's army he saw and heard the giant Goliath insulting the people of Israel, as it is written, "While David was talking with them, Goliath came out from the line of Philistines and started boasting as usual. David heard him. When the Israelite soldiers saw Goliath, they were scared and ran off. They said to each other, 'Look how he keeps coming out to insult us. The king is offering a big reward to the man who kills Goliath. That man will even get to marry the king's daughter, and no one in his family will ever have to pay taxes again.' David asked some soldiers standing nearby, 'What will a man get for killing this Philistine and stopping him from insulting our people? Who does that worthless Philistine think he is? He's making fun of the army of the living God!' The soldiers told David what the king would give the man who killed Goliath." (1 Samuel 17:23-27) (CEV). David could the see the 9 foot tall Goliath through the eyes of the Spirit of the Lord and to David (the future king of Israel) this giant and the entire Philistine army were already dead and defeated because the battle was not Israel's but the Lord God's battle against the devil.

David was then led to king Saul and said these words to him, as it is written here, "Some soldiers overheard David talking, so they told Saul what David had said. Saul sent for David, and David came. 'Your Majesty,' he said, 'this Philistine shouldn't turn us into cowards. I'll go out and fight him myself!' 'You don't have a chance against him,' Saul replied. 'You're only a boy, and he's been a soldier all his life.' But David told him: Your Majesty, I take care of my father's sheep. And when one of them is dragged off by a lion or a bear, I go after it and beat the wild animal until it lets the sheep go. If the wild animal turns and attacks me, I grab it by the throat and kill it. Sir, I have killed lions and bears that way, and I can kill this worthless Philistine. He shouldn't have made fun of the army of the living God! The LORD has rescued me from the claws of lions and bears, and he will keep me safe from the hands of this Philistine. 'All right,' Saul answered, 'go ahead and fight him. And I hope the LORD will help you.'" (1 Samuel 17:31-37) (CEV). David's confidence was not in himself, but in our Lord Jesus Christ, for surely he knew that the Lord Jesus (having saved him from bears and lions) would give him the strength to kill this human devil worshipper. And so David went out to fight against Goliath, as it is written, "And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance. And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field. Then said David to the Philistine, 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. This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 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. And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled. And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until thou come to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron. And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they spoiled their tents. And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armour in his tent." (1 Samuel 17:42-54) (KJV).

David by the Power of God the Holy Spirit "Who through faith subdued kingdoms" (Hebrews 11:33) and the Philistine people were the first of many other kingdoms subdued by God through His servant David. Here is what Matthew Henry had to say of David, "David, that great man after God's own heart. Few ever met with greater trials, and few ever discovered a more lively faith. His first appearance on the stage of the world was a great evidence of his faith. Having, when young, slain the lion and the bear, his faith in God encouraged him to encounter the great Goliath, and helped him to triumph over him. The same faith enabled him to bear patiently the ungrateful malice of Saul and his favourites, and to wait till God should put him into possession of the promised power and dignity. The same faith made him a very successful and victorious prince, and, after a long life of virtue and honour (though not without some foul stains of sin), he died in faith, relying upon the everlasting covenant that God had made with him and his, ordered in all things and sure; and he has left behind him such excellent memoirs of the trials and acts of faith in the book of Psalms as will ever be of great esteem and use, among the people of God."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…