Pastor Kevin Burden │Cornerstone Baptist Church │ Sunday AM, March 27th, 2011
TEXT: 1 Samuel 17:1-11.
The title is taken from the text. Ephes-dammim is the name of the area in which the Philistines met the Israelites in battle. It means “Boundary of Blood.” It was named this because of the frequent battles fought there.
In our text, the Israelite's and the Philistines are once again at war. The Philistines are presented throughout Scripture as . . .
· Permanently at war with Israel.
· A cruel people who never lost the will to fight – for very long.
· Always quick to invade Israel at the slightest sign of weakness.
The Philistines represent all things that Obstruct, Oppose and Oppress the people of God.
In our world we experience continual…
· Conflicts of morality (abortion, homosexuality, porn, addiction, etc…)
· Battles for truth (creation, science, philosophy, politics, labor)
· Struggle for the souls of lost humanity.
I believe the “Philistine mentality” existent then – is entrenched in today’s culture.
· They promote violence and pervert morals.
· They have God's people cringing in fear far away from the battle front.
· The Philistines have managed to attract once stalwart segments of Christianity into their snare of defeat.
Today, I want us to understand how modern Philistines operate by exploring “The Boundary of Blood.” The battle is set in array; the enemy is taunting.
Let’s begin by considering…
#1. THE CAMP OF THE ENEMY: Please notice the...
Philistine Encroachment (v 1): The Philistines were gathered at Shochoh, which belonged to Judah. Shochoh = defense. They were occupying that which belonged to the people of God. Let me point out a couple of unsettling truths…
1. The enemy can only occupy what we yield or fail to defend. Historically, the Philistines took what Israel gave up through Neglect, Disobedience and Compromise. We are doing the same TODAY!
James 4:4, 7 Know ye not that friendship with the world is enmity with God? ...Resist the Devil and he will flee from you.
Ephesians 4:27 Neither give place to the Devil.
Romans 6:12-13 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin.
2. This Philistine occupation could have been prevented.
· What was needed was one who would claim God's promises and confront the enemy in God's power. Ezek 22:29-30 The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully. 30 And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.
· God is looking for men, women, committed teenagers who will stand in His strength and confront the enemy. 1 Cor 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
Point of Engagement (v 2-3): And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah [oak, curse, perjury], and set the battle in array against the Philistines. 3 And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.
The valley is broad and open. Running down the middle is a steep deep ravine. The sides of the ravine are nearly vertical. It forms a natural barrier that can only be breached in a few places. As the armies faced each other, they knew exactly where the conflict would take place. As a result the points of conflict were clearly defined.
· The points of conflict are clearly defined today. Some of those points are…
1. Who will define the family? Are we going to accept the Biblical definition of marriage as one man and one woman for life?
2. Who will define human sexuality? Homosexuality, pedophilia, bestiality, necrophilia.
3. Who will define morality? TV Ceo’s? Hollywood? Secular Psychologists?
4. Who will define the ethics of healthcare? Euthanasia, asst. suicide, abortion.
5. Who will define the values of our educational system?
6. Who will define the direction of our system of government?
The Philistines still exist and are taunting us at Ephes-dammim.
#2. THE CHAMPION OF THE ENEMY:
His Appearance (v 4). And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
· He is not the product of an over-zealous scribe. When the Bible says his height 9 feet. He was bigger than any single man in Saul's Army. We would be foolish to underestimate the threat he posed.
His Armor (v 5-7): And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass. 6 And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders. 7 And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him.
· The shaft of his spear was a 4 x 4, his spear tip weighed 15 pounds. Protecting his upper body, a coat of mail weighing 125 pounds. On his head was a helmet of brass; and brass "chaps" protected his legs. Goliath represented all the might of the enemy, and he looked invincible.
The Philistines are always going to meet us with things that are bigger than we are. It is only natural that we ask ourselves how we can possibly win against such giants.
We must remember, God anticipated these battles. He knew there would be times when we could not match our enemies in size or strength (Deut 20:1, 4│Eph 6:10-18).
#3. THE CONCEIT OF THE ENEMY:
Distinction (v 8a). Am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul.
· They recognized there is a difference between us.
Declaration (v 8b-9). …choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. 9 If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.
· This is what the battle is all about. Our enemy wants to bring us into bondage; to make us servants of its agenda, to conform us to its image, to bring us into bondage to secular values and worldly principles.
Defiance (v 10). And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.
· Have you noticed how the media laughs off the threat of Christianity? They parade their giants of humanism, evolution, socialism, sexual perversion.
· They defy us to impede their progress. They have labeled us "socially irrelevant." They are defying us to make a difference.
CONCLUSION: DO NOT BE DISMAYED! (v 11). “When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.”
· This is a sad note on which to end a message, but Saul’s entire army was rendered powerless by the sight of a solitary Giant.
· They were crippled by fear when they should have been triumphing in faith. They saw only the size of the Giant, and forgot the size of their God.
Thankfully the story doesn’t end here: 1 Samuel 17:37 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…” 40 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine… 49 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.
Let's forget about the larger issues of life and talk about your life.
· Is there a part of your life the Philistines control?
· If there is, will you let them continue to set up camp in your life and obstruct God’s purpose for you?
