When God Is With You, You Cannot Fail: David Part 11 | Pastor Allen Nolan

Well, as most of you know, we're currently in a series studying the life of David.

And for the last two weeks, we've kind of been stuck in chapter 18 in the Book of 1 Samuel.

My hope is to finish chapter 18 today and move on to chapter 19 next week.

Now, these two chapters, chapters 18 and 19, record the events that led up to David becoming a fugitive from Saul.

You see, David's life changed drastically after his victory over Goliath.

And with success comes many things, some things that are good and some things that aren't so good.

For David, things started off good, and then they quickly went south.

That's why these two chapters are very important in David's life and why we can't skip over them.

It's because if you don't understand what took place, you don't understand why Saul wanted to kill David and why David was on the run for approximately 14 to 16 years of his life, some estimate at least 20 years of his life, and before the promises came to fruition that he would one day be king.

So turn with me, if you would, to chapter 18, verses 6 through 9.

And I want you to remember as you're turning there that David was a national hero for having slain Goliath, who was the Philistine champion, and he slew him in single combat.

And because it was in single combat, both sides actually watched this contest, what took place, and it affected them greatly.

Well, they watched as this young shepherd boy went out to meet Goliath.

And he not only slew him with a slingshot, but then he went over and he took the sword and he cut his head off.

And immediately, the Phi- Philistine army took off running in retreat, and the Israelite army chased them all the way to the gates of Gat and Ekron.

And then they went back to the Philistines' camp to plunder it because they didn't grab anything when they ran.

They ran for their lives, they were so afraid.

But that day, David became a national hero.

And that's where we pick it up in chapter 18, verses 6 through 9.

So follow along with me as I read these verses.

"When the victorious Israelite army was returning home after David had killed the Philistine," singular, "women from all of the towns of Israel came out to meet King Saul.

They sang and danced for joy with tambourines and cymbals.

This was their song: 'Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands.' This made Saul very angry.

'What's this?' he said.

'They credit David with ten thousands and me with only thousands.