And Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” And David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”
1 Samuel 17:58
Rather than give glory to God, unbelief seeks to explain away faith’s victories.
I have long been confused by Saul’s reaction to David’s victory. David had just defeated Goliath using his shepherd’s sling and had cut off the giant’s head. And in a foreshadowing of the conflict still to come, David (who had earlier refused Saul’s sword) takes the giant’s sword to his own tent. The forces of Israel, galvanized by this unexpected turn of events, have routed the Philistine army. And in that context, Saul questioned his field commander, Abner, about David’s identity. So David, still carrying the gory head of Goliath, is brought before the king to introduce himself.
The fact that Saul questioned Abner about David’s parentage is baffling when one considers that David was already something of a fixture at Saul’s court. Now it’s possible that Saul, not being in his right mind when David sang for him, simply didn’t remember the identity of this young man. It’s also possible that Saul was feigning ignorance in order to avoid the embarrassment of having sent a boy to do a man’s job. But we have already seen that unbelief ruled Saul’s thought life and dictated his actions. He had attempted to discourage David’s faith, and when unable to succeed, Saul had tried to dilute David’s faith by suggesting David use ‘reasonable precautions.’ His disobedient, unbelieving heart is well-documented. On this basis, it’s entirely valid to expect Saul to continue in his pattern of unbelief after David’s victory as well.
Therefore, these verses provide a helpful insight into the unbelieving mind. The common response of unbelief, when face-to-face with a triumph of faith, is to seek some natural explanation. Unbelief (especially in our culture) most often finds its roots in a materialistic, naturalistic worldview. It assumes that the supernatural does not exist, and so rejects out of hand the very concept of divine intervention or provision. This response is not new; we find it clearly illustrated here. Saul simply couldn’t accept that it was faith in God that had enabled David to triumph over Goliath. Believing action and faithful confidence in a covenant-keeping God were not part of Saul’s worldview and so they were not an acceptable explanation for David’s victory. So Saul went looking for a natural explanation: he inquired about David’s family tree. The implication is that David must be the scion of a hitherto unknown but great family – a family of warriors. Somehow, David’s genetic heritage (and perhaps early training) had produced a prodigy of warfare. As far-fetched as this may seem, such an explanation was far easier for Saul’s unbelieving mind to accept than was the truth.
Saul’s response provides a Biblical example of what it means to “suppress the truth in unrighteousness.” (Rom. 1:18) Sinful man’s inherent hostility toward God and His glory causes him to suppress the truth about God and, by extension, about God’s actions within creation. This suppression is so total that an unbeliever will readily accept an untenable explanation (e.g. the theory of evolution) as long as it effectively denies any action by God. So, answers to prayer will be passed off as coincidence. Spirit-enabled actions and initiative will be explained (as here) through purely human means. And, when all else fails, unbelief will accuse believing conquerors of error or deceit. If we understand Paul’s teaching in Romans 1, we will not be surprised by this kind of response. Fallen, sinful men simply think and act in accord with their sinful nature.
The surprise comes when we witness this kind of response from within the church. Among believers, we should expect to find a broad consensus that affirms the action of God within His creation. Christians, of all people, should expect God to answer prayer, to “show Himself strong on behalf of those who fear Him,” and to do “exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think.” But unbelief is also alive and well within the Christian community:
A sister is diagnosed with terminal cancer, the church prays for her healing, and God responds with a miraculous removal of the tumors. Rather than give glory to God, unbelief responds by “explaining” that the doctor had misdiagnosed her condition.
A brother responds to God’s leading by praying for an offer on the house he needs to sell, and God provides an offer that very day. But unbelief characterizes God’s provision as a coincidence.
A Christian family has a large financial need that is met “out of the blue” by unsolicited gifts. Yet, unbelief focuses on the human means God used, making the miraculous appear mundane.
We have all experienced victories of this kind and, sadly, many of us have responded in a similar fashion. In the light of the excesses that exist in the church, it is understandable that many believers are reluctant to expect and accept God’s miraculous working. However, such caution runs the risk of denying the legitimate work of the Holy Spirit and tends to dull (rather than sharpen) our faith. Frankly, if we do not expect God to give us great victories, He often gives us what we expect - nothing. Listen to the great hymn-writer, William Cowper:
Come, my soul, thy suit prepare, Jesus loves to answer prayer;
He Himself hath bid thee pray, therefore will not say thee nay.
Thou art coming to a King, large petitions with thee bring;
For His grace and power are such, none can ever ask too much.
May the Lord give us discernment as we evaluate the victories of faith. But may He also enable us to discern the biases of our own thoughts and keep us from explaining away His answers to prayer. If faith is the victory that overcomes the world, the place it must begin is with the worldly assumptions we harbor in our own thoughts. “Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.” (Eph.3:20,21)
1 Samuel 17:58
Rather than give glory to God, unbelief seeks to explain away faith’s victories.
I have long been confused by Saul’s reaction to David’s victory. David had just defeated Goliath using his shepherd’s sling and had cut off the giant’s head. And in a foreshadowing of the conflict still to come, David (who had earlier refused Saul’s sword) takes the giant’s sword to his own tent. The forces of Israel, galvanized by this unexpected turn of events, have routed the Philistine army. And in that context, Saul questioned his field commander, Abner, about David’s identity. So David, still carrying the gory head of Goliath, is brought before the king to introduce himself.
The fact that Saul questioned Abner about David’s parentage is baffling when one considers that David was already something of a fixture at Saul’s court. Now it’s possible that Saul, not being in his right mind when David sang for him, simply didn’t remember the identity of this young man. It’s also possible that Saul was feigning ignorance in order to avoid the embarrassment of having sent a boy to do a man’s job. But we have already seen that unbelief ruled Saul’s thought life and dictated his actions. He had attempted to discourage David’s faith, and when unable to succeed, Saul had tried to dilute David’s faith by suggesting David use ‘reasonable precautions.’ His disobedient, unbelieving heart is well-documented. On this basis, it’s entirely valid to expect Saul to continue in his pattern of unbelief after David’s victory as well.
Therefore, these verses provide a helpful insight into the unbelieving mind. The common response of unbelief, when face-to-face with a triumph of faith, is to seek some natural explanation. Unbelief (especially in our culture) most often finds its roots in a materialistic, naturalistic worldview. It assumes that the supernatural does not exist, and so rejects out of hand the very concept of divine intervention or provision. This response is not new; we find it clearly illustrated here. Saul simply couldn’t accept that it was faith in God that had enabled David to triumph over Goliath. Believing action and faithful confidence in a covenant-keeping God were not part of Saul’s worldview and so they were not an acceptable explanation for David’s victory. So Saul went looking for a natural explanation: he inquired about David’s family tree. The implication is that David must be the scion of a hitherto unknown but great family – a family of warriors. Somehow, David’s genetic heritage (and perhaps early training) had produced a prodigy of warfare. As far-fetched as this may seem, such an explanation was far easier for Saul’s unbelieving mind to accept than was the truth.
Saul’s response provides a Biblical example of what it means to “suppress the truth in unrighteousness.” (Rom. 1:18) Sinful man’s inherent hostility toward God and His glory causes him to suppress the truth about God and, by extension, about God’s actions within creation. This suppression is so total that an unbeliever will readily accept an untenable explanation (e.g. the theory of evolution) as long as it effectively denies any action by God. So, answers to prayer will be passed off as coincidence. Spirit-enabled actions and initiative will be explained (as here) through purely human means. And, when all else fails, unbelief will accuse believing conquerors of error or deceit. If we understand Paul’s teaching in Romans 1, we will not be surprised by this kind of response. Fallen, sinful men simply think and act in accord with their sinful nature.
The surprise comes when we witness this kind of response from within the church. Among believers, we should expect to find a broad consensus that affirms the action of God within His creation. Christians, of all people, should expect God to answer prayer, to “show Himself strong on behalf of those who fear Him,” and to do “exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think.” But unbelief is also alive and well within the Christian community:
A sister is diagnosed with terminal cancer, the church prays for her healing, and God responds with a miraculous removal of the tumors. Rather than give glory to God, unbelief responds by “explaining” that the doctor had misdiagnosed her condition.
A brother responds to God’s leading by praying for an offer on the house he needs to sell, and God provides an offer that very day. But unbelief characterizes God’s provision as a coincidence.
A Christian family has a large financial need that is met “out of the blue” by unsolicited gifts. Yet, unbelief focuses on the human means God used, making the miraculous appear mundane.
We have all experienced victories of this kind and, sadly, many of us have responded in a similar fashion. In the light of the excesses that exist in the church, it is understandable that many believers are reluctant to expect and accept God’s miraculous working. However, such caution runs the risk of denying the legitimate work of the Holy Spirit and tends to dull (rather than sharpen) our faith. Frankly, if we do not expect God to give us great victories, He often gives us what we expect - nothing. Listen to the great hymn-writer, William Cowper:
Come, my soul, thy suit prepare, Jesus loves to answer prayer;
He Himself hath bid thee pray, therefore will not say thee nay.
Thou art coming to a King, large petitions with thee bring;
For His grace and power are such, none can ever ask too much.
May the Lord give us discernment as we evaluate the victories of faith. But may He also enable us to discern the biases of our own thoughts and keep us from explaining away His answers to prayer. If faith is the victory that overcomes the world, the place it must begin is with the worldly assumptions we harbor in our own thoughts. “Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.” (Eph.3:20,21)
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