接受挑战
撒母耳记上十七章16至29节
16那非利士人早晚都出来站着，如此四十日。
17一日，耶西对他儿子大卫说：“你拿一伊法烘了的穗子和十个饼，速速地送到营里去，交给你哥哥们；
18再拿这十块奶饼，送给他们的千夫长，且问你哥哥们好，向他们要一封信来。”
19扫罗与大卫的三个哥哥和以色列众人，在以拉谷与非利士人打仗。
20大卫早晨起来，将羊交托一个看守的人，照着他父亲所吩咐的话，带着食物去了。到了辎重营，军兵刚出到战场，呐喊要战。
21以色列人和非利士人都摆列队伍，彼此相对。
22大卫把他带来的食物留在看守物件人的手下，跑到战场，问他哥哥们安。
23与他们说话的时候，那讨战的，就是属迦特的非利士人歌利亚，从非利士队中出来，说从前所说的话；大卫都听见了。
24以色列众人看见那人就逃跑，极其害怕。
25以色列人彼此说：“这上来的人你看见了吗？他上来是要向以色列人骂阵。若有能杀他的，王必赏赐他大财，将自己的女儿给他为妻，并在以色列人中免他父家纳粮当差。”
26大卫问站在旁边的人说：“有人杀这非利士人，除掉以色列人的耻辱，怎样待他呢？这未受割礼的非利士人是谁呢？竟敢向永生神的军队骂阵吗？”
27百姓照先前的话回答他，说，有人能杀这非利士人，必如此如此待他。
28大卫的长兄以利押听见大卫与他们所说的话，就向他发怒说：“你下来做甚么呢？在旷野的那几只羊，你交托了谁呢？我知道你的骄傲和你心里的恶意，你下来特为要看争战。”
29大卫说：“我做了甚么呢？我来岂没有缘故吗？”
信息分享
神终于有所行动；祂已经预备了一个愿意接受歌利亚挑战的人。在这个故事中，大卫成了基督活生生的写照。你注意到他当时人在哪里吗？在父的家里。谁叫他出去？是他的父。父叫他往哪里去？去他的兄弟那里。他带了很多东西给他的哥哥们；他们收下他的东西，却不接待他，还责骂他来凑热闹。请看以利押在第28节的话。基督的情形不是一样吗？约翰福音一章11节指出：「他自己的人却不接待他。」
然而，大卫却不理会兄长的批评和斥责，坚持要留下来。这绝不容易。即使是基督徒之间的互相批评，也可以有很强的杀伤力。我们有时在无意间出口批评弟兄姊妹，却不知道自己深深地伤害了他们，所以，任何恶意的批评都是不对的。
是甚么东西帮助大卫面对这次考验？是他累积的经验，以及他对神的信心。他在第24至26节指出，当他的羊群遭到狮子和熊的攻击，神如何帮助他去打死牠们。因此，他深信给他力量做到这些的神，必赐他力量击败巨人歌利亚，不管这个巨人多么强大。
大卫从经验中得知神的能力。我们能够在此学到功课，明白神为何要我们经历过往的一切吗？神要锻炼我们的信心，预备我们将来面对更大的考验。
经文反思：
「那在你们里面的，比那在世界上的更大。」（约壹四4）
THE CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
1 Samuel 17:16-29
16 And the Philistine drew near and presented himself forty days, morning and evening.
17 Then Jesse said to his son David, “Take now for your brothers an ephah of this dried grain and these ten loaves, and run to your brothers at the camp.
18 And carry these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand, and see how your brothers fare, and bring back news of them.”
19 Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.
20 So David rose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, and took the things and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the camp as the army was going out to the fight and shouting for the battle.
21 For Israel and the Philistines had drawn up in battle array, army against army.
22 And David left his supplies in the hand of the supply keeper, ran to the army, and came and greeted his brothers.
23 Then as he talked with them, there was the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, coming up from the armies of the Philistines; and he spoke according to the same words. So David heard them.
24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid.
25 So the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel; and it shall be that the man who kills him the king will enrich with great riches, will give him his daughter, and give his father’s house exemption from taxes in Israel.”
26 Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
27 And the people answered him in this manner, saying, “So shall it be done for the man who kills him.”
28 Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger was aroused against David, and he said, “Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.”
29 And David said, “What have I done now? Is there not a cause?”
Message
Then God began to move. God had a man willing to accept Goliath's challenge. In this story David is a remarkable picture of Christ. Did you notice where he was? In the father's house. Who sent him? His father. To whom? His brethren. He brought with him so much to offer them. His brethren were willing to accept what he brought but would not accept him. They rejected him and accused him of wrong motives. Look at Eliab's words in verse 28. So it was with Christ. John 1:11 says, “His own did not receive him.”
But David persisted in spite of this criticism and opposition. That is not always easy. Criticism can be so cruel, even among our Christian brothers and sisters. We can all be guilty of doing it, sometimes without realizing how much we are hurting our fellow believers.
What helped David in this test? His past experiences and his faith in God. In verses 34-36 David told how God had helped him kill both a lion and a bear when they came to steal sheep. He believed the God who gave him the power to do that would enable him to defeat Goliath no matter how powerful the giant might be.
David knew from experience what God could do. Can we see the lesson here for ourselves? Why does God allow many of the experiences we pass through? He does it so that our faith will be strengthened for greater experiences in the days ahead.
REMEMBER: “The One who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)