JesusWalk Bible Study Forum: Q4. The Living God - JesusWalk Bible Study Forum

Q4. (1 Samuel 17:26, 36; Hebrews 10:31) How do you think David's understanding of the Living God enabled him to challenge Goliath? Read Hebrews 10:31 in context. Why should the Living God inspire fear and dread?

Yahweh is the eternal God who lives forever. David knew that the LORD was not like the false gods of the pagan world, the only gods that the Philistines knew. Those were merely idols that were impotent and dead and powerless to help Goliath. David was confident in a vital and living God who is actively involved in the lives of His people, with the power to deliver anyone from anything.

Knowing Hebrews 10:31,that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, should cause fear and dread to the type of person that the preceding 2 verses described. Everyone not redeemed by grace will have to face the LORD as the Supreme Judge of their unforgiven sin. It will be a fearful and dreadful moment to answer to the living God for having spurned the redeeming Son of God, profaned His sacrificed blood that sanctifies, and outraged the Spirit of grace (vs.29). The Living God has promised to repay with vengeance (vs.30). Yes, He is pure living Love, but He is also uncompromising living Justice.

David knew that there was no person or circumstance bigger than his God. That is why he could step up to a giant and with a little rock win the victory! That was God's work...not David's! God is no different today than He was back then. He's still bigger than anything or anyone we face. Anything that is in opposition to His will in our lives He can and will conquer if we KNOW He's our living God! We, like David...need to know our God is our warrior and our deliverer. No matter what adversity we face in our lives...if it's standing in the way of God's will for our lives....He will act! Goliath mocked the living God of David. That didn't sit well with David. He knew His God and I often wonder...did he shout " Living God! Show this liar your glory!" and then let that rock fly! When Goliath went down....that surely inspired fear and dread!
In our lives we sometimes can be our own worst enemies too. We incorporate ungodly practices and beliefs and we are warned about those things. If we don't fear ( respect ) God and listen and apply those ways He offers to follow Godly living...then we ourselves are standing as enemies of God. We need to choose who's side we are on daily. I know God will inspire fear and dread in us too....but always to turn us back to Him and restore us to the right side! To a living God who is for us!
I was reading Lamentations 3 this week. That's a classic example of how man has always related to God. I don't know about anyone else, but I live it in my life and I see the truth in His Word. God's discipline and learning to fear Him. The hope we always have in His unfailing love and the turning to Him once again to seek rescue and ultimately God never leaving His own defenseless. God sends fear out to our enemies declaring I AM! His glory is shown, I'm restored and I gain a deeper appreciation of His love and mercy and the fact of Jesus on the cross and a risen Savior! It always come full circle. I stand amazed!

Q4. (1 Samuel 17:26, 36; Hebrews 10:31) How do you think David's understanding of the Living God enabled him to challenge Goliath? Read Hebrews 10:31 in context. Why should the Living God inspire fear and dread?

How do you think David's understanding of the Living God enabled him to challenge Goliath?

He knew him to be the eternal God. It gave him the strength and the courage to stand up to Goliath.

Why should the Living God inspire fear and dread?

Because he is a God of Justice as well as a God that loves us. It should cause us to think about doing anything that is against our living God.

From the knowledge that God was alive allowed David to embolden himself and defy the size of Goliath and not even consider Goliath's backing (his god), because of the revelation by God to David in preparitory battle with the lion and bear with astounding victories, David knew it was a done deal with this giant who on top of other things ridiculed the God that David worshiped and Loved as well as his people.

One reason the LivingGod should inspire fear and dread, is because He can carry out whatever decree He establishes, Norse gods or confucious etc. cannot lift a finger to do anything. When called upon they don't answer, Mount Carmel was a perfect example of talking into dead air, because there was no one there to listen. But when my God showed up in fire, licked up the water, stones, sacrifice, alter and left not only a hole in the ground, but no doubt as who's GOD answered, but WHO GOD really is. Case closed.

David was able to face Goliath because he knew that he served a living God. His God was faithful and powerful. He had a relationship with God and had experienced the mighty power of God while attending sheep. Now Goliath was another threat, and David could call upon God again, knowing that God would come to his aid.

Hebrews 10:31 is talking about people who have rejected the grace and mercy that God has provided through Christ. It is a total falling away and refusal to accept Christ, our Savior. When one of his children rejects Him, God is very much grieved and sorrowful. Severe punishment follows and that lost one dies without mercy. How dreadful that would be. God's rejected mercy and grace calls for vengeance! Anyone who is in that situation of continual rejection of God ought to be in great fear and dread for the upcoming judgment upon him. But for those who seek after God and accept His offer of salvation, God will not cast out. They will be saved and live with Him into eternity. Hebrews 10:39

David's understanding of 'The Living God' created a faith in his God that could not be shaken.

God said it, I believe it, and that's good enough for me!

David took God at his word, and lived by faith. Which is how we all should be living.

Just as God inspires faithfulness, he also inspires fear, all for the same reason - He Keeps His Promises.

David knew that the God he worshipped was a "living God" while the god of Goliath was a dead idol.
David could have confidence that God's presense would be with him when he faced Goliath.
The Living God should inspire fear and dread because we are finite creatures, doomed to die. It is only by God's grace through Jesus Christ that we have a link to the Living God. Those who reject God's plan of salvation have reason to fear,while those who have accepted Christ can have the confidence of eternal life with the Living God.

Daviv saw a mortal man defying almighty God. He knew he would not be alone when he faced Goliath. David knew God would fight with him,and also he look at his situation from God"s point of view. Viewing impossible situations from God"s point of view helps us put giant problem in persoective.

Because some or most of us rejected God"s mercey.For when we accept Christ"s love and his salvation,we have no cause to worry for the coming judgement.

I feel that David knew what to do and did not let fear of God / or fear of goliath come agains him
David had experience or God helping him kill prediators to his flock as ie: bears , lions, big cats
that he had to kill and God had been there and given him the skill and strategy and strength to
protect this flock.... I don't even think he thought of goliath any diffrent just another predator
that was coming against his family and his people and he trusted God to give him/David the
skill and strategy and strength to kill goliath and went forth on this trust and did what he knew
had to be done. God came thru and gave him the skill , strength and power to do as he had to.



It is a fearfull thing to fall into the Hands of The Living God. But it would be more fearfull not to
fall into the hands of the Living God and trust ourselves and our abilities. We must not let our fear
of god get the best of us or our fear of things or circumstance. either We must trust our selves
to fall into the hands of the living God to be our strength , wisdome and help us get skillfull in what
we need to recieve from him , His strength, His wisdome , His power, His skill to do what we need
to to live life as he wants us to , to help the people he wants us to help and to succeed thru this life
in victory...

Q4. (1 Samuel 17:26, 36; Hebrews 10:31) How do you think David's understanding of the Living God enabled him to challenge Goliath? Read Hebrews 10:31 in context. Why should the Living God inspire fear and dread?



David knew from experience that God could and would deliver him from harm of his enemies and had confidence that God would give him the strength to over come his adversary. He understood God's love for his people and knew that God would show His great power through David.

To me Jesus said all that needs to be said . Fear not him who can harm the body and then nothing more but fear Him who has the power to kill the body and throw the soul into living torment. How can anyone not fear that. To know there is a God who loves us but must judge us should cause fear in anyone living in sin. I know that I fear the thought of facing a judgement without Jesus as my advocate and help.

Q4. (1 Samuel 17:26, 36; Hebrews 10:31) How do you think David's understanding of the Living God enabled him to challenge Goliath?
I think it was simply his Faith in the living God.

Read Hebrews 10:31 in context. Why should the Living God inspire fear and dread?
Those who have rejected Christ and His Message fear and dread the coming judgment. Those of us who have accepted Christ don’t have that fear and dread, we know and have received His Promise of salvation.

Pastor Ralph, on Feb 15 2006, 01:48 AM, said:

David saw God as eternal. He saw God as a living God, one that does not know death and the confidence he had in HIM enabled him to challenge Goliath. He knew that God is Almighty and in that case, no power can supercede the power of God and in that spirit he moved into action and fought Goliath and with God on his side, he had victory.

The Living God is a GOD of Love and Justice. He is a consuming fire despite His love for us so when you go contrary to his will, he visits you accordingly and that is why He dreads and inspires fear in us.

Pastor Ralph, on Feb 14 2006, 07:48 PM, said:

David knew that he had a power on his side that Goliath did not.

The Living God should inspire fear and dread because if He's living, that means His power is not dead, and the consequences that he says will occur really will occur.

David's understanding of the living God is that David knew that lone as he has the faith to go up against Goliath that he cn be defeated.Because if you try to go up against the living God you are defeated.

Quote

David's understanding of the Living God enabled him to challenge Goliath because he knew that Goliath's power was only in his human strength; there were no gods with supernatural power to assist him in his conquests. However, David knew that the Israelites had the True and Living God as their Savior; against the Creator of the universe, Goliath and his armies didn't have a chance!

Hebrews 10:31 lies within a passage that is speaking of the man who has once received the "knowledge of truth" and then dares to sin against the Lord, reject Christ's sacrifice, count his blood as common, and insult the Spirit of grace. The word "snub" comes to mind. It quotes Deuteronomy 32:35 to say that the Lord will surely judge and deal harshly with that person, and in that, it is fearful to be in His hands. Who could stand and face the Living and Eternal God and flaunt his foolishness; to the very One who created him? Who could even stand? We have no concept of the vastness of the Lord - He is nothing we could dream up. He has blessed humans, particularly artists, with imaginative creativity, but His glory lies outside the realm of the human imagination. The God who has legions upon legions of angels at His disposal, hosts of beings bowing before Him and lauding His Name, who has created every thing that we as humans know, is to be feared and honored.

By knowing God as the almighty warrior that leads the way.

The enemies of God will be totally destroyed.

Pastor Ralph, on Feb 15 2006, 01:48 AM, said:

I believe that David had the strength of God, because David's understanding gave him the wisdom that God was behind him because he was a faithful follower. I think what it is saying here that we should have our Fear and Dread on hold here, because when it comes to getting into the Kingdom of Heaven that where God Is, Was and Always will be, he will know what is going on always and he will be judging people as to thier reward to get into the Kingdon of Heaven

The expression “The Living God” describes an active Lord who rules over all His creation. He is not passive; He does not ignore what happens; He is not asleep. He lives forever and relates to His creatures in a personal way. He revealed Himself for the world to get acquainted with Him and be saved by Him. He acts always in a righteous way and supports justice. I think that was what made David feel safe and strong facing Goliath.
No one can deceive the Living God. He knows everything about us and our hearts. He is totally committed to us, and if we want to know Him, we must realize that we cannot fool Him, His redemption and His laws. If we do, we will suffer the consequences, because God will not accept that we do so and stay unpunished.

Pastor Ralph, on Feb 14 2006, 09:48 PM, said:

David knew that no one or nothing could come against him because he was under the protection of the Living God. David had strong faith in the LORD.

Because of his strong faith David had no fear to go against Goliath. He knew that through God he would win against the enemy.

The Bible tells us that God said vengence is His. As His children we should never be afraid of anything. God's wrath is a terrible thing, whether it comes against the enemy or against His own children because they have turned away from him. But at the same time God is a loving God, He is a forgiving God and though we should fear Him we should never be afraid of Him.