1 Samuel 17:26-32: a reflection

26David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done to 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?” 27The people answered him in this way, saying, “So shall it be done to the man who kills him.” 28Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger burned against David, and he said, “Why have you come down? With whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the evil of your heart; for you have come down that you might see the battle.” 29David said, “What have I now done? Is there not a cause?” 30He turned away from him toward another, and spoke like that again; and the people answered him again the same way. 31When the words were heard which David spoke, they rehearsed them before Saul; and he sent for him. 32David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”

As young David is stirred by the enemy's defiance of the living God and offers to fight, his own older brother scorns and falsely accuses him; yet David is not deterred from what he is called to do. Eliab's anger burned against David, and he said, why have you come down? I know your pride and the evil of your heart. David answered, what have I now done? Is there not a cause? David had been stirred by the enemy's defiance of the living God, and spoke of doing something about it; but his oldest brother met him not with support but with contempt and a false accusation, charging him with pride and an evil heart. Yet David was not deterred; he turned away from the scorn and pressed on toward what he was called to do, offering himself to fight. This shows not letting others' contempt or discouragement deter us from what is right. Do not let others' contempt or discouragement turn you from what is right. David pressed on despite his own brother's scorn. Discouragement even from those close to us need not deter us. Press on toward what you are called to do, despite the scorn of others.

Notice how David responded to his brother's scorn. David had been rightly stirred by the enemy's defiance of the living God, and spoke of confronting it. But his oldest brother, Eliab, met him not with support or encouragement, but with burning contempt and a false accusation: why have you come down? I know your pride and the evil of your heart, as though David's zeal were mere pride and self-display. This scorn, coming from his own older brother, might have discouraged and deterred David, made him doubt himself or shrink back. But it did not. David gave a brief answer, turned away from the scorn, and pressed on toward what he was called to do, soon offering himself to fight the enemy. This holds encouragement for us. When we set out to do what is right, we may be met not with support but with contempt, discouragement, even false accusation, and sometimes from those close to us, whose scorn stings most. Such discouragement can tempt us to doubt ourselves, to shrink back, to abandon what we were called to do. But like David, we need not let others' contempt or discouragement deter us from what is right. We can hear it, and yet press on, not letting the scorn of others, even those close to us, turn us from the good we are called to do. We do well not to let others' contempt or discouragement deter us from what is right, but to press on as David did. Do not let others' contempt or discouragement deter you from what is right. Discouragement from those close to us can sting, but need not stop us. Press on toward what you are called to do, despite the scorn of others. Hear the discouragement, and yet do the good you are called to do.

That is worth taking to heart, for we need not let others' contempt or discouragement deter us from what is right, and we do well to press on as David did despite his brother's scorn. We can be deterred by contempt or discouragement, especially from those close to us; but David, scorned and falsely accused by his own brother, was not deterred, but pressed on toward what he was called to do. Press on. When you set out to do what is right and are met with contempt or discouragement, even from those close to you, do not let it deter you; press on toward the good you are called to do. Do not let the contempt or discouragement of others, even those close to you, deter you from what is right, but press on toward the good you are called to do, as when young David was stirred by the enemy's defiance of the living God and offered to fight, his own older brother scorned and falsely accused him, charging him with pride and an evil heart, yet David was not deterred but turned away from the scorn and pressed on toward what he was called to do; for David had been rightly stirred by the enemy's defiance and spoke of confronting it, but his brother met him not with support but with burning contempt and a false accusation, as though his zeal were mere pride, which might have discouraged and deterred David or made him shrink back, but it did not, since he gave a brief answer, turned away, and pressed on, soon offering himself to fight, which holds encouragement for us, since when we set out to do what is right we may be met not with support but with contempt, discouragement, and even false accusation, sometimes from those close to us whose scorn stings most, and such discouragement can tempt us to doubt ourselves and shrink back, but like David we need not let others' contempt or discouragement deter us from what is right but can hear it and yet press on, so that we do well not to let it deter us but to press on as David did.

Lord, as young David is stirred by the enemy's defiance of the living God and offers to fight, his own older brother scorns and falsely accuses him; yet David is not deterred from what he is called to do. Eliab's anger burned against David, and he said, why have you come down? I know your pride and the evil of your heart. David answered, what have I now done? Is there not a cause? David had been stirred by the enemy's defiance of the living God, and spoke of doing something about it; but his oldest brother met him not with support but with contempt and a false accusation, charging him with pride and an evil heart. Yet David was not deterred; he turned away from the scorn and pressed on toward what he was called to do. Show me how David responded to his brother's scorn. David had been rightly stirred by the enemy's defiance, and spoke of confronting it. But his oldest brother met him not with support but with burning contempt and a false accusation, as though David's zeal were mere pride and self-display. This scorn, from his own older brother, might have discouraged and deterred David, made him doubt himself or shrink back. But it did not. David gave a brief answer, turned away from the scorn, and pressed on toward what he was called to do. This holds encouragement for me. When I set out to do what is right, I may be met not with support but with contempt, discouragement, even false accusation, and sometimes from those close to me, whose scorn stings most. Such discouragement can tempt me to doubt myself, to shrink back, to abandon what I was called to do. But like David, I need not let others' contempt or discouragement deter me from what is right. Take that to my heart. When I set out to do what is right and am met with contempt or discouragement, even from those close to me, keep me from letting it deter me; help me press on, Lord, toward the good I am called to do, hearing the scorn and yet not shrinking back, as David pressed on despite his brother's scorn.