After David won the battle against Goliath, he officially entered life’s arena. From a lowly shepherd, he turned into the nation’s hero. However, this lasted for only a short period of time. Before long, he became Saul’s greatest enemy. For at least ten years Saul pursued and tried to kill David. Yet this period became a time of great training for David. Chinese philosopher Mencius said that whenever heaven wants to give a man some great assignment, it will first refine the man’s willpower, allow him to experience fatigue, hunger and suffering, turning everything against him. It does this to test his will, firm up his disposition and develop his skills. This statement is truly applicable to David. The Lord dealt with David in this manner, allowing him through a period of refinement in order to equip him for the great task of ruling God’s people. From chapters 18 to 21, we discover that the Lord used four kinds of human relationships to refine David, for interpersonal relationship is the best method for refining a man.

Let us learn how David defeated the giant Goliath. This was David’s first victorious battle and a brilliant feat that stunned the whole world. No one could believe it for David used only one stone to kill Goliath that day. A young man in his teens defeated a 9-foot, 300 pound giant? Aside from the Lord’s help, what were the reasons for David’s victory?

Today we start a series of sermons on the life of David. Let us start by seeing how David was chosen and anointed by God to be king. 1 Samuel 16:1 records how God wanted Samuel to go to the house of Jesse because He had chosen one of his sons as king. Who was this chosen one? It was David, of course. No one can say anything about the Lord’s choice, the Lord will have mercy on whom He will have mercy, and He will have compassion on whom he will have compassion. Today, let us view this from a different angle: Was David qualified to be chosen by God?