This week’s Come, Follow Me study guide covers 1 Samuel 17-18, 24-26 and 2 Samuel 5-7, including the story of David and Goliath.
Below are quotes from past and present leaders and scholars of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints regarding these chapters of the Bible.
1 Samuel 17
“Another favorite example of God’s protective care is the shepherd boy David. David had strong faith in the God of Israel, and that faith gave him great courage.
“As the Philistine armies assembled to fight the Israelites, mighty Goliath stepped forward and challenged them to personal combat. King Saul and all Israel were ‘dismayed and greatly afraid’ (1 Samuel 17:11). Day after day he renewed his challenge, but no one would rise up against him. King Saul and all Israel were ‘dismayed and greatly afraid.’
“When young David came to the camp of Israel to deliver food, he heard the roar of Goliath. Astonished, David asked, ‘Who is this uncircumcised Philistine to rebel against the armies of the living God?'” (1 Samuel 17:26). David asked if he could fight the man. The king refused, saying, “You are still but a young man” (1 Samuel 17:33). David answered with courage and faith, “The Lord who delivered me from the lion’s paws…will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:37).
“When David went out into the field, Goliath mocked David’s youth and cried out that he would be cursed by the gods and that he would give meat to the birds and beasts of the field (see 1 Samuel 17:42-44).
“David’s response is one of the great expressions of faith and courage in all of our literary works. As a boy, those words excited me, and they still do.
“‘You come to me with a sword and a spear and a shield, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the hosts of Israel, against whom you have rebelled.
“‘This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you, and take your head from you; and this day I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines to the birds of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.’
“‘And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear; but the battle is the Lord’s, and he will deliver you into our hands’ (1 Samuel 17:45-47).
“You all know what happened next. David stunned the Philistine with a sling and beheaded him with his own sword. The Philistines, surprised by the fall of their champion, fled. The armies of Israel pursued them with a cry of victory, and won a great victory.”
“Countless young people have been inspired by this great teaching on righteousness. Sometimes we all have to stand up to those who ridicule and taunt us. Some of us will one day face a mighty earthly power like Goliath. Then we should emulate the courage of David. David was mighty because he had faith and stepped forward in the cause of righteousness in the name of the Lord of hosts.”
— President Dallin H. Oaks, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 1992 general conference, “Biblical Stories and Personal Protection.”
1 Samuel 18
“Now, young brethren, remember that for every David there is a Goliath to defeat, and any Goliath can be defeated. He may not be a bully who fights with fists or swords or guns. He may not even be flesh and blood. He may not be tall. It may not be nine feet long, it may not be protected by armor, but every boy has his own Goliath, and every boy has his own stone thrower, and every boy has access to a stream with smooth stones.
“You will meet a Goliath that threatens you. Whether your Goliath is the town bully, the temptation to steal and destroy, the temptation to rob, the desire for curses and oaths, whether your Goliath is an unwarranted desire to destroy, the temptation to lust and sin, you will stop your activity. Whatever your Goliath is, be it an impulse to avoid it, it can get you killed. But remember, to be an overcomer, you must follow the path that David took. “David,” he acted wisely in all his ways, and the Lord was with him. ” (1 Samuel 18:14).
—The late President Spencer W. Kimball, then President of the Church, October 1974 general conference, “David and Goliath.”
1 Samuel 24
“The part of the story that I want to focus on is when Saul heard that David was in the wilderness, he “picked three thousand men out of all Israel and went to search for David and his men on the Rock of the Wild Goats” (1 Samuel 24:1-2). That’s where Bidde and his men hid. And the men of David said to Saul, ‘Behold, the Lord said to you that day, ‘Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it seems good to you’ (1 Samuel 24:4).
“Now, what thoughts went through David’s mind under these circumstances? It was clear to him that Samuel and the Lord had rejected Saul, that Saul was a warlike and spiteful man whose main activity was to hunt David to the death, that the Israelites loved David, that David was their hero, and above all that he, David, had been chosen by God and anointed by the prophets to replace Saul as king.”
“So what did David do? The record says that David quietly crawled out and cut off the hem of Saul’s coat. And when Saul got up from the cave and left, David pulled him a safe distance away. When he had let him go, he lifted up the hem of his robe and called after him, saying, “Lord, king! And when Saul turned, David bowed his head to the ground.” (1 Samuel 24:8)
“And when Saul realized what had happened, that his life was in David’s hands, and that David had saved him and was kneeling before him at that moment, ‘Saul lifted up his voice and wept’ (1 Samuel 24:16).”
“Now, aren’t we impressed by David’s actions? Didn’t he act well under the circumstances? But wait, there are two more scriptures we need to read.”
“And afterwards it was found that David had cut off Saul’s skirt, and his heart struck him.
“And he said to his men, ‘Lord forbid that I should do this to my master, whom the Lord has anointed: when I see that he is the Lord’s anointed, I stretch out my hand against him'” (1 Samuel 24:5-6).
“When I think about this story and David’s admirable perspective and actions, I am in awe. I can think of no other account that rivals this as an example of glorifying the Lord’s anointed servant, even though that servant may not have been worthy of it in any way.”
— R. Kent Crookston, then dean of the College of Biology and Agriculture at Brigham Young University, in BYU’s March 2001 devotional, “Natural Laws of Blessing.”
1 Samuel 25
“The book of 1 Samuel contains the little-known story of David, the future king of Israel, and a woman named Abigail.
“After Samuel’s death, David and his men left King Saul, who made an attempt on David’s life. They guarded the sheep and servants of a wicked and wealthy man named Nabal. David sent ten of his men to honor Nabal and request much-needed food and supplies.”
“Nabal responded to David’s request with contempt and sent his men back empty-handed. Enraged, David prepared his men to meet Nabal and his family, saying, ‘The Lord has rewarded me for good for evil’ (1 Samuel 25:21). A servant told Nabal’s wife Abigail about her husband’s mistreatment of David’s men. Abigail immediately gathered the necessary food and supplies and went to intercede.”
“When Abigail met David, she bowed her face before David to the earth,
“And I fell down at his feet and said, “Lord, charge me with this iniquity.”
“‘Therefore the Lord has withheld you from coming to shed blood, and from taking revenge with your own hands.
“Now, this blessing that your servant brought to my Lord, give also to the young men…”
“I pray to you, please forgive the trespasses of your maid…
“And David said to Abigail, “Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who has sent you to meet me this day.
“And may your advice be blessed, and may you also be blessed, so that today I cannot come to shed blood or take revenge with my own hands.”
“‘Then David took what she had brought from his hand, and said to her, ‘Go up in peace to your house…I have heard your voice, and have received your person'” (1 Samuel 25:23-24, 26-28, 32-33, 35).
“They both departed in peace. In this account, Abigail can be seen as a powerful type or symbol of Jesus Christ. Through his atoning sacrifice, he frees us from the weight of our sin-fighting hearts and provides us with the sustenance we need.”
“Just as Abigail was willing to take on Nabal’s sins, so the Savior took on our sins and the sins of those who had hurt or offended us in ways we cannot understand. In Gethsemane and on the cross, the Lord called out these sins. He has made a way for us to let go of vengeance, and that ‘way’ is through forgiveness. It may be one of the hardest things we’ve ever done, and one of the most sacred. As we walk the path of forgiveness, we experience the redemptive power of Jesus Christ flowing into our lives and beginning to heal the deep rifts in our hearts and souls. ”
— Sister Christine M. Yee, second counselor in the Relief Society general presidency, October 2022 general conference, “Beauty for Ashes: The Healing Path of Forgiveness”
1 Samuel 26
“The book of Proverbs is full of advice about mistakes and mistakes, but the word most often applied to those who fail to act properly in these areas is ‘fool.’ Our dictionary defines a fool as someone who lacks judgment or prudence. A fool is a fool, not a sinner. …The Old Testament usage of the word fool is evident in Saul’s confession. “I played a fool and made a grave mistake” (1 Samuel 26:21).
—President Dallin H. Oaks, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, in a Brigham Young University devotional, “Sins and Errors,” August 1994.
2 Samuel 6
“The story of Uzzah in the Old Testament is instructive. David had just been anointed king of Israel and was carrying the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. The Ark was a symbol of God’s presence and of God’s glory and majesty. First the Ark was given to Israel. At that time, the Ark was placed in the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle, and only the high priest could access it.Then only on the Day of Atonement.When carrying the Ark, the priest had to use a pole threaded through a ring on the side.
“As the ark crossed the threshing floor of Nashon, it became unstable – ‘for the oxen shook it’ – and ‘Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God’ and stabilized it (2 Samuel 6:6). The punishment was swift and severe: ‘God struck him there for his transgression, and there he died beside the ark of God’ (2 Samuel 6:7).
“The symbolism today is clear: Do not stabilize the ark. Only the Lord and His appointed people, the First Presidency, are allowed to stabilize and guide the church. Only those who hold the keys are allowed to ‘touch the ark.'”
―Elder Kevin S. Hamilton, then a General Authority Seventy, in a January 2023 Brigham Young University devotional, “Why the Church?”
2 Samuel 7
The third of Christ’s three offices is king. Of the three, this is perhaps the most famous title for the Savior. … His mortal claim to kingship stems from the fact that both of his earthly parents are descendants of King David. Because it was prophesied by Samuel that one of David’s descendants would rule God’s eternal kingdom (see 2 Samuel 7:12-16). This Messiah, like David, will be a shepherd king who will save Israel. ”
— John P. Hoffman, Brigham Young University Professor of Sociology, May 2012 BYU devotional “Prophets, Priests, and Kings”
