1 Samuel 17:28 When Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.”
There are several arguments that David was an illegitimate child born out of wedlock to Jesse. His mother was a concubine of Jesse. This is why David in his prayer of confession in Psalm 51:5 said, “In sin I was born and in sin my mother conceived me.” Though the Bible does not explicitly state this, there are few strong arguments to support this theory. We can read between the lines that David was treated differently by his family. The youngest was left to tend his father’s sheep – alone, without any help from his seven older brothers. Also, Jesse did not care to bring him from the wilderness when Prophet Samuel visited his home to anoint the next king. The reaction of the eldest brother Eliab towards David who carried provisions and food to the battlefield was quite brutal. Eliab belittled David’s responsibilities and also accused him of arrogance and wickedness. The age difference between Eliab and David would have been about 18 years. Eliab was old enough to be his father figure, yet, he was ruthless towards his baby brother.
It is interesting to note that David ignored his brother’s sarcasm and scorn. Which means this was not a one-off incident. David had toughened to such disparagement over the years. David found his strength and self-worth in the Lord.
Building Your Identity:
1. Words: Mockery and disdain can damage the soul and disfigure our identity. Learn to ignore criticism that comes from envy and insecurity.
2. Work: Eliab was a soldier but David was only a shepherd boy. Hence, Eliab tried to boss over and demean David but David refused to be discouraged. Our position has nothing to do with our personality.
3. Worth: David found his worth as a son of the Most High God.
Our identity is not in our education or expertise but in Christ Jesus as His son/daughter.
Prayer: Dear Lord, let me never look down on anyone or allow anyone to treat me with contempt as I am your precious son/daughter. Amen.
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