WAIT… THAT’S IN THE BIBLE? — DAY 13

A lighthearted look at some of the wonderfully unexpected things you discover when you actually read your Bible, context still matters!

“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?’” 1 Samuel 17:28

Before David defeated Goliath…

Before he became Israel’s great warrior…

Before he became king…

David was the little brother who showed up at his brothers’ workplace carrying lunch.

And apparently Eliab was NOT delighted to see him.

David starts asking questions about Goliath, and his older brother basically responds:

“WHY ARE YOU EVEN HERE?”

And then comes that magnificent little phrase:

“…those FEW sheep…”

David:

“I’ve been looking after Dad’s flock.”

Big brother:

“You mean those three sheep?”

Okay, Eliab didn’t actually say three…

but “those few sheep” has some serious older-brother energy.

Then Eliab accuses David of coming down simply because he wanted to watch the battle.

And David responds in verse 29:

“What have I now done?”

Possibly one of the most timeless younger sibling sentences ever recorded.

“WHAT DID I DO NOW?!”

Context still matters!

Eliab and the Israelite army were facing a terrifying situation. Goliath had been challenging Israel, and David’s questions apparently angered his older brother.

But here’s the wonderful part:

Eliab saw the little brother who looked after a few sheep.

God saw the future king who was about to face a giant.

So underneath the sibling humour is something worth remembering:

Don’t underestimate someone because of what they’re doing today. God may already know what He’s preparing them to do tomorrow.

But still…

Thousands of years have passed.

Civilisations have risen and fallen.

Technology has completely transformed the world.

And apparently one thing hasn’t changed:

OLDER SIBLINGS STILL KNOW EXACTLY WHICH BUTTON TO PUSH.