Slandered Heart

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 desert? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle."

Young David is on the scene of the standoff with the Philistines. Goliath's offer to go one-on-one has not been answered, and everyone is anxious. Maybe that's why Eliab snaps at David. The siege is wearing on him. He couldn't suspect, could he, that God and Samuel passed him over for the little brother forgotten out in the pasture?
David's official reason for visiting the camp was to bring food to his brothers and take back news to his father. But Eliab questions his motives, accuses him of shirking his real job, and viciously attacks his character. David is conceited, he claims, and furthermore, his innermost core is wicked! On top of it all, he only came to watch the battle!
What teenaged boy wouldn't want to come watch the battle? Why was he so furious? He must have felt frustrated, fearful, and uncertain himself, and like big brothers everywhere, he saw his little brother as a safe target.
But David's heart had been seen by God, and it was God who sent him on this special assignment. He wasn't deterred by Eliab's fury. Maybe he was used to it. He soon showed the real character of his heart and made his first mark on the pages of HIStory.