1 Samuel 17

David and Goliath

There is a valley in the land of Judah, carved between two dusty ridgelines, called Elah.
It is long and shallow, with low shrubs and crooked streams, and in the spring, wildflowers bloom between the rocks.

But in the summer of one particular year, the valley had no flowers, only soldiers.

On one hill stood the army of Israel, God’s chosen people.

On the other stood the Philistines — soliders from the west who wore bronze helmets and carried curved swords at their side.

Between them stretched open ground…

And every morning, one man made his way down to the center for all to see….

He was a giant of a man, nearly ten feet tall! His heavy bronze armor clanked as he moved.

His name was Goliath.
He carried a spear as thick as a fence post, and had a sword strapped to his back.

Each day, Goliath marched into the valley, stopped halfway down, and called across to the men of Israel:

“Send someone to fight me,” he said.
“One man against one man. If he wins, we become your servants. But if I win…” and here, he usually smiled…

“You will serve us.”

And for forty days, no one answered him.

Until one day, in the hill country of Bethlehem, a quiet town with flocks of sheep scattered across the green hills, a boy named David was called on..

He was the youngest of eight brothers. He was a shepherd, not a soldier.
He had no armor or sword.
He owned only a shepherd’s staff, a small sling, and a pouch he’d sewn himself.

David wasn’t famous. He led sheep through fields and streams.
He played music on his lyre, an old instrument with strings, under the stars…

But when wolves came near the flock, he was the kind of boy who didn’t run. Instead, he chased them off.

That morning, David’s father asked him to take food to his brothers, who were camped with the army.

So David set off with loaves of bread, and slices of cheese.
He reached the Israelite camp just as the soldiers were lining up for battle.

He delivered the food, and then made his way toward a group of soldiers.
And that’s when he heard it — Goliath’s voice, rolling across the valley like thunder.

The soldiers around David shrank back in fear.
Even the king stayed in his tent.

David was confused.

He tugged at a soldier’s sleeve.
“Who is this man?” he asked, “And why is no one answering him?”

They waved him off.
“He’s a champion,” someone said.

“But why is no one answering him?” David asked again.

“Look at the size of him.”, someone else replied.  

“He’s been a warrior since he was a kid your age…”

But David, still confused, kept asking why no one went down to face him.

Word soon reached King Saul that someone, a boy, was speaking boldly in the camp.

So David was brought before the king.

He bowed, respectfully, but spoke with confidence.

“Don’t be afraid of him,” he said.
“I will go and fight the giant.”

The king looked at David’s young face, and his tattered shepherd’s clothes.
“You are not able,” Saul said gently. “He has been fighting since before you were born.”

But David told him about a bear that once attacked his sheep.
And then the lion.
And how He had rescued his sheep from every attack.

“The Lord who saved me then,” David said, “will save me now.”

The king gave him his expensive armor. The gold helmet was polished, and the sword was huge.  But David could barely move with it all.

So he returned it, stepped outside, and walked to the stream at the edge of the valley.

The water there was cold and clear.
David knelt, and chose five stones smooth and heavy enough to fly straight.

He placed them in his pouch, took up his sling, and walked alone into the valley.

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Goliath saw him coming and laughed.

“Am I a dog, that you come with sticks?” he roared.

But David kept walking.

“You come with sword and spear,” he called back,
“but I come in the name of the Lord — the God of Israel, whom you have defied.”

David reached into his pouch, placed a stone in his sling, and spun it above his head.

Then he let it fly.

The stone struck Goliath in the forehead.

The giant staggered back. His smile turned to a confused look.
Then fell. His armor clattered as the dust kicked up on the ground.

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When the Philistines saw their champion fall, they turned in fear and ran away.

And the army of Israel, who had waited in fear for forty days, surged forward with a shout.

David's faith and courage had led to an incredible triumph against all odds. From that day on, David became a hero in Israel, and his reputation grew.

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The story of David and Goliath teaches us about the power of faith and courage in the face of seemingly impossible challenges. It shows that by faith, and with God's help, even someone young can achieve great things.

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