David and Goliath

The Philistines were gathering their troops and getting ready for battle. They camped between the cities of Socho and Azeca in Juda. King Saul and the children of Israel gathered together in the valley of Terebinth and got their army ready to fight the Philistines. The Israelites and the Philistines stood each on an opposite mountain facing each other and a valley was between them. Then out came a man of the Philistines whose name was Goliath. He was 11 ½ feet tall. He wore a brass helmet and a coat of mail with scales and brass covering his legs and shoulders. His armor bearer went before him and Goliath cried to the Israelites. “Choose a man of you, and let him come down and fight me hand to hand. If he is able to fight with me, and kill me, we will be servants to you: but if I succeed against him, and kill him, you shall be servants, and serve us. I have defied the bands of Israel this day: Give me a man, and let him fight with me hand to hand.” King Saul and the Israelites were frightened and very afraid. Now David was the son of Isai of Bethlehem, Juda. Isai had eight sons and was an old man during the days of Saul. His three eldest sons, Eliab, Abinabab, and Samma, went to battle with Saul. But David was the youngest and stayed home to feed his father’s flock at Bethlehem. During this time, Goliath came out every morning and evening and repeated his threat to the Israelites for 40 days.

Back in Bethlehem David was being sent by Isai to Saul's camp, “Take to your brothers these ten loaves, and run to the camp and to your brothers. And take these ten little cheeses to the tribune: and go see your brothers, see if they are well: and learn who they are placed with.” So David left in the morning, put the sheep under the care of the keeper, and left with the things as Isai had told him to.

When David arrived at the camps of the Israelites, they had gotten ready for battle and the Philistines had also gotten ready. The cry for battle was given. David left his things under the care of the baggage keeper and ran to the place of the battle and asked if all went well with his brothers. As he was talking to them Goliath came out of the Philistines camp and again spoke his

When Eliab his eldest brother heard this, when he was speaking with others, he was angry with David, and said, “Why did you come here? And why did you leave those few sheep in the desert? I know your pride, and the wickedness of your heart: that you have come down to see the battle.” And David said, “What have I done? Is there not a reason to speak?” And he turned one to another and asked the same.

Now what David had said was told to Saul, and David was brought before Saul. David said to Saul, “Let no man's heart be troubled for I your servant will go, and will fight the Philistine.”  Saul said to David, “You are not able to withstand this Philistine, or able to fight against him: for you are but a boy, but he has been a warrior from his youth.” David said to Saul, “I , your servant, have kept my father's sheep, and there came a lion, or a bear, and took a ram out of the midst of the flock. And I pursued after them, and struck them, and took the ram out of their mouth. They rose up against me, and I caught them by the throat, and I strangled and killed them. I have killed both a lion and a bear: and this Philistine shall be as one of them. I will go now, and take away the reproach of the people. Who is this Philistine, who has dared to curse the army of the living God? The Lord who delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will also deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord go with you.” Saul clothed David with some of his clothes, and put a brass helmet on David’s head, and armed him with a coat of mail. David having fastened his sword upon his armor, began to try if he could walk in armor. After trying it David said to Saul: “I cannot go like this, I am not used to it.” So he took the armor off.

David took his staff, which he always had in his hands. He chose five smooth stones out of the brook, and put it into his shepherd’s scrip. He took a sling in his hand, and went to meet the Philistine. Goliath then came out of the Philistine camp and went with his armor bearer before him to David. When Goliath saw David he despised him. For David was a young man, glowing, and of a pleasing appearance. Then Goliath said to David, “Am I a dog, that you came to me with a staff? Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air, and to the beasts of the earth.” David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, and a shield, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, which you have mocked. This day, the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will slay you and take away your head from you. I will give the carcasses of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air,

Faith in God, that is what it takes. David never would have been able to beat Goliath if he had no faith in God. Now if David had feared Goliath so much that he did not trust in God to protect him than Goliath probably would have won. Yet David did not fear the Philistine at all. Since David had not been a soldier and Goliath had been since his youth, the most likely thing that would have happened is that Goliath would have destroyed David. Plus Goliath was huge and David was small - just a boy. But David knew that God would help him defeat the pagan Philistine who had come to mock the children of God. God showed His power through a shepherd boy who only trusted in Him, not some strong soldier who was scared to death in Goliath as all the men were. Now in our own lives we ourselves have daily struggles. Such as temptations, doing your chores, being kind and patient with your brothers and sisters, doing the dishes, being obedient, and so on. Now most of us probably don’t really fear these things, but in any event we should fight them. Although they may be little things, if we do not fight them they still mock us as children of God. What we need to do is cry for battle and get ready to fight. But do not listen to the devil who tries to encourage us in telling lies, such as Eliab did to David. We must pray to God, and anyone else in Heaven we care to, and go out to meet the struggle knowing that God is with us and will deliver the struggle into our hands so that it will be destroyed. King Saul promised whoever beat Goliath would receive great treasures of this world. But Jesus promises us great heavenly treasures if we beat our struggles and sins. Never be afraid to fight the devil when he mocks you for being a child of God and tries to lead you to sin. We must fight him with rage every time he tries to come back. And as you win each battle, never forget to thank God for all His help. Faith in God, that is what it takes.

The Philistines then seeing their champion dead turned and began to run. The men of Israel and Juda rising up shouted, and pursued after the Philistines. They came to the valley and to Sarian, Geth, and to the gates of Accaron, where the Philistines had first met, wounding many Philistines. The Israelites returning from pursuing the Philistines went back to their camp. When David was first going out to fight with Goliath Saul asked to Abner, the captain of the army, “Of what family is this young man a descendent of, Abner?” To him Abner replied, “As your soul lives, O king, I do not know.”“Investigate who’s son this man
is.” When David returned after killing Goliath, Abner took David to Saul. Saul said to David, “Young man, of what family are you?” David said, “I am the son of your servant Isai, of Bethlehem.” - Kings 1 17:1-58
and to the 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: for it is His battle, and He will deliver you into our hands.” Goliath arose and began to come to David. David ran fast into the fight to meet the Philistine. Then David put his hand into his scrip, and took out a stone. He put it into his sling. Swinging it around he let it fly. The stone struck Goliath on his head and was fixed in his forehead. Goliath fell on his face into the earth. David beat Goliath, with a sling and a stone. Since David had no sword in his hand, he ran and stood above Goliath, took out Goliath’s sword, slew him and cut of his head.
threat to the Israelites and David heard them. When the Israelites saw Goliath they fled before his face, because they were afraid of him. One Israelite said, “Have you seen this man that has come up, for he is come up to mock Israel. And the man that shall slay him, the king will give him great riches, and will give him his daughter, and will make his father's house free from tribute in Israel.” And David spoke to the men that stood by him, “What shall be given to the man that shall kill this Philistine, and shall take away the reproach from Israel? For who is this Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”