Read 1 Samuel 17:(1a,4-11,19-23) 32-49
17 The Philistines gathered for battle in Socoh,
a town in Judah; they camped at a place called Ephes Dammim, between Socoh and
Azekah.
4 A man named Goliath, from the city
of Gath, came out from the Philistine camp to challenge the Israelites. He was
nearly 3 metresz tall 5and wore bronze armour that
weighed about 57 kilogrammes and a bronze helmet. 6His legs were
also protected by bronze armour, and he carried a bronze javelin slung over his
shoulder. 7His spear was as thick as the bar on a weaver’s loom, and
its iron head weighed about 7 kilogrammes. A soldier walked in front of him
carrying his shield. 8Goliath stood and shouted at the Israelites,
“What are you doing there, lined up for battle? I am a Philistine, you slaves
of Saul! Choose one of your men to fight me. 9If he wins and kills
me, we will be your slaves; but if I win and kill him, you will be our slaves. 10Here
and now I challenge the Israelite army. I dare you to pick someone to fight
me!” 11When Saul and his men heard this, they were terrified.
19King Saul, your brothers, and all the other Israelites are
in the Valley of Elah fighting the Philistines.” ]
20 David got up early the next
morning, left someone else in charge of the sheep, took the food, and went as
Jesse had told him to. He arrived at the camp just as the Israelites were going
out to their battle line, shouting the war cry. 21The Philistine and
the Israelite armies took up positions for battle, facing each other. 22David
left the food with the officer in charge of the supplies, ran to the battle
line, went to his brothers, and asked how they were getting on. 23As
he was talking to them, Goliath came forward and challenged the Israelites as
he had done before. And David heard him.
32David said to Saul, “Your Majesty, no one should be afraid
of this Philistine! I will go and fight him.”
33 “No,” answered Saul. “How could
you fight him? You’re just a boy, and he has been a soldier all his life!”
34 “Your Majesty,” David said, “I
take care of my father’s sheep. Whenever a lion or a bear carries off a lamb, 35I
go after it, attack it, and rescue the lamb. And if the lion or bear turns on
me, I grab it by the throat and beat it to death. 36I have killed
lions and bears, and I will do the same to this heathen Philistine, who has
defied the army of the living God. 37The Lord has saved me from lions and bears; he will save me from
this Philistine.”
“All right,” Saul answered. “Go, and the Lord be with you.” 38He gave
his own armour to David for him to wear: a bronze helmet, which he put on
David’s head, and a coat of armour. 39David strapped Saul’s sword
over the armour and tried to walk, but he couldn’t, because he wasn’t used to
wearing them. “I can’t fight with all this,” he said to Saul. “I’m not used to
it.” So he took it all off. 40He took his shepherd’s stick and then
picked up five smooth stones from the stream and put them in his bag. With his
sling ready, he went out to meet Goliath.
41 The Philistine started walking
towards David, with his shield-bearer walking in front of him. He kept coming
closer, 42and when he got a good look at David, he was filled with scorn
for him because he was just a nice, good-looking boy. 43He said to
David, “What’s that stick for? Do you think I’m a dog?” And he called down
curses from his god on David. 44“Come on,” he challenged David, “and
I will give your body to the birds and animals to eat.”
45 David answered, “You are coming
against me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come against you in the name
of the Lord Almighty, the God of
the Israelite armies, which you have defied. 46This very day the Lord will put you in my power; I will
defeat you and cut off your head. And I will give the bodies of the Philistine
soldiers to the birds and animals to eat. Then the whole world will know that
Israel has a God, 47and everyone here will see that the Lord does not need swords or spears to
save his people. He is victorious in battle, and he will put all of you in our
power.”
48 Goliath started walking towards
David again, and David ran quickly towards the Philistine battle line to fight
him. 49He put his hand into his bag and took out a stone, which he
slung at Goliath. It hit him on the forehead and broke his skull, and Goliath
fell face downwards on the ground.
Think
This is one of the best and most told stories of the Bible. It inspires us because we identify with David
- Alone we are weak, helpless, but when God is with us - using the skills we
have - we can face menacing giants.
Pray
Lord - you know what the giants in my life are.
You equip me to face them.
Help me, like David to find the courage and the tools to do what you call
me to do.
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