David & Goliath

A challenge in the valley

Long ago, two armies faced each other across a wide, rocky valley. On one side were the Philistines, the enemies of God's people. On the other side were the Israelites, with King Saul. Every morning and every evening for forty days, a giant warrior stepped out from the Philistine camp and shouted across the valley.

His name was Goliath. He stood almost ten feet tall. His armour shone in the sun. His spear was as thick as a weaver's beam. And his voice boomed like thunder.

Every soldier in Israel was afraid. Even brave King Saul was afraid. No one would go.

A shepherd boy with a brave heart

Far away from the army, a boy named David was looking after his father's sheep. He was the youngest of eight brothers, and his three oldest brothers were soldiers in Saul's army.

One day, Jesse — David's father — sent David to the camp to bring food to his brothers and to find out how they were. When David arrived, he heard Goliath shouting his challenge again, and he saw the soldiers running away in fear.

David could not believe it. He turned to the soldiers and asked, “Who is this Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” David's brothers were angry with him, but King Saul heard about the boy and sent for him.

King Saul looked at the small shepherd boy and shook his head. “You're only a boy,” he said. “Goliath is a warrior.”

But David explained that he had killed a lion and a bear that came to attack his sheep, because God had helped him. He believed God would help him again.

Five smooth stones

King Saul tried to dress David in his own armour, but it was far too heavy. David took it off. Instead, he picked up his shepherd's staff, his sling, and five smooth stones from a little brook. Then he walked out into the valley to meet Goliath.

Goliath laughed. “Am I a dog,” he roared, “that you come to me with sticks?” But David was not afraid. He looked up at the giant and answered him with words the whole army could hear.

Then David ran toward Goliath. He took one stone from his shepherd's bag, put it in his sling, and swung it round and round. The stone flew through the air and struck Goliath right on the forehead. The giant fell down to the ground.

God had given David the victory — not by a sword, not by a spear, not by the strongest army in the world, but by a small boy who trusted Him.