DAVID AND GOLIATH

Time: 1015 B.C.

Reading: 1 Samuel 17:1

 

Armed only with a slingshot, young David kills a Philistine giant by striking him in the forehead with a single stone

Camped on a hillside 15 miles west of Bethlehem, a fierce Philistine army stood ready for battle. They were a fearsome group, dressed in armor and carrying iron weapons that the Israelites had never seen before. King Saul's troops occupied a hill opposite the Philistines. Each day for 40 days, Goliath, a Philistine warrior who was at least 6 feet 9 inches tall, challenged any Israelite to fight him. The terms were winner-take-all. The nation with the losing warrior would be forced to submit the victor.

Young David, a shepherd boy from Bethlehem, was bringing food to three of his brothers, who were among Saul's troops. As he neared the hillside, David heard Goliath's booming challenge and angrily offered to take it (1 Sam 17:32-37).

Saul dressed David in his own armor, but it was too big and heavy for the boy. Instead David decided to fight Goliath with the simple weapons he used to protect his herds from prowling lions and bears: a staff and a slingshot. As he neared Goliath, David picked up five smooth stones from the drey riverbed.

"Am I a dog," Goliath roared, "that you come to me with sticks?" (1 Sam 17:43). Without a word, David sent a single stone zooming through the air at a deadly speed. It struck Goliath in the forehead, hurling his huge body to the ground, facedown. Then David took the giant's sword and cut off his head. The Israelites cheered as the Philistines fled in terror.

Information: Goliath's armor included a 150-pound coat of flexible metal, a bronze helmet, and a bronze leg guards.

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