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Spiritual Gifts, Volume 4a
his own kingly armor. But David laid it off, and merely chose him five
smooth stones from the brook, a sling and staff. As the proud defier of
Israel saw the young man of beautiful countenance approaching him
with this equipment, he inquired, “Am I a dog, that thou comest to
me with staves?” He cursed David by his gods, and boastingly invited
him to come to him, that he might give his flesh to the fowls of the air,
and to the beasts of the field. “Then said David to the Philistine, Thou
comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield.” But
I come to thee not in display of armor, nor with powerful weapons,
but “in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel,
whom thou hast defied.” David makes no boast of superior skill. His
boast is in the Lord. “This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine
hand, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And
all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and
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spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands.
And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew
nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to
meet the Philistine. And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence
a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the
stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.”
David cut off the head of the proud boaster with his own power-
ful sword, of which he had boasted. And when the Philistines saw
that their champion was dead, they were confused, and fled in every
direction, Israel pursuing them.
When Saul and David were returning from the slaughter of the
Philistines, the women of the cities came out with demonstrations of
joy and singing to meet them. One company sang, “Saul hath slain his
thousands.” Another company responded to the first, “And David his
ten thousands.”
This made Saul very angry. Instead of manifesting humble grati-
tude to God that Israel had been saved out of the hand of their enemies
by the hand of David, a cruel spirit of jealousy comes upon him, and,
as in times past, he yields himself to its control. “And Saul was very
wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed
unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands;
and what can he have more but the kingdom?” His fears were aroused,
that this was indeed the man who would take his place as ruler. Yet