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David Kills Goliath
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wandered with his flocks. Frequently lions or bears, fierce with
hunger, came to attack the flocks. David was armed only with his
sling and shepherd’s staff, yet he protected his flock courageously.
Describing these encounters later, he said: “When a lion or bear
came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and struck
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it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against
me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it.” His experience
developed his courage, fortitude, and faith.
When Israel declared war against the Philistines, three of Jesse’s
sons joined the army under Saul, but David stayed at home. After
a time, however, he went to visit the camp. His father gave him a
message and a gift for his older brothers. But Jesse did not know that
the armies of Israel were in danger, and that an angel had directed
David to save his people.
As David came close to the army, Israel and the Philistines were
drawn up in battle lines, army against army. Goliath, the champion
of the Philistines, came out and with insulting language defied Israel
to provide a man from their ranks who would fight with him. When
David learned that the Philistine hurled his defiance at them day after
day without any champion stepping forward to silence the boaster,
he was fired up with zeal to preserve the honor of God.
The armies of Israel were depressed. They said to each other,
“Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up
to defy Israel.”
Ashamed and indignant, David exclaimed, “Who is this uncir-
cumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living
God?”
Even as a shepherd, David had revealed daring, courage, and
strength rarely seen, and the mysterious visit of Samuel to their
father’s house had made the brothers suspicious of the real object of
his visit—their jealousy had been aroused.
And now Eliab regarded the question that David asked as a
rebuke to his own cowardice in making no attempt to silence the
giant. The elder brother exclaimed angrily, “Why did you come
down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the
wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart,
for you have come down to see the battle.” David’s answer was
respectful but firm: “What have I done now? Is there not a cause?”