David and Goliath
The lesson of David and Goliath is a compelling powerful lesson to illustrate the power of the LORD God in our lives. We need to always remember that the battle belongs to the Lord. It is the Lord who guides our steps forward and we need to keep walking forward to face struggles and conflicts that come our way on our life journey.
1 Samuel 17
Goliath was a gigantic man. The whole Israelite army was afraid of him. What could a lowly shepherd boy do about it?
David was a shepherd boy who spent most of his time in the fields with the lambs and the sheep. He always wondered about the LORD God who created this lovely world.
Prophet Samuel had sent for David and anointed his head with oil. This was the sign that the LORD God had chosen David to be the future king of Israel. David had returned to the hills near Bethlehem to take care of his father’s sheep.
At that time, the Israelites were still at war with their old enemies, the Philistines. King Saul who was ill and unhappy wanted to hear David play the harp. David played the harp for the sad king who was comforted by the music. One day when David was in the hills, one of the king’s servants came to fetch him. The servant asked David to bring his harp and go to the king.
The king regained his strength and went to his army. The armies of the Israelites and the Philistines were on opposite sides of the hill, and both armies were ready for battle.
Each day the Philistines sent their champion, Goliath, who was fully armed and gigantic in size, to shout across the valley “Choose a man, and if he were able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I kill him, then you shall serve us.”
The Israelites trembled as they heard the voice of Goliath. Nobody was brave or strong enough to fight with this giant Philistine. One day, David came to the Israelites camp to see his brothers. He heard the words of Goliath. He was amazed that the Israelites were all afraid. “I will go and fight with this Philistine” David said.
When the king knew about David’s intention, he said “You are not able to fight for you are a youth, and the Philistine is a man of war”. David replied “The lord who saved me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear when I kept my father’s sheep, will deliver me.” The king said “Go, then, and the Lord shall be with you.” Unarmed, except for his staff, his shepherd’s sling and a few stones, David went to confront the giant.
Goliath was angry when he saw that the Israelites sent a shepherd boy to meet him. “Am I a dog that you come to me with sticks and stones?” Goliath shouted.
“Today the Lord will deliver you into my hands and all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.” David replied. David ran fearlessly towards the Philistine giant, he slipped one of the stones into his sling, and skillfully flung it so that it hit Goliath in the forehead, who fell to the ground.
When the Philistine army saw that their champion is dead, they fled the battle. The Israelites won the battle and David whom God had chosen to be the future king of Israel was the hero of the people of Israel.
What Can This Story Teach Us?
David trusted God to help him even though the giant was much larger than he was. Do you have any “giants” in your life? Is there something so big that you don’t see a way to overcome it? Ask God for help in meeting this enemy. Go to your parent, teacher, or a trusted adult for their wise counsel. Don’t try to solve the problem by yourself.
We need to always remember that the battle belongs to the Lord. It is the Lord who guides our steps forward and we need to keep walking forward to face struggles and conflicts that come our way on our life journey. We can be confident that we are protected and kept safe by the Lord.
Cite Article Source
MLA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne “David and Goliath:.” Becker Bible Studies Library Jan 2015.< https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=1961,>.
APA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015, January) “David and Goliath:.” Becker Bible Studies Library. Retrieved from https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=1961,.
Chicago Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015) “David and Goliath:.” Becker Bible Studies Library (January), https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=1961, (accessed).
