part0009

Few people ever get the opportunity to do something truly big. But on a given day in Israel's history, David, the son of Jesse, was given that opportunity and he took full advantage of it. The Philistines were their natural enemy, dating back to Abraham in Genesis 21:22-34 and to Isaac in Genesis 26:1-33, and during David's time, Israel was still at war with them. According to Joshua 13:1-5, the Jews had not driven the Philistines out of Canaan when they took over their Promised Land, and those idolatrous people had continued to be a thorn in Israel's side for the many years that had followed.

In I Samuel 17:1-11, the Philistines and Israelites were battling between Socoh and Azekah, in Judah, and the battle was not going very well for Israel. A single Philistinian warrior, named Goliath, was challenging the Jews to send a warrior to oppose him, and I Samuel 17:11 says that the men of Israel were dismayed and terrified. Goliath was a tested man of battle, nine feet tall, and the Jews did not have a combatant who could or would wage hand-to-hand combat with him. David was too young to actually be involved in the skirmish, but he was on the scene because he had brought grain and bread to his brothers, who were there. When he heard the verbal taunts and jeers of the Philistinian giant, he was offended to know that someone would defy the armies of the living God. So, he urged Saul to let him do battle with Goliath.

David was only a young lad on that day. But in I Samuel 17:12-51, he took on the giant, killed him by slinging a single stone, and won a great victory for Israel and the Lord. No one among the men of Israel had had the boldness, courage, and determination to face their defiant enemy. But David did, and the Lord greatly rewarded him for having those traits. David knew that the God of Israel, who was also his GOD, would give him a great victory over his enemy, and he was correct. He had put his faith in God, and he was not disappointed.