LETTERS FROM OUR READERS

Where can I find this story in the Bible? (Lauren S., Anderson, Indiana)

You can find the story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17. You won’t find any mention of Galen or Reuben, though. When we hear the Bible story in Sunday school, we see the events from the Israelites’ point of view. But the author wondered how a Philistine would see the story. What would it be like for a Philistine boy to see his people’s hero defeated by an Israelite teen not much older than himself? And what would happen if this boy realized that his Philistine god Dagon couldn’t help him? How could he learn about the one true God?

That’s why the author imagined the boys Galen and Reuben —to help you see what it was like to live then and watch this amazing event in Israel’s history. Of course, while the part about Galen, Reuben, and the other boys is imagined, the part about David, Goliath, King Saul, and the armies is true.

Who were the Philistines and where did they come from? (Jon E., Tallahassee, Florida)

The Philistines were a people from the area around the Aegean Sea or perhaps from the island of Crete (nobody knows for sure). They settled along the coast of Canaan before the time of Abraham. If you look at a map in your Bible, you can locate some major Philistine cities that are mentioned in the story: Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Gath, and Ekron. (Look west of Jerusalem, along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.)

The Philistines manufactured iron tools and weapons, which gave them military superiority over the Israelites. They were at the height of their power during the reigns of King Saul (when this story takes place) and King David. After a while, though, their civilization disappeared.

Why did the Philistines worship a god carved out of wood or stone? Didn’t they know it didn’t have any power to help them? (Justin V., Kansas City, Kansas)

There’s a yearning in every person’s heart to know God, and if people cannot find the one true God, they will create a substitute. (Sometimes people know about the one true God but refuse to follow Him.)

The Bible is filled with stories about people who worshipped false gods (called heathens), as well as stern warnings to the Israelites to stay away from heathen religions. But even King Solomon, a man to whom God granted great wisdom, was enticed by false gods through his heathen wives (see 1 Kings 11:1-3).

Today, people are still worshipping false gods. If you look around at our culture, you’ll see evidence of this every day. But the Bible still warns us to have nothing to do with heathen religions or idols (see Leviticus 26:1; 1 Corinthians 10:14; 1 John 5:21).

Why were there women and children in the Philistine camp in this story? (Emma C., Cookeville, Tennessee)

Some reference books say that the Philistines took their families along when they went to war. The families remained in camp while the men went into battle. Although the Israelites didn’t do this, David’s father did send him to take food to his older brothers and bring back a report about them (see 1 Samuel 17:17-18).

Was Goliath really over nine feet tall? (Randy J., Pocatello, Idaho)

Yes! No wonder the Israelites didn’t want to fight him. Not only was he much larger than any of the Israelite soldiers, but he also had better armor and weapons. (See 1 Samuel 17:4-7 for a description of Goliath and his armor.) But David wasn’t fighting Goliath in his own strength —he knew that only God could defeat Goliath. He made sure everyone understood that God would help him win the battle against the giant (1 Samuel 17:45-47).