The Story of David’s Fight with a Giant (1 Samuel 17)

The people of Israel were being attacked by a people called the Philistines. The Philistines thought they had an advantage because a giant was fighting on their side. In fact, the giant came out every day and challenged someone to fight him and said that if anyone could beat him they would all surrender. Everyone was afraid to fight the giant because he was over nine feet tall, and he was a trained warier. Things really looked bad for the people of Israel until one day a young man named David volunteered to fight the giant. He believed he could win because he was trusting God to help him. God had already helped David kill a lion and a bear that came after his father’s sheep, and he believed God would help him defeat the giant as well. The giant’s name was Goliath. He was wearing armor all over his body and had a large sword, a spear, and a shield. All David had for a weapon was his shepherd’s staff and a sling with five smooth stones, but he was very good at hitting a target with his sling. The Bible says the giant “cursed David by his gods,” but David answered, “Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield; but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.” I think you know the rest of the story. The first stone that came from David’s sling hit the giant in his forehead, and he fell to the ground with a great crash. David then took the giant’s own sword and killed him before he could get back up. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead they all ran away in defeat. I’d rather have God on my side than a giant any day, wouldn’t you?