David and Goliath

Introduction- Many years later a man named Saul became king over Israel. The Philistine army was fighting against Israel at this time. Here is the story from God’s Word. Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war. Saul and the Israelites drew up their battle line to meet

the Philistines. A champion named Goliath came out of the Philistine camp. He was a giant over nine feet tall. Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, "Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a

Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your servants; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our servants and serve us." Then the Philistine said, "This day I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other." On hearing these words Saul and all of his men were terrified. Now David was the youngest son of his father Jesse and tended his father's sheep at Bethlehem. Jesse

said to David, "Take these ten loaves of bread for your brothers. Your brothers are with Saul and all the men of Israel fighting against the Philistines." Early the next morning David set out. He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry. As he was talking with his brothers, Goliath shouted his usual defiance and David heard it. So David asked, "Who is this Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?" What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, and Saul sent for him. David said to Saul, "Your servant will go and fight this Philistine." Saul replied, "You you are only a boy. But David said to Saul, “Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear and this Philistine will be like one

of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God.” Then David took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in his bag and

with his sling in his hand David came toward the Philistine. When Goliath saw that David was only a young boy, he cursed David by his gods. "Come here," he said, "and I'll give your flesh to the birds of the air!" David answered and said to the Philistine, "You come against me with a sword and a spear, but I come

against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today the

whole world will know that there is a God in Israel for this battle is the LORD's, and he will give all of your army into our hands. As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead and Goliath fell face down on the ground. Then David stood over the Philistine and took hold of Goliath’s sword and cut off the giant’s head. When the Philistines saw their hero was dead, they turned and ran. Then the men of Israel shouted and pursued the Philistines and when the Israelites returned from chasing the Philistines, they plundered their camp.

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