The young hero and the horrible giant David and Goliath, from 1 Samuel 17 GOD’S PEOPLE HAD SOME scary enemies, but the Philistines were the scariest of them all. And now the Philistines had come to fight them.

The young hero and the horrible giant David and Goliath, from 1 Samuel 17 GOD’S PEOPLE HAD SOME scary enemies, but the Philistines were the scariest of them all. And now the Philistines had come to fight them.

“Send your best soldier to fight me! If he wins, we will be your slaves. But if I win, you will be our slaves!” No one spoke. No one moved.  “Chickens!” Goliath bellowed. “Your God can’t save you! I’ll rip your heads off and have you on toast!” His beady, greedy eyes glowered at them hungrily from under his horrible helmet—as if any minute he really might just gobble them all up. And he laughed his terrible laugh. “Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha” it boomed, echoing horribly around and around the dry, dry valley.

Well, Goliath might just as well have been a green, slimy monster with three heads because God’s people froze with fear. Their eyes glazed over, and they turned deathly pale. They knew if someone didn’t do something quick, if someone didn’t save them— But God would do something. He would send someone to save them.

Now, you remember that David was the youngest son of Jesse? Well his brothers were soldiers in the army. One day, when David brought his brothers their lunches, he saw Goliath—and he saw how scared everyone was. “Don’t be afraid!” David said. “I’ll fight him for you!” “You’re only a little shepherd boy,” the king said, “and Goliath is a great soldier. How will you fight him?” “God will help me!” David said. So the king gave David his royal armor to wear, but it was too heavy and too big and David couldn’t even walk. “I won’t need this,” David said. Instead, David picked out five smooth stones from the stream—one, two, three, four, five—took his slingshot and walked towards Goliath. Step. Step. Step. Goliath walked towards David. THUD. THUD. THUD. “You?” Goliath peered down at the small boy. “I’m little!” David shouted up to him. “But God is great!” Goliath laughed an even terribler laugh than usual. “HAAAA-HA-HA-HAAAA!” it went. With just one swing of his giant sword, Goliath could finish the boy off. But David kept going, “It isn’t how strong you are or how many  swords and spears you have that will save you—it is God who saves you! This is God’s battle. And God always wins his battles!”

David put a stone in his sling, swung it around—and let it go. The little stone flew WHIZZ like a bullet through the air and struck Goliath THUD right between the eyes. Goliath stopped laughing…He stumbled…and staggered…and CRASH! fell dead. When the Philistines saw Goliath was dead, they ran away. And when God’s people saw them running away, they cheered. God had saved his people. David was a hero!

Many years later, God would send his people another young Hero to fight for them. And to save them. But this Hero would fight the greatest battle the world has ever known.

Lloyd-Jones, Sally (2010-04-13). The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name (Kindle Locations 685-686). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.