David Goliath And Jesus
As David looked out to the battlefield, there stood Goliath of Gath, the Philistine giant, defying Israels God. In Davids hands were a few small stones. Did anyone believe this shepherd boy could stand against a warrior like Goliath? As David walked onto the battlefield, he responded to Goliath with words meant to reassure Israel that they had a better champion than the Philistines. Did anyone believe these words? And who was the identity of this champion? The Lord God of Israel. All the assembly today will know, David said, that the battle is the Lords .
Israel needed to learn a profound lesson. They were absolutely helpless before Goliath. The lesson was never to be missed: You cant win this battle, so the Lord must fight and win for you.
Sadly, many Christians still havent learned this lesson. The most common interpretation of this passage places the responsibility squarely on us to slay the Goliaths in our lives. Some of the best-selling Christian books today provide full descriptions of the Goliaths we face and the steps to slay them so that we can live a victorious Christian life. Why is this interpretation a problem? Is this how we should read the story of David and Goliath?
Introducing Goliath
Is there any man in Israel who can beat Goliath?
The Making of Goliath
The Arrival of Gods Champion
Editors Note: This post was originally published on May 29, 2020.
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Why Was It Remarkable That David Beat Goliath
Although Davids age was disputed as to when he defeated Goliath, a guess in his mid-teens would be logical, as argued on this hermeneutics site. Not only had he not reached the age of manhood, but the youngest of a family to challenge Israels number one enemy wouldve been unheard of.
Furthermore, although King Saul attempted to give David some armor pre-fight, none of it would fit. Instead, David chooses his weapon, a slingshot and five smooth stones. Even Goliath mocks this when he sees who Israel chose as their champion and what they chose to give him as a weapon .
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Life Lessons From David And Goliath
David’s faith in God caused him to look at the giant from a different perspective. Goliath was merely a mortal man defying an all-powerful God. David looked at the battle from God’s point of view. If we look at giant problems and impossible situations from God’s perspective, we realize that God will fight for us and with us. When we put things in proper perspective, we see more clearly, and we can fight more effectively.
David chose not to wear the King’s armor because it felt cumbersome and unfamiliar. David was comfortable with his simple sling, a weapon he was skilled at using. God will use the unique skills he’s already placed in your hands, so don’t worry about “wearing the King’s armor.” Just be yourself and use the familiar gifts and talents God has given you. He will work miracles through you.
When the giant criticized, insulted, and threatened, David didn’t stop or even waver. Everyone else cowered in fear, but David ran to the battle. He knew that action needed to be taken. David did the right thing in spite of discouraging insults and fearful threats. Only God’s opinion mattered to David.
Way To Introduce The Story:
Bring a measuring tape to class today. Let the children measure to see how high the ceiling is. If one of the walls is nine feet tall then mark that height. How would you like to be that tall? Did you know that there was someone in the bible who was even taller than that? We are going to talk about him today.top
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Israel And The Philistines Prepare For Battle
Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle. And they were gathered at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered, and encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in line of battle against the Philistines. And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with a valley between them. And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
Why Is King David So Important
David is the oldest king in the Bible and one of the most beloved. Despite many accusations, he was a virtuous and compassionate king who ruled over the nation of Israel. He also served as a symbol of Gods love and compassion for his people. His story is a compelling one and is a good place to start for anyone studying the history of the Jews. But why is David so important?
David is revered by both Jews and Christians alike for establishing a cohesive Jewish state with a religious and political capital in Jerusalem. He is considered to be the central figure of the Jewish nation and the ultimate ruler of piety. He is the first king to build the Temple in Israel. Unfortunately, the Jewish people were not allowed to do so during Davids lifetime.
As an army commander, David was a great warrior and a brilliant strategic thinker. He fought the Philistines and fought them with an ax. His sling defeated a giant named Goliath. He also gave his son Solomon a strong and united kingdom. This made David the most important king in the Bible.
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David And Goliath In The Valley
After leaving Saul, David ran towards Goliath prepared to fight. He gathered 5 smooth stones from the river and pocketed 4 of them. The 5th one went into the sling prepared for Goliath. They ran towards one another.
Goliath mocked David and said that he was not afraid of a little boy. David said that the Philistine came with a sword, shield and spear, but David came with confidence in the God of Israel. David boldly replied that he had no fear of Goliath and that the birds would be picking the flesh off his giant body by the end of the day.
David let fly the stone in his sling. The stone hit the giant between the eyes and the stone sunk into his forehead. Goliath fell forward while both armies watched. David then pulled the giant sword from its sheath and chopped off the head of the Philistine champion.
What David And Goliath Can Teach Us Today
The story of David and Goliath is well-known and praised throughout history. Its powerful story teaches us many lessons. In a battle between David and Goliath, he risked his life and defended the honor of his people by slaying the giant.
As a young man, David was anointed king by Samuel. He was one of seven brothers and spent some time shepherding the sheep. As an army leader and armor-bearer for King Saul, David had the courage to challenge the giant. He was also known as a man after Gods own heart because of his faith and obedience. He was able to defeat the giant with the help of God, which made the story even more important.
During the battle of the Philistines, Gods people were preparing to fight a great army. King Saul and his men were on the hill with David. The enemy army was on another hill across the valley. King Saul and his men were terrified because they could not fight Goliath without weapons. In fact, David was the only one who was willing to take on the giant.
The story of David and Goliath also teaches us about the strength of faith. In ancient times, the army of Israel was made up of battle-hardened men. Walking into the battlefield with Goliath was the equivalent of a suicide mission, as most people would have thought. However, we can learn from David and his courage. Its worth remembering that we cant do what were afraid of, and our faith must be steadfast.
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David And Goliath Bible Story Summary
The Philistine army had gathered for war against Israel. The two armies faced each other, camped for battle on opposite sides of a steep valley. A Philistine giant measuring over nine feet tall and wearing full armor came out each day for forty days, mocking and challenging the Israelites to fight. His name was Goliath. Saul, the King of Israel, and the whole army were terrified of Goliath.
One day, David, the youngest son of Jesse, was sent to the battle lines by his father to bring back news of his brothers. David was just a young teenager at the time. While there, David heard Goliath shouting his daily defiance, and he saw the great fear stirred within the men of Israel. David responded, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of God?”
So David volunteered to fight Goliath. It took some persuasion, but King Saul finally agreed to let David oppose the giant. Dressed in his simple tunic, carrying his shepherd’s staff, sling, and a pouch full of stones, David approached Goliath. The giant cursed at him, hurling threats and insults.
David said to the Philistine:
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Who Was Goliath In The Bible & Was He Really That Scary
Now, we have to take a look at this challenger the Philistines set forth. We often hear about his height, but just how tall was he?
Different interpretations of the text have lent to different heights: anything from six feet six inches to nine feet six inches. No matter what his height, we have to keep in mind he wore armor that weighed 125 pounds . Some have linked his heritage from the Nephilim, a group of people who had demon DNA, and who were known to be gigantic. This man was big.
Also, we have to look at the Philistines themselves to understand why the Israelites cowered. Although the Philistines might have hired Goliath as a mercenary from Gath, the Philistines themselves likely had links to the Sea Peoples who wreaked havoc in the Mediterranean and brought about the first Dark Age, as stated in this article.
This wasnt the typical army to confront Israel. They were ruthless, warmongering, and continued to plague Israel throughout their history.
In short, yes, he was that scary, and probably scarier than we can imagine today.
The Challenge From Goliath
For a whole 40 days, Goliath would march his way towards the Israeli forces and openly mocked them with his booming voice, denouncing their God and exclaiming at none as formidable as he. He would grow tired of waiting for the Israelites to make their move though, and so he would offer them an ultimatum.
He told the Israelites to send a single man to face him and in doing so it would spare the rest of the men having to face him and his army. The winner of the battle would see their side hold dominion over the other, but his words only sent more panic through the Israeli army.
No longer would they be in a union when they fought Goliath but instead, a single man would have to bear the terror facing his unmitigated strength, one on one.
Being the king, it was expected that Saul fights Goliath. After all, he was the tallest man in Israelnot so tall as Goliath, but tall enough that he was considered to be a very viable candidate. But Saul hesitated despite being adorned in his armour, would not come out to face Goliath.
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David And Goliath Story
Here is one of the best bible stories for children, David And Goliath Story. A long long time ago, the god was looking for a new king of Israel to replace King Saul, who had displeased him. The god sent his servant Samuel to the house of Jesse and asked him to anoint one of his sons. The youngest, David, a young boy of fifteen with bright blue eyes and rosy cheeks was chosen as the one and anointed.
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Since that day, gods spirit was always with David. King Saul was not happy because he had not made peace with God. David used to play the harp very well. So, Sauls servants thought that beautiful music played by David would cheer him up. And it did. Davids music made the king feel better and slowly David was adored by the king.
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However, King Saul was unaware of the fact that David was anointed by Samuel and that he would become the future king of Israel. While Saul was the king of Isreal, the philistines continued to battle with them. One of the philistines was a huge giant named Goliath. Goliath was nine feet tall and it was impossible for anyone to fight him. He kept on daring Israelites telling them, Philistines will become the servants of Isreal if someone could fight Goliath. But King Saul and his army were scared.
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David The Shepherd Boy
Now David was the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, named Jesse, who had eight sons. In the days of Saul the man was already old and advanced in years. The three oldest sons of Jesse had followed Saul to the battle. And the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. David was the youngest. The three eldest followed Saul, but David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.
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David And Goliath Craft Ideas
Needing some David and Goliath craft ideas? If so, Ive got five fun and easy crafts for kids that you can do to go along with this well-known Bible story.
Whether you teach a Sunday school class at church or are a homeschool mom walking your kids through the Bible, these David and Goliath craft ideas are accessible and fun.
David And Goliath The Fight Of Ages
Much like Saul, Goliath wasnt very impressed with the skinny boy marching his way to meet him. In fact, Goliath was offended that such a challenger was even being presented before him.
In reference to Davids sling, Goliath states, Am I a dog that you come at me with sticks? Before he went on to curse David telling him that he was going to feed his flesh to the animals after he was done killing him.
David calmly told Goliath that he was going to lose this contest and his life and that with the power of his God, he would see to the slain of Goliath by the removal of his head. He also stated that Goliath would pay for the crimes he has made against the Israeli people and God and that it was his corpse that would be fed to the animals.
Not standing for that insult, Goliath moved him to rush David but to his surprise, David came rushing forward to meet him. Reaching into his bag, David was able to take out one of the stones, which he used to sling at such a speed that it sank into Goliaths forehead, knocking him to the ground!
With this, the valley was hushed into silence, and all anyone could do was watch all in awe as David stood over the giant victorious.
But David wasnt quite done. He proceeded to decapitate the giant with his sword and this savagery would see the Philistine army turn to flee. Unfortunately for them though, the Israeli army would follow and seated a second of their camps and the butchering of their troops.
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The Story Of David And Goliath In The Bible
The biblical account of David and Goliath from the book of Samuel is perhaps one of the most popular tales from Scripture. Not only does it portray one of the greatest examples of heroics from the Bible, but it is also a tale that applies in modern times to our very own lives.
It shows us that despite how large adversity may be for an individual, anyone can overcome it. It serves to teach us that by having faith though not necessarily in God but in oneself, victory can be achieved even with the odds stacked against us.