19 January 2022
But David said to the Philistine, ‘You come to me with sword and spear and javelin; but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This very day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head; and I will give the dead bodies of the Philistine army this very day to the birds of the air and to the wild animals of the earth, so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not save by sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s and he will give you into our hand.’
From 1 Samuel 17:32-33,37,40-51, NRSV
In today’s reading we hear one of the best known and loved stories of the Old Testament in which a young shepherd boy defeats the fearsome Goliath. Goliath had issued a challenge to the army of Israel. If they could put up a man to fight him, the nation of the one who died would have to become servants of the other. Such was Goliath’s reputation as a warrior, that for forty days neither King Saul nor any of his army had volunteered to take on Goliath. However, when the shepherd boy David heard of the challenge, he volunteered to face Goliath. The disparity between Goliath and David could not have been greater and Saul tried to dissuade David. However, David persisted, claiming that the God who had helped him to defeat the bears and lions that threatened his sheep would be on his side against Goliath. David met Goliath armed only with his shepherd’s sling and a few stones but also with a spiritual armour that his opponent lacked. Goliath scoffed at this opposition but David boldly asserted that God would save him and, we are told, David felled Goliath with one stone from his sling.
- Why do you think David was able to do what so many others had not?
- When have you felt that you were facing a “giant” – who or what helped you at this time?
Reflect on any situations known to you where you might need to show the courage of David.
