David and Goliath

The Israelites and the Philistines were enemies. One of the Philistines was a very tall man. They said he was a giant because he was nine feet tall! He was a very strong man. His name was Goliath.

Goliath wanted to fight any man from the Israelite army that would agree to fight him. Goliath said, "If I win the fight, you will be our slaves. If any Israelite wins the fight, we will be your slaves."

But no one wanted to fight Goliath, for he was very big and very strong.

David was a shepherd boy. He went to visit his brothers in the Israelite army. He heard Goliath's challenge. He asked King Saul if he could fight Goliath. The king said, "David, you are small, and he is big. He is strong, and you are very young. You cannot fight him."

David replied, "While tending my father's sheep, I have fought a bear, and I have fought a lion. If I can fight off those two animals, I can fight this giant."

The king replied, "If you must go, then take my armor and my sword with you. And may the Lord be with you."

So David put on the armor and took the sword. But he was not used to wearing armor so he took it off.

"I will fight him without the armor," David said. So he took his shepherd's stick and his sling. He found five smooth stones from a nearby stream, put them in his bag, and went to meet the giant Goliath.

When Goliath saw David, he was angry, because David was just a small, young man. The giant shouted at David, "Come here... and I'll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!" (1 Samuel 17:44)

David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear, but I come against you in the name of the Lord. The Lord will help me beat you." Then David took a stone from his bag and put it in the sling. He struck Goliath in the forehead and killed him.

David got his strength and power from the Lord. He beat Goliath. David grew up to become one of the greatest kings of the Israelite nation.

(1 Samuel 17)

Adapted from TeacherCreated.com