The King

Across the field, the Philistines stood in rigid formation. They looked sharp, and ready. Directly across from where David stood, the formation parted and out came the giant. The shouting, which had died down some, erupted again from the Philistines as their champion came forward. He was enormous. He stood over nine feet tall, and was as broad across the shoulders as any two normal men. His upper arms, which were bare, were as thick as David’s waist. He wore a bronze helmet that covered the top of his head down to right over his eyes, and a coat of mail that was so heavy any normal man would barely be able to walk with it on, much less fight. He had long black hair reaching past his shoulders, and a thick black beard that covered the top of his chest. He carried a spear in his right hand that was over seven feet long, and had a huge longsword sheathed at his side. In front and slightly to his left, a soldier came on before him carrying a huge shield. The giant looked nearly double the size of the shield-bearer, but the soldier must have been strong for the shield was nearly as big as he was. The heavy footsteps of the giant stamped loudly as they approached, and the Israelite soldiers went quiet in fear. The giant reached the middle of the field between the armies and stopped. David, with a dreadful feeling in his stomach, strode out to meet him. As he approached, the giant stared at him, uncomprehending this raggedy boy on the battlefield. David stopped a short distance away, and stood silently. Suddenly the giant roared with laughter. “Are you the champion of Israel? How long have you been off of your mother’s teat, boy?” Looking past David toward Israel, he yelled to the king, “Saul, have you become a nurse-maid?” Behind him, the Philistine army jeered. With the butt of his spear, the giant poked his shield-bearer. “Go away.” The soldier stumbled forward from the force of the giant’s spear, then circled around well behind him and waited. Then without warning the giant’s laughter turned to rage. His face became red with anger, with veins throbbing in his neck. Looking right at David, he yelled, “Am I a dog, boy, that you come at me with a stick? Dagon will curse your soul. I am Goliath, the Philistine, and there is no god in Israel that can save you from me. Come to me, and I will give your stinking carcass to the birds of the air, and beasts of the field.”

The dreadful feeling in David’s stomach passed, flushed out by hot anger. It was time to silence this fool. “You come to me with a sword and a spear, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts. There is a God in Israel, and you will know Him today. No, Goliath, now you will die, and I will give your carcass to the birds of the air, and the beasts of the field.”