Chapter XXXIII: A Story of Victory

KING SAUL had disobeyed God, and the Lord had rejected him from being king.

The Prophet Samuel had set his heart on this first King of Israel, and he grieved terribly that the Lord had reject him. So he went down to his house and mourned over all that had happened.

But at length the Lord spoke to Samuel and He said words like these: "How long will you mourn for Saul? Take your horn of oil and go to Bethlehem, for I have provided me a king among the sons of Jesse the Bethlehemite."

So Samuel did what the Lord commanded, and took with him a heifer for a sacrifice to the Lord, and called Jesse and his sons to share in the sacrifice.

Samuel did not know which of Jesse's sons was to be the king, and as one and another passed before him, the Lord told him that He had not chosen that one.

At length Samuel said to Jesse: "Are these seven all thy sons?"

And Jesse answered: "There is still the youngest, and he is with the sheep."

So David was sent for, and the Lord said to Samuel: "Arise, anoint him: for this is he."

And the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that time forward.

By and by the Philistines, who were enemies of Israel, gathered their armies together to battle, and Saul and the men of Israel went out to meet them; and the two armies stood on two mountain sides, opposite to each other with a valley between them, ready to begin to fight.

Then the Philistines sent out a great giant as a champion, and he defied the armies of Israel, telling them to choose one of their men to fight with him; and promising if their champion was able to kill him, then the Philistines would be their servants: but if he killed their champion, the Israelites would have to serve the Philistines.

When Saul and his soldiers heard these words, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.

And day after day for forty days, the giant came out and defied the Children of Israel.

David's father, Jesse, had three sons at the war, and one day Jesse told David to go and see how his brothers were, and to carry a present of food to the captain of their thousand.

When David got near to the trench, he found that the armies were preparing for a battle.

Then his brothers told him about the giant and his threats, and how Saul had made great promises to any one who should be brave enough to kill him.

And David said indignantly to every one he met: "Who is this Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?"

At length Saul heard of the words that David had said in the camp, and he had him brought before him; but when he saw how young he was, he told him it would be impossible for him to fight the giant.

But David said: "When I was keeping my father's sheep, there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock. I went after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him . . . The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine!"

So Saul offered him some armour, but when David had tried it, he took it all off, and chose instead five smooth stones out of the brook, and with his sling in his hand, he went to meet the giant.

You can imagine that great, tall man with his heavy armour, looking down on the young and beautiful youth before him, and disdaining him!

So the giant came on and drew near to David, and he said to him: "Am I a dog, that you come to me with stones? Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the fowls of the air, and the beasts of the field!"

But David's courage was not of earth, as his brave words show—

"Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the Name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand! And I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee: and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and the beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know, that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord's!"

Then he ran swiftly towards the giant, and put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it, and it struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that he sank down on the ground with his face to the earth.

So David ran and stood upon the giant, and took the giant's sword from its sheath and slew the Philistine, and cut off his head.

Then the men of Israel arose and shouted, and pursued the Philistines till they reached the gates of Ekron. Then they returned and took all the spoil from the tents of their enemies.

And David was brought before Saul, carrying the head of the giant in his hand.

No wonder that King David in after years wrote in the 18th Psalm: "I will love Thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the Lord . . . so shall I be saved from mine enemies!"