Many years ago, the Philistines and the Israelites were going to fight each other in a war. The Philistines were on one mountain and the Israelites were on another mountain. The valley of E'-lah was in between them.

The Israelites were God's chosen people, but the Philistines had a secret weapon--his name was Goliath. Goliath was the champion of the Philistines. He was a man who was 9 feet tall! Goliath's coat weighed 150 pounds; he wore brass on his legs for protection and had a spear with a tip that weighed 20 pounds. Only a very strong man could fight with such heavy armor and weaponry.

Because he was such a huge, fearsome man, Goliath was very bold. He stood on the mountain across from the Israelites and cried to the armies of Israel saying, "Why are you out here all ready to have a battle? Am I not a Philistine and aren't you Israelites the servants of Saul? Pick a man from your army and let him come down here to me. I'm ready to fight. If your man can kill me, we Philistines will be your servants. But if I prevail against him, and kill him, you Israelites will be our servants." Goliath kept saying this every morning and every evening for forty days.

King Saul and the rest of the Israelites were scared to death--Goliath was huge! No one wanted to fight Goliath by himself! Even King Saul, the King of Israel, was so afraid and dismayed. What were they going to do?

Now at this time, there was a man named Jesse who had eight sons. His three oldest sons were in King Saul's army. His youngest son, David, lived with his father Jesse and tended the sheep. David was a young shepherd with ruddy cheeks and a comely appearance.

One day Jesse said to David, "Run to the army camp where your brothers are. Give them some roasted corn and ten loaves of bread. And make sure you give these ten cheeses to their captain. While you're there find out how your brothers are faring and bring me word."

So David got up early in the morning and left the sheep with a keeper and went to the valley of Elah as his father had commanded him. When he got there, the Philistines and the Israelites were about to fight. David got out of his carriage and the man who was driving stayed with the carriage. David ran to the Israelite army and saluted his brothers. As he talked with them, Goliath started shouting again and daring someone to fight with him. David heard him. All the soldiers got really scared and fled away running as fast as they could. What a sight that was!

After things had settled down, the soldiers said to David, "Did you see that man that came up here? His name is Goliath. He is defying Israel. If any man kills Goliath, King Saul will give him great riches and will give the man his daughter to marry and will make that man's family free in Israel."

David was thinking hard about this. He asked, "What shall be done to the man that kills this Philistine Goliath and takes away the reproach from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God? Who does he think he is any way?" David knew that God was on the side of the Israelites and that they shouldn't be afraid of Goliath because God could easily take care of him.

The men responded and said, "Just like we told you, the man that kills Goliath will have those things."

But when David's older brother Eliab heard David talking about Goliath, Eliab got angry. "Why did you come here? And who did you leave those sheep with in the wilderness? I know thy pride and thy naughtiness! You came down here so that you could see the battle!"

David responded saying, "What have I done now? Am I not justified in what I am saying? Am I not right?" David turned and continued talking to the people about Goliath.

When David's words got around the camp, some people told King Saul about David. King Saul sent for David. When David saw the king, he told him, "Don't let anybody be worried any longer, I will go and fight the Philistine."

Saul said, "You can't fight against Goliath for you are young and Goliath is an experienced warrior. Goliath has been a warrior since he was a youth."

David replied, "I kept my father's sheep and there came a lion and a bear and took a lamb out of the flock. I went out after him and hit him and took the lamb out of his mouth. When the animal got up to harm me, I took him by the beard and hit him and killed him. Thy servant has killed both a lion and a bear. And this Philistine is going to be just like one of those animals since he has defied the armies of the living God."

David continued, "The LORD that saved and delivered me out of the claws of the lion and out of the claws of the bear will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine named Goliath.

Saul was convinced. He said, "Go, and the LORD be with thee." So King Saul put his own personal armor on David, and put a brass helmet on his head. David also put on Saul's sword. But David decided not to wear any of it. He said, "I cannot fight with these things. I've never used them before." So David took it all off. Then he took his staff and chose five smooth stones out of the brook and put them in his shepherd's bag. He also had his slingshot in his hand.

The time had come. David walked toward Goliath the Philistine. Goliath started walking towards David. There was a man in front of Goliath who carried a shield for him. When Goliath got close enough to see David, he got upset because David was just a young person. He looked at David's staff and slingshot and said, "Am I a dog that you come to beat me with sticks?" Goliath began to curse David by his pagan gods. "Come here and I will give your flesh to the birds and other animals," Goliath roared.

But David was bold in the Lord! He said to Goliath,

"You come against me with sword, and spear, and shield: but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves: for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”

Then Goliath was red hot mad! He came towards David. But David was ready because his God was on his side! David RAN straight towards Goliath! David was ready to do some business! David put his hand in his shepherd’s bag and took out a stone and put it in his slingshot. He slung it and hit Goliath right in his forehead and the stone sunk into Goliath head. Goliath fell on face. David killed that mighty warrior with a sling shot! Then David ran, and stood on top of Goliath and took his sword out of it's sheath and cut off Goliath's head.

When the Philistines saw that their champion Goliath was dead, they fled and the Israelites chased them down and wounded them. After the Israelites returned from chasing the Philistines, they took the spoils of the Philistines. David took Goliath's head and brought it to Jerusalem but he kept his armor.

King Saul was so impressed with the bravery of David that he did not let him go home to his father's house.

Discussion Questions:

1. Why did Jesse, David's father, send David to the battlefield?

2. What did David see when he got to the front lines?

3. What was everyone afraid of in Saul's army?

4. How would you describe David?

5. Why do you think David is so confident that he will defeat Goliath?

6. What did Goliath say when he saw David coming to fight him?

7. What Goliath need defeating in your life?

8. What is required to get rid of fear?