Davids Pebble
DAVID’S LITTLE PEBBLE
(Text Version)
Many years ago in the Bible days, I was a shepherd and Dad told me to take some bread and cheese to my brothers. My brothers were at war fighting the giants who lived in Oak Valley. When I arrived I heard a giant bully by the name of Goliath challenge the army to send their best fighter. Oh my! This giant was almost 10 feet tall! His armor weighed about 126 pounds and his spear was like a fence post with a sharp tip weighing about 15 pounds.
When the troops heard Goliath’s challenge they were terrified and lost all hope. If their best fighter lost, they would become slaves to these massive giants. So the king offered any fighter a reward if he fought Goliath and won the battle.
When I heard this, I said, Who does he think he is, anyway, taunting the armies of God?” David told the king, “Don’t give up hope. I’m ready to go and fight this Philistine.”
The king said David, “You can’t go and fight this Philistine. You’re too young and inexperienced—and he’s been at this fighting business since before you were born.”
But I said, “I’ve been a shepherd, tending sheep for my father. Whenever a lion or bear came and took a lamb from the flock, I’d go after it, knock it down, and rescue the lamb. If it turned on me, I’d grab it. Lion or bear, it made no difference—I killed them. And I’ll do the same to this Philistine giant who is taunting the armies of God. God, who delivered me from the teeth of the lion and the claws of the bear, will deliver me from this Philistine.”
The king said, “Go. And God help you!” He tried to put a bronze helmet on my head and belted his sword on me over the armor. I tried to walk but he could hardly budge. It was too heavy! “I can’t even move with all this stuff on me. I’m not used to this.” And I took it all off.
So I took my shepherd’s staff, found five smooth pebbles from the brook, and put them in the pocket of my shepherd’s pack. When I approached the giant Goliath I took my sling and pebbles.
The giant paced back and forth and noticed me. He took one look down and sneered—a mere youngster, apple-cheeked and peach-fuzzed. He yelled, “Am I a dog that you come after me with a stick?”
David answered, “You come at me with sword and spear and battle-ax. I come at you in the name of God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel’s troops, whom you curse and mock. This very day God is handing you over to me. The whole earth will know that there’s an extraordinary God in Israel. And everyone gathered here will learn that God doesn’t save by means of sword or spear. The battle belongs to God!
That roused the Philistine, and he started towards David. David took off from the front line, running toward the Philistine. David reached into his pocket for a stone, slung it, and hit the Philistine hard in the forehead, embedding the stone deeply. The Philistine crashed, facedown in the dirt. That’s how David beat the giant, with a sling, one pebble and the army of God to help him!
(Story adapted from The Message 1 Samuel 17)
