The Story

David was a young shepherd boy who looked after his father's sheep. He was the youngest of eight brothers, and nobody thought he was very important. But God had already chosen him to be king one day, because God told Samuel: "man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart".

In those days, God's people were at war with a people called the Philistines. The Philistines had a champion named Goliath, and Goliath was a giant — much taller than any man in Israel, covered in shining brass armour, with a spear like a huge beam of wood. Every morning and every evening for forty days, Goliath marched out and shouted at God's army, daring anyone to come and fight him. And every time, all the soldiers of Israel — even King Saul — were dismayed and greatly afraid.

One day David's father sent him to the camp with bread and cheese for his three oldest brothers. While David was there, Goliath came out shouting as always. But David was not afraid like the others. He asked why nobody would go and fight this giant "that he should defy the armies of the living God". His oldest brother scolded him and told him to go home to his sheep — but David would not be put off.

David went to King Saul and told him not to worry: "Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine". While keeping his father's sheep, David explained, God had already helped him kill a lion and a bear that came after the lambs — and God would help him again: "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". Saul gave David his own armour, but it was much too big and heavy, so David took it off. Instead he chose five smooth stones from the brook, put them in his shepherd's bag, and went out to meet the giant with only his sling and his staff.

Goliath laughed when he saw a boy coming. But David ran toward him and answered with brave words: "I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied". David told the giant that God does not need swords and spears to save His people — the battle was the LORD's battle, not David's. Then David put a stone in his sling, whirled it around, and let it fly. The stone struck Goliath right in the forehead, and the great giant fell face-down on the ground. The Bible tells us plainly that David won "with a sling and with a stone", and "there was no sword in the hand of David". A shepherd boy with a sling had won — because he trusted in the living God, and God fought for him.