Saul’s reign over Israel lasted forty-two years, and he often disobeyed the Lord. The Lord sent Samuel to the home of Jesse to anoint a new king. When Samuel arrived in Bethlehem, Jesse and his sons met him. Although Jesse’s strong and handsome sons stood before Samuel, the Lord told him that none of the men Samuel saw would be the next king.

Samuel asked Jesse, “Do you have any other sons?”

“My youngest son, David, is out watching the sheep,” Jesse told him.

“Bring him to me,” Samuel said.

When Samuel saw David, the Lord said, “This is the man I have chosen as king.” Samuel anointed David and God’s Spirit came into David.

The Philistines, whom the Israelites had been battling for years, had a champion warrior named Goliath. Goliath was over nine feet tall. Every day he shouted to the Israelites, “If any one is brave enough to fight me, let him step forward. If he defeats me, we will be your subjects. If I defeat him, you will become our servants!”

David went to visit his brothers in the army camp. He heard Goliath issue his usual challenge. “Is no one going to stand up to this man?” he asked. “Then I will fight the Philistine.” But Saul said to David, “You are just a boy! This man has been fighting for years.”

I have killed a bear and a lion with the Lord’s help, and with the help of the Lord I will defeat Goliath,” David said.

Saul put his own armor on David, but David took it off. He chose five smooth stones, put them in a pouch, and went toward Goliath.

Goliath mocked David, but David was neither embarrassed nor afraid. “You fight me with weapons, but I will fight you in the name of the Lord God!” David said. He reached into his bag for a stone, hurled it with his sling, and struck Goliath on the forehead. Goliath fell on his face. David had defeated the giant! The Philistines ran away in fear, and David became a hero to the Israelites.

An army often avoided the high cost of battle py pitting its strongest warrior agianst the strongest warrior of the enemy. This avoided great bloodshed because the winner of the fight was considered the winner of the battle. Goliath had the definite advantage against David from a human standpoint. But Goliath didn't realize that in fighting David, he also had to fight God.

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