SUB-JUNIOR
AGE: 8 - 9 YEARS
STANDARD/GRADE: III & IV
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LESSON – 16
DAVID AND
GOLIATH
In the previous lesson we learnt about Samuel, the last judge
of Israel. After the period of judges, kings started to rule Israel and King
Saul became the first king of Israel. King Saul did not obey the commands of
God and God was angry with him. God sent Prophet Samuel to a place called
Bethlehem to anoint a little shepherd boy as the next king of Israel. His name
was David. David’s father’s name was Jesse and he was a respected old man in Bethlehem.
David was his youngest son. Prophet Samuel gave them the message from God and
anointed David as the next king of Israel in the presence of his father and
brothers. Even though David was anointed as the next king, he would rule over
Israel only after King Saul’s reign was over.
In this Bible story, several years had passed since David was
anointed by Prophet Samuel. David was skilled in playing the harp. King Saul was
still ruling Israel when he was tormented by an evil spirit. King Saul’s
ministers brought David to King Saul’s house to play music for the King, to
cure his sickness. So David spent some of his time with King Saul and spent the
rest of his time back in Bethlehem with his family tending his father’s sheep (1 Samuel 17:15). One day, King Saul and his army were called to
fight the Philistine army that had gathered for war. David's older brothers were
in the army and they went to fight along with King Saul, but young David stayed
back to tend the sheep.
The two armies stood on the opposite sides of a deep valley. They
did not start fighting immediately because a huge Philistine giant named
Goliath who had come along with the Philistine army, came to the front of the
Philistine battle line and made fun of the Israelites and the God of Israel. Goliath
stood at over nine feet tall (based on Masoretic text)*. He wore a huge helmet and very heavy armour made
of bronze. On his legs, Goliath also wore bronze greaves and had a sharp
javelin on his back. Greave is a piece of armour worn on the leg to protect the
shin from the ankle to the knee. The giant was holding a sharp spear shaft too
with an iron point.
Goliath did not want the armies to fight. He wanted a
one-to-one fight. Goliath challenged the Israelites to choose a man to go to
the Philistines and to fight and kill Goliath, then the Philistines would
become the Israelites’ servants. But if Goliath overcame him and killed him, the
Israelites would become Philistines subjects and serve them. Everyday Goliath
came to challenge Israel. This happened for forty days. King Saul and his men
were frightened and none of them were ready to fight Goliath.
David was sent by his dad Jesse to visit the front lines and
bring back news from his brothers. Jesse gave David some roasted grain and ten
loaves of bread to take to his brothers and ten blocks of cheese for the
captains of their army. Early in the morning David left his sheep with a
shepherd and left to see his brothers in the army. He reached the camp and
greeted his brothers. While he was talking to his brothers, the Philistine
giant Goliath came forward and shouted insults against Israel and the God of
Israel. David heard that. He also learnt that Goliath wanted a one-to-one
fight. When the Israelites saw Goliath, they were terrified and ran away from
him.
When David saw and heard all of this, he decided he would be
the one to fight Goliath. He persuaded King Saul to let him go fight. He told
King Saul that he had even killed a lion and a bear to protect his sheep. King
Saul was not fully convinced but he agreed. King Saul even
tried to dress David in his very own tunic and put on special armour for
protection. A large helmet was placed on his head and a sword was fastened over
the tunic. But David the shepherd boy was not used to this and it was very uncomfortable.
So, David removed the tunic and the heavy armour. David placed his faith
entirely on God. David knew that God’s protection is even better than King
Saul’s armour.
David then decided to do what he knew best. He walked towards
a nearby stream. David had a shepherd’s staff in his hand. He bent down and
took five smooth stones and put them into the pouch of his shepherd’s bag. He returned
to the battle field and walked towards Goliath, the Philistine giant.
When
Goliath saw David a young boy approaching him, he felt insulted. He sneered at
David asking him whether he thought that he was a dog to come with sticks. Goliath
threatened to kill David and throw his body to the birds and wild animals. David
was not afraid. He told the giant, “You come against me with sword and spear
and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God
of Israel!”
David did not wait. He put one of the five stones into the
sling, swung it around his head, and let the stone go. The stone sunk into the
giant’s forehead and he fell face-down to the ground. Without any sword or weapon,
David killed Goliath and saved the Israelites from becoming slaves to the
Philistines.
Sling and Stones
David took Goliath’s sword and used it to cut off
the giant’s head. The Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they realized
their defeat and fled from the battlefield. King Saul’s army men chased the
rest of the Philistines and defeated them. David then took the giant’s head and
took it with him to Jerusalem, to proclaim his victory over Goliath. He also
put the giant’s weapons, such as his sword in his own tent. David, the shepherd
boy killed Goliath the giant and overcame the Philistines because he trusted in
God and was courageous.
Teacher's Notes:
*In
the English translations of the Holy Bible, Goliath's height is given as 9 feet
based on Masoretic text, but according to Septuagint manuscripts it is 6 feet 9
inches tall)
Bible Reference:
I Samuel 16, 17
Memory Verse: Blessed be the Lord my
Rock, who trains my hands for war, And my fingers for battle
(Psalm 144:1 NKJV).
ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES
Answer
the following questions:
1. Who was the father of David?
.......................................................................
2. What did David’s father give to him to take to
his brothers in the army?
…...........................
3. What did David put in the pouch of his shepherd’s
bag?
........................................................................
4. What did David tell Goliath the giant?
..................................................................
5.
How many stones did David use to kill Goliath?
…………………………………….………….
Fill in the Blanks
1. God sent Prophet
Samuel to a place called ……………………. to anoint the next king of Israel.
2. David was
skilled in playing the …………..
3. ……………………….
even tried to dress David in his very own tunic.
4. ………………………
threatened to kill David.
5. David
took Goliath’s sword to ………………………
