David and goliath Comic

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1 SAMUEL 17

D

ivinely appointed by God, the prophet Samuel takes on the responsibility as judge over Israel. But the people soon become dissatisfied with their state of affairs and heavily petition for a king to rule over them, just like the other nations. Samuel warns them of the negative consequences of having a human king but the people are relentless in their demands. In great reluctance, Samuel, on God’s instruction, seeks out and anoints Saul as the very first king.

A number of years have passed since King Saul began his reign over Israel. Under these early years of King Saul’s rule, God is gracious to Israel, granting them victory over their enemies— the Ammonites, Philistines, Moabites, and Amalekites. Sadly, their string of successes comes to an abrupt end when the haughty and rash Saul disobeys God’s commands time and time again.

Like a thorn in the flesh, the Philistines are back to torment Israel, this time with a trump card— Goliath. Will Israel be able to prevail against the Philistine army this time?

The Philistines now mustered their army for battle

and camped between Socoh in Judah and Azekah aT Ephes-dammim.

Saul countered by gathering his Israelite troops near the valley of Elah.

So the Philistines and Israelites faced each other on opposite hills, with the valley between them.

Then Goliath, a Philistine champion from Gath, came out of the Philistine ranks to face the forces of Israel.

He was over nine feet tall!

He wore a bronze helmet, and his bronze coat of mail weighed 125 pounds.

The shaft of his spear was as heavy and thick as a weaver’s beam, tipped with an iron spearhead that weighed 15 pounds.

He also wore bronze leg armor, and he carried a bronze javelin on his shoulder.

His armor bearer walked ahead of him carrying a shield.

Why are you all coming out to fight?

Goliath stood and shouted a taunt across to the Israelites.

I am the Philistine champion, but you are only the servants of Saul.

Choose one man to come down here and fight me!

I defy the armies of Israel today!

Send me a man who will fight me!

If he kills me, then we will be your slaves. But if I kill him,you will be our slaves!

When Saul and the Israelites heard this, they were terrified and deeply shaken.

Now David was the son of a man named Jesse, an Ephrathite from Bethlehem in the land of Judah.

Jesse was an old man at that time, and he had eight sons.

Jesse’s three oldest sons Eliab, Abinadab, and Shimea had already joined Saul’s army to fight the Philistines.

David was the youngest son.

David’s three oldest brothers stayed with Saul’s army, but David went back and forth so he could help his father with the sheep in Bethlehem.

For forty days, every morning and evening, the Philistine champion strutted in front of the Israelite army.

Take this basket of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread, and carry them quickly to your brothers.

And give these ten cuts of cheese to their captain. See how your brothers are getting along, and bring back a report on how they are doing.

one day Jesse said to David David’s brothers were with Saul and the Israelite army at the valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.

So David left the sheep with another shepherd and set out early the next morning with the gifts, as Jesse had directed him.

He arrived at the camp just as the Israelite army was leaving for the battlefield with shouts and battle cries.

Soon the Israelite and Philistine forces stood facing each other, army against army.

David left his things with the keeper of supplies

and hurried out to the ranks to greet his brothers.

As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, came out from the Philistine ranks.

Then David heard him shout his usual taunt to the army of Israel.

As soon as the Israelite army saw him, they began to run away in fright.

Have you seen the giant?

He comes out each day to defy Israel. The king has offered a huge reward to anyone who kills him.

He will give that man one of his daughters for a wife, and the man’s entire family will be exempted from paying taxes!

David asked the soldiers standing nearby, “What will a man get for killing this Philistine and ending his defiance of Israel? Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?”

Yes, that is the reward for killing him.

And these men gave David the same reply.

What are you doing around here anyway?

What about those few sheep you’re supposed to be taking care of?

But when David’s oldest brother, Eliab, heard David talking to the men, he was angry.

I know about your pride and deceit. You just want to see the battle!

What have I done now? I was only asking a question!

He walked over to some others and asked them the same thing and received the same answer.

Then David’s question was reported to King Saul.

and the king sent for him.

Don’t worry about this Philistine, I’ll go fight him!

Don’t be ridiculous!

There’s no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You’re only a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.

I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats, When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth.

If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God!

The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!

All right, go ahead, And may the Lord be with you!

David put it on, strapped the sword over it, and took a step or two to see what it was like, for he had never worn such things before.

then Saul gave David his own armor—a bronze helmet and a coat of mail.

I can’t go in these, I’m not used to them.

So David took them off again.

He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd’s bag.

Then, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he started across the valley to fight the Philistine.

Goliath walked out toward David with his shield bearer ahead of him, sneering in contempt at this ruddy-faced boy.

Am I a dog, that you come at me with a stick?

And he cursed David by the names of his gods.

Come over here, and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and wild animals!

You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel!

And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!

As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him.

Reaching into his shepherd’s bag and taking out a stone,

he hurled it with his sling and hit the Philistine in the forehead.

The stone sank in, and Goliath stumbled and fell face down on the ground.

So David triumphed over the Philistine with only a sling and a stone, for he had no sword.

David used it to kill him and cut off his head.

Then David ran over and pulled Goliath’s sword from its sheath.

When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they turned and ran.

Then the men of Israel and Judah gave a great shout of triumph and rushed after the Philistines, chasing them as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron.

The bodies of the dead and wounded Philistines were strewn all along the road from Shaaraim, as far as Gath and Ekron.

Then the Israelite army returned and plundered the deserted Philistine camp.

David took the Philistine’s head to Jerusalem, but he stored the man’s armor in his own tent.

as Saul watched David go out to fight the Philistine, he asked Abner, the commander of his army,

Abner, whose son is this young man?

I really don’t know.

Well, find out who he is!

As soon as David returned from killing Goliath, Abner brought him to Saul with the Philistine’s head still in his hand.

Tell me about your father, young man.

His name is Jesse, and we live in Bethlehem.

DAVID WHO IS HE “A man after [God’s] own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14)—that’s the first glimpse we catch of what David, the youngest son of Jesse, the Bethlehemite, is like. We do not yet know that David is going to replace Saul as king. As the story unravels, David’s heart is revealed as the primary reason for God’s selection of David as king. David does not have a kingly appearance like one would normally expect. Unlike his tall and well-built brothers, David is a small fellow, tasked to tend the sheep. He is described as “dark and handsome, with beautiful eyes” (16:12) and is a “talented harp player,” and a “brave warrior, a man of war, and has good judgment” (16:18). But God saw David’s heart and not his appearance (v.7). Samuel anointed him as king* the very first time they met (v.12). *The Davidic line then culminates in the birth of the Messiah, Jesus (Matthew 1).

WHAT DID HE DO Interestingly, David’s very first entry into the palace is not as king. He is first acquainted with King Saul (who has no idea that David will be succeeding him) who appoints him as his armor bearer and harp player (vv.21, 23). It is during this time that David gets wind of Goliath’s terrorizing act and takes up the challenge of defeating this menacing giant.

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GOLIATH

WHO IS HE Towering at an impressive height of three meters, Goliath is the main antagonist in this account of the battle between the Philistines and Israelites. 1 Samuel 17 is the chapter that makes the most reference to this Philistine champion of Gath.

WHAT DID HE DO His getup and intimidating presence wreaks fear and dismay among King Saul and the Israelite soldiers (17:4-11). It is therefore a natural shocker when David—the small, inexperienced, shepherd boy—steps up as contender against this colossal giant. Goliath is eventually defeated by the unlikely champion when David’s stone finds a loophole in Goliath’s armor and strikes the giant in the forehead. Goliath’s exit from 1 Samuel comes almost as quickly as he enters.

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KING SAUL

WHO IS HE Saul, son of Kish, a Benjamite (1 Samuel 9:1) becomes Israel’s first anointed king. Handsome, tall, and young—the people of Israel take to him easily as king. He marries Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz, and becomes the father of three sons and two daughters (14:49-50). He rules Israel for 42 years.

WHAT DID HE DO Saul starts off on the right footing as king—winning battles as long as he obeys God—but his downfall comes quickly when he offers an unlawful sacrifice in place of Samuel (13:11-14). God’s favor departs from Saul and he is rejected as king (15:26). A harmful spirit then torments him (16:14) resulting in his engagement of David to be his harp player and armor bearer. David’s playing provides great comfort to Saul who is “refreshed” and “well” whenever David plays the harp (v.23). Saul loves David, up to this point.

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DAVID’S BROTHERS WHO ARE THEY Precious little is revealed about David’s seven older brothers (1 Samuel 16:10) save for his three eldest brothers—Eliab, Abinadab, and Shimea. Taller and bigger in stature than David (vv.6-9), it is these three who originally catch the attention of Samuel in his bid to find and anoint the new king.

WHAT DID THEY DO Subsequently, David’s three eldest brothers are called to the battle against the Philistine army. But just like the rest of the Israelite soldiers, all three shy away from stepping up to challenge the Philistine champion, Goliath. In 1 Samuel 17, David’s eldest brother Eliab, is given some air time for chiding David for leaving the sheep behind and coming to “see the battle” (v.28).

ELIAB SHIMEA

ABINADAB

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The epic battle between David and Goliath was fought at the Valley of Elah (1 Samuel 17:2). According to commentators, the battle between the duo took place sometime between 1010–1020 BC. Map not drawn to scale 19

Facing The Giant With The Ultimate Giant The Giant Facing David t

t was the sure way to strike fear in their enemies. Introduce a menacing giant, almost three meters in height and clad in formidable bronze armor. A pretty ingenious idea as well, since the likelihood that one brave (or reckless) Israelite contender could actually defeat Goliath was almost zilch and mass casualties could be prevented in the process.

Goliath’s presence alone was sufficiently terrorizing and the smell of fear reeked across the Israelite army the next 40 days.

No one dared to step forward.

Enter David, a precocious shepherd boy who was tasked to deliver food to his three brothers awaiting battle. Unlike his brothers, David was not trained for war; all he knew was how

to rear and protect his sheep.

Sure, he had fought off lions and bears in the past, but what was killing animals compared to taking down Goliath, a man of war since youth, a Philistine champion?

Yet, instead of cowering in fear like the rest of his compatriots, David volunteered himself for the epic battle against Goliath. If his motivation was purely the desire to marry one of Saul’s daughters and enjoy a life exempt from paying taxes (should he win), he must have missed the point, for the downside of the battle was more than a loss of face, he could even lose his life! Even the Israelites themselves were doubtful that David could triumph over the intimidating Goliath. King Saul himself was not convinced.

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The Giant Behind David ut it proved to be the classic underdog story of good triumphing against evil. David emerged the victor, knocking Goliath out cold with one simple smooth stone. But what provoked David to risk his life for a battle that did not involve him in the first place? Where did David derive his unwavering confidence that he could defeat Goliath despite his complete inexperience in war?

Goliath’s challenge, David became personally embroiled in the battle to reinstate God’s honor.

The answer was not in the “what” or “where” that led David to the battle of and for his life, but the “who.” Right from the get go, David recognized that Goliath’s challenge was not simply against the Israelite army but against the living God. It was an insult to God Almighty that David could not take lying down. Within seconds of hearing

Facing Goliath on the battlefield, David attributed his impending success to God, his deliverer.

And at the end of the day, all it took was a stone to defeat the giant Goliath, who stood no chance against David’s giant God.

In his bid to convince King Saul of his ability to take down the giant, David recalled how God granted him victory over the bear and lion that attacked his father’s sheep and expressed full confidence that God would deliver him from Goliath, just as He had before.

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Questions To Ponder David displays holy anger against Goliath’s challenge (1 Samuel 17:26). His anger stems from recognizing that Goliath’s challenge is not just an affront to the Israelites, but to the living God. What makes you angry?

Has there been a time when you stood up to “defend” God’s honor?

David remembers God’s deliverance in his previous encounters (1 Samuel 17:34-37). Despite the seemingly overwhelming odds stacked against David, he remembers that God delivered him before and has no doubt that God would also deliver him the victory over Goliath.

Do you remember God’s hand in the previous difficulties you faced?

How can these recollections embolden you to face new challenges ahead?

David recognizes that God is the one who will deliver him the victory (1 Samuel 17:45-47). David derives his confidence to defeat Goliath solely from God, and attributes his impending success completely to God. When faced with difficulties, do you have faith that God will deliver you?

Is God the first person you give glory to?

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David and Goliath: A Man After God’s Own Heart © 2015 Discovery House Publishers.

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A number of years have passed since King Saul began his reign over Israel. Under these early years of King Saul’s rule, God is gracious to Israel, granting them victory over their enemies—the Ammonites, Philistines, Moabites, and Amalekites. Sadly, their string of successes comes to an abrupt end when the haughty and rash Saul disobeys God’s commands time and time again. Like a thorn in the flesh, the Philistines are back to torment Israel, this time with a trump card—Goliath. Will Israel be able to prevail against the Philistine army this time?