Faith and Conviction

“David asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” – 1 Samuel 17:26 The story of Goliath in 1 Samuel 17 presents a striking contrast between two characters. Goliath is introduced as a giant, standing six cubits tall, wielding a spear with an iron point weighing six hundred shekels, and clad in six pieces of armor. He is portrayed as a ruthless adversary, intent on destroying the Israelites. Opposite him stands David, a humble shepherd boy of fifteen or sixteen, too young to join his seven older brothers in the army. Their father, Jesse, worries about his sons and sends David daily with bread and cheese for the army’s captains—not only as an errand runner, but also as a subtle