The Sword and the Stone

The story of David and Goliath is a classic tale of an invincible giant defeated by a young boy. The backdrop of this story is the crisis of national existence brought about by the threat of Philistine domination. The Philistines are described as a mighty people with overwhelming military prowess. Goliath is the embodiment of this power.

The people of Israel were at a point of utter despair. Goliath had not only struck terror in their hearts through his enormous size and his heavy armor and weapons; he had defiantly blasphemed the God of Israel. This form of psychological warfare through taunting and provocation had thoroughly destroyed the morale of the troops.

Just when hopelessness and desperation conquered the hearts of people and king, David arrived at the front to deliver provisions to his older brothers. They greeted him with their feelings of anxiety, impotence and shame which they vented in the form of anger and ridicule towards their little brother.

David is undaunted by them, and by his own description, by all other threats as well:

David replied to Saul, 'Your servant has been tending his father's sheep, and if a lion or bear came and carried off an animal from the flock, I would go after it and fight it and rescue it from its mouth. And if it attacked me, I would seize it by the beard and strike it down and kill it. Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and that uncircumcised Philistine shall end up like one of them, for he defied the ranks of the living God. The Lord, who saved me from lion and bear will also save me from that Philistine.' Then Saul said to David, 'Go, and may the Lord be with you.' (1 Samuel 17:34-37)