I Samuel 17 is a whopping 58 verse chapter. Its subject matter excels its verse content. For it answers the problem we all face when confronting problems beyond our capacity or experience. With background material far exceeding human invention, the Holy Spirit prepares us to see God's Glory by introducing the hero of an unremarkable family as God's champion of Israel.
All nine feet, and all 500 pounds of flesh, of the Philistine warrior marinated in self-importance due to his size as representative of a race hard to envision, harder still to oppose and impossible to imagine overcoming. A walking armored weapon, he had for more than a month rose in sections from his King-Sized pallet, in his King-Sized Tent, clanked his way to a King-sized breakfast, then to the battle line. There he strutted in giant strides across the Philistine infantry line, every step showered with hand-claps and vocal adoration. He looked across the Valley of Elah at the ranks of Israel, swaggering his mass at them, waving his spear like a rotating arrow in defiance of the puny Hebrews. As bullies are accustomed to doing, he shouted a challenge: one of you stand for Israel while I stand for Philistia. Whoever STANDS after one-on-one-combat—you choose the weapon—and your man dies, is the same as each man's army winning. That all sounded reasonable to Goliath; after all, Israel had no one comparable. It all sounded terrifying to King Saul; after all, he stood head and shoulders above his warriors as the likeliest in Israel to contest the bully. That's the way it went day after day, week after week. After shouting his curses at Israel until his voice grew so hoarse he feared it turning into a little colt, he retired to his tent to eat, drink, sleep and dream pleasant dreams. End, Part I
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