A GREAT Giant had come out of the land of the Philistines to fight
against the Israelites.
He was about 11 feet high-that is higher than a tall doorway, and no
ordinary man could attempt to fight with him, with any hope of victory,
be he ever so brave.
This Giant, Goliath of Gath, appeared every day for forty days, defying
the Armies of Israel, and challenging them to send out a man to fight
with him.
The Giant struck terror into the hearts of the Armies of Israel.
Now there was a youth named David, ruddy and beautiful, who was on the
Mountains of Palestine, tending his father's flocks.
As he sat watching the sheep, the Holy Spirit taught him many of the
Psalms we all love, such as, "The Lord is my Shepherd."
One day a lion came out of his lair and took a lamb of the flock, and
David, knowing that God was his strong Helper, went out after the lion,
and smote him and got the lamb out of his mouth, and when the lion
turned on him, David caught him by the beard and killed him. And a bear
came in the same way, and he killed him too.
One day David's father, Jesse, sent him to see how his brothers, who
were at the war, were getting on; and when he reached the Camp, the
first thing that he heard was the news of this dreadful Giant, who was
defying the Israelites every morning and every evening.
And David said, "Who is this heathen Philistine, that he should defy
the Armies of the Living God?"
David's eldest brother was angry with him for what he said; but David's
words were heard by the other soldiers, and they repeated them to King
Saul.
And Saul sent for him, and when David came into his presence, he said
to the King, "Let no man's heart fail him because of the Giant, I will
go and fight with him!"
[Illustration: The giant struck terror into the hearts of the armies of
Israel.]
But Saul looked at David and said, "You are not able to fight with the
Giant."
Then David told the King about the lion and bear, and he said, "The
Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw
of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine."
So Saul agreed to his going, and put some armour on him; but David told
the King he could not go with these, for he was not used to armour.
Then David took his staff in his hand, and went to the brook and chose
out five smooth stones, and he put them in his shepherd's bag that hung
at his side.
Before we go on to what David did with those stones, there are two
or three interesting things in this story which we shall do well to
notice; for they will be, if we think of them, a great help to us in
our own lives.
We all have, like David, a tremendous enemy to face. This is Satan; and
he comes to us every day, like the Giant Goliath, and he tries to make
us afraid. He wants us to live without thinking about God; he wants us
to forget that there is a great Helper for us in every time of need.
But David truly loved God with his whole heart, and he was very brave;
but it was in God's strength that he had determined to meet the Giant.
So he went to the brook, and chose some of the smooth stones that he
was accustomed to use.
It was a very simple weapon; and doubtless he had often practised
slinging stones, as he sat watching his sheep, and knew how to aim well.
And, if we want to conquer Satan when he tempts us to do wrong, we must
take the weapon God has given us to use—which is His own word. Just
say, "Lord, help me!" or "Lord, save me!" and Satan will be driven away.
I shall never forget being called to comfort a dear dying girl, who was
much worried by Satan's suggestions. I stood by her bedside and quietly
repeated these words of God to her, from Isaiah 59.19: "When the enemy
shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a
standard against him."
In a moment the cloud of sorrow and fear passed from her face; and God
never let Satan worry her again!
So you will find God's words will be just like David's smooth stones,
when he went up to meet the Giant!
[Illustration: DAVID GOES TO MEET GOLIATH.]
And Goliath said, "Am I a dog that thou comest to me with staves? Come
to me, and I will give thy flesh to the fowls of the air, and to the
beasts of the field!"
Then David answered, "Thou comest to me with a sword and with a shield,
but I come to thee in the Name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the
armies of Israel whom thou hast defied. This day will the Lord deliver
thee into my hand . . . and I will smite thee, and take thy head from
thee. For the battle is the Lord's."
So, as the Giant came forward towards David, David ran to meet him, and
put his hand into his bag and took a stone, and slang it, and it hit
the Giant on his forehead, so that he sank down on the ground on his
face. Then David ran, and took Goliath's own sword, and cut off his
head with it.
And when the Philistines saw that their Champion was dead, they fled,
and the Israelites followed after them and the Victory was won.
[Illustration]
XVII. THE FIRST AND SECOND COMMANDMENTS:
AND HOW THEY WERE BROKEN
"I am the Lord thy God, Which have brought thee out of the land of
Egypt, out of the house of bondage."
_I. "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me."_
_II. "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any
likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth
beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow
down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a
jealous God."_
THE Children of Israel had left Egypt. God had brought them out with a
strong hand. They had left their enemies the Egyptians, some of them
dead in their houses, for all the firstborn were dead; and some of
them overwhelmed in the Red Sea, where they had attempted to follow
the Israelites, for whom God had made a way on dry ground, through the
midst of the waters.
And now God had led them about in the wilderness, for they were
obstinate and disobedient, and He could not let them go into the
Promised Land of Blessing, because their hearts were too hard to learn
His great lessons.
In the third month after leaving Egypt, they came into the wilderness
of Sinai, and the whole congregation camped before the mount.
Then God called Moses to come to Him to the top of the mountain; and
here God spoke to him, and sent him down to repeat to the congregation
all the words which He had told him.
And God told Moses that it was a very solemn thing for Him to speak in
their hearing, so they were to set bounds round the mount, that no one
should come too close.
God said that He would come to Moses in a thick cloud; but that the
people should hear His Voice when He spoke, and should believe Moses
for ever.
While God was telling Moses all these Commandments, on the top of the
mountain, there were thunderings and lightnings, and the voice of a
trumpet exceeding loud, so that all the people in the camp trembled.
Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord Jehovah descended
upon it in fire; and even the mountain trembled at the Presence of the
Holy God.