Author's Notes: here's a new chapter...

Summary: The Jesus Storybook Bible tells the story beneath all the stories in the Bible. It takes the whole Bible to tell this Story. And in the story Jesus is at the center of it all.

Disclaimer: I don't own "The Jesus Storybook Bible" or anything, all the credit goes to Sally Lloyd-Jones. This is to help others understand the Bible easily for free.

Chapter 15:

The young hero and the horrible giant

David and Goliath, from 1 Samuel 17

GOD'S PEOPLE HAD SOME scary enemies, but the Philistines were the scariest of them all. And now the Philistines had come to fight them.

The Philistines had a secret weapon, called "Goliath." Goliath was a terrifying soldier, and – worst of all – a GIANT! A giant so strong, and so tall, and so scary that no one had ever been able to fight him – and live to tell the tale.

So, there they were: the Philistines standing on the top of one hill; God's people standing on top of each other. Every day, Goliath came out and shouted, "Send your best soldier to fight me! If he wins, we will be your slaves. But if I win, you will be our slaves!" No one spoke. No one moved. "Cowards!" Goliath bellowed. "Your God can't save you! I'll rip your heads off and have you on toast!" His beady, greedy eyes glowered at them hungrily from under his horrible helmet – as if any minute he really might just gobble them all up. And he laughed his terrible laugh. "Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha" it boomed, echoing horribly around and around the dry, dry valley.

Well, Goliath might just as well have been a green, slimy monster with three heads because God's people froze with fear. Their eyes glazed over, and they turned deathly pale. They knew if someone didn't do something quick, if someone didn't save them –

But God would do something. He would send someone to save them.

Now David was the youngest son of Jesse, and his brothers were in the army. One day, ordered by his Jesse David brought his brothers their lunches, he saw Goliath – and he saw how scared everyone was.

"Don't be afraid!" David said. "I'll fight him for you!"

"You're only a little shepherd boy," the king said, "and Goliath is a great soldier. How will you fight him?"

"God will help me!" David said.

So the king gave David his royal armor to wear, but it was too heavy and too big and David couldn't even walk. "I won't need this," David said.

Instead, David picked out five smooth stones from the stream – one, two, three, four, five – took his sling-shot and walked towards Goliath. Step. Step. Step.

Goliath walked towards David. THUD. THUD. THUD. "You?" Goliath peered down at the small boy.

"I may be little!" David shouted up to him. "But God is greater!"

Goliath laughed an even terrible laugh than usual. "HAAAA-HA-HA-HAAAA!" it went.

With just one swing of his giant sword, Goliath could finish the boy off.

But David kept going, "It isn't how strong you are or how many swords and spears you have that will save you – it is God who saves you! This is God's battle. And God always wins his battles!"

David put a stone in his sling, swung it around – and let it go. The little stone flew WHIZZ like a bullet through the air and struck Goliath THUD right between the eyes. Goliath stopped laughing …

He stumbled…and staggered…and CRASH! Fell dead.

When the Philistines saw Goliath was dead, they ran away. And when God's people saw them running away, they cheered. God had saved his people. David was a hero. He had finally proven himself worthy of being king.

Many years later, God would send his people another young Hero to fight for them. And to save them.

But this Hero would fight the greatest battle the world has ever known…

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Next:

Chapter 15:

The Good Shepherd

David the Shepherd King, from Psalm 51, 2 Samuel 7; (Paraphrase of Psalm 23)