Poems for Scholars(2) -David and Goliath

**fennywest** Sun 06 Jun 2010, 3:00 am

David and Goliath

Goliath: Send me a man
If you can
And I will show
I am the Man
With a plan
To put off your light
And turn on my light

I warn you all this day
I have come to stay
I have people for breakfast
I deliver at all costs
With me, no opposition lasts
I devour like wildfire
I take no prisoners
You have been warned!

I am a fighting Machine
I am macho and mean
If you come, you’ll be my meal
I hope you get what I mean?

[/size]

David: what’s happening here?
Who do I see over there?
And why is all this fear?

That man is a heathen
But I serve the God of Heaven
Who does not deliver by the sword
But by the authority of His Word.

This day my God will work wonders
To show He is Alpha and Omega
I will go to Goliath in His Name
My God has a matchless Name.

How dare you defy the army of God!
How dare you challenge the Living God!
This day you will meet your doom
And for your people it will be gloom.

God will deliver you into my hand
You will bow at His command
He helped me when the lion came
He helped me when the bear came.

My God is all-powerful
Awesome, wonderful
He fights my battles
Scales any hurdles.

You stand no chance!

Goliath: what!
You’re sending me a kid?
I like a 6 course meal
He’s not even enough for a starter.

Where is Saul, your Master
You call him a king?
I call him meat
His neck I’ll ring.
He is my bread to eat.

Take this riffraff away!
He is in the way.
Take him off the table
Cage him in the stable.

David:

Your fate is about to be sealed
Your blood is about to be spilled
Your rant is coming to an end
Because on the Almighty I depend.

He will give me your head
For fowls of the air to be fed
Your taunting will soon cease
Because I come in the Name of the Prince of Peace.

And David took the fight to Goliath of Gath, running to him with the weapon he had tried, shot him with simple sling and stone. The Holy Ghost directed the missile straight to the bull’s eye- Goliath’s forehead and he fell down dead. He crashed flat like the walls of Jericho..

His ranting, haunting, tormenting and taunting ceased and Israel had peace. The lights came on for Israel and darkness for the Philistines. The unthinkable had happened! Little David defeating Man Mountain Goliath, unthinkable!

All because David knew whom he served, whose he was, who was his God.

Who is your God? Is He the living God? Whom do you serve? The Mighty God or yourself or people or things?

Joshua challenged: choose today whom you will serve. As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.
Elijah challenged the people, ‘If Baal is God serve him, if the God who answers by fire is God, serve Him.

Who is the Goliath standing in the way today, taunting you, tormenting you, haunting you, challenging you?

Approach him in the Name of the Lord.
We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers
The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through ~God, to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down every imagination and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of Christ....

Use the whole armour of God at your disposal; use the helmet of salvation;

Use the shoes of the Gospel of peace; use the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God; use the shield of faith and the breastplate of righteousness; use the blood of the Lamb; use your testimony; use the Precious Name of Jesus. Pray in the spirit and with all kinds of prayer. And victory will surely be yours.

Cut off the head of Goliath with his own sword; use his weapons against him. Press until you finish the business and enter into your rest. Leave no stones unturned. Enter no truce with Goliath. Defy his defiance with double defiance. The kingdom of God suffers violence, but the violent take it by force

1Sa:17:1: Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim.

1Sa:17:2: And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines.

1Sa:17:3: And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.

1Sa:17:4: And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

1Sa:17:5: And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.

1Sa:17:6: And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders.

1Sa:17:7: And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him.

1Sa:17:8: And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.

1Sa:17:9: If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.

1Sa:17:10: And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.

1Sa:17:11: When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.

1Sa:17:12: Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehemjudah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul.

1Sa:17:13: And the three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.

1Sa:17:14: And David was the youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul.

1Sa:17:15: But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem.

1Sa:17:16: And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.

1Sa:17:17: And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren;

1Sa:17:18: And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge.

1Sa:17:19: Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.

1Sa:17:20: And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle.

1Sa:17:21: For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army.

1Sa:17:22: And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren.

1Sa:17:23: And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them.

1Sa:17:24: And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.

1Sa:17:25: And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel.

1Sa:17:26: And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?

1Sa:17:27: And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him.

1Sa:17:28: And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.

1Sa:17:29: And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?

1Sa:17:30: And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner.

1Sa:17:31: And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul: and he sent for him.

1Sa:17:32: And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.

1Sa:17:33: And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.

1Sa:17:34: And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:

1Sa:17:35: And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.

1Sa:17:36: Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.

1Sa:17:37: David said moreover, 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. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.

1Sa:17:38: And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.

1Sa:17:39: And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.

1Sa:17:40: And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.

1Sa:17:41: And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him.

1Sa:17:42: And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.

1Sa:17:43: And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

1Sa:17:44: And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.

1Sa:17:45: Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, 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.

1Sa:17:46: This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

1Sa:17:47: And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give you into our hands.

1Sa:17:48: And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.

1Sa:17:49: And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.

1Sa:17:50: So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.

1Sa:17:51: Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.

1Sa:17:52: And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until thou come to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron.

1Sa:17:53: And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they spoiled their tents.

1Sa:17:54: And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armour in his tent.

1Sa:17:55: And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell.

1Sa:17:56: And the king said, Enquire thou whose son the stripling is.

1Sa:17:57: And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.

1Sa:17:58: And Saul said to him, Whose son art thou, thou young man? And David answered, I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.

[size=24]

Questions for Bible and literary Scholars

Please support your answer with relevant references from the bible passage the poem or from elsewhere.

[/size[size=18]

]

1. How old was David when he challenged and defeated Goliath?

2. What gave David the confidence to face Goliath?

3. Was this the first time David was facing such and overwhelming challenge? Explain you answer fully.

4. What was the reward promised the person who brought down Goliath?

5. How many brothers of David were in Saul’s army?

6. Who interrogated David when he tried to challenge Goliath?

7. What was David’s assignment in the warfront?

8. Why did David refuse Saul’s armour?

9. David was the 5^th son of Jesse. True or false? Why do you say so?

10. What was the significance of circumcision that David referred to?

11. What are the possible symbolisms in the passage? Why?

12. Assuming you are David’s father and you were on the battle front on that fateful day, would you have allowed your son to challenge Goliath? Why?

13. What happened when David won the battle?

14. What do you think would have happened had he lost?

15. What does Goliath mean by ‘having people for breakfast’ (in the poem)?

16. Why was David able to bring down Goliath?

17. What are the imageries used in the poem and the passage?

18. What was Goliath’s tactics in the battle?

19. How did David kill Goliath?

20. Why did Saul not confront Goliath?

21. How long did Goliath taunt Israel for?

22. Why did David defeat Goliath? What does that mean to you?

23. What are the themes explored in the poem or the passage?

24. What is the structure of the poem?

25. What are the similarities and differences between the verbal exchanges in the poem and the Bible passage?

26. Write your own imaginary verbal exchange between David and Goliath. It could be prose or poetic or a mixture.

27. What is the moral of this story?

28. What are the literary devices used by the author of the poem?

29. What is a poetic licence? Has the author used this in the poetry?

30. What was David’s relationship to Jesus?

31. What does the author mean by the phrase’ Prince of Peace’?

Saint, why not exercise your mind?. Use your imagination. You can ignore the questions that you think are too easy for you and tackle the difficult ones. Please post your answers here. Note that some questions have no definite answers so a number of correct answers are possible as long as they are well reasoned with supporting references.
Note that these questions cover different levels of maturity in cognitive and biblical knowledge.