[Continued from Part 1]

Suddenly David was surrounded by Israelite soldiers eager to hurry back to their positions at the top of the hill, no-one wanting to be left behind.  They might be mistaken for a hero volunteering to fight this giant!  David withdrew with the rest, but fury surged in his heart.  This pagan giant was cursing the God of Israel and his army!  How could he be left unchallenged?  If no-one stood up to him, everyone would believe that he was right and the God of Israel was nothing.

This could not, must not be left undisputed.

If no-one else was prepared to take on this responsibility, he would do so himself.

However, he knew that if he simply walked out to face Goliath, someone would rush a company of soldiers to stop him and bring him back.  It just wouldn’t work.

He was also not naive enough to believe that he need only volunteer.  Despite his success against wild animals, he knew that he looked young, and nobody would be willing to risk defeat without some extra softening up first.  How could he present himself as a credible competitor?

Before the Israelite army had finished their ordered flight from Goliath – David with them, much to his annoyance and chagrin – he had worked out a plan.  It all depended on getting people to notice him and presenting enough contagious confidence that they would let him do what he absolutely had to do.

And there was no time like the present, while that great hairy pagan continued his parade.  He could not be given any future opportunity to sneer at the living God!

Start asking questions.  Imply a willingness to take action.  Above all, attract attention.  No doubt it would upset his brothers, but that couldn’t be helped, and it was better to get it over with straight away. 

He turned to the man on his right and asked in a firm, confident voice, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel?  For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” 

David’s voice was powerful and he wasn’t speaking quietly.  He was heard not only by the man he was speaking to, but by several others too – as David had intended.

The man looked David doubtfully up and down, but limited his response to answering David’s first question: “The king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father's house free in Israel.”

As David expected, his brothers had heard him too and weren’t pleased with the implications of his questions.

“Aw, cut it out, David,” said Eliab, the oldest.  “Why did you come here?  You think you’re great, but you’re only a shepherd looking after a few sheep in the wilderness.  You came down to see the battle and now you think you can not only join in, but show us how to win!”

“What have I done now?” asked David.  “Wasn’t it just a question?”  

He turned away from Eliab and walked off.  Soon he found another man to talk to, this one apparently a leader of ten or twenty men.  To achieve his goal, David knew he had to attract the attention of the king, which meant moving up the hierarchy.  Scratching the ears of the chain of command.

“What will be done for the man who takes away the reproach from Israel by killing this Philistine?  Who is this uncircumcised Philistine to defy the armies of the living God?”

The leader of twenty heard David, and so did his men.

This man also looked David doubtfully up and down, but still answered his question: “If anyone kills that loudmouth, the king will give him riches and honour, and also give him his daughter in marriage.  But there haven’t been any takers yet.”

David stayed for a minute or two discussing the situation, but made no commitment.  Not yet.

Just then, another man approached through the growing crowd.  “Here comes the commander of our hundred,” said the first man.  “Sir!” he called.

The leader of a hundred looked around to see who was calling him and walked closer.

“Are we going to do anything about this noisy giant, sir?  This young man is asking what the king will do if someone takes off his head.”

At the term ‘young man’, David smiled to himself.  He was used to ‘young lad’ or ‘kid’ – this was the first time he’d ever been called young man.  His ruse was working.

“This young man?” asked the leader of the hundred, and David stood up straight as the man looked him up and down.  “Do you have any suggestions, young man?”

It was time to drop a hint, at least.

“Surely we can’t let this uncircumcised Philistine defy the armies of the living God?  Forty days of sneering, sir.  Someone must take away the reproach from Israel by killing this Philistine.”

“If we could fight them all in battle, we might have a chance, but single combat against that monster?  No-one’s volunteered yet – and no-one’s likely to.”

“It has to be done, sir,” said David with quiet urgency.  “Look, he’s still standing there, mouthing off against our God, sneering at God’s army.  We can’t let it go unchallenged!”

“Well if you’re so sure about that, young man, are you going to volunteer yourself?”

“Yes, sir.”  There, it was out.

“Come on, son, that giant is a seasoned soldier.  He’s been a warrior for decades, what chance would you have?”

“God will win the battle, not me.”

“Yes, yes, but surely a little expertise helps?”

“I’ve killed lions and bears before now to save my sheep.  This giant will fare just the same.”

The leader of a hundred looked at David with a new respect, and decided to speak to the leader of his thousand.  It didn’t make sense, but for some reason, this young man’s arguments were convincing.  Perhaps he really could defeat this heavily armed and armoured giant and deliver Israel from the Philistine threat.

“Come with me,” he said to David, and led him to his commander.

As they hurried along, Goliath’s grating, sneering voice continued to dismiss Israel’s soldiers as cowards and to denigrate Israel’s God.  David’s anger and determination hardened, and he felt he was on the way to convincing the king to let him fight the battle.

“Excuse me, sir,” said the commander of a hundred, addressing his boss.  “I have here a young man who seems determined to deal with that Philistine giant, and he might even be qualified to do so.”

“Qualified?  This lad?  How?”

“Ask him yourself, sir.  If he’s telling the truth, he has some experience, and he seems to have the faith as well.”

“How would you kill this giant, young man?”

“With my sling, sir.”

“Your sling!” he said tartly.  “Ah!  Of course!  Why didn’t I think of that?”

“I’ve already killed lions and bears with my sling,” said David mildly.  “This giant will be no different.”

“No different?  Lions can’t throw massive bronze javelins hundreds of metres like this guy, and they don’t have armour-bearers to protect them either.”

“God will protect me,” answered David.  “But nothing will protect this giant when God punishes him for his arrogant pride.  I’ll kill him and cut off his head.”

“Hmm,” mused the commander, apparently impressed by David’s simple faith, coupled as it seemed to be with some genuine skill that might come in handy.  “You speak convincingly, but really… sending a young lad like you against that giant?  It would be like sending a lamb to fight a lion.”

“Not at all, sir.  The king is looking for a volunteer and I want to volunteer.  What will the king do for the volunteer who rids Israel of this terrible reproach?”

The commander of a thousand explained about the riches and rewards promised by the king, perhaps picturing in his mind’s eye as he did so the presentation of such prizes to this good-looking young lad studying him so closely as he answered.

“You know,” he added, “I think I’ll let the king know of your offer.  I can’t guarantee that he’ll listen, or that he’ll call on you at all, but I think he’s getting rather, shall we say, eager to find a way to shut up this blowhard.  Come with me and let’s see what happens.”

David followed the commander eagerly, walking with an easy confidence that suggested great leadership potential – if only he could get past this giant.
Abner welcomed the commander by name and raised his eyebrows as he noticed David in his shepherd’s clothes.

“This lad is volunteering to deal with the giant, sir.”

“Seriously?”

“Of course, sir,” said David, somehow interjecting without interrupting or seeming rude.  “I’ve been asking what will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel.  For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” 

“Quick answer: the king will make the man who kills Goliath rich, give him his daughter in marriage, and make his father's house free in Israel.”

“I will kill the Philistine,” said David, and the commanders looked at each other, marvelling at his aura of absolute confidence.  Was this what faith was meant to look like?  Abner had seen the same confidence in Prince Jonathan at times. 

“It’s impossible,” said Abner, flatly.  “And absurd.”

“I will kill the Philistine,” repeated David.  “No man need fear him, for I will kill him.”

“Perhaps we can leave it until tomorrow,” suggested the commander of a thousand.
“Excuse me, sir,” said David, “but his vile abuse of God and his army must be stopped immediately.  We can’t let it go on another day!”

Goliath chose that moment to start his spiel all over again.  Abner rolled his eyes.  “I guess you’re right.  Look, I’ll go and discuss it with the king.  Wait here.”

Abner marched over to King Saul’s tent and talked to a guard at the entrance.  Apparently the king was available, for Abner disappeared inside.

“You’ve made quite an impression, young man,” said the commander of a thousand.  “I wouldn’t have believed I could ever be convinced to suggest that a shepherd go and fight a Philistine giant.  But you really have convinced me.  And perhaps my lord Abner too.”

David found it hard to concentrate on the commander’s comments. The Philistine’s rasping shouts as he spewed out vitriol and abuse demanded his attention.  It was the sneering contempt for God that fired his anger most, and at times he was tempted to skip the formal approval process and run down the hill to silence the taunts with his sling.  But he convinced himself to be patient and wait for the king’s blessing.  Time enough to work out how to deal with Goliath privately if the king refused to give it.

“Here comes my lord Abner,” whispered the commander of a thousand, recalling David’s attention to the king’s tent.

“Come!” said Abner, beckoning to David.  “The king wants to see you.”

[to be continued in Part 3…]