David and Goliath

Every morning and every evening, for forty days, e dey comot. One giant wey wear bronze armour, dey shout across di valley. And every morning and every evening, Israel army go shrink back with fear.

Dis tin happen about three thousand years ago, for di time of Saul, di first king of Israel. Di Philistines na strong people wey dey live for di side of di sea. Dem get better weapons, with soldiers wey don sabi war, and dem dey push enter di hill country where Israel dey live. Now di two armies face each oda across di Valley of Elah. Di Philistines for one hill. Israel for di oda one. And di valley floor for di middle, with one small stream wey dey run pass.

Di Philistines get one champion wey im name na Goliath, from di city of Gath. Di man big well-well. E wear bronze helmet and coat of armour wey heavy reach about fifty-seven kilos. Bronze guard cover im legs. E hang one bronze javelin for im back. Di handle of im spear be like di big wood wey weaver dey use, and di iron head alone heavy reach about seven kilos. One man wey carry im shield dey waka for im front. And e dey shout across di valley: “Una choose one man make e come down fight me. If e win, we go be una servants. If I win, una go serve us. Today I challenge di armies of Israel!” King Saul and all im soldiers hear am. And fear catch dem well-well.

For dat time, for Bethlehem, one man wey im name na Jesse get eight sons. Di three wey senior pass dey with Saul army. Di last born, David, dey take care of im papa sheep. One day Jesse send David go di camp with roasted grain and bread for im brothers, and cheese for dia commander. David reach exactly as Goliath comot again to shout. E watch as di soldiers dey run. “Who be dis Philistine,” David ask, “wey e go dey challenge di armies of di living God?” Im big brother, Eliab, vex for am well-well. But di matter reach King Saul ear, and dem bring David come meet am. “Make nobody lose heart,” David talk. “I go go fight am.” Saul look am. “You be just small boy.” But David talk, “I dey keep my papa sheep. When lion or bear come carry one lamb, I go follow am and rescue di lamb. Di Lord wey rescue me from di paw of di lion and di bear go rescue me from dis Philistine.” So Saul put im own armour for David body. Bronze helmet. Coat of iron. David try waka, e no fit move well. “I no fit go with dis tins,” e talk. “I never use dem before.” And e remove dem.

Instead, David carry im shepherd stick. E go down to di stream and pick five smooth stones, and e put dem inside im shepherd bag. With im catapult for hand, e waka go meet di giant. Goliath look am and laugh am with disgrace. E curse David with im gods. But David answer am, “You dey come meet me with sword and spear and javelin. But I dey come meet you for di name of di Lord Almighty, di God of di armies of Israel, wey you don challenge. Today, di whole world go know say God dey for Israel. Di battle na di Lord own.” Goliath move near. David run go meet am. E put hand for im bag, carry one stone, sling am, and di stone hit di Philistine for forehead. Di stone sink enter, and Goliath fall face down for ground. David no hold sword for hand. But di giant don fall. And when di Philistines see say dia champion don fall, dem turn back and run.

No think say David catapult na play-play tin. For di old world, di people wey dey use sling na real soldiers. Di book of Judges talk about seven hundred chosen men from Benjamin wey each one fit sling stone hit even one hair and no miss. Hundreds of years after David, Assyrian kings carve pictures of dia battles for palace walls, including di famous attack on di Judah city of Lachish, and dat carvings show lines of slingers as dem dey fight. Archaeologists don find sling stones for many places for di land. For di hand of person wey sabi am, sling fit hit hard and fast from far, beyond where spear fit reach.

You go find dis story for First Samuel, chapter seventeen. Everybody else dey look how di giant big reach. David look how im God great reach. So see one tin to think about. Which giant you dey face right now, and wetin e go mean to face am for di name of di Lord?