David

David is undoubtedly one of the best known men of the Bible. Children in Sunday School learn the story of David and Goliath, the boy who killed the giant with a sling and a stone.

But before the Goliath episode, when David was a boy and Saul was still king of Israel, the prophet Samuel anointed David to be king. I love how God prepares the people he is going to use to do great things.

David was the youngest of eight sons and therefore, in the eyes of his culture, not destined to greatness. To him falls the inglorious task of shepherding the family's sheep. He spends his days practicing his slingshot and playing the harp for an audience of sheep. He is strong and quite handsome, and very confident, with an almost child-like faith in God.

David's three oldest brothers were in Saul's army. One day, their father sent the boy to bring food to his brothers and their commander and to bring back news. I just love how the Bible records the sibling rivalry.

David was asking everyone in the Israelite camp about the Philistine giant Goliath who is taunting the Israelites and daring them to send someone to fight him. He asked: "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?"

When Eliab, David's oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, "Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the desert? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle."

"Now what have I done?" said David. "Can't I even speak?"

Eventually word reaches King Saul about this cocky youngster who seemed to think that he could be the one to face Goliath. David was brought to Saul, and the king was not exactly impressed with the child's confidence.

But David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine."

Saul said to David, "Go, and the LORD be with you." And the rest is history, but it is not the end of the story of David. Part 2 is coming soon.