Essay/Term paper: David and goliath

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Religion

David and Goliath


The story of David and Goliath can be thought of as a timeless tale of
1) good versus evil and 2) the fact that the win does not always go to the
strongest or biggest, it goes to the most determined or strong willed. David,
the good spirited fighter who wanted to save the Israelites from Goliath, for
example, was eager, confident, and prepared to win, as described in 1 Samuel
17:48 - "David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine".
David was a hero to the Israelites because he was able to kill Goliath, who had
"come up to defy Israel" (1 Samuel 17:25). Although Goliath was a large,
experienced fighter with a sword, David, determined to save the Israelites from
Goliath's evils. David mentions that Goliath had defied the armies of the
living God, and for that he would be punished. David's strength, it seems,
dwelled in "the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel" (1
Samuel 17:45). However, Goliath was dependent on the power of weapons, and was
sure that a sword and spear would win the battle. It's difficult to say what
this meant to the Hebrews, but I interpreted it as symbolizing that the
superiority and strength of their Lord was stronger than was any weapon. I
gathered this, since one of the statements mentioned in 1 Samuel was: "the Lord
does not save by sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's and he will give
you into our hand" (17:47). Since the Lord's followers were the Israelites, the
Lord savedhis people from harm through sending David to conquer Goliath.

The story of David and Goliath is a tale still told in modern day. I assume it
signifies the fact that the winner of a battle isn't always the strongest, the
fastest, or the one with the most weapons. The winner, instead, is the one who
intelligently finds a way to make use of the resources that are available to him,
and use these resources (the rocks, in this particular story), to gain triumph.
I also found an ironic twist in this story when David uses the enemy's weapon to
stab and decapitate Goliath. It just seems amusing that after Goliath has
passed out from being pelted by rocks, he is unconscious and cannot use his own
sword to defend himself. It seems to be a typical cliché, but this story is a
reminder of the fact that sometimes, what you consider your greatest strengths
can end up hurting you more than helping you.