At last the top Old Testament story is David and Goliath. These stories you may remember from Sunday School, on closer look they are difficult stories so are often forgotten about in Church.
It is easy to see why it is the top story, itcan be found in 1 Samuel 17:1–58.
The Philistines and the Israelites were at war. Goliath, a giant over nine feet tall, stepped forward from the ranks of the Philistines and called for an Israelite to face him in a duel. For 40 days, no man dared challenge him. Then David, a shepherd who was delivering supplies to his soldier brothers, stepped forward. He refused the king’s armour and sword, and faced Goliath armed only with his slingshot. Goliath ridiculed him but David fired a stone at his forehead and killed him with one shot, then cut off Goliath’s head with his own sword.
In modern usage, the phrase “David and Goliath” has taken on a secular meaning, denoting an underdog situation, a contest where a smaller, weaker opponent faces a much bigger, stronger adversary; if successful, the underdog may win in an unusual or surprising way. They forget that the original meaning showed how God helped David defeat Goliath.
Of all the “Top Ten” stories this one can be taken literally, but later, 2 Samuel 21:19 suggest that Elhanan killed Goliath – but that does not change the message.
Of all the stories we should not be looking too closely at the details, but instead at the message the writers were trying to convey. They tell us that God care for his people.