Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-23

whom shall / be afraid? Psalm
xviii.
David is the popular hero of the
cd Testament because OF his remark
Die conquest of the Philistine giant.
Goliath. While this triumph has a
parallel in the Egyptian story of ST.
ruhe and his adventures in Canaan
pbout 1000 b. c." the valor of the
Egyptian has never gripped men with
'le same human interest that the mar
,ative of this weeks lesson has in
Spired men.
Providence prepared David for his
selection by the people as the sue
lessor of Saul. During one OF the
periods Of the kings dependency the
shepherd boys skill as a musician had
caused him to be summoned to the
court in an effort to remove the kings
mental condition by his music. In our
modern treatment of diseases of the
mind music has been used success
fully in helping those who were suf-
fering from melancholia. He had re.
turned home by the time that the
philistines planned an invasion of
Judah which would recover the losses
that they had suffered through the
~
Responding to his parents desire
to learn something of the condition
If affairs at the front, where his
lhree older brothers were serving in
the national guard under Saul along
The valley of Wady-es-Sumt (Which
runs down from the plateau of
Judah to the Philistine plain, not
more than perhaps s or 10 miles from
Bethlehem" the home of David, he
had carried them some food from
home. He arrived just as Goliath
had appeared in the valley and chal-
lenged the forces of Israel to send
some one out to meet him. The young
shepherd boy was amazed that no
one went forth from the ranks of
Saul in answer to the defiance of the
giant. whose appearance and repeated
caustic challenge that Israel send
forth one to engage in battle with
him had filled Saul and his forces
with a spirit of despair. Although
they occupied the hills of Judah, they
had failed in their SkirmisheS to over
whelm the nations foe, because Co
Hath had lowered the morale of Saul's
army by his repeated offer to settle
the difficulty by champions represent
ing each side to join battle. This
" oao al way VI lil1b
was quite common in the former
days. While we may wish that mod
ern warfare could be decided in such
a way, the nation that lacks suitable
and adequate preparation would not
be permitted to arbitrate any differ
ences that might arise between ma
tons by that method today. David'S
success should teach us that victory
does not go to the best equipped
forces If they are fighting an unjust
war that is antagonistic to the glory
Of God.
David's Offer Accepted.
David was stirred by the indiffer
ence of his countrymen to the Phil
istine's defiance of Jehovah. He pro-
posed to face him, even after his
brothers had ridiculed the PROPOSE
ticn. When the news reached Saul
of the youths offer, he summoned
him to his tent for conference.
Prompted by loyalty to his nation
and love of Jehovah, David assured
the king of his willingness to meet
Goliath. He based his confidence not
upon his own power but that of the
everything God, who had given him
skill and strength to master bear
and a lion when they had made an
attack upon the flocks he was watch
ing over. He argued that if he en-
tered the conflict against the giant,
it would be Jehovah and not David
who was responsible for the outcome
Of the battle. The shepherd lad be-
lieved that the Lord had a greater
interest in the result than His servant,
and that Jehovah would not fail him
at the moment of need, because the
contest was one between the gods of
the Philistines and the God of Israel.
His faith in the unchangeableness Of
the Everything Jehovah won Sauls
acceptance.
Saul was an old soldier. He be-
Iieved that the only way to meet one
In battle was by being properly pre-
pared with weapons of like char
acter, so he tried to arm David with
his armor David tested it and found
that it did not meet his needs, so re-
jected it. He went forth with the
blessing of Saul upon him, taking only
mis- shepherds staff and the sling that
he had used in his daily work. Men
find today in the valley of "Elah"
deep trench or gulley, the sides and
bed of which are strewn with rounded
and water.worn pebbles, where David
picked up five smooth pebbles. The
shepherd lad looked to God for the
but made preparation to use
the weapons of offense that he knew
best how to handle. Equipped with
the faith that would give him the
David FASTENED to meet the
Philistine giant when he came forth
and dared Israel to send forth rep
of their God and nation
to join battle with him.
David Wins With One Stone.
When Goliath saw the mere strip
ling without any equipment with
which to fight he was angry and
asked David if he was coming out to
fight him with his shepherds crook,
Just as If he were a dog. Then he
assured David that If he would come
near that Goliath would give his body
to the fowl of the air to eat. That
is exactly what he would have done
had David fought him with Saul's
armor in close combat. David's an
swer, according to an old Jewish ira
caused the giant to laugh, so
that he exposed vulnerable place on
his forehead. In a moment the stone
went forth from David's sling in the
name of the Lord of Host, for whose
honor he had offered to fight the
mighty Goliath. and the giant tum-
bled, defeated by one shot from the
sling.
In a moment after the whirling of
the sling, the whizzing of the smooth
stone and the thud of the pebble upon
the skull of the Philistine giant, Go
Hath tumbled to the earth. David did
not wait for him to revive, for he
made sure that death was written
upon his official record by taking the
sword of the fallen champion Of the
gods of the Philistines from its
sheath and cutting off his head which