David and Goliath (the Poem)
John is a poet, short fiction, and freelance writer who also trained in home ministry and Bible study.
David and Goliath (the Poem)
David was a shepherd boy
Good and kind of heart.
He sang and praised the Lord his God,
But that was just the start.
The Lord loved young David
And watched him as he grew.
That he’d become Israel’s great King,
No one except God knew.
The current King of Israel
Was strong, handsome, charming Saul,
But he had disobeyed his God,
So eventually he would fall.
God sent the Prophet Samuel
To look for Jesse’s son,
To be the next great King of Israel,
But he chose the handsome, eldest one.
“No!” the Lord said, “You are wrong!
I don’t choose by looks alone.
The youngest one is pure of heart,
He is My chosen one!”
So Samuel blessed David’s head with oil,
And God gave him great power.
But soon he’d have to prove himself,
So that as a king he’d tower.
Israel and the Philistines were at war,
They couldn’t live in peace.
But the Philistine army had a giant
As strong and tall as the trees.
This giant was named Goliath,
And he challenged the Israelite king
To send a man to fight him,
But defeat would slavery bring.
The Israelite army was terrified
To fight this terrible giant.
Not one brave soldier volunteered
And the war went on defiant.
Then to the battlefield wandered David,
To his brothers, he came with food.
They told him about Goliath
And the chance to stop the feud.
“I’ll fight the giant,” said David.
The Lord was on his side.
But Saul said, “You’re just a shepherd boy.
You better go and hide.”
Young David, though, he stood his ground,
Said, “I’ve killed a lion and bear.
I’ll kill Goliath just like them,
I really have no fear.”
King Saul could not deter him
So he reluctantly agreed.
He gave him armour and a shield,
That David said he didn’t need.
Crowds came far to watch the fight,
And to see Goliath win.
They gave the shepherd boy no chance,
He was too small and thin.
Goliath laughed at his small foe,
“Is this the one you chose
To fight a warrior like me,
With just a sling and stone?”
But, young David was unafraid
Of the bigger, stronger giant.
He had faith his God would help him
Win this important fight.
Goliath yelled a warning shout,
And was ready to attack,
But, David calmly stood his ground
And reached into his sack.
He withdrew from it a tiny stone
And placed it in his sling,
Then aimed and fired it high and fast
As befit a future king.
The stone struck Goliath’s forehead,
And people watched surprised
As the Philistine’s mighty giant
Fell dead before their eyes.
The ground shook like an earthquake,
And made the Heavens ring.
The Philistines all fled in fear
From David, the Israelites’ new king.
Questions & Answers
Question: When was the poem written?
Answer: I wrote this poem in late March 2018. It was published here on 2 April 2018.
© 2018 John Hansen
