Have you ever asked yourself why David took five stones and not just 1 when he fought Goliath? Was he afraid of missing, or was there another reason?
Would he not trust in God and only pick up one stone that was needed? In fact, in the story, it only takes one stone to kill the giant called Goliath.
Around 3,000 years ago, the Israelites and the Philistines were enemies. One of their biggest conflicts was fought by two champions – Goliath, a giant warrior from the Philistine side, and David, a young shepherd boy from the Israelite side.
Goliath was an intimidating figure, standing at a towering height of 9 feet. Even the Israelite army feared him. However, David, relying on his faith in God and his trusty sling, bravely decided to take on the challenge.
Goliath, a warrior who was much larger than others, had challenged the Israelite army. He had a remarkable set of armor that included a helmet, a breastplate, greaves for his legs, and a shield. The armor was designed to protect him and make him almost invincible in battle. It was a sign of his strength and power.
David, a young shepherd boy, went into battle with his faith in God and just a sling and five smooth stones; he had no armor or military training.
David, the young shepherd who later defeated the mighty Goliath, has intrigued scholars and readers for centuries with his choice of five smooth stones. The reason behind his choice of five and the significance of these stones.
David chose five smooth stones because it was prophesy that he was going to kill all five giants, including Goliath’s four brothers. As the Bible states, These four were born to the giant in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.
1 Samuel 17:3 And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.
1 Samuel 17:4 And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
1 Samuel 17:5 And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.
1 Samuel 17:6 And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders.
1 Samuel 17:7 And the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam; and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him.
1 Samuel 17:8 And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.
1 Samuel 17:9 If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.
1 Samuel 17:24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.
1 Samuel 17:32 And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.
1 Samuel 17:33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.
1 Samuel 17:34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
1 Samuel 17:35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
1 Samuel 17:36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
1 Samuel 17:37 David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee.
1 Samuel 17:40 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.
1 Samuel 17:42 And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.
1 Samuel 17:43 And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
1 Samuel 17:45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
1 Samuel 17:46 This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
1 Samuel 17:47 And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands.
1 Samuel 17:49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.
1 Samuel 17:50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.
1 Samuel 17:51 Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.
So why did he pick up five stones? Because it was a prophecy, a prediction of something to come. Goliath had four brothers, and they would be killed just as Goliath fell by the hand of David and his servants.
2 Samuel 21:15 Moreover the Philistines had yet war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines: and David waxed faint.
2 Samuel 21:16 And Ishbibenob, which was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of brass in weight, he being girded with a new sword, thought to have slain David.
2 Samuel 21:17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel.
2 Samuel 21:18 And it came to pass after this, that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob: then Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Saph, which was of the sons of the giant.
2 Samuel 21:19 And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim, a Bethlehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.
2 Samuel 21:20 And there was yet a battle in Gath, where was a man of great stature, that had on every hand six fingers, and on every foot six toes, four and twenty in number; and he also was born to the giant.
Five rocks, one to kill Goliath the giant, and the other four rocks, were prophecy to kill the other four giants, which were his brothers.
2 Samuel 21:21 And when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimeah the brother of David slew him.
2 Samuel 21:22 These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David and his servants.
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