Courage in the Face of Fear: David Steps Forward (1 Samuel 17:1–31)
Some stories in the Bible are so well-known that even people who rarely read Scripture have heard of them. David and Goliath is one of those stories. But before the famous battle happens, there’s a powerful setup—a moment that shows us what true courage looks like, even before a single stone is thrown.
Let’s walk through the beginning of this story together.
Two Armies, One Giant
The scene opens with two armies—Israel and the Philistines—facing each other from opposite hills, with a valley in between. But the real tension comes from one man: Goliath.
Goliath is a giant. He’s tall, heavily armored, and full of confidence. Every day, he steps out in front of the Philistine army and dares someone from Israel to fight him one-on-one. His challenge is simple: “Send someone to fight me. If they win, we’ll serve you. But if I win, you serve us.”
He repeats this challenge every morning and evening for forty days.
Fear Takes Over
The Israelites—including their king, Saul—are terrified. Goliath is loud, strong, and experienced in battle. No one feels brave enough to take him on.
Saul even offers a big reward to anyone willing to fight Goliath: wealth, a royal marriage, and no taxes. Still, no one steps forward.
Fear has taken hold of the army.
A Young Shepherd Enters the Story
Far away from the battlefield, a young shepherd named David is tending sheep. His father Jesse sends him to the front lines to check on his older brothers and bring them food.
David arrives just as Goliath is making his usual morning speech. While everyone else trembles, David is shocked—not by the giant’s size, but by his boldness in mocking Israel and God.
David’s Bold Questions
Instead of shrinking back like the others, David begins asking questions: “Who is this man that he should defy the armies of the living God?” His confidence comes not from pride or strength, but from faith.
David wants to know why no one has done anything about this. He sees the situation differently. Where others see a giant, he sees someone insulting God.
Criticism from His Own Family
David’s older brother, Eliab, isn’t impressed. He scolds David, accusing him of showing off and coming just to watch the battle. But David calmly replies, “Can’t I even speak?”
This shows something important: Even when you’re doing the right thing, not everyone will support you. But David doesn’t let that stop him.
Lessons We Can Learn
This part of the story is full of lessons that speak to us today:
- Faith is greater than fear. David wasn’t focused on the size of Goliath—he was focused on the greatness of God.
- Courage often begins quietly. Before any fighting happens, David’s boldness shows in his words and his questions.
- Even good people face criticism. David was misunderstood by his own brother, yet he stayed focused.
- God uses ordinary people. David was just a young shepherd, but his faith and character stood out.
Final Thoughts
The story of David and Goliath doesn’t begin with a sling and a stone. It begins with a heart full of trust in God. While everyone else was frozen by fear, David stepped forward—not because he was the strongest, but because he believed God was greater than any giant.
1 Samuel 17:1-31 (WEB)
17:1 Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle; and they were gathered together at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah in Ephesdammim. 2 Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and encamped in the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines. 3 The Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them. 4 A champion out of the camp of the Philistines named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span went out. 5 He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he wore a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. 6 He had bronze shin armor on his legs and a bronze javelin between his shoulders. 7 The staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam; and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. His shield bearer went before him. 8 He stood and cried to the armies of Israel, and said to them, “Why have you come out to set your battle in array? Am I not a Philistine, and you servants to Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then will we be your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you will be our servants and serve us.” 10 The Philistine said, “I defy the armies of Israel today! Give me a man, that we may fight together!”11 When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid. 12 Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem Judah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons. The man was an elderly old man in the days of Saul. 13 The three oldest sons of Jesse had gone after Saul to the battle; and the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. 14 David was the youngest; and the three oldest followed Saul. 15 Now David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.16 The Philistine came near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.17 Jesse said to David his son, “Now take for your brothers an ephah of this parched grain and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to your brothers; 18 and bring these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand; and see how your brothers are doing, and bring back news.” 19 Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.20 David rose up early in the morning and left the sheep with a keeper, and took the provisions and went, as Jesse had commanded him. He came to the place of the wagons as the army which was going out to the fight shouted for the battle. 21 Israel and the Philistines put the battle in array, army against army. 22 David left his baggage in the hand of the keeper of the baggage and ran to the army, and came and greeted his brothers. 23 As he talked with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines, and said the same words; and David heard them. 24 All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were terrified. 25 The men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? He has surely come up to defy Israel. The king will give great riches to the man who kills him, and will give him his daughter, and will make his father’s house tax-free in Israel.”26 David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done to the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”27 The people answered him in this way, saying, “So shall it be done to the man who kills him.”28 Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger burned against David, and he said, “Why have you come down? With whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the evil of your heart; for you have come down that you might see the battle.”29 David said, “What have I now done? Is there not a cause?” 30 He turned away from him toward another, and spoke like that again; and the people answered him again the same way. 31 When the words were heard which David spoke, they rehearsed them before Saul; and he sent for him.