Home / 1 Samuel: Verse by Verse / 1 Samuel 17
David and Goliath: Who Trusts God?
- Passage
- 1 Samuel 17
- Taught
- August 30, 2026
- Series
- 1 Samuel: Verse by Verse
Summary
Israel and the Philistines face each other across the Valley of Elah. Out of the Philistine camp steps Goliath of Gath, a champion in bronze armor nearly ten feet tall, who dares Israel to send one man to settle the war. Saul and all Israel are dismayed and greatly afraid, and for forty days nobody answers him.
David, the youngest son of Jesse, has been going back and forth between Saul's camp and his father's sheep. When Jesse sends him to the camp with food for his brothers, David hears the challenge and asks what will be done for the man who takes away Israel's shame. His oldest brother Eliab is angry with him, and Saul tells him he is only a youth. David answers that he has killed a lion and a bear while keeping sheep, and that the LORD who delivered him from them will deliver him from this Philistine.
Saul dresses David in his own armor, but David can't use it because he hasn't tested it. He goes out with his staff, a sling, and five smooth stones from the brook. He tells Goliath he comes in the name of the LORD of hosts, and that the battle is the LORD's. One stone from the sling brings Goliath down, the Philistines flee, and Israel chases them as far as Gath and Ekron.
Setting the stage
The central question of the chapter is not “Who is stronger?” but “Who trusts God?” These points from the lesson explain why.
- Israel wanted a king like the nations, but God wanted a king after his own heart.
- Saul's spiritual decline creates a leadership vacuum.
- David has already been chosen by God, even though the nation does not yet know it.
- The Spirit's favor shifts from Saul to David.
- The Philistines remain Israel's greatest military threat.
- Goliath represents more than a giant.
What the Philistines represent
The Philistines are named about 150 times in 1 and 2 Samuel. In this lesson they stand for four things we all face.
- Overwhelming circumstancesProblems that seem bigger than we are.
- Paralyzing fearThe anxieties that drive us to hide instead of trust.
- Worldly strengthThe temptation to rely on money, influence, ability, or human solutions.
- Recurring battlesOngoing struggles that require continual faith.
Practical takeaways
1 Samuel 17:1–11
- The enemy's first weapon is intimidation and fear.Stand firm before you step forward.
- Fear makes us focus on obstacles.Faith focuses on God.
- God's people cannot be defined by the enemy, even giants.Let challenges drive you to God, not from him.
1 Samuel 17:12–37
- God often places us in the right place at the right time.David's obedience in delivering supplies put him exactly where God wanted him when Goliath issued his challenge.
- Faith sees God's glory where fear sees only giants.David viewed Goliath through the lens of God's power rather than human limitations.
- Courage stays focused despite criticism and opposition.David refused to let fear, criticism, or discouragement keep him from obeying God.
1 Samuel 17:38–47
- Use what God has prepared you to use.Trust your God-given preparation. Don't imitate someone else's method.
- Face opposition from faith, not appearance.Look beyond visible circumstances. Measure the challenge by who God is.
- Make God's glory the goal.Remember the battle belongs to the Lord. Point others to God, not yourself.
1 Samuel 17:48–58
- Run toward God-given challenges.Faith moves forward when others retreat.
- Act decisively when God opens the door.Courage is faith put into action.
- Be faithful in the small things.Private preparation often precedes public opportunity.
Questions to talk about
- What “giant” am I facing, and am I looking at it through God's eyes or my own?
- Am I more concerned about human approval or about God's honor?
- How is God using my present experiences to prepare me for future opportunities?
Scriptures in this lesson
Where fear gives way to faith
- Genesis 15:1Interlinear
- Joshua 1:9Interlinear
- Isaiah 41:10Interlinear
- Isaiah 43:1Interlinear
- Psalm 23:4Interlinear
- Psalm 27:1Interlinear
- Psalm 56:3–4Interlinear
- Psalm 118:6Interlinear
- Deuteronomy 31:6Interlinear
- Isaiah 41:13Interlinear
- Matthew 10:31Interlinear
- John 14:27Interlinear
- Luke 12:32Interlinear
- 2 Timothy 1:7Interlinear
- 1 Peter 3:14Interlinear
To God be the glory
- 1 Corinthians 10:31Interlinear
- Matthew 5:16Interlinear
- Isaiah 43:7Interlinear
- Romans 11:36Interlinear
- Ephesians 1:6Interlinear
- 1 Peter 2:9Interlinear
- Colossians 3:17Interlinear
Was Goliath one of the Nephilim?
Background
Was Goliath one of the Nephilim?
- Genesis 6:4 mentions the Nephilim before the Flood.
- In Numbers 13:33 the spies say they saw the sons of Anak, who seemed related to the Nephilim.
- Joshua 11:22 says some of the Anakim remained in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod.
- Goliath was from Gath. So some argue: Nephilim, then Anakim, then the giants of Gath, then Goliath.
How big was Goliath, and how big was David?
- The text says Goliath stood “six cubits and a span” (1 Samuel 17:4). The lesson's illustration puts that at about 9 ft 9 in.
- The same illustration shows David at about 5 ft 6 in, and Saul, whose armor David tried on, at about 6 ft 6 in.
Run to the battle: what psychology shows
- People who approach challenges tend to be more motivated and persistent than people who avoid them.
- People who see pressure as a challenge, not only a threat, tend to perform better under it.
- Facing fear in gradual steps weakens its hold, while avoiding it can make it stronger.
- Facing one challenge builds confidence for the next, and the best results come from prepared action, not reckless risk.
The lesson ties these findings to 1 Samuel 17:48, “David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine.” The slide lists the research sources, and the teacher can add them here.