#2: Giants
The river flowed smoothly over the rocks. David knew the size he needed for his sling, but he didn’t want to mess this up. He pulled out the sling and checked it’s capacity. The rocks were colored and sized differently. He stooped to pick one up. This one looks about right.
He fitted it in the sling. Perfect. Four more, just in case. He repeated the process four more times and put each in his satchel.
A part of him wished that the king’s armor had fit, or that he had his own to wear. The Lord protected him though.
The Philistine army engulfed the hillside. Their shouts and jeers rang out, echoing off the mountains. ”Cowards!”
“Where’s your God?”
“Come out and fight!”
As David approached, he could clearly see the reason for Israel’s fright. At the front of the army, towered a monster more than a man. Nearly ten feet of muscle and bronze armor challenged anyone who drew near. His spear alone must have weighed more than David. The giant, Goliath, stomped his foot in protest, quaking the ground. ”What is this joke? You send a boy?”
David pulled his sling from his satchel.
“Come here boy and lets make you food for the vultures and dogs!”
Loading the sling, David said nothing. He finished and looked up to Goliath. ”I come against you not with just this sling, but with the Lord Almighty. This is the day that you, a warrior-giant, were defeated by a boy and the God of Israel. I will give the bodies of your army to the vultures and dogs. The whole world will know of the Lord Almighty’s strength.”
Goliath bellowed a laugh that shook David’s insides. Suddenly, the giant lunged forward to attack. David ran forward also. He swung the stone around. The stone sailed through the air and smashed through Goliath’s skull.
The giants feet tripped themselves as blood gushed from his forehead. He slammed face-first to the ground, shaking the ground. Silence fell over the Philistine army. No shouts or jeers could be heard.
David jumped atop the giant and pulled Goliath’s huge sword from his scabbard. David raised the sword over his head and with one swipe of the heavy weapon. Screams of fear cascaded down the hill. The Philistines scattered like flies.
Frankly, I’m not sure if I would have the same nerves of steel that David proved to have when faced with a real-live giant. The Bible says that Goliath was “six cubits and a span” (Samuel 17:4) which translates into over 9 feet tall! Granted, 9 feet tall isn’t quite the mammoth that I imagined him as a kid, with arms as thick as oak trees and 5-stories tall.
But in the Bible, Goliath wasn’t the only giant. In some versions of Genesis 6:4 (Yes, the same one that I listed last week for Nephilim… Coincidence?) it replaces the word “Nephilim” with “giants”: ”There were giants on earth in those days…” (NKJV).
Well, if the Bible talks about giants roaming the Earth as early as Genesis… then is it so hard to believe that perhaps the stories of giants that live on in mythology around the world are based on truth?
In Greek mythology, there are stories of all kinds of giants. I’m not talking about the Titans or the god’s of Olympus. No, I think they’re a different story altogether, which I might just get to next week. For now, we’re talking giants. There was Talos, a gigantic defender of the island of Crete. A whole race of one-eyed giants called Cyclopes who appeared in many stories including The Oddessy. Not to mention, almost every god had a giant son!
Norse mythology had giants too. They even classified them. If you’re a reader of Science Fiction/Fantasy books or played Dungeons and Dragons, then you’re familiar with Frost Giants. Well, guess what, they’re from Norse myth! (Here come some hard to pronounce names…) Hrungnir was the strongest frost giant and owned a horse with an awesome name: Golden Mane (Gullfaxi). There were even frost giantesses! Gerda was supposed to be a beautiful one!
The thing is, giants must have been real, but where’d they go? Are they extinct? How were they created?
I think they were a part of the Nephilim, and I believe their families were a bit… supernatural.
What are your thoughts?
