Five Smooth Stones

1 Samuel 17:38-41

"Saul clothed David with his armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail. David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” So David took them off.

Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine. So the Philistine came, and began drawing near to David, and the man who bore the shield went before him."

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Goliath had been coming before the armies of Israel for 39 days straight, taunting them.  He dared them to send out any man and, iIf that man could defeat Goliath, the Philistines would be servants of Israel.  But if Goliath won, the Israelites would serve them instead.

But this imposing giant of a man even went so far as to hurl insults at the God of Hosts.  BIG MISTAKE!

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King Saul and all his troops, of course, were terrified of the giant!  I mean, who wouldn't be?  His height was "six cubits and a span," the Bible says.  That's about 9'6" tall!
Now, all you skeptics out there may think that no one that tall could possibly stand up let alone bear the weight of all his armor.  But understand this: Goliath was not fully human.  He was a demon/human hybrid, a post-flood version of the Nephillim known as "Anakim and Rephaim."  He had demonic help.
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(For more on that topic, follow this link:
https://emmausroadministries.wordpress.com/2016/04/13/noahs-ark-flood-series-part-1/)
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On his head, he wore a bronze helmet and was dressed all in armor of bronze, which weighed five thousand shekels (approx. 125lbs).  He had bronze armor on his legs and a bronze javelin between his shoulders. His spear was as big as a weaver's beam (you know, like the size of a telephone pole), and his iron spearhead weighed six hundred shekels (15lbs).  The total weight was more than 1,000lbs!   

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David Arrives.

On day fourty, young David came on the scene, sent there by his father to check on the status of his brothers.  He heard the same taunts from the giant man that everyone else heard, yet his response was quite different. 

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1 Samuel 17:26

"Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, 'What shall be done for 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?'”

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David knew his God, the One Who was with him when a lion or a bear came near his sheep to harm them.  Every time, he defeated the wild animal.  This God would help him defeat this Philistine.

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But there was only one giant.  So why did he choose five smooth stones?  Do he not fully trust God or himself?  No.  There was another reason.

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Four Brothers

2 Samuel 21:16-22
" 16 And Ishbi-Benob, one of the descendants of Rapha, whose bronze spearhead weighed three hundred shekels and who was armed with a new sword, said he would kill David. 17 But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David’s rescue; he struck the Philistine down and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, saying, “Never again will you go out with us to battle, so that the lamp of Israel will not be extinguished.”

18 In the course of time, there was another battle with the Philistines, at Gob. At that time Sibbekai the Hushathite killed Saph, one of the descendants of Rapha.

19 In another battle with the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan son of Jair the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver’s rod.

20 In still another battle, which took place at Gath, there was a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He also was descended from Rapha. 21 When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of Shimeah, David’s brother, killed him.

22 These four were descendants of Rapha in Gath, and they fell at the hands of David and his men."

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According to the above passage of scripture, Goliath wasn't the only giant in town.  There were at least four others:  Ishbi-Benob, Saph, the brother of Goliath the Gittite, and a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot."  The last two are not named, but were obviously giants like Goliath.

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It is quite likely that David knew of them.  After all, they were related to Goliath in one way or another.  Could it be that David thought he might have to kill the other four giants?  I think so!   Now, THAT'S FAITH, Church!

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And that, Church, is why David picked up Five Smooth Stones!