And so it turns out that the champion of Gath, a man most feared by men, Goliath by name, a warrior whose skill in swordsmanship had kept him in fame for the longest of time. This mountain of a man presents himself before the armies of Israel. His mouth filled with words boastful as well as challenging. He seeks a show from a worthy opponent. His voice and mien inspire fear so much so that the men of Israel withdraw, none dares come close, all speak but in hushed whispers.
Help and hope seem far from the Saul, Israel's sitting monarch hence, he places a mouth-watering reward for a man - any man - with balls and guts big enough to face the bragging Philistine foe.
Israel's fear, now Philistines' sport. Morning and evening, the big muscled bully spits vitriols on Israel, making a mockery of her. It is in such a time, a lad walks into the camp. A father's concern for his sons had informed the errand that introduced a boy into a scene that made men's spines crawl. He's come with edibles and then, something more; an uncharacteristic fearlessness for a boy his age.
He - the lad - hears the the sneers from this giant warlord and curiosity leads his feet to the soldiers who had been reduced to nothing but frightened onlookers. Words of the proposed rewards spill from their lips but their hearts were paralyzed by fear to stand before the one standing between them and the goodies promised by their king. Asking about the reward, he is told all that's up for grabs.
Eliab - Jesse's eldest son and one of those whose welfare was the chief reason why the lad had been sent to the camp - overhears his youngest brother in a conversation with fellow comrades and he fumes at the latter's presence there. For who in their right senses would allow their loved one anywhere near the scene. For crying out loud, this was war and not some event fitting for a youngling. He scolds him right away but then, the lad protests, something every last-borns are wont to do.
The rebuke from his eldest brother does nothing to douse the burning flames of curiosity in his young mind as he makes it to another group to yet again inquire of the reward that awaits whomever confronts the champion of Gath. Maybe he wants to be doubly sure.
His questionings must have been noticed for him to have been reported to the king. The young inquirer is summoned. Catching a glimpse of the lad, one can only wonder what crossed Saul's mind.
All indications seem to point to the ridicule of the lad standing in front of the king, gutsy enough to want to face Goliath. "You're only a boy and he's been a man of war" Saul says tersely, attempting to douse his fatal ambition. Saul sees a suicide attempt. But the lad, like an applicant putting in for a job, goes ahead to drop his credentials; he's come with testimonies of his triumphs over the lions and bears that came at his sheep. Saul's eye pop when he hears a boy reliving his very unusual experience of killing a lion and a bear. At least, I'd like to believe it did. The lad goes on, adding that if he was able to kill the beasts of the wild, he undoubtedly would do same with the one he had, at some point, referred to as an uncircumcised Philistine. An audacity the rarest of its kind.
Maybe the king is persuaded because he gives his armour - which by logical inference, should be the finest among Israel's armies - to this enigma of a chap standing before him. I wonder how many of the soldiers would have loved to wield the king's bronze helmet; the finest of steel crafted by the very best blacksmith, the breastplate made for kings and other paraphernalia of war. But this lad of a diminutive physique finds them most uncomfortable. He opts but for a plaything; a sling and stone.
You are Eliab - the elder brother who, not too long ago, had scolded his youngest brother for stepping foot on the unsafe grounds of battle and you notice someone with a frame like his. You squint to get a clearer view and true to your suspicion; it's him, it's really him. Your heart sinks, drops to the dark underbelly of the Mariana trench. In that moment, you try to think up a story - anything - that would be good enough to tell your father back home; how your brother, his youngest child was killed by Goliath. The story leaves a nasty taste on the tongue. You should not be watching this but it's too late to send that stubborn child back home.
The lad walks towards the direction where the very dread of Israel's army stands, not fidgeting as though he was forced against his will to meet an early death sponsored by the single swing of Goliath's sword. He sees the giant approach and the fear he doesn't feel, he hears from the indistinct voices belonging the men of Israel.
Goliath is incensed, rage seeps through his veins because the lad standing before him is not only a tiny little thing but spews words that make his blood boil. He decides to make it a swift kill, then feed his flesh to the birds.
It gets interesting because as the war champion makes a dash for his target, not fit enough to be called a rival, the latter charges towards him. Picture Eliab; seeing your youngest brother insane enough to run to and not away from the Philistine champ, he covers his face not wanting to see his sad and certain end.
A never before used war tactic is employed; a sling is shot and with an unerring trajectory, the stone travels like a homing bird to the forehead of the giant and found a lodgment there. The giant goes down with a thud. Silence ripe with shock descends on the valley of Elah because Goliath's back finally meets the ground. Who would have thought? Stunned into speechlessness, the mouths of the Philistines hang wide open as the lad is seen beheading their champion. He succeeds. Everyone takes in the unbelievable sight as the lad raises the severed head of Goliath.
The Valley Of Elah
By
Nse Obot