The Loyalty of Ittai

After Goliath shouted his challenge that morning, Ittai noticed a stir in the army on the opposite side of the valley. Toward the back of the camp there were a number of people conferring with each other. They talked for a few minutes and then he saw a young man, probably around his own age, put on a suit of armor. The young man took a couple steps, stopped, and took the armor off. Then he walked away from the group of people. Ittai learned later that the young man’s name was David. David walked over to the brook that ran down the hillside, stooped down, picked up some stones, and put them in his shepherd’s bag.
Ittai was drawn to David. David wasn’t like the other Israeli soldiers who showed fear every time Goliath shouted his challenge. There was a quiet confidence in him that Ittai had never seen before. David started walking down the hill toward the brook that separated the two armies. He had no armor to protect him, just the simple clothing of a shepherd. And he had no weapon in his hand other than a sling made of leather, which he seemed to carry very casually, as if he had no cares in the world.
Goliath, along with every soldier from both armies, watched the handsome youth as he continued walking confidently towards the Philistines. “Am I a dog, that you come to me with staves?” snarled Goliath as he realized David wasn’t stopping. David’s eyes never left the giant, boldness evident in his stare. Then Goliath began cursing David by the gods of the Philistines. “Come to me and I will give your flesh to the fowls of the air and to the beasts of the field!”
Even with the curses of the big, ugly giant, David never slowed his approach. He answered Goliath’s cursing in a strong voice that showed a confidence Ittai had never seen before. “You come to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day will the Lord deliver you into my hand, and I will smite you and take your head from you, and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear, for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.”
As Ittai heard the words of David, there was a hope in his heart that he hadn’t ever felt before. Was the God of Israel really able to give the victory to this young man over a huge giant who had fought in more battles than one could count? It didn’t seem possible, but Ittai secretly hoped it was true, even if it meant defeat to the Philistines.
All eyes were glued on David, who was no longer walking, but running boldly toward the giant with unparalleled confidence. Goliath, with his armorbearer in front, started moving toward the brook that separated them from David. The anger, hate and disdain could be seen in every movement of Goliath. His steps pounded the ground and he cursed David as he went, waving his sword in anticipation of killing David.
No one said a word as they watched the scene before them, mesmerized by the two figures who were quickly closing the distance that separated them. David reached into his shepherd’s bag, taking out a stone, still running toward certain death. He put the stone in the sling and twirled it several times above his head. Then, with astounding marksmanship, he hurled the stone at Goliath. The stone sailed above the head of the armorbearer who winced as he heard it fly by, passing within inches of his head. The stone found its mark, sinking deep into the forehead of the giant. The giant stopped in his tracks, stood still for several seconds, and then fell forward with a loud thud that shook the ground all the way to where Ittai and his friends were standing in the back of the army. The armorbearer jumped out of the way to avoid being hit by the falling giant, scarcely getting out of the way in time.
The soldiers from both armies stood still in disbelief, many of them with their mouths hanging open, hardly able to comprehend what had just happened. David was the only one moving. He hadn’t quit running, even after throwing the stone. He ran as if driven by an unseen purpose and power. He didn’t have a sword or any weapon other than his sling. When he reached the still body of the giant, he took the sword from Goliath’s hand, killed him, and cut off his head.
There was a moment of silence, and then suddenly there was cheering from the Israeli soldiers. The giant who had tormented and mocked them for so long lay dead on the ground! Then suddenly, the cheering turned into a battle cry as they started running toward the Philistine army. They were no longer the scared soldiers who had trembled every morning and evening for forty days. They were bold and confident, having been reminded that the God of Israel was mightier than any of the false gods in the countries around them. The boldness and confidence of David was contagious, and now filled his countrymen with a renewed belief in their God.
The Philistine soldiers were still in disbelief over the death of their champion. But when they heard the battle cry of the Israeli soldiers, it seemed to wake them up out of a sleep.