# 1 Samuel Chapter 17 (Part 1)
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## Summary
The Philistines and Israelites gather at Socoh in Judah and the Philistines Champion Goliath of Gath defys the ranks of Israel and demands a challenger. Meanwhile David is sent to take food to his brothers which he does and hears Goliaths challenge. David questions the people what will happen to the one who kills this Philistine, and is advised by the people. 

He then asks what will be done for Goliath who is not part of the promised people and defies the army of the Lord. David's brother hears him and he becomes angry; David offers to go and fight with Goliath for Saul who points out that he is only a youth. David points out that he has hunted bears and lions for many years to keep the flock safe; the Lord will deliver him from this Philistine.

## Meditatio
To contextualise Goliath by modern day measurements he would have been 9f tall and wearing armour that weighs approximately 55kg. To put things in perspective the average weight of an adult human is around 55kg and the current world record for the tallest man is 8'11 and he required mobility aids due to the strain of his physical size on his body. This is no natural occurrence but either a genetic anomaly, a literary device, a symbolic feature or simply just part of the historical narratival tradition. 

Nevertheless we might empathise with all Israel and consider it unsurprising that the narrative reports that when Saul and all Israel hear the words of the Philistine they are dismayed. This is a big lad with serious kit. His spear roughly weights the equivalent of a watermelon or large bag of flour and the fact that he carries a beam thick spear must have been intimidating. He is an [absolute unit](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/absolute-unit).

Yet David alone is entirely unphased by this. Even his brothers simply become angry at him when he's like "..what's to be done about this dude?". This leads to one of the more amusing lines of scripture (see verse 29) where the young David is like "What? Am I not even aloud to speak?". This is entirely relatable when as a young man I've just experienced an adventure in missing the point.

Yet this is the kind of man that is `after God's own heart` meaning that despite his shortcomings the Lord see's something in David that is admirable and worth pursing. He by faith grasps that this man stands in opposition of the Lords armies and trusts that the Lord will preserve him. This is a level of fearlessness I have somewhat lost growing up.

I recally making ridiculous decisions as a teen; getting in the car with a drunk driver, asking out and deciding to end a relationship with a close friend on the same day, neglecting my studies and deciding to sabotage any future attempts to apply to University by not securing references from my teachers. There was a kind of "I'm invincible" fearlessness that I lost. Perhaps it is the vigour of youth untempered by the sorrows of aging. But there is a sense of loss I feel here. There is much we can learn from David, and perhaps need to unlearn from our own lives.

## Apologia
We approach Christmas and having finished work for the year I find myself out of pattern. These breaks always leave me a little disorientated so I plan to find the rhythm again after the event. Expect staccato transmissions until we resume w/c 01/01.