Question: Hi there, Greg,

I have been wondering why David picked up five smooth stones from the brook when he went to fight Goliath. I know that five is the number of grace and that’s about it. I do not buy that he was unsure of himself.

Thank you!

Douglas

Answer: Dear Doug,

I believe the primary reason why David selected the five smooth stones is given in the context. He had already taken off the armor and clothing Saul had given him, saying that "I cannot go in these". In David’s mind, the battle belonged to the Lord – not to superior weaponry, ingenious armor, even the very armor of Israel’s king. The glory of this victory would belong only the Lord. With this context, we should remember that David did take his sling as his weapon – and that it was normal to use "balls" as ammunition, "balls" that were two or three inches in diameter, "balls" that were manufactured from flint. David probably had a supply of these in his pouch, for what good was a sling without them.

But, in a further act to demonstrate his faith, David instead selected five smooth stones from the stream, once again demonstrating that the battle belonged to the Lord – not to the ammunition that humans had fashioned.

Hope this gives you some background, Doug.

In Christ,

Greg Albrecht