Saul finished off another cup of wine and then sat up, closing his eyes as he listened to the music. He was feeling better. When he seemed to drift off to sleep, David stopped playing and started to get up.
“Keep playing, boy,” Saul said, his eyes still closed.
The servant gave David a scornful look and motioned for him to start playing again. David played for almost two hours, until the king was finally and definitely asleep.
“Remain close by in case we need you,” whispered the servant. “The king may have need of you.”
“I need to return to my father,” David responded. “But I shall always be available to serve my king. All you need do is send for me and I will come quickly.”
The servants watched as David departed. It was amazing to them that the music of this insignificant shepherd boy could calm the fears of their king. David would be one to watch….
Shawa came into the room and strolled over to Aziel, who had returned upon David’s departure. The strange arrangement with the Lord was working out splendidly, he thought. So long as the king of Israel was undermined, what matter if the Most High was involved.
“I would never have thought that the Lord would be so agreeable as to invite our torment of His anointed,” said Aziel, when he saw Shawa.
Shawa nodded in agreement, looking at the now sleeping Saul.
“You certainly look the part of a horrid wretch,” said Shawa. “Quite convincing.”
“Saul is king,” said Aziel. “If he were an ordinary human I would be less hideous. But since he is king of our greatest enemies, I wanted to be extraordinarily frightening—at least to a human mind. I must respect the Lord’s tolerance of my torment, but I do not have to respect His anointing of this man!”
“You mean former anointing,” said Shawa. “There is a new anointed. The Most High is finished with this one.”
“A new anointed?” said Aziel, still alarmed by Shawa’s revelation. “A new king over Israel? You mean David! Shall I begin tormenting him?”
“You forget that you are operating under the authority of the Most High God,” said Shawa. “And you are assigned to Saul personally by Lucifer until you are relieved. I suspect the Lord wants to use you until He makes a point.”
“King David,” mused Aziel. “Incredible.”
“But true. That foolish old judge Samuel has anointed David, the son of Jesse, to be Israel’s new king,” Shawa continued. “A mere boy of thirteen or fourteen.”
“Again I ask you—is he to be destroyed?” asked Aziel.
“Not easily,” admitted Shawa. “This one is a man who is after the Lord’s very own heart. His is a very special anointing.”
He smiled at Aziel and continued. “However, Lucifer and the Council of Liberation have been doing some anointing of their own.”
“Really?” said Aziel. “A counter anointing of sorts?”
“Something like that,” said Shawa. “We have had our eye on someone very special. Handpicked from the entire nation of the Philistines. Raised in a hostile family environment that was constantly under assault by Kara’s angels. A brooding, angry child who grew into a brooding, angry man. A killer of brutal quality and a freak of nature who will strike terror into the heart of Israel. A murderous beast whose only thought is to bring down the Lord’s anointed. And perhaps most importantly, a man personally groomed by Rugio for such a time as this.”
“Who is this man?” asked Aziel.
“Goliath,” said Shawa. “And he is even now on his way to challenge Israel!”
Chronicles of the Host
Goliath
Indeed, the Philistines were at that moment approaching Saul’s position from their country in the south. When Saul got word of their encroachment, he rallied his army to oppose them. The two armies faced off on either side of the valley of Elah. The Philistines cursed Saul and dared him to come out and fight their champion, laughing at the people of God and blaspheming the name of the Most High.
We of the Host encamped ourselves around Saul’s army, disposed in ranks as Michael ordered, and awaited the attack. The enemy angels, like their human allies, jeered at us from the other side of the valley, cursing the Lord and daring the holy angels to confront them. From time to time, the brute Goliath, a man nine feet tall, came out into the valley and called for a fight to the death between himself and Israel’s champion. Rugio stood with him, proud of his creature, and mocked Michael as a commander of cowardly humans and angels.
For 40 days we endured the shame of this intrusion. The angels would have attacked immediately to avenge the name of our Lord, but Michael, honor bound not to interfere until released to do so, held back the Host. There was nobody in Saul’s army who would dare face Goliath. We could only wait and hope for a champion to come out of Israel….
Rugio and Lucifer stood next to Goliath, who was putting his armor on once more. His dresser was by now used to the routine, and handed each piece of the heavy equipment to the man whom he was careful not to cross. Goliath took his helmet and strapped it on. Grabbing his javelin, he slung it onto his back. He pointed to the shield, an enormous disc, and his nervous shield bearer took it and went out ahead of him.
“This man is an absolute work of inspiration, Rugio,” said Lucifer. “I have heard precious little else but how Goliath has stymied the whole nation of Israel.”
“He is a fearful man—to humans,” agreed Rugio.
“Fear is a great weapon, Rugio,” said Lucifer, as they followed Goliath out of his tent and into the sunny day. “It is one of our greatest weapons. Fear can stop a man—or an army. It can put the plans of God in jeopardy and prevent the destiny of nations from being fulfilled. Fear can even stop a prophecy, Rugio.”
Rugio looked at Lucifer, finally understanding the importance of his mission.
“Yes, my warrior,” Lucifer purred. “If we can keep Israel in fear; if we can keep her armies confused; if we can keep her kings harassed, we can prevent the Seed of the woman from coming to fruit.”
“I have so poisoned his mind and heart that his hatred for Israel will always drive him,” said Rugio. “He shall not rest until he has destroyed Saul and all his sons. He will keep them in fear, my lord.”
Lucifer pointed to the army of Saul. The glimmering numbers of angels shined in the distance over the whole side of the valley. Above them. Their own ranks of demons were seething and ready for battle, haranguing the other side as usual.
“All of those angels—a sea of them painting the sky white—cannot stop one man from being afraid, which prevents the will of God from happening. I tell you, Rugio, the Seed cannot be born in soil that is bloody with fear. It must have faith to root in. And where there is fear, there is no faith!”
Great cheers went up from among the Philistine soldiers as Goliath came out. He ignored the others and headed out of the camp. Standing at the crest of the gently sloping valley, he scanned the other side. In plain sight were the banners and tents of the army of Saul. He looked into the middle of the valley. Nobody. It would be another day without a challenge. Goliath was getting weary of the cowardice of Israel.
Today he would taunt them with a viciousness that he had not yet unleashed. He looked to his shield bearer and ordered him into the valley. The men cheered Goliath on as he headed down into Elah. Rugio bade Lucifer farewell and accompanied his monstrous charge for the day’s challenge.
CHAPTER 8
“If we bring down the kings, we bring down the nation.”
The angels on Saul’s side of the valley were becoming more and more restless. When would the king make a move? How long would they have to endure this intrusion upon their honor and the honor of the Most High? They watched as Goliath and his shield bearer approached the center of the valley—again.
Michael ignored the complaints of the angels and focused instead upon the battle at hand. He ordered the Host to remain in their formations and be prepared for anything. He had warned that at some point the battle would begin and th
at they were to remain watchful until the actual conflict broke out.
The men of Saul were alerted to Goliath’s approach and quickly took to their positions. Apart from a few officers barking orders the men remained disconcertingly quiet—none wanted to admit that the reason this had gone on for 40 days was that they were afraid. It remained the untold shame that hung over them all. Some thought it was Saul’s duty to fight the monster. Others felt that they should simply yield this ground and go on. And so the men watched as Goliath stopped at his usual place in the valley to issue his usual challenge.
“There is Rugio,” said an angel.
“That proud spirit,” said another. “Lord Michael! Why don’t you go down and talk a bit with Rugio? Send him back with a little humility.”
“Quiet!” shouted Michael. “I want no nonsense in the ranks!”
“Michael! Michael!”
Michael looked down and saw Bakka coming toward him.
“What are you doing here!?” Michael demanded. “You are supposed to remain with David at all times!”
Bakka was taken aback at Michael’s temper.
“But I am with David, my lord,” said Bakka. “Jesse has sent David here with some food for his brothers and their officers.”
Michael scanned the field until he saw David talking with his brothers. He pointed them out to Bakka.
“Very well,” the archangel said. “Stay with him until he delivers the food. And then accompany him back to his father. He is the anointed one, Bakka. This war is meaningless if the enemy gets to him.”
“Yes, my lord,” said Bakka, who immediately turned to find David.
Bakka found David just as he had emptied his sack of its contents. The brothers greedily devoured the bread their brother had brought them and inquired about their father. As David spoke to them the air was suddenly filled with a booming voice coming from the valley. David turned and listened:
“Why will nobody come out and fight with me? Is there not a man in Israel? Choose a man! I am a Philistine and you are servants of Saul, your king. Send a man out to fight me. If your man kills me, then we will give way and you shall win the battle. If I win, then you will give ground to us.”
David waited for someone from Israel to respond to the Philistine champion. He looked around at the men, whose eyes were locked upon the giant and whose hearts were sunken. Even his own brothers made no move to respond.
“Why is he getting away with this?” David asked innocently.
“Quiet,” said Shammah, his brother. “You are a boy. This is man’s work. Now be still and stop asking stupid questions.”
Goliath was angry that nobody would take up the challenge. He spoke again, this time in a much louder tone: “I defy Israel today! I defy your worthless God! Give me a man to fight! I shall wait your answer!”
David again waited for someone from Israel to stand and oppose this man. He even heard among the ranks that the king would reward anyone who killed this menace with marriage to his daughter and no more taxes for his family. And yet nobody took up the challenge! Not yet, anyway.
“What are you all sitting around for?” said David anxiously. “Here is this uncircumcised dog defying our holy God! Will nobody fight this man?”
Eliab, the oldest brother of David, angrily denounced David in front of the others. “Listen to me, David,” he said. “You are only here because you wanted to see the fight. These are warriors here. We will deal with this when the time comes. Now get back to your few sheep, little boy!”
David rose up, disgusted and amazed at the behavior of the army, and began walking toward the tent of Saul.
Where is he going? Bakka wondered.
Saul was seated on a small couch in his tent. From time to time Goliath’s voice echoed through the air, causing many uncomfortable looks among the generals and officers with him.
“Perhaps one of our archers could get close enough to…”
“No!” said Saul, cutting off the officer. “That would be craven. I need a man who will oppose this man. I don’t even care if he lives as long as he upholds our honor.”
A guard entered the tent and whispered to one of the officers. Saul looked up as the officer glanced at Saul and then nodded his head to the man, telling him to wait outside.
“Well?” asked Saul, reaching for a cup of wine poured by his steward.
“It seems there is a man who seems willing to fight the Philistine,” said the officer. “He is newly arrived at the camp and was quite offended by the giant’s defiant challenge.”
“We are all offended by him,” said Saul. He then thought about it for a moment. “But of course we are not newly arrived. Perhaps there is something to be said for a fresh perspective. Send for him!”
The officer nodded and left the tent.
“At least we will field somebody and finish this miserable business,” Saul said.
Bakka watched as Saul’s officer walked over to where David stood near his brothers. The angel had suspected something like this might happen. Ever since fighting had broken out and his brothers had left, David had spoken of little else to Jesse than of joining his brothers in the war against the Philistines.
The officer approached David and took him aside. David’s brothers all watched the scene, wondering what was happening. David looked at Eliab nervously. Eliab walked over to the officer and addressed him.
“May I ask, sir, what is going on with my brother?” Eliab asked.
“King’s business,” came the gruff reply. “Come on, boy!”
David walked off with the man and they headed toward the tent of Saul. Some of the men who had heard David boasting were now snickering among themselves.
“That will teach him to come up here and question our honor!” said one of the men. The other laughed and nodded his head in agreement.
Just as the man said this, Goliath railed once more, issuing his challenge. The two men looked at each other with the same frightened look that had been in so many eyes for the past 40 days.
“Anyway, that will teach him,” the man said, his voice trailing off.
“Not you!” said Saul, as David walked into the tent.
“This is the lad who plays music for me,” he continued. “David, what are you doing here?”
“I am here to fight the Philistine,” said David.
The officers in the room smiled among themselves at this boy’s audacity. Saul looked at them and shared in their humor. He then turned back to David.
“Go on back to your sheep, David,” he said. “I need a man. A warrior. Someone who is skilled in war. You cannot go up against this beast.” He stood up and brushed his hand against David’s cheek. “Although I must say it is refreshing to see one among my ranks willing to fight.” The men in the room all looked to the ground or in other embarrassed directions as he said this.
Bakka arrived and stood next to David, placing his hand on the boy’s shoulder. He was proud of David but could only wonder if perhaps he would soon be assigned to someone else. Suddenly, the Spirit of the Lord came upon David. Bakka backed away and bowed low before the Lord’s Presence in the room. David began to speak under the Lord’s anointing:
“My king,” he began, “you are right that I am a shepherd. I have tended my father’s sheep. But when one of the sheep was in danger I acted. Majesty, when a lion or a bear attacked and took one of the sheep, I chased it down. One time I killed a lion after it turned on me.”
He began acting out his duel with the lion.
“I grabbed the animal by his hair and I killed him and took the lamb from his mouth. I also killed a bear.”
He looked up at Saul with a holy intensity.
“King Saul, the Lord Most High, who protected me from the lion and the bear, will now deliver me from the hand of this Philistine dog!”
Saul looked at the boy, tears in his eyes. He ordered his armor brought in so that David could be outfitted. But David grimaced at Saul’s equipment.
“You expect me t
o wear these things?” he asked.
“This is the king’s personal armor,” said one of the men. “It would be an honor.”
“Yes, and heavy,” said David. “I don’t need these things.”
“The Lord be with you,” said Saul as David exited the tent.
Abner, Saul’s chief commander, added, “And the Lord be with all of us when this boy is laid out.”
Bakka had never been so proud of a human as he was of David at that very moment. And he knew, like David, that the Lord was with him. Now he understood the significance of Samuel’s anointing of David. He truly was destined to become king over Israel.
Bakka followed David down to a nearby stream, where the younger man carefully selected five stones from the bed. He placed them in his bag and then prayed for a few minutes.
“Now you will see the Lord’s deliverance of Israel,” came a voice.
It was Michael.
“He will kill the giant then?” said Bakka hopefully.
Michael looked at David praying.
“The Lord is with him, Bakka,” he said. “What more does he need? If only humans realized that their faith in God’s ability makes all the difference!”
“Shall I go with him on the field of battle?” Bakka asked.
“We shall both accompany David,” said Michael, smiling. “Goliath is not the only one out there needing humbling.”
Rugio was aware that the Spirit of God was visiting the camp of Saul. He had seen the Host give way to the visitation and had become immediately suspicious. Lucifer, too, had seen the Lord’s Presence in the camp and had joined Rugio in the center of the valley where Goliath now rested.
“What is going on now?” asked Rugio angrily, as he saw Lucifer approach. “Why is He here?”
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