JOASH

By Tishala

It took everything in him not to run at the heathen standing nine feet tall and hurling insults at the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Joash looked round at the other soldiers standing around him. He could practically hear them shaking in their armors…pathetic lot.

“We’ve fought men mightier than he, Shammah. Surely this is no different.”
Shammah turned to look at Joash. “Mightier yes, but none as tall as he.”
“It makes no difference! We’re the army of the Lord Himself we shouldn’t fear – “
“And would you rather enslave the whole nation for the sake of your pride!”
Joash went quiet. Silently seething. He had forgotten why he was still standing among the ranks and not fighting Goliath like he wanted to. The Philistine scum had set unreasonable conditions. He would only fight a single Israelite soldier and if the soldier was beaten, then all the Israelites would become slaves to the Philistines. On the other hand, if the Israelite was able to defeat Goliath, then the Philistines would become their slaves.
A wicked proposition from a wicked man.
Seeing the realization in his companion’s eyes, Shammah sighed and resumed his stance as did Joash.
“There is nothing we can do, Joash.”
Joash grimaced at his words. He knew Shammah was wrong, but he wasn’t going to risk the freedom of his people to prove it.
“Why did you come down here?!” Came an angry voice.
“What did I do now? I was only asking a question.” Came another voice. This one sounded like it belonged to a younger person. Joash turned to see who was speaking. It was one soldier he didn’t recognize and a young, red headed boy.
“You ask too many stupid questions! You’re supposed to be watching father’s sheep. Who have you left them with? Did you even consider them you proud, black hearted boy?!”
“I haven’t done anything wrong!” Insisted the young boy.
“Don’t you lie to me. I know you just wanted to watch the battle. Go home! This is no place for a boy.”
Joash watched as the boy walked away from the soldier, but he was heading deeper into the ranks much to the chagrin of the frustrated soldier.
“Who are they?” Joash asked, turning back to look at Shammah.
Shammah hadn’t even shifted. His jaw was clenched and he seemed to ignore the two speakers. Joash was curious but waited for his friend to answer. It took a while but Shammah finally spoke.
“They’re my brothers. Eliab and David. David is the youngest of us all.”
David. The name sounded familiar. Joash was still thinking when the boy himself appeared in front of him.
“What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine anyway that he dares defy the armies of the Living God?”
David looked between the two men but none answered. Shammah pretended not to hear and Joash was too shocked to speak. The boy had a fire in his eyes and a set in his jaw that made Joash want to cry out. Even his question was out of the ordinary. Why did he want to know what the reward for killing Goliath was? Surely, he wasn’t planning to face the Philistine himself?
David was about to walk away when Joash found his voice again.
“The King will give him great riches, and will give him his daughter to wife. He will also be exempted from paying taxes. This is what shall be done for whoever can kill the Philistine.”
David nodded in gratitude and as he walked away. Joash released a breath he wasn’t aware he had been holding.
He remembered now.
This was the boy who had been brought in to play for King Saul. He had so much fire in his eyes Joash could hardly look at him. After forty days of marching out of their camp with battle cries only to retreat at the sight of the enemy, most of the soldiers only had despair and hopelessness in their eyes.
Joash turned around to see if he could catch a glimpse of the boy again, but he was nowhere to be found.
“You shouldn’t have answered him.” Shammah said, still facing the Philistine army. “He’s only going to make trouble.”
“Well, I couldn’t help it, Shammah. He seems to be the only person disturbed by the fact that a Philistine insults the Lord God and still lives to see another day.”
Shammah turned to look at Joash in anger.
“What is he going to do then? Will he don our armor and face the giant? He’s a SHEPHERD!”
“And you are a warrior but look where you stand!”
Shammah took a step closer and Joash reached for his sword. “If you have not noticed, you stand in the same place I do, so don’t pretend you’re better than any one of us!”
Joash freed his sword of its sheath and Shammah did same.
“Shammah!” The two men turned at the same time. Aminadab walked towards his brother and calmly put his hand on his arm. “Let us not shame ourselves further by fighting our allies.” Shammah pulled himself free and pointed his sword at Joash.
“He drew his sword first! He wants a battle then – “
The other soldiers had already formed a circle around them, giving them room to settle their disputes, but now they closed in again, murmuring among themselves. Shammah was no longer looking at Joash. No one was. Everyone seemed to be looking down towards the valley between them and the Philistine army.
Since his back was facing the valley, Joash was confused by the sudden fear in Shammah’s and Abinadab’s eyes. He turned around to see David walking towards the giant without hesitation. He was gripped by a sudden fear for both the boy and all Israel. Should David be killed, they would all serve the Philistines for the rest of their lives. Yet even from here, Joash could see that the fire was still resident in the shepherd’s eyes. He carried nothing but his staff, his pouch, and a sling. He didn’t carry a single weapon, neither did he wear any form of armor. Upon seeing him, Goliath climbed down into the valley with his shield-bearer walking in front of him.
“Oh Lord, give him strength.” Joash muttered under his breath.
“Am I a dog?!” Goliath boomed. “Is that why you come at me with sticks!”
Joash winced as Goliath released another stream of curses directed at David. The boy wasn’t fazed.
A slow, wicked smile spread across the giant’s face and he held out a hand towards David.
“Come here, my boy.” David didn’t move and Goliath’s smile grew even wider. “Come let me feed you to the birds!” He threw his head back and let out a laugh that made Joash want to cover his ears. “Let’s give the beasts a meal, shall we?” He dropped his outstretched hand as the Philistine soldiers began to laugh.
David looked from Goliath to the Philistine army then back again. Gripping his sling tighter, he took a step towards Goliath.
“You come at me with your sword, spear and shield,”
Another step forward.
“But I come against you in the name of the Lord God of Israel! The LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel! He whose name you have defiled!
Joash could feel the presence of God radiating from the boy. He glanced at Goliath and saw a flicker of hesitation in the Philistine’s eyes. David wasn’t done.
“Hear me, Philistine, this day the Lord will surely deliver you into my hands. I will kill you instead, take your head, and feed YOUR corpse to the beasts instead. He turned and gestured towards the Israelite army. “Who are you to defy the armies of the Lord?!” He dropped his hand and looked Goliath straight in the eye. “Today, everyone will know that there is indeed a God in Israel and he doesn’t need swords and spears to win a battle that is already His.”
Goliath let out a cry of anger and ran at David. David didn’t even hesitate when he ran to meet Goliath in the middle of the valley. Goliath swung at David in wide arcs but kept missing. As he stopped to aim his spear at David, the shepherd boy reached into his pouch and set a single stone in his sling. Digging his feet into the ground, he swung the sling over his head and released it in Goliath’s direction.
Both armies held their breath as the stone flew through the air and wedged itself in the middle of the giant’s forehead. The heavy spear fell from his hands and he began to tip forward. He didn’t even have time to cry out in pain before he landed face first into the dirt. His shield bearer stood staring at his master in shock. There was silence as both armies tried to comprehend what had just happened.
Joash raised his head towards the heavens and worshipped God silently. When he looked down again, he saw David standing on Goliath’s back with the giant’s own sword raised high over his head. With one blow, he severed the Philistine’s head from his shoulders and the Israelite army let out a shout of victory. Moving as one, they began to climb down into the valley as the Philistines retreated away from them.