Taming Giants© Narrated mime in first segment, after which the ramifications are discussed. Keywords:
David Goliath battle
Cast: Four narrators, (can be combined), speak while any number of actors (Group 1) mime out the words, while off to the side a number of actors (Group 2) silently watch the action going on. Be very careful to show active, yet appropriate actions as the message displayed by Group 1 will later be the basis of Group 2’s discussion. Groups will be as large or small as availability of actors dictates Lighting, Sound, Sets: Costuming:
regular
May be period or regular
Script: Group 2 actors come on stage, sitting at stage left. Philistines from Group 1 enter to stand at centerstage Narrator A:
Now back in the time of King Saul, the Philistines and the people of Israel were constantly at war. On one occasion the Philistines got their armies together, and took up their position for battle between Socoh and Azekah in Ephes-dammim in the land of Judah.
Israelites from Group 1 enter to stand at stage right Narrator B:
And King Saul and the armies of Israel came out to meet the Philistine armies and took up their position in the valley of Elah.
Two groups stand glaring at each other Narrator A:
The Philistines were stationed on the mountain on one side and Israel on the mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.
Goliath and his shield bearer come out of the Philistine group. To make Goliath stand out more have him stand on some kind of raised platform, where he stands looking down, sneering at Israelites, who cower before him And a fighter, named Goliath of Gath, came forward from the ranks of the Philistines; he was more than six cubits tall. Narrator B:
Goliath was a fearsome sight, dressed from head to toe in armor and armed for battle.
Taming Giants© ©Copyright DramaShare® 2001
Page 1
Narrator A:
And he had a helmet of brass on his head, and was dressed in a massive coat of metal weighing 200 pounds, enough to make an ordinary man stagger under the weight.
Narrator B:
His legs were protected with plates of brass and hanging on his back was a spear of brass. The stem of his spear was as long as a weaver's rod, the head of the spear alone weighed twenty-five pounds. Goliath’s shield bearer walked before him into battle.
Narrator A:
Goliath took up his position and in a loud scream mocked the armies of Israel:
Goliath takes a step forward, gestures and mimes talking Narrator C:
Why are you here, everyone knows you haven’t the courage to make war! Here I am, a Philistine and you are lowly servants of Saul. Listen to me, find a man brave, or foolish, enough to fight me one on one. If he is able to overcome me, then we will be your servants: but if I am able to overcome him, then you will be our servants and do work for us. Look at you, I have put you, the armies of Israel, to shame today; come, give me a man so that we may have a fight together.
Narrator B:
And Saul and all Israel, hearing those words of the Philistine giant, were troubled and full of fear.
Israel people mime fear, David moves out from group Narrator A:
Now David was the son of Jesse of Bethlehem-judah, the youngest of eight sons. Jesse was an old man, and far on in years.
Narrator B:
David’s older brothers were in Saul's army. Young David divided his time between serving in Saul’s household and also looking after his father's sheep at Bethlehem.
Narrator A:
Every morning and evening for forty days, Goliath came out to taunt Saul’s army.
Narrator B:
Early one morning David took some food and supplies to his brothers in the valley of Elah, where the army of Israel were camped. As David arrived Saul’s army was going out to the fight, giving their war-cry.
David talks with his brothers, Goliath, wanders closer, bringing on worried looks from Israel army
Taming Giants© ©Copyright DramaShare® 2001
Page 2
Narrator A:
As David was talking to his brothers, Goliath came out from the Philistines' lines and challenged the army of Saul to send out someone to fight him, one on one. And all the men of Israel, when they saw him, ran away, overcome with fear.
Narrator B:
The men of Israel said, “Have you seen this fearful man? He is shaming our entire nation. Did you hear that if any of us defeats this giant, King Saul will give that man great wealth, and will give him his daughter in marriage, and give him great prestige throughout Israel.
Narrator A:
David was amazed, and said:
David mimes talking Narrator D:
Who is this Philistine, this hooligan, who would shame the armies of the living God? And what did you say would be the reward given to the man who defeats this Philistine, thus taking away the shame from Israel?
Narrator B:
And the people repeated the offer: power, wealth and prestige will be given to this man.
David mimes talking Narrator D:
Then do not fear anymore for I will go myself and defeat this man who would dare blaspheme the living God!
Person talks with David, trying to restrain him Narrator A:
Eliab, David’s oldest brother, was very upset with David, and reminding David he should be at home looking after their flocks, not being a child meddling in men’s affairs, on hand only to see the fight which would soon happen.
Narrator B:
But David was factual and persistent:
David mimes talking Narrator D:
What have I done? What have I said? I have offered to defeat this foreigner, is this not all I said?
People bring Saul from the group Narrator A:
So the people called for Saul, to hear David’s offer. And David said to Saul:
David mimes talking Taming Giants© ©Copyright DramaShare® 2001
Page 3
Narrator D:
Please let no one worry about me for I, your servant, will go out and defeat this Philistine.
Saul mimes talking Narrator B:
And Saul said to David:
Narrator C:
You cannot fight this professional Philistine soldier! You are only a boy, and he has been a trained soldier from his earliest days.
Narrator A:
But David offered assurances to Saul:
David mimes talking Narrator D:
From childhood I have looked after my father's sheep; and if a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him, and overcame him, and took it out of his mouth: and if the wild beast came at me, I took him by the hair and overcame him and killed him death. So you see, I am not childlike, I have defeated the most ferocious animals. This uncultured Philistine, who wishes to take the heart and soul of the people of Israel, and to blaspheme the living Lord God Jehovah, will suffer the very same fate as those soulless animals. Please, do not fear for me. The Lord, who kept me safe from the grip of the lion and the bear, will be my saviour from the hands of this Philistine.
Saul mimes talking Narrator B:
And Saul said to David, Go! and may the Lord be with you.
David mimes having armor put on, then trying to walk under the load Narrator A:
Then Saul gave David his armor, complete with helmet and coat of metal. And David took Saul's sword and put the sword belt around his waist over the metal coat. It became almost laughable, seeing this young boy trying to walk under the weight of this armor! So David explained to Saul that he must go to battle and protect himself as he did daily when tending his flocks. And David removed all of the armor.
David mimes picking up stones, practicing with his slinshot Narrator B:
Then David took his stick in his hand, and got five smooth stones from the bed of the stream and put them in a bag such as is used by sheep-keepers; and he took his well-worn leather slingshot which he had used many times in fighting of the animal attacks. And David set out to battle the Philistine giant.
Taming Giants© ©Copyright DramaShare® 2001
Page 4
Narrator A:
The crowds on both sides watched breathlessly as the Philistine and David moved ever closer to their ultimate rendezvous.
Narrator B:
You should have seen Goliath, when he saw this mere boy, red-haired and good-looking, coming toward him!
Goliath mimes talking Narrator C:
Am I some mangy dog, that you come out to me with sticks? Is there no man with a spine in the whole of Israel that a boy would be sent to do a man’s work? For this insult I implore every known god on earth and in the air to put curses on this boy and the entire nation of Israel! Come here to me, foolish child, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field.
two actors move closer Narrator A:
But David was not moved or swayed by the words of the giant.
David mimes talking Narrator D:
You come to me with a sword and a spear and a javelin: but I come to you in the name of the Lord of armies, the God of the armies of Israel on which your words and actions have put shame. Today the Lord has delivered you into my hands, and because He is with me I will overcome you, and defeat you. Beware, for it is the bodies of the Philistine army that will today be food to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, so that all the earth may see the power of the God of Israel. All these people who are here today will be witnesses to the fact that the Lord does not give salvation by sword and spear: for the fight is the Lord's, and the Lord God Jehovah will give you up into our hands.
Two actors move closer, circling each other Narrator B:
Goliath began moving toward David, but David surprised Goliath by running quickly toward Goliath, meeting the Philistine face to face. Calculatingly David took a stone from his bag and sent it from his leather slingshot straight at the Philistine, and the stone was imbedded deep into the brow of the giant, who fell down on his face.
Goliath moves his hands to his forehead so any injury is not seen, then falls on his face Narrator A:
And, so it was that David overcame the Philistine with his leather slingshot and a stone, wounding the Philistine and causing his death.
Taming Giants© ©Copyright DramaShare® 2001
Page 5
Narrator B:
And when the Philistines saw that their fighter was dead, they scattered in fear.
All Philistines cower, back off stage, followed by Israel army Narrator A:
The mighty army of the Philistines were defeated, not by the bravery of David, nor by the people of Israel. It was the Lord God Jehovah, the God of Israel who triumphed that day!
Group 2 will “examine the evidence of the drama” Peggy, mimes using slingshot: straight and true!
Woooooohoooooo! Straight for the forehead,
Elsa, mimes being killed:
You’ve got me, I’m dead!
Alice:
Cut it out you two! Is that all you learned from this lesson?
Rhonda:
Ya, really! Right over your heads, wasn’t it?
Peggy:
Oh sure, Rhonda, and what did you get out of the lesson?
Rhonda:
That’s easy. Bigger they are the harder they fall.
Alice:
There’s much more there for us.
Elsa:
Yeh you guys, much, much more! Like there’s the . . . . well, another way to put it is, there’s . . . what much, much more is there Alice?
Alice:
There are many lessons within this story.
Peggy:
One story I see is the Philistine army being chased out by a small boy. Reminds me of a mouse chasing a cat.
Elsa:
One boy fighting for an entire nation.
Rhonda:
But it seems as though David was fighting less for Israel than for Israel’s God.
Alice:
You are right. And overall I think it is less the Philistines being driven out, it is David being brought up, in the eyes of the people of Israel.
Peggy:
And I see jealousy. Seems to me that David’s brother, Eliab, was less worried about David leaving the sheep unprotected than he was that his little brother David was getting too much attention from everyone at the battlefield.
Taming Giants© ©Copyright DramaShare® 2001
Page 6
Elsa:
The subject of jealousy seems to be at the center of all the lessons God wants to teach us.
Alice:
I find it interesting how the mighty giant Goliath, who should have been able to win on his size and strength alone, was so thoroughly protected by armor.
Rhonda:
I see what you are saying. And on the other hand, David looks so ridiculous trying to wear all that heavy armor. So he takes it all off and goes out to battle totally unprotected.
Alice:
Well, David had no armor, but he was far from unprotected. He had the full armor of God to protect him. Turns out that was all he needed.
Peggy:
Some matchup: Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! Come and see it! Watch as hometown favorite David, the untrained, unarmed, inexperienced stripling of a boy has at it with Goliath, the mighty giant warrior from Philistine! Get yer programs here!
Elsa:
I used to always think that the story was about how a smart young boy outfoxed a mighty giant. But that’s not it, is it?
Alice:
No, it isn’t. There are other stories about David in the Bible about times when he didn’t obey God, and David’s wisdom and power didn’t help him at those times, David failed.
Rhonda:
So it wasn’t a smart young kid doing well, it was an obedient servant of God being led.
Alice:
That’s exactly what it was, and that is one of the central truths in the story.
Peggy:
Talk about Mission Impossible. There was no way David could have won that battle. It is as though God was taking away every possible excuse for David being successful: age, experience, size, knowledge, protection, everything David needed he didn’t have. Meanwhile Goliath couldn’t have asked for anything more.
Elsa:
Wonder, did God do all this to prove to the people of Israel that He was really all they needed.
Rhonda:
Maybe. Or was He actually proving this to David himself, so that David, the coming King, would come to trust completely in God, and not his own abilities?
Taming Giants© ©Copyright DramaShare® 2001
Page 7
Alice:
David knew it. I wonder if the Israel people knew it as well? The victory was totally won by God. God was all the power, all the protection, all the might that was needed. All He needed was faith in what He was going to do in, and through, His people.
Rhonda:
Things haven’t changed much over the years, have they?
Peggy:
One thing still confuses me.
Elsa:
Me too. How do they get the crunchy caramel in Goobersloobin chocolate bars?
Rhonda:
I know that one. It’s a secret process, unknown to anyone other than three priests on a mountain top in Outer Galbomia.
Peggy:
Missed it by that much!
Elsa:
Pray tell.
Peggy:
Some places they say Goliath is 6 cubits and a span. Other places they say he was 4 cubits and a span.
Rhonda:
Wow! Either way, he was a monster!
Elsa:
What’s a cubit?
Rhonda:
I have not the foggiest.
Alice:
Then what made you say, “Wow! Either way he was a monster!”?
Rhonda:
You gotta admit, it sounded impressive at the time!
Elsa:
I still say, what's a cubit?
Peggy:
The distance from your armpit to the end of your middle finger.
Rhonda:
Not no one gonna come around measuring my pits! Not no way!
Elsa:
How do they figure in oversize pits?
Peggy:
My guess would be it’s not a real exact science.
Elsa:
K, so what’s a span?
Peggy:
Distance from a man’s thumb to pinkie when they are spread out wide.
Taming Giants© ©Copyright DramaShare® 2001
Page 8
Rhonda:
If my Uncle Henry had lived back then he would have thrown their records out bad.
Peggy:
I know I’m gonna hate myself for asking but, why would that be?
Rhonda:
Uncle Henry got two fingers cut off in a sausage grinder, and the two fingers were . . . .
Elsa:
. . . let me guess . . . thumb and pinkie?
Rhonda:
You are super sharp!
Peggy:
My guess is that they would have ruled Uncle Henry ineligible as a judge for the Great National Span Runoff.
Elsa:
I’m on your team. But I do believe I have lost sight of what your original question was, Peggy.
Peggy:
Like I said so long ago as to make it mainly irrelevant is, why do some accounts say that Goliath was six cubits and a span while others say it was four cubits and a span?
Rhonda:
What does that work out to in metric?
Elsa:
Why don’t we just try to figure it out right now? Here we go, Rhonda, bring your pits over here ‘til we measure . . .
Rhonda:
Like I said, ain’t not never gonna happen, you just go measure your own pits there Elsa .. . .
Peggy:
It works out to either just under seven feet or just under ten feet.
Elsa:
“Under seven feet?” Some giant! Morley Drubbins on our school basketball team is seven foot six. Lots of guys are seven feet.
Rhonda:
Obviously he must have been six cubits and a span. Ten feet, wow, that would be some tall dude!
Alice:
Well, we have to remember that people were actually shorter back then. Very few people would be six feet tall.
Peggy:
Not sure if this makes sense but do you suppose that when Goliath was challenging the people of Israel they looked at him and he seemed ten feet tall. Then when God led David to challenge the giant he became a lot smaller?
Taming Giants© ©Copyright DramaShare® 2001
Page 9
Alice:
Peggy, what an interesting thought. Tell us more.
Peggy:
Well, it’s just that when I’m facing things in my life they seem to be so huge that I feel defeated before I ever start. But if I take time to pray about it, to bring my worries to God, they seemed to get cut down to a size where they can be handled.
Rhonda:
Cutting giants down to size huh? I have some giants in my life that I need to bring to God.
Elsa:
So do I Rhonda. But if God helped David tame the giant, and cut him down to size, maybe he can do that for us too.
Alice:
God, the giant tamer. Know what, why don’t we just talk to God right now about some of the giants we need tamed?
actors bow in prayer, then exit
Taming Giants© ©Copyright DramaShare® 2001
Page 10
