riches, his daughter in marriage, and exempt his father’s house from taxes. That was quite an incentive. While it was hard for David to understand why no one had taken up the call to defend Israel, it was even more appalling to David that Saul had not risen to the challenge himself. Saul stood head and shoulders above all his soldiers, and he was their king; he should have been the one to respond to Goliath’s threat in the full power and strength of the Lord. But Saul’s relationship with God had deteriorated