It is very possible that no tale from the Bible is more popular or recounted as frequently as the Old Testament account of David and Goliath. One of God’s best lessons of faith comes with this story and that lesson is if you trust in Him, no problem is too large to tackle. When seen through God’s eyes, what may seem to us to be insurmountable problems become less intimidating. With him behind you, you can handle anything.

The story explains the war that the Philistines initiated against King Saul and the Israelites. Goliath, a giant who towered 9-feet tall, was part of the army of the Philistines. Each day he came to the front lines of the fighting adorned in a full set of armor to intimidate the Israelites. Not one man was brave enough to take on Goliath. His mocking of Saul and the rest of the Israelite army was unrelenting.

While no “man” would fight Goliath, a young shepherd named David shook off his fear and doubt. With only a sling, a bag full of stones, and his faith in God, David confronted Goliath while shouting, “I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty.” Before Goliath could strike a blow, David pulled out his sling and struck Goliath in the forehead through the smallest of openings in his armor. Goliath dropped to the ground and was dead.

Tales from the bible are often the source of interest to scientists seeking to find the truth or fiction in them. This story is one that has fascinated them for years. Physicians have suggested that Goliath was actually a man afflicted with a disease called acromelagy or “gigantism”. The pituitary gland in people who suffer from this disease releases excess amounts of growth hormones, causing them to become unusually tall. If this theory were true, Goliath would probably have succumbed to this disease at any time.

Another question arises as to how David was able to catch Goliath by surprise to kill him so quickly. Again, researchers explain this scientifically suggesting that Goliath was partially blind or had tunnel vision, a result of the gigantism. A tumor is what is responsible for the excess production of growth hormones in this disease. It is possible the tumor compacted Goliath’s optic chiasm, thus pinching the optic nerves. An enemy with impaired vision and possibly no side vision would have made it easy for young David to get close enough to fire the deadly stone.

Others who are skeptical ask how a single stone could bring down the fearsome giant. The tumor is also the explanation for this. If it was the tumor that was struck by the rock, it may have ruptured and then bled, causing Goliath to die.

Even if Goliath’s size was a direct result of gigantism, this should not take away from the David’s bravery and faith in the face of danger. Neither the Philistines, the Israelites, nor the young shepherd David understood why Goliath was such a giant. The lesson still holds that God can make anything possible if you have faith.

Robert Mann is a lifelong poet and author living in California. Mr. Mann is also Executive Editor of the Christian news website http://www.FreeChristianPress.com. You can get a unique content version of this article from the Uber Article Directory.