Dramatic Skit on 1 Samuel 17

1 Samuel 17

Dramatic Skit on 1 Samuel 17

Speaking Parts: Narrator (can read his/her part), Goliath, David, Saul (need to be memorized and acted out)

If you did the skit for the passage that precedes this one, use the same David character!

Put a small group of people on stage right to represent the Israelites; Saul needs to be among them, wearing a crown; he can be wearing the armor he eventually puts on David… or it can be lying nearby. The armor, etc. can be crudely made from cardboard or poster board! Go for the effect!

On stage left put a small group to represent the Philistine army; have Goliath on a short box, standing high above the rest wearing armor and holding a shield and a sword. His armor-bearer should be a very short person standing on the floor beside him, also holding a shield.

The narrator needs to be between the two armies!

Have them act out the narration and react to the dialogue; try to NOT think about Monty Python skits!!!

Narrator: Now the Philistines (point to the people on the left) gathered their forces for war against the Israelites (point to the people on the right.) The Philistine champion was named Goliath (walks to the left and stands “under” Goliath); he was over nine feet tall. He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels; on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. His spear shaft was like a weaver's rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels. His shield bearer went ahead of him.

Goliath: (shouting to the Israelites across the stage from him)Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us. This day I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a warrior and let us fight each other."

Narrator: On hearing the Philistine's words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified. Among the troops were the brothers of David; his father Jesse had sent him here to check on his brothers.[David enters and joins the people on the right.] He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions. Israel and the Philistines were lined up facing each other. [each group faces each other]

Goliath: This day I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a warrior and let us fight each other.”

David:(pulling Saul aside) Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine. I am your servant --- I will go and fight him.

Saul:You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth.

David:I have been keeping my father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this heathen Philistine giant will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.

Saul:Go ahead then-- and the LORD be with you.

Narrator: Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. [Saul dresses David for battle, putting on each piece as mentioned.] He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around.

David:I cannot go in these,because I am not used to them. [David continues acting out the narration]

Narrator: So he took them off. Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd's bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine who looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome-- and he despised him.

Goliath: Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks? I curse you in the name of all my gods!(directly to David) Come here,and I'll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!

David: You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give all of you into our hands.

Narrator: Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell to the ground.