IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL, OF THE TOWN OF JUDEA, OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH, WAS BORN A BABY BOY, WHO WAS THE 8th AND YOUNGEST SON BORN TO JESSIE A
BETHLEMITE. HIS MOTHER IS MENTIONED IN OTHER ANCIENT HEBREW TEXTS. MOST LIKELY YOU WOULD FIND HER NAME IN THE TORAH OR TALMUD. HER NAME WAS NITZEVET . HER FULL STORY IS ANOTHER TALE THAT WON’T BE TOLD TODAY. BUT SUFFICE IT TO SAY THAT SHE WAS IN DISFAVOR WITH HER HUSBAND AND MEMBERS OF HIS FAMILY. THIS WOULD MEAN THAT LITTLE BABY BOY DAVID, WAS CONSIDERED AS DISFAVORED AS HIS MOTHER...

IN FACT, JESSE HAD PLANS FOR HIS NEWBORN SON, WHEN HE REACHED AN AGE BETWEEN SIX OR SEVEN YEARS, HE WOULD BE PUT  OUT TO PASTURE ALONG WITH THE FLOCKS OF  SHEEP! YES HE WOULD BECOME THE SHEPARD BOY  FOR THE FAMILY FLOCKS. IN THOSE DAYS THE LOWEST YET MOST IMPORTANT JOB WAS THAT OF A SHEPARD! IT WAS IMPORTANT TO BOTH GOD  AND HEBREWS ALIKE AS A SYMBOL. THE PATRIARCH ABRAHAM WAS A SHEPARD BY TRADE, AS HE GREW IN AGE AND WISDOM, LORD GOD JEHOVAH BLESSED AND HONORED HIM. HE BECAME ALSO A SHEPARD FOR HIS PEOPLE. GOD BLESSED HIM WITH WEALTH, PRESTIGE AND DESCENDANTS, FAR MORE NUMEROUS THAN HIS FLOCKS OR GRAINS OF SAND, AS STATED BY GOD! SO WAS ISAAC HIS SON AND HEIR, AND MOSES,  THE LAW GIVER. BUT THERE IS ALWAYS TWO SIDES OF A COIN AS WELL AS A STORY.

IT ALSO MEANT THAT YOU  WERE THE LOW MAN; OR IN DAVID’S FUTURE CASE THE LOW BOY ON THE TOTEM POLE. THAT JOB WAS GIVEN TOO BOYS OR YOUNG MEN WITHOUT TITLE, RANK OR STATUS, UNTIL YOU WERE PROVEN, APPROVED OR ACKNOWLEDGED IN SOME WAY. IT COULD MEAN THAT PERHAPS YOU ARE A V.I.P. IN WAITING OR A FOREVER FUTURE NOTHING. IN JESSE’S MIND BECAUSE OF THE SHAME OF HIS HOUSE, IN ASSOCIATION WITH HIS WIFE AND NOW BABY  BOY, THE FAMILY FIELDS AND FLOCKS WERE A PERFECT OUTTA SIGHT AND MIND PLACE FOR AN I’LL  FAVORED SON!  AND IF BY CHANCE OR THE LORD’S WILL, THAT HE’S KILLED BY THE WILD BEASTS OF THOSE FIELDS, SO BE IT.THAT SOLVES THE PROBLEM OF HIS FAMILY SHAME. FOR IN THOSE DAYS IN THE LAND’S OF ISRAEL ROAMED THE LION, THE BEAR AND THE WOLF...

ALL OF THESE FIERCE PREDATORS YOUNG DAVID WOULD COME TO SLAY, AND PROFESS BEFORE  KING SAUL AS QUALIFICATIONS  TO SLAYING THE GIANT PHILISTINE GOLIATH. BUT THAT WOULD BE MUCH LATER ON IN OUR STORY. WHEN DAVID’S MOTHER NITZVET  GOT WIND OF HER HUSBAND’S PLANS, SHE WAS SORELY VEXED.  BABY BOY  DAVID WAS JUST BARELY BORN, AND HIS OWN FATHER WANTED HIM IN HARM’S WAY! AND HOPEFULLY SLAIN BECAUSE OF FALSE FAMILY PRIDE AND IMAGINED SHAME. THE VEXATION TURNED INTO WHITE HOT ANGER, WHICH THEN GAVE WAY TO WORRY AND WRINGING OF HANDS!

BUT LO AND BEHOLD HOW OUR LORD GOD JEHOVAH PROVIDES FOR HIS PEOPLE IN TIMES OF STRIFE AND STRESS! AND THAT MEANS ALL OF US. FOR WE ARE ALL HIS CHILDREN AND CREATIONS!!!AND ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU ARE GOD’S “APPOINTED ANOINTED”, TO PERFORM A SPECIAL TASK OR TASKS FOR HIS GLORY,  AND A GREATER GOOD, & UNDERSTANDING! THAT  WRINGING OF HANDS  PERIOD OF HIS MOTHER WAS A VERY SHORT LIVED ACTIVTITY. FOR SHE WAS CHOSEN TO BE THE MOTHER OF DAVID, 2ND AND GREATEST KING OF ISRAEL, THAT WAS EVER PRODUCED.
SHE ALREADY HAD FORMENTED A PLAN IN HER MIND TO THWART HER HUSBAND’S EVIL PLANS ON HIS OWN SON BY BLOOD!!!
                            TO BE CONT’D!!!
NOW DAVID’S MOTHER NITZEVET   HAD FAMILY TOO! HER FATHER AND MOTHER, DAVID’S GRANDPARENTS, WE’RE COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY IN LOVE  WITH THEY’RE LITTLE GRANDSON! HE WAS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL LITTLE FELLOW. WITH TIGHT PACKED THICK WOOLY CURLS ON HIS CUTE LITTLE HEAD. WITH MAGNIFICENT MAHOGANY SKIN WITH RED COPPER LIKE UNDERTONES. AND THE SWEETEST DISPOSITION ANY LITTLE BUNDLE OF JOY A   BABY BOY  COULD HAVE! AT THREE MONTHS HE WAS EASILY GIVEN OVER TO LITTLE PEALS OF BABY GIGGLES AND LAUGHTER. ALWAYS COOING AND REACHING FOR WHAT EVER LOVING HANDS THAT NURSED, BATHED, PLAYED OR SWADDLED HIM. HE RARELY FUSSED OR FIDGETED, OR CRIED OVER MUCH. HE WAS MOSTLY A CONTENT LITTLE FELLOW!
                        TO BE CONT’D
When David became an age where he could toddle around and start the weaning process, his mother Nitzevet called out to her father. She enntreated Her father To send Her His household Servant and overseer.His name was Ben For he was A Benjamite! In his youth he was a mighty man of war even before Saul became  King over Israel. He became Captain Of a band of 25 of The fiercest warriors In Israel Of that time.They were called The arms of the Lord God of Host’s! During The battles of the many enemies the  Israelites would come to face, over the years.The generals would call out, Get the Arms of Jehovah to the Thickest part of the battle Before all is lost! That little band of Warriors could face a host of  500 to 5,000 it did not matter in the slightest to them!
Before them the enemy would flee, As hungry wolves make the Deer flee!
                                 To be cont’d:
Her father sent his servant to his daughter Post haste! In a private and discrete area of her household She said To Ben,  Just as you have guarded Israel and my father in your days of war, I now need you to do the same for my son David. My son will be moved to the sheep cote And then on to the fields and the flocks! He will have nothing but a shepherd staff and a shepherd’s sling To defend himself. You were not only 1 of the greatest warriors of your day Ben, But 1 of the most deadliest and accurate with your sling! No Hitite, Amorite or even Perrizzite, could avoid Those Deadly stone missiles embedded in throats, eye sockets and skulls. Or even just maimed in their kneecaps or arms taking them out of battle. My son is going to have to defend The family Flocks against the Lion, the bear and The wolf! He must not fail to be accurate With these 2 slender bits of leather attached one unto the other too a pouch of leather. You Ben Faithful warrior and servant of my father’s household, you can teach my son how to take this little slight weapon And kill the lion the wolf and the bear. I am entrusting you with my son’s life Ben, To teach him to be as excellent With the sling as You are Ben!

BEN MADE THE CUSTOMARY SALUTATIONS AND BOWED HIS HEAD TO NITZEVET. IT HAS BEEN MY HONOR AND PRIVILEGE LADY, TO SERVE YOUR FATHER’S HOUSE. AND ALTHOUGH YOU HAVE MARRIED INTO YOUR HUSBAND’S HOUSEHOLD  I WILL STILL SERVE YOU AND YOUR SON WITH FAITHFULNESS AND VIGOR! NITZEVET  SMILED AND BOWED HER HEAD THEN PERFORMED HER OWN, SALUTATIONS AND SALUTES, AND SAID THANK YOU! YOU HONOR ME AND MY SON. AND WITH THAT THE SEAL WAS SEALED AND THE DEAL WAS DONE!
                               TO BE CONT’D

3 days from the very day of the bargain that was made, Ben Went to Davids father’s house to collect his little charge. The big powerful ex– warrior, still unbent or stooped over, tall and true as the LIVING WORD OF GOD! All of 6ft.1 inches tall, picked up Baby David by the back of his little toddler garment with his two very sturdy fingers. Swinging the little future King of Israel back and forth, in a rocking the cradle type motion! Oh and how little David erupted in peels of little tot laughter! Oh what a great adventure It was for the little guy. His little body was shaking With little tee-hee’s and titters of laughter!

They soon reached the fields of his father’s flocks, a decent sizable number of his future domesticated charges.Ben set David Down on a little scrubby hill with sparse spots of grass He positioned David down where he could see All of the sheep In his view. Ben whispered to David, Little son of Jesse, Behold your vast future responsibility. I will teach you How to be a true steward and to know the true meaning of Shepard as it applies to our people! Let us pray little son of Jessie:

David looked around at Ben, for even at the age he was, of the few words he recognized, the word prayer was one. A lot of that went on, in his Fathers household. Instinctively he went very quiet... As Ben began to pray: Lord God Jehovah! God of our fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Joseph! I have been charged with the task of teaching, this boy David son of Jesse how to defend the flocks of these fields as well as himself. Lord God give me the love and leadership spirit of father Abraham. The wise council of Joseph and the warrior spirit of Sampson, that I may teach this young one, how to truly Shepard. AMEN!
                               2B CONT’D

AND WITH THAT PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION, TO THE GOD OF OUR FATHERS, BEN SCOOPED UP HIS LITTLE CHARGE AND LAID HIM SQUARE IN THE MIDDLE OF HIS FATHER’S/FAMILIES FLOCKS! UPON WHICH SOME OF THE  SHEEP TOOK PARTICULAR BLEATING PROTEST, IF NOT DOWN RIGHT SURPRISE, OF THIS LITTLE HUMAN ON ALL SQUATTING, CRAWLING FOURS, BUT YET NOT A FLOCK MEMBER!  EVEN LITTLE DAVID GAVE A LITTLE TODDLER YELP OF SURPRISE AND INDIGNATION.

THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, ONE OF THE RECENT SEASONS SPRING  LAMBS,  TIMIDLY APPROACHED. HE WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE CURIOUS THAN HIS FLOCK FELLOWS, ABOUT THIS LITTLE COOING, YELPING THING THAT CLEARLY WASN’T HERD, FLOCK! OR FOWL! WHAT WAS THIS MEWING LITTLE CREATURE THAT LOOKED MORE LIKE A LITTLE SHEPARD THAN SHEEP?         TO B CONT’D/THANKS

IT INCHED ITS LITTLE PINK FUZZY DOWN NOSE, SOFT AS COTTON, CAUTIOUSLY CLOSER TO THE SHEPARD   LAMB THING;  THEN JUST BEFORE SNIFFING CONTACT WAS MADE, LIL DAVID LOOKING IN WIDE EYED WONDER, JUST COULDN’T CONTAIN HIS LITTLE SELF AT THAT WONDERFUL DOWNY THING APPROACHING HIM! HE LET OUT A PEAL AND CHORTLE OF BABY LAUGHTER! THEREBY STARTLING THE  LAMB, WHO BLEATS BACK WITH AGITATED PROTEST! YEAH THAT ODD SOUNDING THING IS DEFINITELY MORE ON THE SHEPARD SIDE THAN LAMBS!!! AND THUS ENDED THAT DAYS ADVENTURE!

A BIT OF TIME FLEW BY AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, LITTLE DAVID WAS WEANED AT 3 YEARS OF AGE, HE WAS ABLE TO FEED HIMSELF OF SORTS. He was just starting to get the hang OF GETTING MOST OF HIS SUP INSIDE HIS FACE AS OPPOSED TO ALL OVER IT. WITHIN THE NEXT THREE YEARS, TILL THE AGE OF SIX YEARS AND APPROXIMATELY 3 MONTHS, ALMOST EVERY DAY LITTLE DAVID WOULD BE IN TRAINING, UNDER BEN.  WITH VERY FEW EXCEPTIONS, DAVID AND BEN WOULD BE IN THE  SHEEP  FIELDS. BEN FIRST DRILLED  HIS YOUNG CHARGE ON COORDINATION, SPEED, AND REFLEX!

ON THE THIRD DAY AND VISIT OUT TO THE FLOCK FIELDS, BEN CARRIED WITH HIM SOME EXTRA PROVISIONS. HE SAT DAVID DOWN ON A NICE PARTICULARLY COOL  SHADY SPOT NEAR AN OLD OLIVE  TREE.  HE REMOVED 3 ITEMS FROM HIS  OLD GOAT HIDE  SOLDIERS SACK. A LITTLE STOPPER’D COOL CLAY FLASK WITH  GOATS MILK, A SMALL WOODEN SHEPHERDS BOWL AND SOME UNLEAVEN BREAD. HE SAT DAVID DOWN IN FRONT OF HIM AND BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM HE PUT THE BOWL AND SOME OF THE BREAD  IN THE CENTER OF THE BREADBOWL, AND THEN HE UNSTOPERED THE FLASK OF  GOAT’S MILK AND POURED A LITTLE BIT OF IT IN THE BOWL!

BEN BROKE OFF SOME OF THE BREAD, A SMALL MORSEL JUST BIG ENOUGH FOR A  BABY TODDLER TO CHEW ON, DIPPING IT IN THE  GOAT’S MILK HE POPPED IT INTO DAVID’S MOUTH! AND OF COURSE LITTLE DAVID THOROUGHLY ENJOYED THAT LITTLE TREAT. DAVID COOED AND BABY  GURGLED  FOR SOME MORE, AND BEN HAD SOME MORE OF THE SAME IN HIS HAND! BUT INSTEAD OF PUTTING SOME IN LITTLE DAVID’S MOUTH, HE  WAVED IT UNDER HIS NOSE AND PULLED IT BACK, JUST OUT OF REACH!

LITTLE DAVID WAS HIGHLY ANNOYED  AT BEING TEASED THAT WAY AND STARTED TO CRY IN ANGER AND FRUSTRATION! IT WAS BREAKFAST TIME AFTER ALL.AND HE WAS HUNGRY! BEN UNDETERRED, REPEATED THE SAME ACTION ABOUT 5 MORE TIMES IN A ROW! AND OH BOY, TALK ABOUT A TANTRUM, TO SAY," OH LITTLE DAVID, JUST HAD A BIT OF A CRY," WAS A HUGE UNDERSTATEMENT! THAT WAS LIKE SAYING “THE FLOOD IN NOAH’S TIME WASN’T TOO BAD, JUST A BIT OF RAIN!” HE BECAME A TOT THAT WENT INTO A STATE OF ABSOLUTE HYSTERICS!

HE WAILED AND SCREAMED, AND THEN GOT HIMSELF SO WORKED UP THAT HE COULD BARELY CRY ANYMORE. IT STARTED TO SOUND LIKE A COMBINATION HICCUP,  MIXED WITH LITTLE SHORT WAIL BURSTS OF TOT FRUSTRATION! OH THE SORROW COMING OUT OF THOSE BABY LUNGS. OOH THE WEIGHT OF THE WHOLE WORLD WAS ON THIS LITTLE GUYS SHOULDERS. HE SCARED THE SHEEP! THEY BLEATED AND SCATTERED IN ALL DIRECTIONS. BEN CHUCKLED A LITTLE, NOT AT DAVID, BUT AT AN OLD MEMORY OF HIS YOUTH!