2 Samuel 21:15-22 Giants Again

David is back on the throne but the Philistines are acting up again. Four different battles bring us four different giants. And four different defeats!

I’m curious to know how many “descendants of the giants” the Philistines had to draw from. When Joshua, Caleb and the spies looked over the land there were enough to scare the other spies. There were certainly some still in the land 40 years later when Joshua and the Israelites took the land. David faced Goliath who was one. And now we meet four more. Did the Philistines ever run out of giants? They certainly liked to use them in their battles.

Today has been a tough day for me. I’m fighting ‘giants’ of my own. Giant computer trouble. Giant frustrations with too many demands now, thanks a lot to the computer trouble. Giant depression from looking at all of it piled together. But I want to be present with the Lord as I go through God’s word. I don’t know if I have the strength though. Not physical strength but emotional strength. I need to see some ‘giants’ fall in my life right now.

I need to be thankful for the ‘giants’ that have already fallen and stop moping over the remaining ones! The fact that I have a computer and that MOST of my files are back are HUGE plusses. Even having electricity puts me ahead of many in this world so I’m going to stop complaining right now!

Let’s look at the giants Israel faced. I want to do our ‘first person’/story format but I don’t think it would work for more than the first encounter. Instead, I want to look instead of the overall picture of what this passage is showing us.

We see Israel going along in its daily routine. I expect there is buying and selling, planting and reaping, living and dying, laughing and mourning, creating and destroying all happening within her borders. I would bet there was also praising and cursing going on too. I’m praying for more of the first and little of the second.

During their normal ordinary everyday existence an old enemy pops back up. The Philistines (cue heavy music). Israel has been in some sort of conflict with the Philistines since entering the Promised Land. The Philistines were there first and were not willing to accept God’s decree regarding the land being given to Israel. And because Israel didn’t follow the Law God set down exactly like He set it, MANY of the people who were to be removed from the land remained and became a thorn in Israel’s side. I’m going to bet that if those thorns were being measured, the Philistines would be ‘giant.’

We hear of four new battles with the Philistines. In each one there is a giant mentioned among the defeated. Because in each battle, even though the giant fought for the Philistines, Israel prevailed.

So what does that mean to me? It speaks of the fact that my ‘old enemies’ don’t easily give up. They find the right opportunities to crop back up in my life. And they find the ‘best of the best’ fighters to use to attack me again. They bring out their ‘giants’ to try and pummel me.

I could start swinging in hopes of defeating them. But I could also go down in defeat by doing so. David nearly did. He was out of shape and past his prime when he stepped out on the battlefield. He gave it all he had but it wasn’t enough.

But David wasn’t alone in his battle and neither am I. David’s men came to his aid when he was exhausted. Then they made him promise not to put himself in that position again. Good lesson there for me too.

The BIGGEST thing about these battles though is that even those who came to David’s aid had Someone on their side. They did NOT win these battles on their own. God stood with them. He gave them victory. And He does the same for me, AND you!

The ‘old enemy’ to me speaks of a sin that I struggle with. It also speaks of Satan’s attacks. He is most certainly my enemy. When I choose to sin it is because I’ve been listening to the wrong voices in my spirit. But Satan has also attacked me personally with depression. And, YES, that is listening to the wrong voices too. There are times when those voices feel SO MUCH BIGGER than me. They are the ‘giants’ I’m facing.

I almost let them win today. But God brought me to this passage today for this purpose. To tell me that they don’t win unless I try and fight them on my own. He may have brought you something else from our reading today because that’s just how AMAZING He is. But for me, I’m going to go watch some ‘giants’ fall!

Thank You Father for speaking to me right where I am right NOW. Thank You for the recovery of so much of my data. Thank You that the important pieces that are missing are able to be recreated. Please help me rise above the ‘giants’ that are trying to weigh me down today. I REFUSE to let depression win! I give that one to You. You already knocked it on its rear, I’m just waiting for the kill shot.

Thank You for wrapping me in Your arms Jesus. Thank You for ministering to my heart Holy Spirit. Thank You for being my Protector Father.