2 Samuel 21
18 Now it happened afterward that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob. Then Sibbechai the Hushathite killed Saph, who was one of the sons of the giant.
19 Again there was war at Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.
20 Yet again there was war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number; and he also was born to the giant.
21 So when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea, David’s brother, killed him.
22 These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.
The “giant-thing” has become analogous with most things too big, too threatening, or too impossible for us to logically envision overcoming or conquering on our own. Serious illness. Financial valleys. Recurring sin. Damaged or destroyed relationships. Fill in your own Goliath if you like: ___________________.
The scriptures offer us numerous accounts of the existence of actual giants, their threat, and their demise. The question then might be, why should they be part of God’s plan in the first place? The answer can also be found in scriptural account, particularly 2 Samuel 22, which in large part is Psalm 18.
2 Sam offers a robust revelation of “why giants”.
2 Samuel 22
David is victorious, and he purposes to not simply move forward, but to stop and give thanks. That would be EXAMPLE AND PURPOSE #1.
1 Then David spoke to the Lord the words of this song, on the day when the Lord had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul.
2 And he said: “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
3 The God of my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation,
My stronghold and my refuge;
My Savior, You save me from violence.
PURPOSE 2: Faith in God’s faithfulness has David committing to call upon God again, when the next giant in his life shows up.
4 I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies.
PURPOSE 3: The testimonial recount. Good for him. Good for us.
5 “When the waves of death surrounded me,
The floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
6 The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
PURPOSE 4: The example of HOW he called to God – including audibly with his voice.
7 In my distress I called upon the Lord,
And cried out to my God;
He heard my voice from His temple,
And my cry entered His ears.
PURPOSE 5: He is a God of response.
Note the supernatural imagery, even though earlier we’re told David’s men were successful in battle – the revelation being the critical component of heavenly dynamics behind all our victories, even the ones we ourselves might appear to accomplish.
8 “Then the earth shook and trembled;
The foundations of heaven quaked and were shaken,
Because He was angry.
9 Smoke went up from His nostrils,
And devouring fire from His mouth;
Coals were kindled by it.
10 He bowed the heavens also, and came down
With darkness under His feet.
11 He rode upon a cherub, and flew;
And He was seen upon the wings of the wind.
12 He made darkness canopies around Him,
Dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
13 From the brightness before Him
Coals of fire were kindled.
14 “The Lord thundered from heaven,
And the Most High uttered His voice.
15 He sent out arrows and scattered them;
Lightning bolts, and He vanquished them.
16 Then the channels of the sea were seen,
The foundations of the world were uncovered,
At the rebuke of the Lord,
At the blast of the breath of His nostrils.
17 “He sent from above, He took me,
He drew me out of many waters.
PURPOSE 6: To God be the glory.
18 He delivered me from my strong enemy,
From those who hated me;
For they were too strong for me.
(David recognized his limitations. Giants help us do that).
19 They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
But the Lord was my support.
20 He also brought me out into a broad place;
He delivered me because He delighted in me.
(God’s DELIGHT in us is a great motivator for His deliverance – and meanwhile, below, we’re also shown that our alignment with his righteous commandments plays a significant role as well).
Consider this “formula for success” in Psalm 50, well-confirmed in this study:
Psalm 50
14 Offer to God thanksgiving,
And pay your vows to the Most High.
15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”
Back to 2 Samuel 22
21 “The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness;
According to the cleanness of my hands
He has recompensed me.
22 For I have kept the ways of the Lord,
And have not wickedly departed from my God.
23 For all His judgments were before me;
And as for His statutes, I did not depart from them.
24 I was also blameless before Him,
And I kept myself from my iniquity.
(Verse 25 reiterates verse 21. We’re not to forget this requirement, over which we have charge. David knew for certain that much trouble can come upon us if/when we’re out of God’s will and plans).
25 Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness,
According to my cleanness in His eyes.
PURPOSE 7: we’re presented a glorious revelation as to how the Lord deals with mankind – often in like manner to our own ways.
26 “With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful;
With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless;
27 With the pure You will show Yourself pure;
And with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd.
(Note the Lord is never devious in return, but He’s always smarter than the devious).
28 You will save the humble people;
But Your eyes are on the haughty, that You may bring them down.
PURPOSE 8: praise and faith arise.
29 “For You are my lamp, O Lord;
The Lord shall enlighten my darkness.
30 For by You I can run against a troop;
By my God I can leap over a wall.
31 As for God, His way is perfect;
The word of the Lord is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him.
32 “For who is God, except the Lord?
And who is a rock, except our God?
33 God is my strength and power,
And He makes my way perfect.
34 He makes my feet like the feet of deer,
And sets me on my high places.
BINGO. PURPOSE 9.
He’s always and at all times training and raising up an army. Read Psalm 110. They’re volunteers in the day of His power.
Interestingly, many of the verses below at first might seem to apply only to David’s time, David’s kingdom, and David’s age. But they’re for all times. And if you’re a student of eschatology (end times) suddenly these verses begin fleshing out the ultimate and final challenges and conflicts – a time when our Lord tells us many hearts will fail for fear (Luke 21).
1 Peter 1:10. 1 Cor 10:1. The Old Testament was written for us, the New Testament believer, that we might be strong and successful in Him, in those times.
35 He teaches my hands to make war,
So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
36 “You have also given me the shield of Your salvation;
Your gentleness has made me great.
37 You enlarged my path under me;
So my feet did not slip.
38 “I have pursued my enemies and destroyed them;
Neither did I turn back again till they were destroyed.
39 And I have destroyed them and wounded them,
So that they could not rise;
They have fallen under my feet.
40 For You have armed me with strength for the battle;
You have subdued under me those who rose against me.
41 You have also given me the necks of my enemies,
So that I destroyed those who hated me.
KThey looked, but there was none to save;
Even to the Lord, but He did not answer them.
43 Then I beat them as fine as the dust of the earth;
I trod them like dirt in the streets,
And I spread them out.
44 “You have also delivered me from the strivings of my people;
You have kept me as the head of the nations.
A people I have not known shall serve me.
45 The foreigners submit to me;
As soon as they hear, they obey me.
46 The foreigners fade away,
And come frightened from their hideouts.
PURPOSE 10 – yet more praise.
47 “The Lord lives!
Blessed be my Rock!
Let God be exalted,
The Rock of my salvation!
48 It is God who avenges me,
And subdues the peoples under me;
49 He delivers me from my enemies.
You also lift me up above those who rise against me;
You have delivered me from the violent man.
(This confirms and supports Psalm 67 – the saints praise, the Lord blesses, the people tremble).
50 Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the Gentiles,
And sing praises to Your name.
51 He is the tower of salvation to His king,
And shows mercy to His anointed,
To David and his descendants forevermore.”
(The conclusion includes the eternal date-stamp. This show-of-mercy is an always/forever heritage for all who’ve come into the family of faith, for all generations. That would be us. Praise the Lord!).
The glory of our great God comes into this fallen world through the gates of His saints (Ps 24). Our successful lives, in Him, is the presentation and demonstration of hope and mercy to a lost and dying world.
Your giants are for His glory.
Want some more proof?
Earlier, God had created Goliath for David.
All scripture NKJV
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