{"id":905,"date":"2017-04-30T09:01:50","date_gmt":"2017-04-30T16:01:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ez3728.com\/?p=905"},"modified":"2017-04-30T15:07:09","modified_gmt":"2017-04-30T22:07:09","slug":"your-giants-are-for-his-glory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ez3728.com\/?p=905","title":{"rendered":"Your giants are for His glory"},"content":{"rendered":"

2 Samuel 21<\/strong>
\n18 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.
\n19 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.
\n20 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.
\n21 So when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea, David’s brother, killed him.
\n22 These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.<\/em><\/p>\n

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: ___________________.<\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

2 Sam offers a robust revelation of “why giants”.<\/p>\n

2 Samuel 22<\/em><\/strong>
\nDavid is victorious, and he purposes to not simply move forward, but to stop and give thanks. That would be EXAMPLE AND PURPOSE #1.
\n1 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. <\/p>\n

2 And he said: \u201cThe Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
\n3 The God of my strength, in whom I will trust;
\nMy shield and the horn of my salvation,
\nMy stronghold and my refuge;
\nMy Savior, You save me from violence.<\/em><\/p>\n

PURPOSE 2: Faith in God’s faithfulness has David committing to call upon God again, when the next giant in his life shows up.<\/p>\n

4 I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised;
\nSo shall I be saved from my enemies.<\/em><\/p>\n

PURPOSE 3: The testimonial recount. Good for him. Good for us.
\n5 \u201cWhen the waves of death surrounded me,
\nThe floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
\n6 The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me;
\nThe snares of death confronted me.<\/em><\/p>\n

PURPOSE 4: The example of HOW he called to God – including audibly with his voice.
\n7 In my distress I called upon the Lord,
\nAnd cried out to my God;
\nHe heard my voice from His temple,
\nAnd my cry entered His ears.<\/em><\/p>\n

PURPOSE 5: He is a God of response.
\nNote 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.<\/p>\n

8 \u201cThen the earth shook and trembled;
\nThe foundations of heaven quaked and were shaken,
\nBecause He was angry.
\n9 Smoke went up from His nostrils,
\nAnd devouring fire from His mouth;
\nCoals were kindled by it.
\n10 He bowed the heavens also, and came down
\nWith darkness under His feet.
\n11 He rode upon a cherub, and flew;
\nAnd He was seen upon the wings of the wind.
\n12 He made darkness canopies around Him,
\nDark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
\n13 From the brightness before Him
\nCoals of fire were kindled.<\/em>
\n14 \u201cThe Lord thundered from heaven,
\nAnd the Most High uttered His voice.
\n15 He sent out arrows and scattered them;
\nLightning bolts, and He vanquished them.
\n16 Then the channels of the sea were seen,
\nThe foundations of the world were uncovered,
\nAt the rebuke of the Lord,
\nAt the blast of the breath of His nostrils.
\n17 \u201cHe sent from above, He took me,
\nHe drew me out of many waters.<\/em><\/p>\n

PURPOSE 6: To God be the glory.
\n18 He delivered me from my strong enemy,
\nFrom those who hated me;
\nFor they were too strong for me.<\/em>
\n(David recognized his limitations. Giants help us do that).<\/p>\n

19 They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
\nBut the Lord was my support.
\n20 He also brought me out into a broad place;
\nHe delivered me because He delighted in me.<\/em>
\n(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). <\/p>\n

Consider this “formula for success” in Psalm 50, well-confirmed in this study:
\nPsalm 50<\/strong>
\n14 Offer to God thanksgiving,
\nAnd pay your vows to the Most High.
\n15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
\nI will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Back to 2 Samuel 22
\n21 \u201cThe Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness;
\nAccording to the cleanness of my hands
\nHe has recompensed me.
\n22 For I have kept the ways of the Lord,
\nAnd have not wickedly departed from my God.
\n23 For all His judgments were before me;
\nAnd as for His statutes, I did not depart from them.
\n24 I was also blameless before Him,
\nAnd I kept myself from my iniquity.<\/em><\/p>\n

(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). <\/p>\n

25 Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness,
\nAccording to my cleanness in His eyes.<\/em><\/p>\n

PURPOSE 7: we’re presented a glorious revelation as to how the Lord deals with mankind – often in like manner to our own ways.
\n26 \u201cWith the merciful You will show Yourself merciful;
\nWith a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless;
\n27 With the pure You will show Yourself pure;
\nAnd with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd.
\n(Note the Lord is never devious in return, but He’s always smarter than the devious). <\/p>\n

28 You will save the humble people;
\nBut Your eyes are on the haughty, that You may bring them down.<\/em><\/p>\n

PURPOSE 8: praise and faith arise.
\n29 \u201cFor You are my lamp, O Lord;
\nThe Lord shall enlighten my darkness.
\n30 For by You I can run against a troop;
\nBy my God I can leap over a wall.
\n31 As for God, His way is perfect;
\nThe word of the Lord is proven;
\nHe is a shield to all who trust in Him.
\n32 \u201cFor who is God, except the Lord?
\nAnd who is a rock, except our God?
\n33 God is my strength and power,
\nAnd He makes my way perfect.
\n34 He makes my feet like the feet of deer,
\nAnd sets me on my high places.<\/em><\/p>\n

BINGO. PURPOSE 9.
\nHe’s always and at all times training and raising up an army. Read Psalm 110. They’re volunteers in the day of His power.
\nInterestingly, 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). <\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

35 He teaches my hands to make war,
\nSo that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
\n36 \u201cYou have also given me the shield of Your salvation;
\nYour gentleness has made me great.
\n37 You enlarged my path under me;
\nSo my feet did not slip.
\n38 \u201cI have pursued my enemies and destroyed them;
\nNeither did I turn back again till they were destroyed.
\n39 And I have destroyed them and wounded them,
\nSo that they could not rise;
\nThey have fallen under my feet.
\n40 For You have armed me with strength for the battle;
\nYou have subdued under me those who rose against me.
\n41 You have also given me the necks of my enemies,
\nSo that I destroyed those who hated me.<\/em>
\nKThey looked, but there was none to save;
\nEven to the Lord, but He did not answer them.
\n43 Then I beat them as fine as the dust of the earth;
\nI trod them like dirt in the streets,
\nAnd I spread them out.
\n44 \u201cYou have also delivered me from the strivings of my people;
\nYou have kept me as the head of the nations.
\nA people I have not known shall serve me.
\n45 The foreigners submit to me;
\nAs soon as they hear, they obey me.
\n46 The foreigners fade away,
\nAnd come frightened from their hideouts.<\/em><\/p>\n

PURPOSE 10 – yet more praise.
\n47 \u201cThe Lord lives!
\nBlessed be my Rock!
\nLet God be exalted,
\nThe Rock of my salvation!
\n48 It is God who avenges me,
\nAnd subdues the peoples under me;
\n49 He delivers me from my enemies.
\nYou also lift me up above those who rise against me;
\nYou have delivered me from the violent man.<\/em><\/p>\n

(This confirms and supports Psalm 67 – the saints praise, the Lord blesses, the people tremble).<\/p>\n

50<\/em> Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the Gentiles,
\nAnd sing praises to Your name.
\n51 He is the tower of salvation to His king,
\nAnd shows mercy to His anointed,
\nTo David and his descendants forevermore<\/em>.\u201d
\n(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!).<\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

Your giants are for His glory.
\nWant some more proof?
\nEarlier, God had created Goliath for David.<\/p>\n

All scripture NKJV<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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 … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,1,48,14,43,30,31,34],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-905","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-end-times-related","category-uncategorized","category-faith","category-holiness","category-rightousness","category-suffering","category-testing","category-understanding-and-knowing-god"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ez3728.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/905","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ez3728.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ez3728.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ez3728.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ez3728.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=905"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/ez3728.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/905\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":909,"href":"https:\/\/ez3728.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/905\/revisions\/909"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ez3728.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=905"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ez3728.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=905"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ez3728.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=905"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}