| Giant Slayers |
| Written by Beverley Molineaux | |
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Giant Slayers THE GIANT 1 SAMUEL 17:4-7 A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. 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 wanted one man from the whole army to come and fight him. The Israelite army could have defied the Philistines they had God on their side but they seem to have forgotten this in their terror. They were listening to the deal that the enemy was setting them. Giants are always BIG! They always talk loud and with impressive words too! They know which buttons to press to evoke fear and they do not do it just once but over and over again! In fact Goliath did this for40days! THE ARMY Everyday the armies both took their positions and they did the same thing on the day David was taking food to his brothers. The army was taking its position as he arrived and in fact they were letting out a war cry! To David’s eyes they were about to go into battle he even went to the battle line to greet his brothers. David was speaking to them when Goliath repeated yet again what he had said for the past 40 days. Then they all did what any great army does RAN! In fear they legged it! SAUL Saul had already offered his troops and incentive to fight Goliath. In fact that’swhat they were all talking about when David arrived. Great wealth, his daughters hand in marriage and he will exempt his father from taxes in Israel! WOW! I am afraid that their fear by now was so deep set that no incentive would have moved any of them to that fight. David wants to know the reward, and he has already decided who and what Goliath is. An uncircumcised Philistine who is defying the army of God himself! How dare he? ELIAB David’s brother Eliab,shows him disdain, "you small time shepherd, what are you doing here in a real man’s world? You are a wicked and bigheaded to boot! Who do you think you are?You only came to watch you take part? AHHHH!" The battles in our own lives can be made worse by those we more often than not think are for us. DAVID THE GIANTSLAYER David only gives a quick brotherly retort then turns away. When there was no sense to be had from that source he speaks to someone else! V32"Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine, your servant will go and fight him". Saul tells David why he cannot do it; this giant is way to big for you! States the obvious, you are a boy, he is a man, (a very big one at that!) You have never fought; he has been doing it for a very long time. David quickly gives Saul his resume, and it very impressive. He has fought the lion and the bear barehanded WOW! V36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defiled the armies of the living God". We have victory in every battle; David learned how to fight in his place of employment. He new that God was on his side in everything. This was a battle prepared through his life and it is the same for every one of us. THE ARMOUR Saul wanted to help and so he gave him the armour that he should have worn to defeat the giant Goliath. That was not the right armour for David. He could not use them because he was not used to them. We need to see that we have to prepare our own armour in life. We have to be ready. It is in our unprepared ness that the enemy will always attack! THEWEAPON David approached Goliath with the weapons that were ready for him to use. He was skilled with the slingshot. Goliath made his first mistake of many that day. He looked David over and despised him. The enemy makes that mistake with each of us everyday. Goliath used big frightening words to scare David off his course. He also challenged God and used his own gods to curse David. PROVERBS26:2 Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow an undeserved curse does not come to rest. David new what he was about to do though and the words he used were to exalt his God. THE NAME OF THE LORD! 1 SAMUEL 17:45-47 David said to the Philistine, "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." THE BATTLE IS THE LORD’S. We have complete victory over all of our enemies Goliath got nearer David ran towards him, he was not afraid; he was there to do battle and to finish off Goliath quickly. The final irony was that David killed him by chopping off his head with his own sword. Although this is a great story I want us to look at what this means to our lives today? Three keys 1.To be a great giant slayer, we need the Lord in our lives just like David. Samuel anointed David and he was filled with the Spirit from that day.16v13. 2.We need to be secure and at peace in ourselves so that we can soothe others. (David helped Saul when he was troubled). 3.We need to be obedient to God our Father in the same way that David was obedient to his earthly father and did what he asked him to do. All good choices come from acts of obedience! 1 SAMUEL 15:22 But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD?To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. David had his giant and he had a name. It is very unlikely that we will come up against a flesh and blood Goliath! (Even though it may sometimes feel that way). The problem for each of us is that our giants do not often have names. (Although it may be a person). Being a good Christian we cannot kill that person! Our battle is in our mind ROMANS8 5–8 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile toGod. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. Mind Greek - Phronema And means mental inclination or purpose, either carnally or spiritually minded. Joyce Meyer speaks of this in this way "I want, I think, Ifeel". Our battle is not against flesh and blood! EPH 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Emotion- any strong feeling as of joy, sorrow or fear. Latin rootword emovere ‘to disturb’. Collins dictionary The devil uses our emotions to disturb us, to keep us unsettled. "Emotions are our Number 1 enemy!" Watchman Nee "When emotions come to the fore our minds become deceived, then conscience is denied its normal standard of judgement" Watchman Nee
We have to ask ourselves "Can we trust our emotions"?
EPH4:25-27 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. "In your anger do not sin" : Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. We soon find that the foothold can become a stronghold Somepeople are big on following their feelings. They don’t feel like going to church! Etc HEBREWS 10:25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching. The Bible speaks about three types of man: Natural- Unsaved, unregenerate, (do not know God,yet) Spiritual- born again, saved and regenerated, peaceful man, does what he needs to do to walk in peace with all those around. Shows integrity and commitment to those around, displays the fruit of the Spirit. (David exhibited these qualities) Carnal- born again BUT! We need to declare war on carnality Carnal-relating to the appetites and passions of the body, sensual, fleshly. From the Latin Caro- flesh. HEBREWS7:23-25 Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Complete/uttermost Panteles- entire, from root word…. Telos-to set out for a definite point or goal, the conclusion of an act. Ending finally. Are there any giant slayers out there ready to do battle with their feelings and emotions?
©Beverley Molineaux 2004 |