The Last Of The Giants

HoHum:

Veteran’s Day- Be thankful of our veterans and we, who did not serve, need to honor those who did. As we look out, most here are seasoned with time. I love the account of the reunion of Pickett’s charge at Gettysburg in July 1913, 50 years after the battle, as recounted in Ken Burns’ documentary on the Civil War: “As the rebel yell rang out and the old Confederates started forward again across those fields; a moan, a gigantic gasp of disbelief arose from the Union men on Cemetery Ridge. It was then, one onlooker said, that the Yankees, unable to restrain themselves any longer, burst from behind the stone wall and flung themselves on their former enemies, not in mortal combat, but embracing them in brotherly love and affection.” “He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war any more.” Isaiah 2:4, NIV.

WBTU:

Read 2 Samuel 21:15-22

These 4 giants were connected to Goliath (one even had the name Goliath) in some way, either by family connections or from the same tribe of Rapha (giants) as the original Goliath. David slew the original Goliath in 1 Samuel 17 with a stone from his sling. Some say that David took 5 stones from the brook because he needed all 5 of them to take down this tribe of giants. If so, he needed to give them to his men because he did not take down the other 4.

Want to focus on the first of those 4 from vs. 15-17. At this time, David sat firmly on the throne. Another battle broke out on the Philistine front, and the old warrior buckled on his sword and, as usual, headed for the action. By this time David was more than 60 years old. He had run out of gas. The old stamina stalled and his reflexes failed. Spotting David in is exhausted state, this cousin of Goliath seized the moment. The Philistine would have killed David had not Abishai come to the old man’s rescue. How could it be? Where is David the warrior? Is this David, son of Jesse, who felled Goliath? Is this the man of whom they sang, “Saul had slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands”? In his prime David had been no ordinary fighting man. He terrorized the countryside. Around him were 600 crack troops, led by 30 mighty men, each with the strength of a hundred men. All of them bowed to David because he was their superior. Is this David tired? Does this warrior need help in a fight? Hard to know who lead the conversation but in vs. 17 they say... How does an old warrior feel at such a time? A glance in the mirror confirmed it. No young redheaded warrior stared back from David’s looking glass

General Douglas MacArthur said, “Old soldiers never die, they just fade away.”

Thesis: Need 4 things to defeat the enemy giants

For instances:

1. Need to recognize that we have giants

“Flee the evil desires of youth” 2 Timothy 2:22, NIV. No longer young so have no giants

Some have slain the giant of addiction and this is wonderful. Don’t forget that there will be more giants to slay. Some have slain the giant of lust, but there are more battles to be won! Evil never takes a day off and when we think we have something licked, something else pops up. Starts to feel like whack a mole. Different seasons of life so David adjusted. “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:5, 6, NIV. When we start to get seasoned with time, we might get apathetic. Nothing will change so why try? When little David first saw Goliath in 1 Samuel 17:29 in KJV he asked, “Is there not a cause?” The “cause” here was to defend Israel and the honor of Israel’s God and to defeat the Philistines. The “cause” was clear to David and he could not understand why no one else knew it or saw it as he did. We need to keep the cause before us. What is our cause? Our cause is to glorify the Son of God through the preaching of Jesus’ gospel message. He is glorified when His plan for saving men is made known and obeyed. He is glorified when sin is exposed for what it is. He is glorified when people are evangelized and saved by His blood. He is glorified when the saved are taught God’s Word. He is glorified by lives lived faithfully to the end. Much of this is politically incorrect in our day and so much of the church acts like King Saul’s army. Preaching the doctrines of hell and sin is discouraged. To promote the “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” is divisive and repugnant. There is no Biblical cause in some circles. So the army of God goes in circles getting nowhere. Lives are not changed; souls are not saved; and congregations don’t grow. David cared enough to confront and fight. Isaiah 46:4 says, “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.