Giants

"Then Joshua came at that time and cut off the Anakim from the hill country, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab and from all the hill country of Judah and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities. There were no Anakim left in the land of the sons of Israel; only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod some remained." -Joshua 11.21-22

I remember the first time I read Numbers 14 where it talks about the descendants of Anak. They are described as large and strong, and when I first thought of this my mind went to Goliath. I wondered if the giant David killed was related in some way. Here in Joshua 11 we find the answer. Joshua leads a campaign to take the hill country from the Anakim and he destroys them. The text says that there are none left in Israel, only in Gaza in Gath. Jump ahead to 1 Samuel 17.4 "Then a champion came out from the armies of the Philistines named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span." Goliath was a descendant of the Anakim who would rise to torment Israel in the future.

The question then rises could Goliath have been prevented. What if Joshua had marched on Gaza, destroyed Gath, and wiped out the Anakim? Israel may have avoided Philistine oppression, but then there wouldn't have been a need for the champion David. Does God leave giants for others to fight, or does He raise up champions to fight those we leave alive? I think the answer is yes.

There are "Goliaths" that we are to take on, and some that we aren't. Our individual gifts, passions, and experiences, equip us to take on certain giants, but not others. There are giants we are never meant to take on, but God will raise up a champion to slay those giants. Joshua's giants lived in the hill country from Judah to Israel, and those giants he utterly destroyed. David's giant came from Gath, and he killed him with his own sword.

Men, what is your giant? What makes you righteously angry? What causes oppression that you must fight against? Are you fighting your giant or someone elses?

Let us be men who courageously fight and slay the giants.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor