When I was a young boy, the story of David and Goliath thrilled and inspired me. It still does. I practically wore out a 78rpm record that belonged to my dad, listening to the English actor, Claude Rains, tell how a simple shepherd boy who believed in God was able to do what none of King Saul’s soldiers could do.
Don KirklandIt was an insulted giant who confronted David, who was armed with nothing more than a sling shot and a sack full of stones. “Am I a dog,” Goliath roared, “that you come against me with a stick?”
David was not intimidated. “I come against you in the name of the Lord of hosts, God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Your sword and your spear and your shield will not save you, Goliath, for this day you shall learn that the Lord fights on the side of right.”
And you know the rest of that story. Now, fast-forward to a grownup David, now the king himself, who has seen more of life and has not always lived it well. “Once when the Philistines were at war with Israel,” we learn in 2 Samuel, “and David and his men were in the thick of the battle, David became weak and exhausted. Ishbi-benob, a giant whose speartip weighed more than twelve pounds and who was sporting a new suit of armor, closed in on David and was about to kill him. But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his rescue and killed the Philistine.”
On pages 10 and 11, this issue of the Courier tells of the efforts of a church in south Georgia to reach people for Jesus by way of a movie, Facing the Giants. According to Joe Westbury’s article, the gist of the film is this: “Never give up, never back down, never lose faith.” It is hoped that Facing the Giants will find acceptance among the Christian community while also attracting non-believers by its story line and the quality of its production.
We already know a thing or two about facing the “giants” in our lives. You probably can quickly identify several of them with which you daily do battle, at times winning and at other times losing the fight.
The story of David and Ishbi-benob teaches valuable lessons. We face “giants” many times over. They just keep coming back. Worse, we are not always strong as the battle ensues, and so we often must rely on help from those who are stronger. It is an essential truth for Christians to learn and remember: We need each other.
As a relative of Goliath closed in on a weary, defenseless David, Abishai saw the plight of the king viewed by his men as the “light of Israel” and rushed to his side, saving the day as well as David’s life.
Today as then, the need for an Abishai is vital to the defense of believers whose spirits, and perhaps lives, are endangered by the onslaught of giants, which may take many different forms. When we are weak and weary, we need an Abishai in our lives. And when we are strong, we should be one to others.