1 Chronicles 20:1-8: a reflection

1At the time of the return of the year, at the time when kings go out, Joab led out the army and wasted the country of the children of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem. Joab struck Rabbah, and overthrew it. 2David took the crown of their king from off his head, and found it to weigh a talent of gold, and there were precious stones in it. It was set on David’s head, and he brought very much plunder out of the city. 3He brought out the people who were in it, and had them cut with saws, with iron picks, and with axes. David did so to all the cities of the children of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem. 4After this, war arose at Gezer with the Philistines. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Sippai, of the sons of the giant; and they were subdued. 5Again there was war with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. 6There was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had twenty-four fingers and toes, six on each hand and six on each foot; and he also was born to the giant. 7When he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea, David’s brother, killed him. 8These were born to the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.

This passage records a series of battles in which the descendants of the giants, the fearsome warriors of great stature like Goliath, are struck down. But notice who strikes them: not David alone, but his various men, Sibbecai, Elhanan, Jonathan the son of Shimea. The giants who had once seemed unbeatable, whose very size spread terror, fall one after another, and they fall by the hands of ordinary soldiers in David's army, not only by the famous champion.

Notice that the giants are defeated by ordinary hands. Goliath had once seemed unbeatable, and his kin were warriors of great size and strength; yet here they are struck down not by a single hero but by various men of David's army, each facing and felling a giant of his own. The giants that terrified a nation prove not invincible after all; they fall, and God uses ordinary people to bring them down.

That is an encouragement for the giants we face. There are obstacles and enemies in our own lives that seem like giants, too large, too strong, to be overcome, that spread fear by their very size. But the giants in these battles fell, and they fell by ordinary hands, in the strength God gave. Whatever giant you face, do not assume it is unbeatable because of its size. God brings down giants, and he often does it through ordinary people trusting him, not only through heroes. Face your giant in the strength God gives, and remember that giants fall; the God who felled these can bring down what looms over you, and can use even ordinary you to do it.

Lord, in these battles the fearsome descendants of the giants were struck down, not by David alone, but by ordinary men of his army, each facing a giant of his own. Encourage me with that when I face my own giants. There are obstacles and enemies in my life that seem too large, too strong, to overcome, that spread fear by their very size. But the giants in these battles fell, and they fell by ordinary hands, in the strength you gave. Whatever giant I face, keep me from assuming it is unbeatable because of its size. You bring down giants, and you often do it through ordinary people trusting you, not only through heroes. Help me face my giant in the strength you give, and remember that giants fall. You who felled these can bring down what looms over me, and can use even ordinary me to do it. My confidence is in you.