Someone has your Back

Someone Has Your Back

II Samuel 21: 15-22

Once again the Philistines were at war with Israel. And when David and his men were in the thick of battle, David became weak and exhausted. Ishbi-benob was a descendant of the giants; his bronze spearhead weighed more that seven pounds, and he was armed with a new sword. He had cornered David and was about to kill him. But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David’s rescue and killed the Philistine. Then David’s men declared, “You are not going out to battle with us again! Why risk snuffing out the light of Israel?” After this there was another battle against the Philistines at Gob. As they fought, Sibbecai from Hushah killed Saph, another descendant of the giants.  During another battle at Gob, Elhanan son of Jair from Bethlehem killed the brother of Goliath of Gath. The handle of his spear was as thick as a weaver’s beam!  In another battle with the Philistines at Gath, they encountered a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in all, who was also a descendant of the giants. But when he defied and taunted Israel, he was killed by Jonathan, the son of David’s brother Shimea. These four Philistines were descendants of the giants of Gath, but David and his warriors killed them.

Ok, I can feel the eye rolls right now. I just sense as I’m writing this that you are like “Let me get my cup of coffee first.” I know, it is a bit of a weird text to pick, but I’ve told you, I like the weird ones. Actually this story is awesome, but it is a bit like sitting down to an episode of a great TV series. There’s a lot of background, if you don’t know, you wont get what you’re watching, no matter how good the scene is. You need someone to push pause on the remote and give you a quick catch up. Let me give you the quick catch up. Trust me. This one IS a gem.

You know that when God promised Abraham to make him a great nation, he also promised him land, specifically the land of Canaan. And years later, when Israel got to near the promised land, God told Moses to send some men to scout out the land He had promised them. They came back with a report that the land was flowing with milk and honey, but they were completely against taking the land, because the land  was filled with giants. They saw no way that they could overcome the people who possessed that land.  All except one man—Joshua, who said lets go in and take the land God has promised us.  God was so disgusted with His people for not believing He could help them take the land, He let that entire generation die off before taking their descendants into the land, with Joshua as their leader.

But Israel wasn’t completely obedient you see even then. They didn’t destroy all of the inhabitants as God commanded. They didn’t destroy all their enemies, and in fact learned their ways of idol worship, which was the whole reason God wanted those people destroyed. The end result, was that years later, even after Israel had established herself as a kingdom, they were still plagued with some of these groups of people who had been a thorn in their side from the day they entered the promised land. And the very group of people, the most daunting enemy they faced were these descendants of the giants. Are you starting to see the picture here?

But it gets better. Remember that David was not the first king of Israel. Saul was. And during the reign of Saul when David was still a teenager guarding his dad’s sheep he went out to check on his brothers and saw the battle raging with the Philistines, and heard their champion fighter Goliath raging against Israel and her God. Without hesitation, while the rest of the army of Israel quaked in their boots at the sight and sound of this fearsome warrior, just one man stood up and said, “I will go.” Sound familiar? And that day God used that small shepherd boy David who stood before Goliath and said: You come at me with sword, spear and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you….and everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues His people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!” (I Samuel 17: 45-47) (NLT)

Can you imagine that scene? Goliath thought it was some kind of a joke that the army of Israel would send out as their champion this small shepherd boy to fight. And David didn’t even go out there with armor on. It wasn’t what he was used to. He used a slingshot and a handful of stones. And it only took one stone, and it hit Goliath right between the eyes. This legendary warrior went down with one small shot. But David overcame that day because God had prepared him. He had given him the battles with the bear and the lion, to give him the confidence that day to know that God was always with him, and that’s what mattered.

Now fast forward a few decades. David is now on the throne of Israel, and finishing the job that Joshua started, of taking the land of Canaan for God’s people. David is once again fighting the Philistines, which includes these annoying giants. They know who David is and they haven’t forgotten what he did. They have it in for him. But David isn’t in a good place. Things have happened. He’s undergone two rebellions to take his throne and two of his sons have just died. He is not himself. But there is still work to be done. The battle never ends, even when he’s too tired to fight. 

It’s really an amazing scene. This is the guy that we have seen is larger than life. He can do anything. He has been God’s man. He is still God’s man. But today, for this battle, he doesn’t have it. He is not on his game, and he is about to get killed. But someone has his back. God may have let David win the battle with Goliath without an army backing him. But….God’s army was there. And on this day, when this bad-to-the-bone group of giants show up, they want one thing: David dead! But even on David’s worst day, at his weakest moment, in the worst situation possible, God has him covered. He knew that that day, David needed community. He didn’t need to be a lone ranger. God never needed him to be, but I’m sure at times because of his incredible calling, he must have felt that way. The reality was though, God always had his back.

I imagine that many of you women reading this are fearsome women. You can bring it. You know how to get the job done, and you are force to be reckoned with. But I have news for you. Good news. God has your back. He knows when and how to surround you with help, when you don’t even see what’s coming.  So when you reach that place, and those moments where you realize you just can’t do it—that’s ok. God has given you community. He’s given you who and what you need for this day, and this fight, no matter how weary you are, He has your back. Rest in Him. Rest in His provision. The battle will be won because it’s His battle. He knows what you need even before you ask for it, and He will provide you help from on high.

One of my favorite verse of Scripture comes from Deuteronomy 33: 26. It says:

           

There is none like the God of Jeshurun,

who rides the heavens to your help, and

            Through the skies in His majesty.

The eternal God is a dwelling place,

            And underneath are the everlasting arms.  (NASB)

Oh friend, today, do you know those everlasting arms? Rest in Him. Rest in His arms. He is able. No matter how weary you are, no matter how fearsome your enemy or your battle, He has you. You are His. You are safe. His nearness is your protection.

Oh God of Jeshurun, how grateful I am that today, I am yours. You know the battle I face more than I do. Give me eyes to see all the ways that have gone before me. All the ways that you have my back and take care of me when I am weary. I confess, I am weary. I need you today Lord. Live your life in me. Teach me what it is to glory in my weakness, because when I am weak, you are strong. Help me to know that I don’t have fight every battle. That you mean me to be in community, and to trust other people to show up for me.  Bring me today Lord the help that I need. Surround me with your provision. Thank you for all that you have given me in yourself. I rest in you. I rest in you, O Savior. In Jesus name, who is my refuge, Amen.