Romans: Law, Obedience, and Sanctification: Walking With God

Killing Giants - Part 1 of 2

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: New Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2015-08-11

Synopsis: In this sermon, Pastor John Weaver introduces the topic of 'Killing Giants' by examining the account of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17. He argues that God providentially allows believers to face spiritual giants—such as despair, apathy, unbelief, family troubles, sickness, and financial burdens—for their good and His glory. Using David's righteous anger and faith as a model, Weaver emphasizes that failing to fight these giants results in becoming their servant, as taught in Romans 6:16. The sermon concludes with applications to face giants with faith rather than fear, trusting in God's sovereign purpose.

[John Weaver] All right, let's open our Bible's day to 1st Samuel chapter 17. 1st Samuel chapter 17. And let me just begin by telling you this message is going to be in two parts. The bulk of the message will be next Sunday, since it's going to take a good bit of time for me to give the introduction as well as just cover one point today. So let's read 1st Samuel chapter 17, verses 1 through 16. The title of the message is Killing Giants, or Goliath and his brothers. Notice 1 Samuel 17 verse 1.

[John Weaver] Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shechau, which belonged to Judah, and pitched between Shechau and Azekah in Ephesus, and Saul and his men of Israel were gathered together and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines. And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, and there was a valley between them. And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

[John Weaver] And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was 5,000 shekels of brass. And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders. And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron, and one bearing a shield went before him.

[John Weaver] And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are you come out to set your back? I am not I of Philistine, and you servants to Saul. Choose you a man out for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me and to kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us. And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day. Give me a man that we may fight. When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.

[John Weaver] And David was a son of that Ephraimite of Bethlehem Judah, whose name was Jesse. And he had eight sons. And the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul. And the three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle. And the names of the three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, next unto him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. And David was the youngest, and the three eldest followed Saul. But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem. And the Philistine drew near morning and evening and presented himself forty days. Then Jesse said unto David his son, take now for thy brethren ephah of this parched corn, and ten loaves, and run to the camp of thy brethren, and carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge."

[John Weaver] So the title of the message, as I mentioned, is Killing Giants. Everyone in this room knows that David is known as the giant killer. However, David is certainly not the only one that killed giants in the Bible. You will see before we end next week that A number of individuals faced and killed giants as well. When you and I hear the word giant, or we hear the word giants, we always think of huge, strong and burly men. And I suppose it's only natural for us to do so.

[John Weaver] I remember years ago when our oldest daughter was probably about four, she may have been five, but probably closer to four. She made an astonishing assessment. One of my college professors who also happened to be a very good friend of mine at the time was Dr. Fred Athman. And he used to ride with us to Spartanburg, South Carolina every Sunday morning because we both preached there and he would just ride with me and I would drop him off and someone would pick him up and he would go to his church and then I would go to the church that I was preaching in. And Dr. Athman was six foot six and a half. And I never will forget, Wendy was sitting in the back seat with Alice, and I let Dr. Athman out, and he unfolded himself and stood up, and then he bent back down to pick up his briefcase, and he shut the door, and Wendy looked at me and she said, Daddy, is that what

[John Weaver] the Bible means when it says there were giants in the earth in those days? I would imagine to a little girl who is about two and a half feet tall, you know, seeing someone six, six and a half, he would indeed appear to be a giant. Well, one must consider the fact that yes, there were giants in the Bible, and I'm going to show you some things momentarily, but there are some that are considered giants that may not really be giants. In fact, they are assumed to be giants due to an unbiblical and an ungodly attitude and assessment.

[John Weaver] I hope you remember that which the children of Israel said concerning the sons of Anak in Numbers chapter 13 in verse 33. Listen to what they said. And there we saw the sons of Anak. We saw the giants, which come of the giants. Listen, and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight. Now I want you to understand, the sons of Anak may have been huge men, they may have been called giants, but what made the sons of Anak appear so great was the Israelites considered themselves so small. They said, we are as grasshoppers in their sight. And then they said, and so we were in their sight, or we were grasshoppers in our sight compared to them, but so in their sight.

[John Weaver] Well, let me ask you this question. How in the world could the children of Israel know how the sons of Anak viewed them? The truth of the matter is they could not. They just simply assumed that the sons of the giants looked upon them the way they looked upon themselves. Unhappily, many times we make giants out of men and giants out of problems due to our lack of faith and our unbiblical attitudes. They're not really giants, and they're not really gigantic. We just simply assume themselves to be, and we fail to exercise faith, and we underestimate the power of God in our lives.

[John Weaver] Now, today I want to begin a message and share with you some truths on killing giants. But you're going to say, but Brother Weaver, hang on. There are not any giants around here to kill. Well, I understand your statement and your objection. However, there are many giants. Do you remember Pilgrim's Progress? Do you remember how Pilgrim and Faithful were thrown into Doubting Castle by Giant Despair? Let me tell you what Charles Haddon Spurgeon said. Listen to this. He said, Great thoughts of your sin alone will lead you to despair. Great thoughts of your sin alone will lead you to despair, but great thoughts of Christ will pilot you into a haven of peace.

[John Weaver] Then he says, the weight of my sin presses down on me like a giant's foot would crush a worm, but oh, it is but a grain of dust to him because that he has borne that sin on the cross. So Spurgeon is saying if I am left to myself, And if all I think about and meditate upon is my sin and my wickedness and my weakness and my helplessness and my hopelessness, it leads nothing more than to despair. But when I understand Christ and His great sacrifice, it then leads me into a haven of peace. So you need to think of all the giants that not only you face, but your brothers face as well. There are spiritual giants that must be faced not only personally, but familially as well. And it's not simply the giant despair that some must face. Well, we must also face giant apathy, giant ignorance, giant unbelief. Many face the giant of an unsaved and unsanctified family. How about the giant of lost children? Children who are not only lost, but in open sin and rebellion against God, and they become a very heartbreaker to their parents.

[John Weaver] How about the giant of sickness and health? And would you not at times consider financial burdens a giant? And I know some at the present time that are facing a giant in just seeking to hold their marriage together or simply trying to rebuild it. And it's seemingly an impossible task when one person wants to do that which is right and holy and the other person could care less.

[John Weaver] The only point I'm trying to make is all of these things can be giants in our lives and they must be dealt with and they must be faced in a biblical manner. So we should consider anything a giant and anything gigantic if it is going to affect us spiritually, personally and in our family lives as well. We have to learn to deal with giants quickly effectively and efficiently. And I want to point out some truths to you on killing giants based upon the Word of God. Now I'm only going to cover one point today and I want you to think about this because this is very, very important. The first point is this. God providentially allows us to face and to fight giants. Now let me Define for you the word providentially the way I'm using it When I say that God providentially allows us to face and fight Giants Here's what I want you to think of God providentially for our good and his glory allows us to face and fight Giants And of course everyone knows

[John Weaver] that David fought Goliath Goliath was a champion warrior and a champion fighter He was not just any soldier. He was not even just a regular soldier. Goliath was absolutely special. And when I say that, remember he had terrorized the entire army of Israel for 40 days. He challenged them. He mocked them. He ridiculed them. In fact, go back and look in 1 Samuel chapter 17 and let's begin reading there verse 4. And I want you to pay attention to Goliath now. And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

[John Weaver] And he had a helmet of brass upon his head. And he was armed with a coat of mail. And the weight of the coat of mail was 5,000 shekels of brass. And he had greaves of brass upon his legs and a target of brass between his shoulders. And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam. And his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron, and one bearing a shield went before him. Watch.

[John Weaver] And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are you come out to set your battle in array? Am not I a Philistine, and you servants of Saul? Choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him, and kill him, then you shall be our servants, and serve us. And the Philistines said, I defy the armies of Israel this day, give me a man that we may fight."

[John Weaver] Now, the truth of the matter is, Goliath was special. You say, how special was he? Well, consider the fact that he was six cubits and a span tall. If the cubit, the length from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger is about one and one half feet, and the span was usually considered the distance from the thumb to the tip of the middle finger or from the thumb to the little finger all spread out.

[John Weaver] So you're talking about an additional 6 inches. So Goliath then would be approximately 9 feet and 9 inches tall. 9 feet and 9 inches tall. And compared to Og of Bashan, he was probably a little man. Let me show you what I mean. Look back in your Bible, whole 1 Samuel 17, but look in Deuteronomy 3 and verse 11. Deuteronomy 3, verse 11. Here we're going to read about Og, the king of Bashan. Deuteronomy 3, verse 11. And listen to what the Bible says. Now remember that Goliath was nine feet and nine inches tall. Notice in Deuteronomy 3 verse 11, For only Og, king of Bashan, remained of the remnant of the giants.

[John Weaver] Behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron. Is it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon? Nine cubits was the length thereof, and four cubits the breadth thereof, after the cubit of a man. So Og's bed would have been 12 feet 6 inches long and 6 feet wide. That's a big bed. And it had to hold a very big man. So Goliath then was 9 feet 9 inches tall.

[John Weaver] He was not only huge, he was also strong. I want you to look in verse 5. The Bible said he had a helmet of brass upon his head and he was armed with a coat of mail. The weight of the coat was 5,000 shekels of brass. Now this is just the coat of mail. The coat of mail weighing 5,000 shekels of brass would be equivalent to 157 pounds. Now the 157 pounds did not count the greaves of brass on his shoulders, didn't count his helmet. I just roughly estimated this in my mind as I was studying.

[John Weaver] I'm going to give you a quote. I already knew that Goliath would be walking around with better than 200 pounds of armor on him. But when you consider that his spearhead was 600 shekels, The spearhead alone, the spearhead, not the spear, the spearhead alone would be 18 pounds and 12 ounces. John Gill, in his commentary, says this concerning Goliath. Listen. He writes, it is conjectured that in proportion to the stature of Goliath, his spear must be 26 feet long. since Hector's and Homer's was 11 cubits or 16 and a half feet long. The whole spear, that is Goliath's spear, the whole spear is supposed to weigh 37 pounds and a half, and the whole of this man's armor is thought to weigh 272 pounds 13 ounces.

[John Weaver] And one bearing a shield went before him, which, when engaged in battle, he held in his own hand and his sword in the other, The former, the shield, was reckoned at 30 pounds and the sword at 4 pounds 1 ounce. Though one would think that he had no occasion for a shield being so well covered with armor all over, so that carrying of it before him might have been only a matter of form and of state. So here's a man that is a giant, 9 feet 9 inches tall. He's not only a giant in height, he is exceedingly strong And he's walking around with 200 to 300 pounds of armor on him. And he's only a giant. He's only strong. He's also proud. He's arrogant and defiant. He also believed that he was absolutely undefeatable.

[John Weaver] His arrogance and his superiority were apparent. He was begging for a fight. Send me a man to fight me. Remember if you would he had a target of brass between his shoulders. He had a bullseye What was he saying? Hit me if you think you can You can't kill me you can't hit me I mean he was so absolutely Assured that he could defeat any soldier of Saul.

[John Weaver] I want you to look in verse 8 Just showing you his arrogance again in verse 8 He stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are you come out to set your battle in array? Am not I Philistine, and you servants of Saul? Choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me." So what is he doing? He is insulting every soldier.

[John Weaver] He asks, Who do you think you're fighting? Who do you think you've come out against? Goliath is absolutely sure that no one wants to fight him. Moreover, he's absolutely sure that if someone does fight him, that that someone is going to lose. Because he's going to be the winner. And look in verse 10. To show you again his arrogance. And the Philistine says, I defy the armies of Israel this day. Give me a man that we may fight together. I defy them. Goliath had absolutely no respect for any of Saul's soldiers. He defied them. He mocked them. He ridiculed them. He assumed that absolutely none of them were his equal.

[John Weaver] By the way, the truth is most of them were really and truly afraid of him. They observed his size. They observed his armament. They observed his arrogance. And Saul's soldiers probably thought, wow, this man is so sure of himself. And he's so sure that he cannot be defeated. Well, maybe he's right. And they were afraid. Look in verse 11. Here it is in verse 11. When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistines, they were dismayed and greatly afraid. Skip down to verse 24. Look at verse 24. And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were sore afraid. Wow! So let's be honest. All of Saul's soldiers were deathly afraid of Goliath.

[John Weaver] None of them leave themselves up to his challenge. Now, I want to show you something. If you would turn back in your Bibles, whole 1 Samuel 17, but turn back in your Bibles to 1 Samuel 9 and look at verse 2. I want you to see something about King Saul. Look what the Bible says about Saul. 1 Samuel 9, verse 2. And he, that is Kish, had a son whose name was Saul.

[John Weaver] A choice young man and a goodly. And there was not among the children of Israel a goodly a person than he. From his shoulders and upwards he was higher than any of the people. So Saul was not a little man himself. Saul had to be six to seven feet tall himself. From the shoulders up he was taller than any of the Israelites. So Saul was not a little man. And yet the Bible tells us that even Saul was afraid of Goliath.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to look back in your Bibles to 1 Samuel 17 and verse 9. Now, here's the kicker. Here's where the rubber meets the road. Look in verse 9. Goliath said, if he be able to fight with me and to kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then shall you be our servants and serve us. Ah, are you listening? Goliath not only must be faced, he not only must be fought, he must be killed for Israel to be free. If Goliath is not killed, then Israel will become the service to the Philistines by default. I want you to understand something. It is true that any of Saul's soldiers could have fought Goliath and lost. But at least we could have said they fought or at least were willing to fight and they went down fighting. But if there is absolutely no attempt to bring Goliath down, then they and we lose automatically. I want you to understand something about the giants in your life And that is this, giving up is not an option.

[John Weaver] Doing nothing is not an option. Failing to fight is not an option. You will either have to kill the giants in your life or they will kill you.

[John Weaver] Now I want you to understand this principle. Look back if you would please at verse 9. And then I want you to turn to Romans chapter 6. Watch verse 9. Goliath said, If He be able to fight with me and to kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against Him and kill Him, then shall you be our servants and serve us. So I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 6 and look at verse 16 and I want you to see this principle very plainly and very clearly enunciated. Look in Romans chapter 6 and verse 16.

[John Weaver] The Apostle Paul makes this exceedingly clear. Romans 6, look in verse 16. Look what he says. Know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are to whom you obey, who are of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness.

[John Weaver] Now let that sink down. Know you not that to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are whom you obey. whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness." So, what Goliath was proposing was this. If you can fight with me and kill me, then we'll all be your servants. But if you can't and I kill whoever you send, then you're going to be our servants.

[John Weaver] And the Apostle Paul makes it plain. that you are the servant, you are the slave to whomever you yield your life and your body to. Let me make it plain. If you do not kill the giant of lust in your life, you will be the servant of lust. If you do not kill the giant of wastefulness, you will be the servant of wastefulness. If you do not kill the giant of covetousness, you will be the servant and the slave of covetousness. If you don't kill the giant of ignorance in your life, you will remain the servant and the slave of ignorance. If you don't kill the giant of bitterness and revenge and anger in your life, then you will be their servants. If you don't kill the giant of division and rebellion, you will never have a united family or a united church. Whatever giant you are facing, you must kill him. Or you're going to be his servant. You're going to be his slave. And that is true in everyone's life. It doesn't matter which giant you are facing.

[John Weaver] He must die. Just like Goliath had to die for Israel to be free. So let me ask you a question. Why is it that in our lives, most often, we do not want to face or fight our giants? Well, the answer is we like to pity ourselves. And we like to wallow in our despair. And we like to think thoughts like this, no one's ever going through what I'm going through. No one's ever suffered what I'm suffering. No one's ever had to face what I'm facing. And all we try to do then is to have a pity party and exempt ourselves from facing and fighting our giants, because we think that somehow that we are unique, that we are special and that we're the only ones that have ever endured whatever we're enduring. and we have to face this alone. You know the truth of the matter is this, we are not unique and we are not alone. The truth of the matter is this, we all face common giants. Some face them, some fight them, some conquer them, while others refuse to face them, and refuse to fight against them, and they become the servants to sin and unrighteousness.

[John Weaver] When I told you that we're not unique, let me explain what I mean by that. 1 Corinthians 10 and verse 13. Listen carefully. Here's what God said. There is no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man. But God is fateful. who will not suffer or allow you to be tempted above that you are able. But will the temptation make a way of escape that you may be able to bear it? Now, listen to me.

[John Weaver] I can pretty well tell you a lot of the battles that Henry is facing without Henry ever telling me. I can tell you the battles that Robert is facing without Robert ever telling me. because I face some of the same common battles. They're common to all of us. Each of us must face the giants in our lives. It's just that simple. And God has said, there's no temptation taking you, but such is common to man. And here's what else He said, but God will not suffer or allow you to be tempted above that you're able. God is not going to put some giant on you that you cannot face and you cannot fight. And He's not going to put some giant on you that you cannot conquer and that you cannot kill. He knows exactly the size and the strength of the giants that you can face. And He's promised that there's always going to be a way of escape that we may be able to bear it. So, do not tell me that you cannot fight.

[John Weaver] Do not tell me, I'm not an experienced warrior. I'm not an experienced soldier. I'm not a martial artist. Well, neither was David. David was a shepherd and a young boy. He had no experience as a soldier. He had no experience as a warrior. Yet he was willing to face and to fight Goliath. I want you to look back in 1 Samuel chapter 17. Look at verse 14. 1 Samuel 17 verse 14. And David was the youngest, and the three eldest followed Saul. So David was the youngest of all of his brothers. Skip down to verse 33. 1 Samuel 17 verse 33. And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth." Now the word youth here is the Hebrew word naar, which literally means a boy, a lad, a youth. And if you'll look in verse 42, verse 42, Goliath said, And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, He disdained him, for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.

[John Weaver] Goliath said, What? You're sending a kid? You're sending a boy out here to fight me? Look in verse 56. Saul says to his men, And the king said, Inquire thou whose son this stripling is. Now the word stripling there refers again to a youth, to a young boy or a lad.

[John Weaver] Now, I'll be honest with you. I do not really know how old David was when he faced Goliath. Everything that I have read said that his age was somewhere between 13 and 17. Just stop and think. Everything that I've read said his age was probably from 13 to 17. I would probably go closer to 16 or 17. But still, 16 or 17 is still a kid. So if David, a youth, a lad, a young man, is willing to face and fight and defeat a giant, it should be a whole lot easier to face and fight and defeat a giant if you're an older, more experienced adult. The problem is, we lack the faith, the determination, and the righteous anger that David possessed.

[John Weaver] Now I want you to look back in 1 Samuel chapter 17. Because the truth is, I'm going to show it to you. David was not fearful. was righteously angered. Look in verse 26, verse Samuel chapter 17. Look what David said. And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God? So Goliath's challenge is now answered by David. Because David is not fearful, David is righteously angered. Do you know what the Bible says in Ephesians 4 and verse 26? Listen to this.

[John Weaver] Being angry and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath. Being angry and sin not. There is a righteous anger. A righteous anger is an anger that is pointed at sin and seeks to resolve the sin. An unrighteous anger is when you explode and tell somebody off, or you internalize it and let it eat your own guts out. No, those are totally unrighteous. But righteous anger is directed at sin, and it seeks to resolve that problem in a biblical manner that will exalt God and honor His truth. In fact, our Lord was angry. Anger in itself is not a sin.

[John Weaver] The Bible says in Mark 3 and verse 5, talking about Christ, and when He looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for their hardness of hearts, He said, Then the man stretched forth thine hand. Notice if you would, the Bible says our Lord looked round about upon them with anger. And so when David hears this giant defying not only the armies of Israel, but the armies of Israel, but the living God Himself, Ah, he was righteously provoked. Now I want you to note, there were two things that provoked David and raised his indignation against Goliath. The first was the character of Goliath. I want you to look at what he said in verse 26, the latter part. For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God? The first thing that provoked David's anger was the character of Goliath, or I should say, his lack of character. For he was a Philistine. He was an uncircumcised person. He was a profane man who had no true religion.

[John Weaver] He was a stranger to the covenant and to the promises of Israel. Goliath stood for everything that David and all Israel should have stood against. There is such a thing as a righteous anger. Secondly, the second thing that provoked David was Goliath was reproaching the armies of the living God. I want you to listen. A reproach upon the armies of the living God is a reproach to the living God of the armies. And David understood that the one true in the living God was King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And David could not stand the thought of God's host, of God's armies being reproached, and of God Himself being reproached by a wicked, profane person. So David then had a zeal for God and His truth and His righteousness, and he wished to see God vindicated, and God's army vindicated, and thus he volunteered to fight Goliath. I want you to understand something. David was exercising faith. David not only believed that God would use him, he also believed that God would absolutely give him victory over Goliath.

[John Weaver] David understood that he served the one true and the living God, while Goliath served dumb idols. Now, here's the whole point that I want to make today. I want you to understand and consider that it was God's divine providence that brought David and Goliath together. Stop and think about that. It was God's divine providence that brought David and Goliath together. David was at home, tending his father's sheep. David had no idea about Goliath or his challenge.

[John Weaver] until his father sent him to check on his brothers. Now it is true that David had previously been with Saul, but he had returned home. If you look in 1 Samuel 17 and verse 15, the Bible says this, 1 Samuel 17 and verse 15, But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem. So had David previously been with Saul? And the answer is yes. If you look in 1 Samuel chapter 16, and let's begin reading there verse 17. 1 Samuel 16 verse 17, And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me. Then answered one of the servants and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty, valiant man, a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the Lord is with him. Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said unto him, Send me David thy son, which is with thy sheep. And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul.

[John Weaver] And David came to Saul, and stood before him, and he loved him greatly, and he made him his armor-bearer. And Saul went to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me, for he hath found favor in my sight. And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took a harp and played with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him." So David had been in Saul's presence. He was the harpist. He was his armor bearer.

[John Weaver] All it was was a young boy who carried the artillery like the bow or the arrows. Kind of like a bat boy in a baseball game. He doesn't have any real significance except just pick up drop bats. Something light and something easy. David's main function had been that he played the harp and soothed Saul. Now he's left Saul and he's gone back home to his father to feed the father's sheep. Now, I want you to understand something. The only reason David went back to Saul, the only reason was because Jesse was concerned about his three eldest sons who were in Saul's army.

[John Weaver] Look down in verse 17. 1 Samuel 17, verse 17, watch it. Then Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp of thy brethren, and carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge. So, Jesse did not know what was happening.

[John Weaver] He knew that his sons were in the army. He may have known that there was going to be a battle between the Philistines and the Israelites, but he certainly did not know about Goliath. The only thing Jesse wanted to do was to check on his sons. He wanted not only David to see how they were doing, but to take their pledge, that is, bring something back from them that would prove that they were absolutely alive. All David wanted to do was to obey and honor his father. David was completely unaware of Goliath until he arrived at the battle site. Listen, it is amazing how innocent and simple desires and acts bring conflicts upon us and brings us into the arena of fighting. Jesse never intended for David to fight Goliath. Had he known about Goliath, he probably as a father would have kept him home.

[John Weaver] I don't want my baby boy facing that big warrior. Jesse didn't know what was happening. David didn't know what was happening. Here's what we need to learn. It's important to understand that we do not need to plan to face and fight giants. In the providence of God, God brings those giants into our paths. And they may come in our paths innocently. By some innocuous little act of son, go check on your brothers. It's just that simple. God sovereignly and providentially brought David into the battle so that he could face and fight Goliath. Now I want you to think about this. Humanly speaking, and this is just from a human perspective, that's why I'm saying that. Humanly speaking, had this episode not happened, David would not have had the stature and the character and the faith that he exhibited the rest of his life. The very fact of the matter is, in God's providence, God allowed David to face and to fight and to kill Goliath for David's good and God's glory. Do you realize the same is true concerning every giant that you face in your life?

[John Weaver] God ordains it. God allows it. God brings it to pass for your good and for his glory. And it really does not matter how you come face to face with your giant. God providentially allows it to happen. Nothing happens by accident, fate or fortune. And there's no such thing as luck or happenstance in a world that is ruled by God. So whatever the Lord brings into our life, we must learn to face it and deal with it. You must remember that it was Joseph's brethren that hated him and sold him into slavery.

[John Weaver] Can you imagine the emotional pain, the mental pain, as well as physical pain, when your family turns against you? But I want you to look in Genesis chapter 50. I want to show you how Joseph handled this giant of familial rejection. Look in Genesis chapter 50, if you would, please. Because after his father dies, his brothers come to him, they say, boy, well, Joseph's going to wreak vengeance on us now. Daddy's dead. He's going to get us back for all that we've done to Him. Well, look at it.

[John Weaver] Notice there with verse 17. Now let's read verse 16. And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, So shall you say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee, the trespass of thy brethren and their sin, for they did unto thee evil. And now we pray thee, forgive the trespass of thy servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept. When they spake unto him, and his brethren also went and fell down before his face, and they said, Behold, we be thy servants, we be thy slaves. And Joseph said unto them, Fear not, for am I in the place of God, watch it, but as for you, you thought evil against me, but God meant it unto good to bring to pass as it is this day, to save much people alive. Now therefore fear ye not, for I will nourish you and your little ones, And he comforted them and spake kindly to them. Wow!

[John Weaver] What a way to slay a client of rejection. He said, you meant it for evil. You meant to harm me. You meant to hurt me. But God meant it for good. What did he do? He resolved that problem quickly, biblically, and efficiently. He just simply took care of it. Now, Joseph, like David, just simply dealt with the giants that God providentially brought into his life. Giants are brought into our lives so that we may learn to fight and to kill and to conquer them. When God sends us giants, God does not intend for those giants to kill and to conquer us. He intends for us to kill and to conquer them. In that way, we mature in our faith and in our trust for Him.

[John Weaver] I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Numbers chapter 14. Numbers chapter 14. And as you turn there, I want you to understand that our attitude should be the same attitude as that of Joshua and Caleb. You remember how Moses sent the spies into the land, and all the spies brought back an evil report except Joshua and Caleb. They gave the true report. So in Numbers chapter 14, If you look there beginning with verse 6, I want you to see what they said in reference to the giants. And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes. And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land which we pass through to search it, it is an exceeding good land. If the Lord delight in us, then He will bring us into this land, and will give it us. It is a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel ye not against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land."

[John Weaver] By the way, these are the same people now. These are the same ones that in chapter 13 and verse 33, they said, we saw the sons of Anak there, the giants. And we were grasshoppers in our sights before them, and so were we in their sights. So look what he says about these giants. Verse 9,"...only rebel ye not against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land, for they are bread for us." Their defense is departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Fear them not. Wow!

[John Weaver] Did you hear what they said? They're bread for us. They're our nourishment. They're our sustenance. That's what we're going to live on. We're going to take care of them. It's just that simple. And he said we don't have to fear them. Why? Because their defense is departed from them and our Lord is with us. So whatever giants you're facing, you have to come to a realization, it's bread for me. It's food for me. its nourishment, its sustenance.

[John Weaver] God has sent it my way for my good and his glory. Because the Lord is on the side of his people. So here are my two applications today. The first one is this. How do you face giants? With faith or fear? Are you like the majority of the Israelites that wish to turn back and go back into Egypt when they saw the giants? Or are you like Joshua and Caleb and David who said, they're bred for us? They're ours. We own them. We'll conquer them. Here's the second application. Think with me, please. If you believe that God is absolutely sovereign, and if you believe that nothing happens by accident in a world ruled by God, then we must understand that God sovereignly and providentially brings giants into our lives for our good and His glory.

[John Weaver] If we understand that, that should be sufficient to make us cease complaining, whining, and grumbling, and simply just get to work in killing the giants in front of us. Each giant that falls brings us further onto the path of maturity, trust, and greater dependence upon the power of God. With the power, with the Almighty God Himself enabling us and empowering us, we'll learn what David learned. The bigger they come, the harder they fall. But if we don't kill the giants in our lives, we'll be their servants. will be their slaves.

[John Weaver] It's a matter of life and death. You either kill your giants or they'll kill you. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to thee this day. We thank you for your truth. We thank you for your providence. We thank you, Father, for bringing to pass the things in our lives, for our good and for your glory. And help us, Lord, to cease complaining, cease whining and grumbling, and just get on with the job of fighting and killing giants. Help us to bring our lives in greater conformity unto Thee. And may we glorify Thee and honor Thee. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.

[John Weaver] you you

Killing Giants - Part 1 of 2

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	xiiThC8YMwo
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Law, Obedience, and Sanctification: Walking With God
Genre	Sermon
Date	2015-08-11
Dictation Name
Book	Book 173: Killing Giants — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	63

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: The Reality of Giants

Weaver introduces the topic of killing giants, noting that David is known as the giant killer but others in Scripture also faced giants. He explains that some giants are perceived as larger due to our lack of faith, referencing the Israelites' fear of the sons of Anak.

All right, let's open our Bibles today to 1 Samuel chapter 17. 1 Samuel chapter 17. And let me just begin by telling you this message is going to be in two parts. The bulk of the message will be next Sunday, since it's going to take a good bit of time for me to give the introduction as well as just cover one point today. So let's read 1 Samuel chapter 17, verses 1 through 16. The title of the message is "Killing Giants," or "Goliath and His Brothers." Notice 1 Samuel 17 verse 1.

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 17:1-16

"Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belonged to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines. And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them. And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span." "And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass. And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders. And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him." "And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us. And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together. When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid." "Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem-judah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul. And the three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. And David was the youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul. But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem. And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days. And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren; And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge."

So the title of the message, as I mentioned, is "Killing Giants." Everyone in this room knows that David is known as the giant killer. However, David is certainly not the only one that killed giants in the Bible. You will see before we end next week that a number of individuals faced and killed giants as well. When you and I hear the word "giant," or we hear the word "giants," we always think of huge, strong, and burly men. And I suppose it's only natural for us to do so. I remember years ago when our oldest daughter was probably about four, she may have been five, but probably closer to four. She made an astonishing assessment. One of my college professors who also happened to be a very good friend of mine at the time was Dr. Fred Athman. And he used to ride with us to Spartanburg, South Carolina every Sunday morning because we both preached there and he would just ride with me and I would drop him off and someone would pick him up and he would go to his church and then I would go to the church that I was preaching in. And Dr. Athman was six foot six and a half. And I never will forget, Wendy was sitting in the back seat with Alice, and I let Dr. Athman out, and he unfolded himself and stood up, and then he bent back down to pick up his briefcase, and he shut the door, and Wendy looked at me and she said, "Daddy, is that what

the Bible means when it says there were giants in the earth in those days?

Scripture Reading — Numbers 13:33

" I would imagine to a little girl who is about two and a half feet tall, you know, seeing someone six-six and a half, he would indeed appear to be a giant. Well, one must consider the fact that yes, there were giants in the Bible, and I'm going to show you some things momentarily, but there are some that are considered giants that may not really be giants. In fact, they are assumed to be giants due to an unbiblical and an ungodly attitude and assessment. I hope you remember that which the children of Israel said concerning the sons of Anak in Numbers chapter 13 and verse 33. Listen to what they said. "

And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

Scripture Reading — Numbers 13:33

" Now I want you to understand, the sons of Anak may have been huge men, they may have been called giants, but what made the sons of Anak appear so great was the Israelites considered themselves so small. They said, "

We are as grasshoppers in their sight." And then they said, "And so we were in their sight," or "We were grasshoppers in our sight compared to them, but so in their sight."

Well, let me ask you this question. How in the world could the children of Israel know how the sons of Anak viewed them? The truth of the matter is they could not. They just simply assumed that the sons of the giants looked upon them the way they looked upon themselves. Unhappily, many times we make giants out of men and giants out of problems due to our lack of faith and our unbiblical attitudes. They're not really giants, and they're not really gigantic. We just simply assume them to be, and we fail to exercise faith, and we underestimate the power of God in our lives.

Spiritual Giants in Our Lives

Weaver identifies various spiritual giants believers face, such as despair, apathy, unbelief, unsaved family, sickness, financial burdens, and marital struggles, emphasizing they must be dealt with biblically.

Now, today I want to begin a message and share with you some truths on killing giants. But you're going to say, "But Brother Weaver, hang on. There are not any giants around here to kill." Well, I understand your statement and your objection. However, there are many giants. Do you remember Pilgrim's Progress? Do you remember how Pilgrim and Faithful were thrown into Doubting Castle by Giant Despair? Let me tell you what Charles Haddon Spurgeon said. Listen to this. He said, "Great thoughts of your sin alone will lead you to despair. Great thoughts of your sin alone will lead you to despair, but great thoughts of Christ will pilot you into a haven of peace."

Then he says, "The weight of my sin presses down on me like a giant's foot would crush a worm, but oh, it is but a grain of dust to him because that he has borne that sin on the cross." So Spurgeon is saying if I am left to myself, and if all I think about and meditate upon is my sin and my wickedness and my weakness and my helplessness and my hopelessness, it leads nothing more than to despair. But when I understand Christ and His great sacrifice, it then leads me into a haven of peace. So you need to think of all the giants that not only you face, but your brothers face as well. There are spiritual giants that must be faced not only personally, but familially as well. And it's not simply the giant despair that some must face. Well, we must also face giant apathy, giant ignorance, giant unbelief. Many face the giant of an unsaved and unsanctified family. How about the giant of lost children? Children who are not only lost, but in open sin and rebellion against God, and they become a very heartbreaker to their parents.

How about the giant of sickness and health? And would you not at times consider financial burdens a giant? And I know some at the present time that are facing a giant in just seeking to hold their marriage together or simply trying to rebuild it. And it's seemingly an impossible task when one person wants to do that which is right and holy and the other person could care less. The only point I'm trying to make is all of these things can be giants in our lives and they must be dealt with and they must be faced in a biblical manner. So we should consider anything a giant and anything gigantic if it is going to affect us spiritually, personally, and in our family lives as well. We have to learn to deal with giants quickly, effectively, and efficiently. And I want to point out some truths to you on killing giants based upon the Word of God. Now I'm only going to cover one point today and I want you to think about this because this is very, very important. The first point is this: God providentially allows us to face and to fight giants. Now let me define for you the word "providentially" the way I'm using it. When I say that God providentially allows us to face and fight giants, here's what I want you to think of: God providentially, for our good and His glory, allows us to face and fight giants. And of course everyone knows

God Providentially Allows Giants

The main point: God providentially allows us to face and fight giants for our good and His glory. Weaver defines providence and introduces the example of David and Goliath.

that David fought Goliath. Goliath was a champion warrior and a champion fighter. He was not just any soldier. He was not even just a regular soldier. Goliath was absolutely special. And when I say that, remember he had terrorized the entire army of Israel for 40 days. He challenged them. He mocked them. He ridiculed them. In fact, go back and look in 1 Samuel chapter 17 and let's begin reading there verse 4. And I want you to pay attention to Goliath now. "And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span."

The Character of Goliath

Weaver describes Goliath's physical stature (9 feet 9 inches), strength (armor weighing over 200 pounds), and arrogance, showing why he terrorized Israel for 40 days.

"And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass. And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders. And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him." Watch. "And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us. And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together."

Now, the truth of the matter is, Goliath was special. You say, "How special was he?" Well, consider the fact that he was six cubits and a span tall. If the cubit, the length from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger, is about one and one half feet, and the span was usually considered the distance from the thumb to the tip of the middle finger or from the thumb to the little finger all spread out. So you're talking about an additional 6 inches. So Goliath then would be approximately 9 feet and 9 inches tall. 9 feet and 9 inches tall. And compared to Og of Bashan, he was probably a little man. Let me show you what I mean. Look back in your Bible, hold 1 Samuel 17, but look in Deuteronomy 3 and verse 11. Deuteronomy 3, verse 11. Here we're going to read about Og, the king of Bashan. Deuteronomy 3, verse 11. And listen to what the Bible says. Now remember that Goliath was nine feet and nine inches tall. Notice in Deuteronomy 3 verse 11, "For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants;

behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon? nine cubits was the length thereof, and four cubits the breadth of it, after the cubit of a man." So Og's bed would have been 12 feet 6 inches long and 6 feet wide. That's a big bed. And it had to hold a very big man. So Goliath then was 9 feet 9 inches tall. He was not only huge, he was also strong. I want you to look in verse 5. The Bible said he had a helmet of brass upon his head and he was armed with a coat of mail. The weight of the coat was 5,000 shekels of brass. Now this is just the coat of mail. The coat of mail weighing 5,000 shekels of brass would be equivalent to 157 pounds. Now the 157 pounds did not count the greaves of brass on his shoulders, didn't count his helmet. I just roughly estimated this in my mind as I was studying.

I'm going to give you a quote. I already knew that Goliath would be walking around with better than 200 pounds of armor on him. But when you consider that his spearhead was 600 shekels, the spearhead alone, the spearhead, not the spear, the spearhead alone would be 18 pounds and 12 ounces. John Gill, in his commentary, says this concerning Goliath. Listen. He writes, "It is conjectured that in proportion to the stature of Goliath, his spear must be 26 feet long, since Hector's in Homer was 11 cubits or 16 and a half feet long. The whole spear, that is Goliath's spear, the whole spear is supposed to weigh 37 pounds and a half, and the whole of this man's armor is thought to weigh 272 pounds 13 ounces."

"And one bearing a shield went before him, which, when engaged in battle, he held in his own hand and his sword in the other. The former, the shield, was reckoned at 30 pounds and the sword at 4 pounds 1 ounce. Though one would think that he had no occasion for a shield being so well covered with armor all over, so that carrying of it before him might have been only a matter of form and of state." So here's a man that is a giant, 9 feet 9 inches tall. He's not only a giant in height, he is exceedingly strong. And he's walking around with 200 to 300 pounds of armor on him. And he's not only a giant, he's not only strong, he's also proud. He's arrogant and defiant. He also believed that he was absolutely undefeatable.

His arrogance and his superiority were apparent. He was begging for a fight. "Send me a man to fight me." Remember if you would he had a target of brass between his shoulders. He had a bullseye. What was he saying? "Hit me if you think you can. You can't kill me, you can't hit me." I mean he was so absolutely assured that he could defeat any soldier of Saul.

I want you to look in verse 8. Just showing you his arrogance again in verse 8. "He stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me." So what is he doing? He is insulting every soldier. He asks, "Who do you think you're fighting? Who do you think you've come out against?" Goliath is absolutely sure that no one wants to fight him. Moreover, he's absolutely sure that if someone does fight him, that that someone is going to lose. Because he's going to be the winner. And look in verse 10. To show you again his arrogance. "And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together." I defy them. Goliath had absolutely no respect for any of Saul's soldiers. He defied them. He mocked them. He ridiculed them. He assumed that absolutely none of them were his equal.

The Consequence of Not Fighting

Weaver explains that if Goliath is not fought and killed, Israel becomes servants to the Philistines. He applies this principle using Romans 6:16, showing that failing to kill spiritual giants makes us their slaves.

By the way, the truth is most of them were really and truly afraid of him. They observed his size. They observed his armament. They observed his arrogance. And Saul's soldiers probably thought, "Wow, this man is so sure of himself. And he's so sure that he cannot be defeated. Well, maybe he's right." And they were afraid. Look in verse 11. Here it is in verse 11. "When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid." Skip down to verse 24. Look at verse 24. "And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid." Wow! So let's be honest. All of Saul's soldiers were deathly afraid of Goliath.

None of them lived up to his challenge. Now, I want to show you something. If you would turn back in your Bibles, hold 1 Samuel 17, but turn back in your Bibles to 1 Samuel 9 and look at verse 2. I want you to see something about King Saul. Look what the Bible says about Saul. 1 Samuel 9, verse 2. "And he," that is Kish, "had a son, whose name was Saul,

a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people." So Saul was not a little man himself. Saul had to be six to seven feet tall himself. From the shoulders up he was taller than any of the Israelites. So Saul was not a little man. And yet the Bible tells us that even Saul was afraid of Goliath.

Now, I want you to look back in your Bibles to 1 Samuel 17 and verse 9. Now, here's the kicker. Here's where the rubber meets the road. Look in verse 9. Goliath said,

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 17:9

"If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us."

Ah, are you listening? Goliath not only must be faced, he not only must be fought, he must be killed for Israel to be free. If Goliath is not killed, then Israel will become the servants to the Philistines by default. I want you to understand something. It is true that any of Saul's soldiers could have fought Goliath and lost. But at least we could have said they fought or at least were willing to fight and they went down fighting. But if there is absolutely no attempt to bring Goliath down, then they and we lose automatically. I want you to understand something about the giants in your life. And that is this: giving up is not an option.

Doing nothing is not an option. Failing to fight is not an option. You will either have to kill the giants in your life or they will kill you. Now I want you to understand this principle. Look back if you would please at verse 9. And then I want you to turn to Romans chapter 6. Watch verse 9. Goliath said, "If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us." So I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 6 and look at verse 16 and I want you to see this principle very plainly and very clearly enunciated. Look in Romans chapter 6 and verse 16.

The Apostle Paul makes this exceedingly clear. Romans 6, look in verse 16. Look what he says.

Scripture Reading — Romans 6:16

"Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?"

Now let that sink down. "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" So, what Goliath was proposing was this. If you can fight with me and kill me, then we'll all be your servants. But if you can't and I kill whoever you send, then you're going to be our servants. And the Apostle Paul makes it plain that you are the servant, you are the slave to whomever you yield your life and your body to. Let me make it plain. If you do not kill the giant of lust in your life, you will be the servant of lust. If you do not kill the giant of wastefulness, you will be the servant of wastefulness. If you do not kill the giant of covetousness, you will be the servant and the slave of covetousness. If you don't kill the giant of ignorance in your life, you will remain the servant and the slave of ignorance. If you don't kill the giant of bitterness and revenge and anger in your life, then you will be their servants. If you don't kill the giant of division and rebellion, you will never have a united family or a united church. Whatever giant you are facing, you must kill him. Or you're going to be his servant. You're going to be his slave. And that is true in everyone's life. It doesn't matter which giant you are facing.

Common Temptations and God's Faithfulness

Weaver addresses the tendency to self-pity, reminding believers that temptations are common to all and God provides a way of escape, as promised in 1 Corinthians 10:13.

He must die. Just like Goliath had to die for Israel to be free. So let me ask you a question. Why is it that in our lives, most often, we do not want to face or fight our giants? Well, the answer is we like to pity ourselves. And we like to wallow in our despair. And we like to think thoughts like this, "No one's ever going through what I'm going through. No one's ever suffered what I'm suffering. No one's ever had to face what I'm facing." And all we try to do then is to have a pity party and exempt ourselves from facing and fighting our giants, because we think that somehow that we are unique, that we are special and that we're the only ones that have ever endured whatever we're enduring. And we have to face this alone. You know the truth of the matter is this, we are not unique and we are not alone. The truth of the matter is this, we all face common giants. Some face them, some fight them, some conquer them, while others refuse to face them, and refuse to fight against them, and they become the servants to sin and unrighteousness.

When I told you that we're not unique, let me explain what I mean by that. 1 Corinthians 10 and verse 13. Listen carefully. Here's what God said. "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." Now, listen to me. I can pretty well tell you a lot of the battles that Henry is facing without Henry ever telling me. I can tell you the battles that Robert is facing without Robert ever telling me. Because I face some of the same common battles. They're common to all of us. Each of us must face the giants in our lives. It's just that simple. And God has said, "There's no temptation taking you, but such is common to man." And here's what else He said, "But God will not suffer or allow you to be tempted above that you're able." God is not going to put some giant on you that you cannot face and you cannot fight. And He's not going to put some giant on you that you cannot conquer and that you cannot kill. He knows exactly the size and the strength of the giants that you can face. And He's promised that there's always going to be a way of escape that we may be able to bear it. So, do not tell me that you cannot fight.

David's Righteous Anger and Faith

Weaver highlights David's youth and lack of military experience, yet his righteous anger against Goliath's defiance of God motivated him to fight. David's faith in God's victory is emphasized.

Do not tell me, "I'm not an experienced warrior. I'm not an experienced soldier. I'm not a martial artist." Well, neither was David. David was a shepherd and a young boy. He had no experience as a soldier. He had no experience as a warrior. Yet he was willing to face and to fight Goliath. I want you to look back in 1 Samuel chapter 17. Look at verse 14. 1 Samuel 17 verse 14.

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 17:14, 33, 42, 56

"And David was the youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul."

So David was the youngest of all of his brothers. Skip down to verse 33. 1 Samuel 17 verse 33. "And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth." Now the word "youth" here is the Hebrew word "na'ar," which literally means a boy, a lad, a youth. And if you'll look in verse 42, verse 42, Goliath said, "And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance."

Goliath said, "What? You're sending a kid? You're sending a boy out here to fight me?" Look in verse 56. Saul says to his men, "And the king said, Inquire thou whose son the stripling is." Now the word "stripling" there refers again to a youth, to a young boy or a lad.

Now, I'll be honest with you. I do not really know how old David was when he faced Goliath. Everything that I have read said that his age was somewhere between 13 and 17. Just stop and think. Everything that I've read said his age was probably from 13 to 17. I would probably go closer to 16 or 17. But still, 16 or 17 is still a kid. So if David, a youth, a lad, a young man, is willing to face and fight and defeat a giant, it should be a whole lot easier to face and fight and defeat a giant if you're an older, more experienced adult. The problem is, we lack the faith, the determination, and the righteous anger that David possessed.

Now I want you to look back in 1 Samuel chapter 17. Because the truth is, I'm going to show it to you. David was not fearful. He was righteously angered. Look in verse 26, 1 Samuel chapter 17. Look what David said.

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 17:26

"And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?"

So Goliath's challenge is now answered by David. Because David is not fearful, David is righteously angered. Do you know what the Bible says in Ephesians 4 and verse 26? Listen to this.

"Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath." Being angry and sin not. There is a righteous anger. A righteous anger is an anger that is pointed at sin and seeks to resolve the sin. An unrighteous anger is when you explode and tell somebody off, or you internalize it and let it eat your own guts out. No, those are totally unrighteous. But righteous anger is directed at sin, and it seeks to resolve that problem in a biblical manner that will exalt God and honor His truth. In fact, our Lord was angry. Anger in itself is not a sin.

The Bible says in Mark 3 and verse 5, talking about Christ,

Scripture Reading — Mark 3:5

"And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand."

Notice if you would, the Bible says our Lord looked round about upon them with anger. And so when David hears this giant defying not only the armies of Israel, but the armies of Israel, but the living God Himself, ah, he was righteously provoked. Now I want you to note, there were two things that provoked David and raised his indignation against Goliath. The first was the character of Goliath. I want you to look at what he said in verse 26, the latter part. "For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?" The first thing that provoked David's anger was the character of Goliath, or I should say, his lack of character. For he was a Philistine. He was an uncircumcised person. He was a profane man who had no true religion.

He was a stranger to the covenant and to the promises of Israel. Goliath stood for everything that David and all Israel should have stood against. There is such a thing as a righteous anger. Secondly, the second thing that provoked David was Goliath was reproaching the armies of the living God. I want you to listen. A reproach upon the armies of the living God is a reproach to the living God of the armies. And David understood that the one true and the living God was King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And David could not stand the thought of God's host, of God's armies being reproached, and of God Himself being reproached by a wicked, profane person. So David then had a zeal for God and His truth and His righteousness, and he wished to see God vindicated, and God's army vindicated, and thus he volunteered to fight Goliath. I want you to understand something. David was exercising faith. David not only believed that God would use him, he also believed that God would absolutely give him victory over Goliath.

David understood that he served the one true and the living God, while Goliath served dumb idols. Now, here's the whole point that I want to make today. I want you to understand and consider that it was God's divine providence that brought David and Goliath together. Stop and think about that. It was God's divine providence that brought David and Goliath together. David was at home, tending his father's sheep. David had no idea about Goliath or his challenge.

God's Providence in Bringing David to the Battle

Weaver shows how God providentially brought David to the battlefield through Jesse's innocent request, illustrating that God orchestrates our encounters with giants for our growth.

until his father sent him to check on his brothers. Now it is true that David had previously been with Saul, but he had returned home. If you look in 1 Samuel 17 and verse 15, the Bible says this, 1 Samuel 17 and verse 15,

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 17:15

"But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem."

So had David previously been with Saul? And the answer is yes. If you look in 1 Samuel chapter 16, and let's begin reading there verse 17. 1 Samuel 16 verse 17, "And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me. Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him. Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep. And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul."

"And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer. And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight. And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him." So David had been in Saul's presence. He was the harpist. He was his armor bearer. All it was was a young boy who carried the artillery like the bow or the arrows. Kind of like a bat boy in a baseball game. He doesn't have any real significance except just pick up dropped bats. Something light and something easy. David's main function had been that he played the harp and soothed Saul. Now he's left Saul and he's gone back home to his father to feed the father's sheep. Now, I want you to understand something. The only reason David went back to Saul, the only reason was because Jesse was concerned about his three eldest sons who were in Saul's army.

Look down in verse 17. 1 Samuel 17, verse 17, watch it. "Then Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren; And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge." So, Jesse did not know what was happening. He knew that his sons were in the army. He may have known that there was going to be a battle between the Philistines and the Israelites, but he certainly did not know about Goliath. The only thing Jesse wanted to do was to check on his sons. He wanted not only David to see how they were doing, but to take their pledge, that is, bring something back from them that would prove that they were absolutely alive. All David wanted to do was to obey and honor his father. David was completely unaware of Goliath until he arrived at the battle site. Listen, it is amazing how innocent and simple desires and acts bring conflicts upon us and brings us into the arena of fighting. Jesse never intended for David to fight Goliath. Had he known about Goliath, he probably as a father would have kept him home.

"I don't want my baby boy facing that big warrior." Jesse didn't know what was happening. David didn't know what was happening. Here's what we need to learn. It's important to understand that we do not need to plan to face and fight giants. In the providence of God, God brings those giants into our paths. And they may come in our paths innocently. By some innocuous little act of "Son, go check on your brothers." It's just that simple. God sovereignly and providentially brought David into the battle so that he could face and fight Goliath. Now I want you to think about this. Humanly speaking, and this is just from a human perspective, that's why I'm saying that. Humanly speaking, had this episode not happened, David would not have had the stature and the character and the faith that he exhibited the rest of his life. The very fact of the matter is, in God's providence, God allowed David to face and to fight and to kill Goliath for David's good and God's glory. Do you realize the same is true concerning every giant that you face in your life?

Joseph's Example of Overcoming Rejection

Weaver uses Joseph's response to his brothers in Genesis 50 to demonstrate how to slay the giant of familial rejection by trusting God's good purpose.

God ordains it. God allows it. God brings it to pass for your good and for His glory. And it really does not matter how you come face to face with your giant. God providentially allows it to happen. Nothing happens by accident, fate, or fortune. And there's no such thing as luck or happenstance in a world that is ruled by God. So whatever the Lord brings into our life, we must learn to face it and deal with it. You must remember that it was Joseph's brethren that hated him and sold him into slavery.

Can you imagine the emotional pain, the mental pain, as well as physical pain, when your family turns against you? But I want you to look in Genesis chapter 50. I want to show you how Joseph handled this giant of familial rejection. Look in Genesis chapter 50, if you would, please. Because after his father dies, his brothers come to him, they say, "Boy, well, Joseph's going to wreak vengeance on us now. Daddy's dead. He's going to get us back for all that we've done to him." Well, look at it.

Notice there with verse 17. Now let's read verse 16. "And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him. And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants. And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them." Wow!

What a way to slay a giant of rejection. He said, "You meant it for evil. You meant to harm me. You meant to hurt me. But God meant it for good." What did he do? He resolved that problem quickly, biblically, and efficiently. He just simply took care of it. Now, Joseph, like David, just simply dealt with the giants that God providentially brought into his life. Giants are brought into our lives so that we may learn to fight and to kill and to conquer them. When God sends us giants, God does not intend for those giants to kill and to conquer us. He intends for us to kill and to conquer them. In that way, we mature in our faith and in our trust for Him.

Joshua and Caleb's Attitude Toward Giants

Weaver cites Joshua and Caleb's declaration that the giants are 'bread for us' (Numbers 14:9), encouraging believers to view giants as nourishment for faith rather than threats.

I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Numbers chapter 14. Numbers chapter 14. And as you turn there, I want you to understand that our attitude should be the same attitude as that of Joshua and Caleb. You remember how Moses sent the spies into the land, and all the spies brought back an evil report except Joshua and Caleb. They gave the true report. So in Numbers chapter 14, if you look there beginning with verse 6, I want you to see what they said in reference to the giants.

Scripture Reading — Numbers 14:6-9

"And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes: And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land."

By the way, these are the same people now. These are the same ones that in chapter 13 and verse 33, they said, "We saw the sons of Anak there, the giants. And we were grasshoppers in our sight before them, and so were we in their sight." So look what he says about these giants. Verse 9, "Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not." Wow! Did you hear what they said? "They're bread for us. They're our nourishment. They're our sustenance. That's what we're going to live on. We're going to take care of them." It's just that simple. And he said we don't have to fear them. Why? Because their defense is departed from them and our Lord is with us. So whatever giants you're facing, you have to come to a realization, "It's bread for me. It's food for me. It's nourishment, it's sustenance."

Applications: Faith Over Fear and Trust in Sovereignty

Weaver concludes with two applications: face giants with faith, not fear; and trust that God sovereignly brings giants for our good, ceasing complaint and engaging in battle.

God has sent it my way for my good and His glory. Because the Lord is on the side of His people. So here are my two applications today. The first one is this: How do you face giants? With faith or fear? Are you like the majority of the Israelites that wish to turn back and go back into Egypt when they saw the giants? Or are you like Joshua and Caleb and David who said, "They're bread for us. They're ours. We own them. We'll conquer them." Here's the second application. Think with me, please. If you believe that God is absolutely sovereign, and if you believe that nothing happens by accident in a world ruled by God, then we must understand that God sovereignly and providentially brings giants into our lives for our good and His glory.

If we understand that, that should be sufficient to make us cease complaining, whining, and grumbling, and simply just get to work in killing the giants in front of us. Each giant that falls brings us further onto the path of maturity, trust, and greater dependence upon the power of God. With the power, with the Almighty God Himself enabling us and empowering us, we'll learn what David learned. The bigger they come, the harder they fall. But if we don't kill the giants in our lives, we'll be their servants. We'll be their slaves.

Study Guide

Major Themes

God's Providence in Trials

Summary: God providentially allows believers to face giants for their good and His glory, orchestrating circumstances to bring about spiritual growth.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'God providentially, for our good and His glory, allows us to face and fight giants' (11:22.0-12:08.7) and illustrates with David's encounter with Goliath.

Spiritual Warfare and Personal Giants

Summary: Believers face various spiritual giants such as despair, apathy, unbelief, and family issues, which must be confronted and overcome biblically.

Evidence: Weaver lists giants like 'giant apathy, giant ignorance, giant unbelief' and 'giant of lost children' (09:40.1-10:07.6).

The Necessity of Fighting Giants

Summary: Failing to fight spiritual giants results in becoming their servant, as taught in Romans 6:16; believers must kill their giants or be killed by them.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'You will either have to kill the giants in your life or they will kill you' (23:32.2-23:44.4) and applies Romans 6:16.

Righteous Anger and Zeal for God

Summary: David's righteous anger against Goliath's defiance of God motivated him to fight, demonstrating a zeal for God's honor that believers should emulate.

Evidence: Weaver notes David's question, 'who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?' (33:27.9-34:26.5).

Faith Over Fear

Summary: Believers should face giants with faith like David, Joshua, and Caleb, rather than fear like the Israelites, trusting in God's power and promises.

Evidence: Weaver contrasts the Israelites' fear with Joshua and Caleb's declaration, 'they are bread for us' (49:42.5-50:16.1).

Commonality of Temptation

Summary: Temptations and trials are common to all believers, and God provides a way of escape, so no one is uniquely burdened beyond God's enablement.

Evidence: Weaver cites 1 Corinthians 10:13 and says, 'We all face common giants' (28:28.6-29:02.1).

Key Arguments

God providentially allows giants for our good and His glory.

Summary: Weaver argues that God sovereignly brings giants into believers' lives to mature their faith and glorify Himself, as seen in David's encounter with Goliath.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'God providentially, for our good and His glory, allows us to face and fight giants' (11:22.0-12:08.7) and illustrates with David's story.

Failing to fight giants results in slavery to them.

Summary: Using Romans 6:16, Weaver contends that if believers do not actively combat spiritual giants, they become enslaved to sin and its consequences.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'If you do not kill the giant of lust in your life, you will be the servant of lust' (25:21.5-26:41.0).

David's righteous anger was a proper response to Goliath's defiance of God.

Summary: Weaver argues that David's anger was not sinful but righteous, directed at Goliath's reproach of God's armies, and should inspire believers to zeal for God's honor.

Evidence: Weaver explains, 'David was not fearful. He was righteously angered' and cites David's words in 1 Samuel 17:26 (33:27.9-34:26.5).

Giants are common to all believers, and God provides a way to overcome.

Summary: Weaver asserts that no temptation is unique, and God's faithfulness ensures believers can endure and conquer any giant through His provision.

Evidence: Weaver quotes 1 Corinthians 10:13 and says, 'God is not going to put some giant on you that you cannot face' (29:03.8-30:14.8).

Believers should view giants as opportunities for growth, not threats.

Summary: Drawing from Joshua and Caleb, Weaver argues that giants are 'bread for us'—nourishment for faith—and should be faced with confidence in God's presence.

Evidence: Weaver cites Numbers 14:9, 'they are bread for us' (49:42.5-50:16.1).

Scripture References

1 Samuel 17:1-16

Context: Weaver reads the passage describing the Philistine and Israelite armies, Goliath's challenge, and David's background.

Numbers 13:33

Context: Weaver references the Israelites' fearful report about the sons of Anak, illustrating how lack of faith makes giants seem larger.

1 Samuel 17:4-7

Context: Weaver reads the description of Goliath's armor and weapons to emphasize his physical stature and strength.

Deuteronomy 3:11

Context: Weaver compares Goliath's height to Og's bedstead to show that Goliath was 9 feet 9 inches tall.

1 Samuel 17:8-10

Context: Weaver highlights Goliath's arrogant challenge to Israel, showing his defiance and pride.

1 Samuel 17:11, 24

Context: Weaver notes the fear of Saul and all Israel upon hearing Goliath's words.

1 Samuel 9:2

Context: Weaver points out Saul's own height to emphasize that even a tall man feared Goliath.

1 Samuel 17:9

Context: Weaver uses Goliath's terms of battle to illustrate the principle of servitude to whoever prevails.

Romans 6:16

Context: Weaver applies Paul's teaching on yielding to sin or obedience to the necessity of killing spiritual giants.

1 Corinthians 10:13

Context: Weaver cites this verse to assure believers that temptations are common and God provides a way of escape.

1 Samuel 17:14, 33, 42, 56

Context: Weaver references these verses to show David's youth and inexperience as a warrior.

1 Samuel 17:26

Context: Weaver quotes David's righteous anger at Goliath's defiance of the living God.

Ephesians 4:26

Context: Weaver references this verse to support the concept of righteous anger.

Mark 3:5

Context: Weaver cites Jesus' anger at the hardness of hearts as an example of righteous anger.

1 Samuel 17:15

Context: Weaver notes that David had returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep, showing his humble position.

1 Samuel 16:17-23

Context: Weaver recounts David's previous service to Saul as a harpist and armor bearer.

1 Samuel 17:17-18

Context: Weaver reads Jesse's instructions to David to check on his brothers, which providentially brought him to the battle.

Genesis 50:16-21

Context: Weaver uses Joseph's response to his brothers to illustrate overcoming the giant of rejection through trust in God's purpose.

Numbers 14:6-9

Context: Weaver cites Joshua and Caleb's faithful report, calling the giants 'bread for us' and urging trust in the Lord.

Historical References

Goliath of Gath

Context: Weaver describes Goliath as a Philistine champion warrior, 9 feet 9 inches tall, with heavy armor, who defied Israel for 40 days.

Og, king of Bashan

Context: Weaver compares Goliath's height to Og's bedstead (12 feet 6 inches long) to emphasize the size of biblical giants.

John Gill's commentary on Goliath's armor

Context: Weaver quotes Gill's estimation that Goliath's armor weighed 272 pounds 13 ounces, highlighting his strength.

Pilgrim's Progress: Giant Despair

Context: Weaver references John Bunyan's allegory to illustrate the spiritual giant of despair that believers face.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon quote on sin and Christ

Context: Weaver quotes Spurgeon to show that focusing on sin alone leads to despair, but focusing on Christ brings peace.

Important Quotes

Great thoughts of your sin alone will lead you to despair. Great thoughts of your sin alone will lead you to despair, but great thoughts of Christ will pilot you into a haven of peace.

Significance: Weaver uses Spurgeon's quote to emphasize that focusing on Christ rather than sin is essential to overcoming the giant of despair.

The weight of my sin presses down on me like a giant's foot would crush a worm, but oh, it is but a grain of dust to him because that he has borne that sin on the cross.

Significance: This quote illustrates the contrast between the overwhelming burden of sin and the sufficiency of Christ's atonement.

Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

Significance: Weaver quotes Romans 6:16 to establish the principle that failing to fight spiritual giants results in slavery to sin.

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Significance: Weaver cites 1 Corinthians 10:13 to assure believers that God provides a way to overcome every giant.

Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath.

Significance: Weaver references Ephesians 4:26 to support the concept of righteous anger as a proper response to sin.

Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.

Significance: Weaver quotes Joshua and Caleb's declaration in Numbers 14:9 to encourage believers to view giants as opportunities for spiritual nourishment.

But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

Significance: Weaver uses Joseph's words in Genesis 50:20 to demonstrate how to overcome the giant of rejection by trusting God's sovereign purpose.

Discussion Questions

What are some 'giants' you are currently facing in your life, and how have you been responding to them—with faith or fear?

Context: Weaver challenges believers to identify their personal giants and assess their response, contrasting the fear of Israel with the faith of David.

How does understanding God's providence change the way you view the trials and challenges in your life?

Context: Weaver emphasizes that God providentially allows giants for our good and His glory, which should transform our perspective on suffering.

In what areas of your life have you become a 'servant' to a giant because you have failed to fight it?

Context: Weaver applies Romans 6:16 to show that yielding to sin makes us its slave, prompting self-examination.

How can we cultivate a righteous anger against sin without falling into sinful anger?

Context: Weaver discusses David's righteous anger and references Ephesians 4:26, raising the need for discernment in our emotional responses.

What does it mean to view your giants as 'bread for us' as Joshua and Caleb did?

Context: Weaver cites Numbers 14:9 to encourage seeing trials as nourishment for faith, prompting reflection on how to practically adopt this mindset.

How can the example of Joseph help you deal with rejection or betrayal from family or friends?

Context: Weaver uses Joseph's response in Genesis 50 to illustrate overcoming the giant of rejection through trust in God's good purpose.

Applications

Face giants with faith, not fear.

Summary: Believers should respond to trials with faith like David, Joshua, and Caleb, rather than fear like the Israelites, trusting in God's power.

Evidence: Weaver asks, 'How do you face giants? With faith or fear?' and contrasts the responses (50:54.4-52:15.7).

Trust in God's sovereign providence.

Summary: Recognizing that God brings giants for our good and His glory should lead us to cease complaining and actively engage in spiritual battle.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'If we understand that, that should be sufficient to make us cease complaining, whining, and grumbling, and simply just get to work in killing the giants' (52:18.9-53:21.3).

Actively fight spiritual giants to avoid slavery.

Summary: Believers must intentionally combat sins and challenges, understanding that passivity leads to bondage, as taught in Romans 6:16.

Evidence: Weaver warns, 'You will either have to kill the giants in your life or they will kill you' (23:32.2-23:44.4).

View trials as opportunities for spiritual growth.

Summary: Like Joshua and Caleb, believers should see giants as 'bread' that nourishes faith and deepens dependence on God.

Evidence: Weaver cites Numbers 14:9 and says, 'They're bread for us. They're our nourishment' (50:17.1-50:53.9).

Respond to sin with righteous anger and zeal for God's honor.

Summary: Believers should cultivate a holy indignation against sin that defies God, following David's example of defending God's reputation.

Evidence: Weaver explains David's anger: 'David was not fearful. He was righteously angered' (33:27.9-34:26.5).

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T13:39:56Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T01:02:09Z

Clean Transcript

Killing Giants - Part 1 of 2

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

All right, let's open our Bibles today to 1 Samuel chapter 17. 1 Samuel chapter 17. And let me just begin by telling you this message is going to be in two parts. The bulk of the message will be next Sunday, since it's going to take a good bit of time for me to give the introduction as well as just cover one point today. So let's read 1 Samuel chapter 17, verses 1 through 16. The title of the message is "Killing Giants," or "Goliath and His Brothers." Notice 1 Samuel 17 verse 1.
#1 | 0:14 to 0:53 | cleaned
"Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belonged to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines. And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them. And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span."
#2 | 0:53 to 1:28 | cleaned
"And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass. And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders. And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him."
#3 | 1:29 to 1:51 | cleaned
"And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us. And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together. When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid."
#4 | 1:51 to 2:27 | cleaned
"Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem-judah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul. And the three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. And David was the youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul. But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem. And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days. And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren; And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge."
#5 | 2:28 to 3:21 | cleaned
So the title of the message, as I mentioned, is "Killing Giants." Everyone in this room knows that David is known as the giant killer. However, David is certainly not the only one that killed giants in the Bible. You will see before we end next week that a number of individuals faced and killed giants as well. When you and I hear the word "giant," or we hear the word "giants," we always think of huge, strong, and burly men. And I suppose it's only natural for us to do so.
#6 | 3:22 to 3:55 | cleaned
I remember years ago when our oldest daughter was probably about four, she may have been five, but probably closer to four. She made an astonishing assessment. One of my college professors who also happened to be a very good friend of mine at the time was Dr. Fred Athman. And he used to ride with us to Spartanburg, South Carolina every Sunday morning because we both preached there and he would just ride with me and I would drop him off and someone would pick him up and he would go to his church and then I would go to the church that I was preaching in. And Dr. Athman was six foot six and a half. And I never will forget, Wendy was sitting in the back seat with Alice, and I let Dr. Athman out, and he unfolded himself and stood up, and then he bent back down to pick up his briefcase, and he shut the door, and Wendy looked at me and she said, "Daddy, is that what
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the Bible means when it says there were giants in the earth in those days?" I would imagine to a little girl who is about two and a half feet tall, you know, seeing someone six-six and a half, he would indeed appear to be a giant. Well, one must consider the fact that yes, there were giants in the Bible, and I'm going to show you some things momentarily, but there are some that are considered giants that may not really be giants. In fact, they are assumed to be giants due to an unbiblical and an ungodly attitude and assessment.
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I hope you remember that which the children of Israel said concerning the sons of Anak in Numbers chapter 13 and verse 33. Listen to what they said. "And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight." Now I want you to understand, the sons of Anak may have been huge men, they may have been called giants, but what made the sons of Anak appear so great was the Israelites considered themselves so small. They said, "We are as grasshoppers in their sight." And then they said, "And so we were in their sight," or "We were grasshoppers in our sight compared to them, but so in their sight."
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Well, let me ask you this question. How in the world could the children of Israel know how the sons of Anak viewed them? The truth of the matter is they could not. They just simply assumed that the sons of the giants looked upon them the way they looked upon themselves. Unhappily, many times we make giants out of men and giants out of problems due to our lack of faith and our unbiblical attitudes. They're not really giants, and they're not really gigantic. We just simply assume them to be, and we fail to exercise faith, and we underestimate the power of God in our lives.
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Now, today I want to begin a message and share with you some truths on killing giants. But you're going to say, "But Brother Weaver, hang on. There are not any giants around here to kill." Well, I understand your statement and your objection. However, there are many giants. Do you remember Pilgrim's Progress? Do you remember how Pilgrim and Faithful were thrown into Doubting Castle by Giant Despair? Let me tell you what Charles Haddon Spurgeon said. Listen to this. He said, "Great thoughts of your sin alone will lead you to despair. Great thoughts of your sin alone will lead you to despair, but great thoughts of Christ will pilot you into a haven of peace."
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Then he says, "The weight of my sin presses down on me like a giant's foot would crush a worm, but oh, it is but a grain of dust to him because that he has borne that sin on the cross." So Spurgeon is saying if I am left to myself, and if all I think about and meditate upon is my sin and my wickedness and my weakness and my helplessness and my hopelessness, it leads nothing more than to despair. But when I understand Christ and His great sacrifice, it then leads me into a haven of peace. So you need to think of all the giants that not only you face, but your brothers face as well. There are spiritual giants that must be faced not only personally, but familially as well. And it's not simply the giant despair that some must face. Well, we must also face giant apathy, giant ignorance, giant unbelief. Many face the giant of an unsaved and unsanctified family. How about the giant of lost children? Children who are not only lost, but in open sin and rebellion against God, and they become a very heartbreaker to their parents.
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How about the giant of sickness and health? And would you not at times consider financial burdens a giant? And I know some at the present time that are facing a giant in just seeking to hold their marriage together or simply trying to rebuild it. And it's seemingly an impossible task when one person wants to do that which is right and holy and the other person could care less.
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The only point I'm trying to make is all of these things can be giants in our lives and they must be dealt with and they must be faced in a biblical manner. So we should consider anything a giant and anything gigantic if it is going to affect us spiritually, personally, and in our family lives as well. We have to learn to deal with giants quickly, effectively, and efficiently. And I want to point out some truths to you on killing giants based upon the Word of God. Now I'm only going to cover one point today and I want you to think about this because this is very, very important. The first point is this: God providentially allows us to face and to fight giants. Now let me define for you the word "providentially" the way I'm using it. When I say that God providentially allows us to face and fight giants, here's what I want you to think of: God providentially, for our good and His glory, allows us to face and fight giants. And of course everyone knows
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that David fought Goliath. Goliath was a champion warrior and a champion fighter. He was not just any soldier. He was not even just a regular soldier. Goliath was absolutely special. And when I say that, remember he had terrorized the entire army of Israel for 40 days. He challenged them. He mocked them. He ridiculed them. In fact, go back and look in 1 Samuel chapter 17 and let's begin reading there verse 4. And I want you to pay attention to Goliath now. "And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span."
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"And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass. And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders. And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him." Watch.
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"And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us. And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together."
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Now, the truth of the matter is, Goliath was special. You say, "How special was he?" Well, consider the fact that he was six cubits and a span tall. If the cubit, the length from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger, is about one and one half feet, and the span was usually considered the distance from the thumb to the tip of the middle finger or from the thumb to the little finger all spread out.
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So you're talking about an additional 6 inches. So Goliath then would be approximately 9 feet and 9 inches tall. 9 feet and 9 inches tall. And compared to Og of Bashan, he was probably a little man. Let me show you what I mean. Look back in your Bible, hold 1 Samuel 17, but look in Deuteronomy 3 and verse 11. Deuteronomy 3, verse 11. Here we're going to read about Og, the king of Bashan. Deuteronomy 3, verse 11. And listen to what the Bible says. Now remember that Goliath was nine feet and nine inches tall. Notice in Deuteronomy 3 verse 11, "For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants;
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behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon? nine cubits was the length thereof, and four cubits the breadth of it, after the cubit of a man." So Og's bed would have been 12 feet 6 inches long and 6 feet wide. That's a big bed. And it had to hold a very big man. So Goliath then was 9 feet 9 inches tall.
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He was not only huge, he was also strong. I want you to look in verse 5. The Bible said he had a helmet of brass upon his head and he was armed with a coat of mail. The weight of the coat was 5,000 shekels of brass. Now this is just the coat of mail. The coat of mail weighing 5,000 shekels of brass would be equivalent to 157 pounds. Now the 157 pounds did not count the greaves of brass on his shoulders, didn't count his helmet. I just roughly estimated this in my mind as I was studying.
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I'm going to give you a quote. I already knew that Goliath would be walking around with better than 200 pounds of armor on him. But when you consider that his spearhead was 600 shekels, the spearhead alone, the spearhead, not the spear, the spearhead alone would be 18 pounds and 12 ounces. John Gill, in his commentary, says this concerning Goliath. Listen. He writes, "It is conjectured that in proportion to the stature of Goliath, his spear must be 26 feet long, since Hector's in Homer was 11 cubits or 16 and a half feet long. The whole spear, that is Goliath's spear, the whole spear is supposed to weigh 37 pounds and a half, and the whole of this man's armor is thought to weigh 272 pounds 13 ounces."
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"And one bearing a shield went before him, which, when engaged in battle, he held in his own hand and his sword in the other. The former, the shield, was reckoned at 30 pounds and the sword at 4 pounds 1 ounce. Though one would think that he had no occasion for a shield being so well covered with armor all over, so that carrying of it before him might have been only a matter of form and of state." So here's a man that is a giant, 9 feet 9 inches tall. He's not only a giant in height, he is exceedingly strong. And he's walking around with 200 to 300 pounds of armor on him. And he's not only a giant, he's not only strong, he's also proud. He's arrogant and defiant. He also believed that he was absolutely undefeatable.
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His arrogance and his superiority were apparent. He was begging for a fight. "Send me a man to fight me." Remember if you would he had a target of brass between his shoulders. He had a bullseye. What was he saying? "Hit me if you think you can. You can't kill me, you can't hit me." I mean he was so absolutely assured that he could defeat any soldier of Saul.
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I want you to look in verse 8. Just showing you his arrogance again in verse 8. "He stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me." So what is he doing? He is insulting every soldier.
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He asks, "Who do you think you're fighting? Who do you think you've come out against?" Goliath is absolutely sure that no one wants to fight him. Moreover, he's absolutely sure that if someone does fight him, that that someone is going to lose. Because he's going to be the winner. And look in verse 10. To show you again his arrogance. "And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together." I defy them. Goliath had absolutely no respect for any of Saul's soldiers. He defied them. He mocked them. He ridiculed them. He assumed that absolutely none of them were his equal.
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By the way, the truth is most of them were really and truly afraid of him. They observed his size. They observed his armament. They observed his arrogance. And Saul's soldiers probably thought, "Wow, this man is so sure of himself. And he's so sure that he cannot be defeated. Well, maybe he's right." And they were afraid. Look in verse 11. Here it is in verse 11. "When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid." Skip down to verse 24. Look at verse 24. "And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid." Wow! So let's be honest. All of Saul's soldiers were deathly afraid of Goliath.
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None of them lived up to his challenge. Now, I want to show you something. If you would turn back in your Bibles, hold 1 Samuel 17, but turn back in your Bibles to 1 Samuel 9 and look at verse 2. I want you to see something about King Saul. Look what the Bible says about Saul. 1 Samuel 9, verse 2. "And he," that is Kish, "had a son, whose name was Saul,
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a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people." So Saul was not a little man himself. Saul had to be six to seven feet tall himself. From the shoulders up he was taller than any of the Israelites. So Saul was not a little man. And yet the Bible tells us that even Saul was afraid of Goliath.
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Now, I want you to look back in your Bibles to 1 Samuel 17 and verse 9. Now, here's the kicker. Here's where the rubber meets the road. Look in verse 9. Goliath said, "If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us." Ah, are you listening? Goliath not only must be faced, he not only must be fought, he must be killed for Israel to be free. If Goliath is not killed, then Israel will become the servants to the Philistines by default. I want you to understand something. It is true that any of Saul's soldiers could have fought Goliath and lost. But at least we could have said they fought or at least were willing to fight and they went down fighting. But if there is absolutely no attempt to bring Goliath down, then they and we lose automatically. I want you to understand something about the giants in your life. And that is this: giving up is not an option.
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Doing nothing is not an option. Failing to fight is not an option. You will either have to kill the giants in your life or they will kill you.
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Now I want you to understand this principle. Look back if you would please at verse 9. And then I want you to turn to Romans chapter 6. Watch verse 9. Goliath said, "If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us." So I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 6 and look at verse 16 and I want you to see this principle very plainly and very clearly enunciated. Look in Romans chapter 6 and verse 16.
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The Apostle Paul makes this exceedingly clear. Romans 6, look in verse 16. Look what he says. "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?"
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Now let that sink down. "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" So, what Goliath was proposing was this. If you can fight with me and kill me, then we'll all be your servants. But if you can't and I kill whoever you send, then you're going to be our servants.
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And the Apostle Paul makes it plain that you are the servant, you are the slave to whomever you yield your life and your body to. Let me make it plain. If you do not kill the giant of lust in your life, you will be the servant of lust. If you do not kill the giant of wastefulness, you will be the servant of wastefulness. If you do not kill the giant of covetousness, you will be the servant and the slave of covetousness. If you don't kill the giant of ignorance in your life, you will remain the servant and the slave of ignorance. If you don't kill the giant of bitterness and revenge and anger in your life, then you will be their servants. If you don't kill the giant of division and rebellion, you will never have a united family or a united church. Whatever giant you are facing, you must kill him. Or you're going to be his servant. You're going to be his slave. And that is true in everyone's life. It doesn't matter which giant you are facing.
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He must die. Just like Goliath had to die for Israel to be free. So let me ask you a question. Why is it that in our lives, most often, we do not want to face or fight our giants? Well, the answer is we like to pity ourselves. And we like to wallow in our despair. And we like to think thoughts like this, "No one's ever going through what I'm going through. No one's ever suffered what I'm suffering. No one's ever had to face what I'm facing." And all we try to do then is to have a pity party and exempt ourselves from facing and fighting our giants, because we think that somehow that we are unique, that we are special and that we're the only ones that have ever endured whatever we're enduring. And we have to face this alone. You know the truth of the matter is this, we are not unique and we are not alone. The truth of the matter is this, we all face common giants. Some face them, some fight them, some conquer them, while others refuse to face them, and refuse to fight against them, and they become the servants to sin and unrighteousness.
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When I told you that we're not unique, let me explain what I mean by that. 1 Corinthians 10 and verse 13. Listen carefully. Here's what God said. "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." Now, listen to me.
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I can pretty well tell you a lot of the battles that Henry is facing without Henry ever telling me. I can tell you the battles that Robert is facing without Robert ever telling me. Because I face some of the same common battles. They're common to all of us. Each of us must face the giants in our lives. It's just that simple. And God has said, "There's no temptation taking you, but such is common to man." And here's what else He said, "But God will not suffer or allow you to be tempted above that you're able." God is not going to put some giant on you that you cannot face and you cannot fight. And He's not going to put some giant on you that you cannot conquer and that you cannot kill. He knows exactly the size and the strength of the giants that you can face. And He's promised that there's always going to be a way of escape that we may be able to bear it. So, do not tell me that you cannot fight.
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Do not tell me, "I'm not an experienced warrior. I'm not an experienced soldier. I'm not a martial artist." Well, neither was David. David was a shepherd and a young boy. He had no experience as a soldier. He had no experience as a warrior. Yet he was willing to face and to fight Goliath. I want you to look back in 1 Samuel chapter 17. Look at verse 14. 1 Samuel 17 verse 14. "And David was the youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul." So David was the youngest of all of his brothers. Skip down to verse 33. 1 Samuel 17 verse 33. "And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth." Now the word "youth" here is the Hebrew word "na'ar," which literally means a boy, a lad, a youth. And if you'll look in verse 42, verse 42, Goliath said, "And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance."
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Goliath said, "What? You're sending a kid? You're sending a boy out here to fight me?" Look in verse 56. Saul says to his men, "And the king said, Inquire thou whose son the stripling is." Now the word "stripling" there refers again to a youth, to a young boy or a lad.
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Now, I'll be honest with you. I do not really know how old David was when he faced Goliath. Everything that I have read said that his age was somewhere between 13 and 17. Just stop and think. Everything that I've read said his age was probably from 13 to 17. I would probably go closer to 16 or 17. But still, 16 or 17 is still a kid. So if David, a youth, a lad, a young man, is willing to face and fight and defeat a giant, it should be a whole lot easier to face and fight and defeat a giant if you're an older, more experienced adult. The problem is, we lack the faith, the determination, and the righteous anger that David possessed.
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Now I want you to look back in 1 Samuel chapter 17. Because the truth is, I'm going to show it to you. David was not fearful. He was righteously angered. Look in verse 26, 1 Samuel chapter 17. Look what David said. "And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?" So Goliath's challenge is now answered by David. Because David is not fearful, David is righteously angered. Do you know what the Bible says in Ephesians 4 and verse 26? Listen to this.
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"Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath." Being angry and sin not. There is a righteous anger. A righteous anger is an anger that is pointed at sin and seeks to resolve the sin. An unrighteous anger is when you explode and tell somebody off, or you internalize it and let it eat your own guts out. No, those are totally unrighteous. But righteous anger is directed at sin, and it seeks to resolve that problem in a biblical manner that will exalt God and honor His truth. In fact, our Lord was angry. Anger in itself is not a sin.
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The Bible says in Mark 3 and verse 5, talking about Christ, "And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand." Notice if you would, the Bible says our Lord looked round about upon them with anger. And so when David hears this giant defying not only the armies of Israel, but the armies of Israel, but the living God Himself, ah, he was righteously provoked. Now I want you to note, there were two things that provoked David and raised his indignation against Goliath. The first was the character of Goliath. I want you to look at what he said in verse 26, the latter part. "For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?" The first thing that provoked David's anger was the character of Goliath, or I should say, his lack of character. For he was a Philistine. He was an uncircumcised person. He was a profane man who had no true religion.
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He was a stranger to the covenant and to the promises of Israel. Goliath stood for everything that David and all Israel should have stood against. There is such a thing as a righteous anger. Secondly, the second thing that provoked David was Goliath was reproaching the armies of the living God. I want you to listen. A reproach upon the armies of the living God is a reproach to the living God of the armies. And David understood that the one true and the living God was King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And David could not stand the thought of God's host, of God's armies being reproached, and of God Himself being reproached by a wicked, profane person. So David then had a zeal for God and His truth and His righteousness, and he wished to see God vindicated, and God's army vindicated, and thus he volunteered to fight Goliath. I want you to understand something. David was exercising faith. David not only believed that God would use him, he also believed that God would absolutely give him victory over Goliath.
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David understood that he served the one true and the living God, while Goliath served dumb idols. Now, here's the whole point that I want to make today. I want you to understand and consider that it was God's divine providence that brought David and Goliath together. Stop and think about that. It was God's divine providence that brought David and Goliath together. David was at home, tending his father's sheep. David had no idea about Goliath or his challenge.
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until his father sent him to check on his brothers. Now it is true that David had previously been with Saul, but he had returned home. If you look in 1 Samuel 17 and verse 15, the Bible says this, 1 Samuel 17 and verse 15, "But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem." So had David previously been with Saul? And the answer is yes. If you look in 1 Samuel chapter 16, and let's begin reading there verse 17. 1 Samuel 16 verse 17, "And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me. Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him. Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep. And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul."
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"And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer. And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight. And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him." So David had been in Saul's presence. He was the harpist. He was his armor bearer.
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All it was was a young boy who carried the artillery like the bow or the arrows. Kind of like a bat boy in a baseball game. He doesn't have any real significance except just pick up dropped bats. Something light and something easy. David's main function had been that he played the harp and soothed Saul. Now he's left Saul and he's gone back home to his father to feed the father's sheep. Now, I want you to understand something. The only reason David went back to Saul, the only reason was because Jesse was concerned about his three eldest sons who were in Saul's army.
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Look down in verse 17. 1 Samuel 17, verse 17, watch it. "Then Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren; And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge." So, Jesse did not know what was happening.
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He knew that his sons were in the army. He may have known that there was going to be a battle between the Philistines and the Israelites, but he certainly did not know about Goliath. The only thing Jesse wanted to do was to check on his sons. He wanted not only David to see how they were doing, but to take their pledge, that is, bring something back from them that would prove that they were absolutely alive. All David wanted to do was to obey and honor his father. David was completely unaware of Goliath until he arrived at the battle site. Listen, it is amazing how innocent and simple desires and acts bring conflicts upon us and brings us into the arena of fighting. Jesse never intended for David to fight Goliath. Had he known about Goliath, he probably as a father would have kept him home.
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"I don't want my baby boy facing that big warrior." Jesse didn't know what was happening. David didn't know what was happening. Here's what we need to learn. It's important to understand that we do not need to plan to face and fight giants. In the providence of God, God brings those giants into our paths. And they may come in our paths innocently. By some innocuous little act of "Son, go check on your brothers." It's just that simple. God sovereignly and providentially brought David into the battle so that he could face and fight Goliath. Now I want you to think about this. Humanly speaking, and this is just from a human perspective, that's why I'm saying that. Humanly speaking, had this episode not happened, David would not have had the stature and the character and the faith that he exhibited the rest of his life. The very fact of the matter is, in God's providence, God allowed David to face and to fight and to kill Goliath for David's good and God's glory. Do you realize the same is true concerning every giant that you face in your life?
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God ordains it. God allows it. God brings it to pass for your good and for His glory. And it really does not matter how you come face to face with your giant. God providentially allows it to happen. Nothing happens by accident, fate, or fortune. And there's no such thing as luck or happenstance in a world that is ruled by God. So whatever the Lord brings into our life, we must learn to face it and deal with it. You must remember that it was Joseph's brethren that hated him and sold him into slavery.
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Can you imagine the emotional pain, the mental pain, as well as physical pain, when your family turns against you? But I want you to look in Genesis chapter 50. I want to show you how Joseph handled this giant of familial rejection. Look in Genesis chapter 50, if you would, please. Because after his father dies, his brothers come to him, they say, "Boy, well, Joseph's going to wreak vengeance on us now. Daddy's dead. He's going to get us back for all that we've done to him." Well, look at it.
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Notice there with verse 17. Now let's read verse 16. "And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him. And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants. And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them." Wow!
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What a way to slay a giant of rejection. He said, "You meant it for evil. You meant to harm me. You meant to hurt me. But God meant it for good." What did he do? He resolved that problem quickly, biblically, and efficiently. He just simply took care of it. Now, Joseph, like David, just simply dealt with the giants that God providentially brought into his life. Giants are brought into our lives so that we may learn to fight and to kill and to conquer them. When God sends us giants, God does not intend for those giants to kill and to conquer us. He intends for us to kill and to conquer them. In that way, we mature in our faith and in our trust for Him.
#56 | 47:11 to 48:23 | cleaned
I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Numbers chapter 14. Numbers chapter 14. And as you turn there, I want you to understand that our attitude should be the same attitude as that of Joshua and Caleb. You remember how Moses sent the spies into the land, and all the spies brought back an evil report except Joshua and Caleb. They gave the true report. So in Numbers chapter 14, if you look there beginning with verse 6, I want you to see what they said in reference to the giants. "And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes: And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land."
#57 | 48:24 to 49:42 | cleaned
By the way, these are the same people now. These are the same ones that in chapter 13 and verse 33, they said, "We saw the sons of Anak there, the giants. And we were grasshoppers in our sight before them, and so were we in their sight." So look what he says about these giants. Verse 9, "Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not." Wow!
#58 | 49:42 to 50:16 | cleaned
Did you hear what they said? "They're bread for us. They're our nourishment. They're our sustenance. That's what we're going to live on. We're going to take care of them." It's just that simple. And he said we don't have to fear them. Why? Because their defense is departed from them and our Lord is with us. So whatever giants you're facing, you have to come to a realization, "It's bread for me. It's food for me. It's nourishment, it's sustenance."
#59 | 50:17 to 50:53 | cleaned
God has sent it my way for my good and His glory. Because the Lord is on the side of His people. So here are my two applications today. The first one is this: How do you face giants? With faith or fear? Are you like the majority of the Israelites that wish to turn back and go back into Egypt when they saw the giants? Or are you like Joshua and Caleb and David who said, "They're bread for us. They're ours. We own them. We'll conquer them." Here's the second application. Think with me, please. If you believe that God is absolutely sovereign, and if you believe that nothing happens by accident in a world ruled by God, then we must understand that God sovereignly and providentially brings giants into our lives for our good and His glory.
#60 | 50:54 to 52:15 | cleaned
If we understand that, that should be sufficient to make us cease complaining, whining, and grumbling, and simply just get to work in killing the giants in front of us. Each giant that falls brings us further onto the path of maturity, trust, and greater dependence upon the power of God. With the power, with the Almighty God Himself enabling us and empowering us, we'll learn what David learned. The bigger they come, the harder they fall. But if we don't kill the giants in our lives, we'll be their servants. We'll be their slaves.
#61 | 52:18 to 53:21 | cleaned
It's a matter of life and death. You either kill your giants or they'll kill you. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee this day. We thank You for Your truth. We thank You for Your providence. We thank You, Father, for bringing to pass the things in our lives, for our good and for Your glory. And help us, Lord, to cease complaining, cease whining and grumbling, and just get on with the job of fighting and killing giants. Help us to bring our lives in greater conformity unto Thee. And may we glorify Thee and honor Thee. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.
#62 | 53:22 to 54:09 | cleaned
you you
#63 | 54:24 to 54:25 | cleaned

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T13:39:56Z

Killing Giants - Part 1 of 2

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

In this sermon, Pastor John Weaver introduces the topic of 'Killing Giants' by examining the account of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17. He argues that God providentially allows believers to face spiritual giants—such as despair, apathy, unbelief, family troubles, sickness, and financial burdens—for their good and His glory. Using David's righteous anger and faith as a model, Weaver emphasizes that failing to fight these giants results in becoming their servant, as taught in Romans 6:16. The sermon concludes with applications to face giants with faith rather than fear, trusting in God's sovereign purpose.

Introduction: The Reality of Giants

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 17:1-16

"Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belonged to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines. And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them. And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span." "And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass. And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders. And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him." "And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us. And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together. When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid." "Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem-judah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul. And the three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. And David was the youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul. But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem. And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days. And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren; And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge."

the Bible means when it says there were giants in the earth in those days?

Scripture Reading — Numbers 13:33

" I would imagine to a little girl who is about two and a half feet tall, you know, seeing someone six-six and a half, he would indeed appear to be a giant. Well, one must consider the fact that yes, there were giants in the Bible, and I'm going to show you some things momentarily, but there are some that are considered giants that may not really be giants. In fact, they are assumed to be giants due to an unbiblical and an ungodly attitude and assessment. I hope you remember that which the children of Israel said concerning the sons of Anak in Numbers chapter 13 and verse 33. Listen to what they said. "

And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

Scripture Reading — Numbers 13:33

" Now I want you to understand, the sons of Anak may have been huge men, they may have been called giants, but what made the sons of Anak appear so great was the Israelites considered themselves so small. They said, "

We are as grasshoppers in their sight." And then they said, "And so we were in their sight," or "We were grasshoppers in our sight compared to them, but so in their sight."

Spiritual Giants in Our Lives

God Providentially Allows Giants

The main point: God providentially allows us to face and fight giants for our good and His glory. Weaver defines providence and introduces the example of David and Goliath.

The Character of Goliath

Weaver describes Goliath's physical stature (9 feet 9 inches), strength (armor weighing over 200 pounds), and arrogance, showing why he terrorized Israel for 40 days.

The Consequence of Not Fighting

Now, I want you to look back in your Bibles to 1 Samuel 17 and verse 9. Now, here's the kicker. Here's where the rubber meets the road. Look in verse 9. Goliath said,

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 17:9

"If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us."

The Apostle Paul makes this exceedingly clear. Romans 6, look in verse 16. Look what he says.

Scripture Reading — Romans 6:16

"Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?"

Common Temptations and God's Faithfulness

Weaver addresses the tendency to self-pity, reminding believers that temptations are common to all and God provides a way of escape, as promised in 1 Corinthians 10:13.

David's Righteous Anger and Faith

Weaver highlights David's youth and lack of military experience, yet his righteous anger against Goliath's defiance of God motivated him to fight. David's faith in God's victory is emphasized.

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 17:14, 33, 42, 56

"And David was the youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul."

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 17:26

"And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?"

So Goliath's challenge is now answered by David. Because David is not fearful, David is righteously angered. Do you know what the Bible says in Ephesians 4 and verse 26? Listen to this.

The Bible says in Mark 3 and verse 5, talking about Christ,

Scripture Reading — Mark 3:5

"And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand."

God's Providence in Bringing David to the Battle

Weaver shows how God providentially brought David to the battlefield through Jesse's innocent request, illustrating that God orchestrates our encounters with giants for our growth.

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 17:15

"But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem."

Joseph's Example of Overcoming Rejection

Weaver uses Joseph's response to his brothers in Genesis 50 to demonstrate how to slay the giant of familial rejection by trusting God's good purpose.

Joshua and Caleb's Attitude Toward Giants

Weaver cites Joshua and Caleb's declaration that the giants are 'bread for us' (Numbers 14:9), encouraging believers to view giants as nourishment for faith rather than threats.

Scripture Reading — Numbers 14:6-9

"And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes: And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land."

Applications: Faith Over Fear and Trust in Sovereignty

Weaver concludes with two applications: face giants with faith, not fear; and trust that God sovereignly brings giants for our good, ceasing complaint and engaging in battle.

Killing Giants - Part 1 of 2

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	xiiThC8YMwo
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Law, Obedience, and Sanctification: Walking With God
Genre	Sermon
Date	2015-08-11
Dictation Name
Book	Book 173: Killing Giants — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	63

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Reality of Giants: Weaver introduces the topic of killing giants, noting that David is known as the giant killer but others in Scripture also faced giants. He explains that some giants are perceived as larger due to our lack of faith, referencing the Israelites' fear of the sons of Anak.
Spiritual Giants in Our Lives: Weaver identifies various spiritual giants believers face, such as despair, apathy, unbelief, unsaved family, sickness, financial burdens, and marital struggles, emphasizing they must be dealt with biblically.
God Providentially Allows Giants: The main point: God providentially allows us to face and fight giants for our good and His glory. Weaver defines providence and introduces the example of David and Goliath.
The Character of Goliath: Weaver describes Goliath's physical stature (9 feet 9 inches), strength (armor weighing over 200 pounds), and arrogance, showing why he terrorized Israel for 40 days.
The Consequence of Not Fighting: Weaver explains that if Goliath is not fought and killed, Israel becomes servants to the Philistines. He applies this principle using Romans 6:16, showing that failing to kill spiritual giants makes us their slaves.
Common Temptations and God's Faithfulness: Weaver addresses the tendency to self-pity, reminding believers that temptations are common to all and God provides a way of escape, as promised in 1 Corinthians 10:13.
David's Righteous Anger and Faith: Weaver highlights David's youth and lack of military experience, yet his righteous anger against Goliath's defiance of God motivated him to fight. David's faith in God's victory is emphasized.
God's Providence in Bringing David to the Battle: Weaver shows how God providentially brought David to the battlefield through Jesse's innocent request, illustrating that God orchestrates our encounters with giants for our growth.
Joseph's Example of Overcoming Rejection: Weaver uses Joseph's response to his brothers in Genesis 50 to demonstrate how to slay the giant of familial rejection by trusting God's good purpose.
Joshua and Caleb's Attitude Toward Giants: Weaver cites Joshua and Caleb's declaration that the giants are 'bread for us' (Numbers 14:9), encouraging believers to view giants as nourishment for faith rather than threats.
Applications: Faith Over Fear and Trust in Sovereignty: Weaver concludes with two applications: face giants with faith, not fear; and trust that God sovereignly brings giants for our good, ceasing complaint and engaging in battle.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

God providentially allows giants for our good and His glory.

Weaver argues that God sovereignly brings giants into believers' lives to mature their faith and glorify Himself, as seen in David's encounter with Goliath.

Weaver says, 'God providentially, for our good and His glory, allows us to face and fight giants' (11:22.0-12:08.7) and illustrates with David's story.

Failing to fight giants results in slavery to them.

Using Romans 6:16, Weaver contends that if believers do not actively combat spiritual giants, they become enslaved to sin and its consequences.

Weaver states, 'If you do not kill the giant of lust in your life, you will be the servant of lust' (25:21.5-26:41.0).

David's righteous anger was a proper response to Goliath's defiance of God.

Weaver argues that David's anger was not sinful but righteous, directed at Goliath's reproach of God's armies, and should inspire believers to zeal for God's honor.

Weaver explains, 'David was not fearful. He was righteously angered' and cites David's words in 1 Samuel 17:26 (33:27.9-34:26.5).

Giants are common to all believers, and God provides a way to overcome.

Weaver asserts that no temptation is unique, and God's faithfulness ensures believers can endure and conquer any giant through His provision.

Weaver quotes 1 Corinthians 10:13 and says, 'God is not going to put some giant on you that you cannot face' (29:03.8-30:14.8).

Believers should view giants as opportunities for growth, not threats.

Drawing from Joshua and Caleb, Weaver argues that giants are 'bread for us'—nourishment for faith—and should be faced with confidence in God's presence.

Weaver cites Numbers 14:9, 'they are bread for us' (49:42.5-50:16.1).

Scripture References

1 Samuel 17:1-16: Weaver reads the passage describing the Philistine and Israelite armies, Goliath's challenge, and David's background.
Numbers 13:33: Weaver references the Israelites' fearful report about the sons of Anak, illustrating how lack of faith makes giants seem larger.
1 Samuel 17:4-7: Weaver reads the description of Goliath's armor and weapons to emphasize his physical stature and strength.
Deuteronomy 3:11: Weaver compares Goliath's height to Og's bedstead to show that Goliath was 9 feet 9 inches tall.
1 Samuel 17:8-10: Weaver highlights Goliath's arrogant challenge to Israel, showing his defiance and pride.
1 Samuel 17:11, 24: Weaver notes the fear of Saul and all Israel upon hearing Goliath's words.
1 Samuel 9:2: Weaver points out Saul's own height to emphasize that even a tall man feared Goliath.
1 Samuel 17:9: Weaver uses Goliath's terms of battle to illustrate the principle of servitude to whoever prevails.
Romans 6:16: Weaver applies Paul's teaching on yielding to sin or obedience to the necessity of killing spiritual giants.
1 Corinthians 10:13: Weaver cites this verse to assure believers that temptations are common and God provides a way of escape.
1 Samuel 17:14, 33, 42, 56: Weaver references these verses to show David's youth and inexperience as a warrior.
1 Samuel 17:26: Weaver quotes David's righteous anger at Goliath's defiance of the living God.
Ephesians 4:26: Weaver references this verse to support the concept of righteous anger.
Mark 3:5: Weaver cites Jesus' anger at the hardness of hearts as an example of righteous anger.
1 Samuel 17:15: Weaver notes that David had returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep, showing his humble position.
1 Samuel 16:17-23: Weaver recounts David's previous service to Saul as a harpist and armor bearer.
1 Samuel 17:17-18: Weaver reads Jesse's instructions to David to check on his brothers, which providentially brought him to the battle.
Genesis 50:16-21: Weaver uses Joseph's response to his brothers to illustrate overcoming the giant of rejection through trust in God's purpose.
Numbers 14:6-9: Weaver cites Joshua and Caleb's faithful report, calling the giants 'bread for us' and urging trust in the Lord.

Historical References

Goliath of Gath: Weaver describes Goliath as a Philistine champion warrior, 9 feet 9 inches tall, with heavy armor, who defied Israel for 40 days.
Og, king of Bashan: Weaver compares Goliath's height to Og's bedstead (12 feet 6 inches long) to emphasize the size of biblical giants.
John Gill's commentary on Goliath's armor: Weaver quotes Gill's estimation that Goliath's armor weighed 272 pounds 13 ounces, highlighting his strength.
Pilgrim's Progress: Giant Despair: Weaver references John Bunyan's allegory to illustrate the spiritual giant of despair that believers face.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon quote on sin and Christ: Weaver quotes Spurgeon to show that focusing on sin alone leads to despair, but focusing on Christ brings peace.

Important Quotes

Great thoughts of your sin alone will lead you to despair. Great thoughts of your sin alone will lead you to despair, but great thoughts of Christ will pilot you into a haven of peace.

Weaver uses Spurgeon's quote to emphasize that focusing on Christ rather than sin is essential to overcoming the giant of despair.

The weight of my sin presses down on me like a giant's foot would crush a worm, but oh, it is but a grain of dust to him because that he has borne that sin on the cross.

This quote illustrates the contrast between the overwhelming burden of sin and the sufficiency of Christ's atonement.

Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

Weaver quotes Romans 6:16 to establish the principle that failing to fight spiritual giants results in slavery to sin.

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Weaver cites 1 Corinthians 10:13 to assure believers that God provides a way to overcome every giant.

Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath.

Weaver references Ephesians 4:26 to support the concept of righteous anger as a proper response to sin.

Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.

Weaver quotes Joshua and Caleb's declaration in Numbers 14:9 to encourage believers to view giants as opportunities for spiritual nourishment.

But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

Weaver uses Joseph's words in Genesis 50:20 to demonstrate how to overcome the giant of rejection by trusting God's sovereign purpose.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

What are some 'giants' you are currently facing in your life, and how have you been responding to them—with faith or fear?

[Context]

Weaver challenges believers to identify their personal giants and assess their response, contrasting the fear of Israel with the faith of David.

[Question]

How does understanding God's providence change the way you view the trials and challenges in your life?

[Context]

Weaver emphasizes that God providentially allows giants for our good and His glory, which should transform our perspective on suffering.

[Question]

In what areas of your life have you become a 'servant' to a giant because you have failed to fight it?

[Context]

Weaver applies Romans 6:16 to show that yielding to sin makes us its slave, prompting self-examination.

[Question]

How can we cultivate a righteous anger against sin without falling into sinful anger?

[Context]

Weaver discusses David's righteous anger and references Ephesians 4:26, raising the need for discernment in our emotional responses.

[Question]

What does it mean to view your giants as 'bread for us' as Joshua and Caleb did?

[Context]

Weaver cites Numbers 14:9 to encourage seeing trials as nourishment for faith, prompting reflection on how to practically adopt this mindset.

[Question]

How can the example of Joseph help you deal with rejection or betrayal from family or friends?

[Context]

Weaver uses Joseph's response in Genesis 50 to illustrate overcoming the giant of rejection through trust in God's good purpose.

Applications

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