Deuteronomy 3:11 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.
12 And this land, which we possessed at that time, from Aroer, which is by the river Arnon, and half mount Gilead, and the cities thereof, gave I unto the Reubenites and to the Gadites.
13 And the rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, being the kingdom of Og, gave I unto the half tribe of Manasseh; all the region of Argob, with all Bashan, which was called the land of giants.
18 And I commanded you at that time, saying, The LORD your God hath given you this land to possess it: ye shall pass over armed before your brethren the children of Israel, all that are meet for the war.
The children of Israel often times found themselves in battles where the odds were stacked against them and even in battles where the size and stature of their foes were obviously greater. Fighting giants!
I would venture to say that the most memorable giant etched in our memories is most likely the giant of Gath- who we know as Goliath!
The story we know well of the young lad David who so courageously marched out onto the battlefield with nothing more than a rag and a rock and the NAME of the Lord and Goliath came tumbling down and David removed his head victorious in battle!
DESCRIPTION OF GOLIATH
4 A champion named Goliath from Gath came out from the Philistine camp. He was more than nine feet tall.[a] 5 He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore bronze scale-armor weighing one hundred twenty-five pounds.[b] 6 He had bronze plates on his shins, and a bronze scimitar hung on his back. 7 His spear shaft[c] was as strong as the bar on a weaver’s loom, and its iron head weighed fifteen pounds.[d] His shield-bearer walked in front of him.
Some how this Biblical description communicates and intimidating, formidable foe! It describes his great stature, his weapons of warfare that he is arrayed with. He is a champion…he’s fought his way to the top. His boisterous taunts and teazes are heard echoing across the valley. He’s a giant and his name is GOLIATH! The children of Israel shake cowering in their tents!
I Chronicles 20:6 At another war in Gath there was a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in all, who was also descended from Raphah
Here is another description of a giant seen in the Bible he was described as a huge man…furthermore he had 6 fingers on each hand and 6 toes on each foot. I think this illustrates a dimension of giant that we must all face that has a greater grip on our life than the other giant…it has a stronger standing in our life. If your honest with yourself you’ll have to admit that there are some stronghold in your life that seem to wrap their hands around you and choke the very life out of your soul. You knock them down and they keep getting right back up!
But I believe there is a PROMISE LAND- The PROMISE LAND is a land that flows with milk and honey. The promise Land is a position of divine destiny that God is trying to take each and every one of us! This is a place that God was trying for generation to take His people.
I believe the Promise Land is more than some heavenly place that we will only see when we have given our last breath in this world and we go to our mansion bright and fair!
I believe the Promise Land is more than just some mysterious place that is never achievable---I believe the promise Land is seen like this in the live’s of the children of Israel.
The first phase- we see the children of Israel in bondage in Egypt- Working for Pharaoh- no life, no liberty, no freedom…their life was not their own. They never had enough…never had enough food…never enough brick…it was a miserable state…yet many had succumbed to the idea that this is how life will always be!
The second phase-we see the children of Israel were now no longer slaves- but they were still lost---they didn’t have much---but they had JUST ENOUGH---food was day to day---one day at a time! God was trying to teach them to TRUST HIM. It was as if their freedom also became their bondage because they now had a problem with SUBMITTING! They ran from the thought of placing their trust in following Moses into the promise land…maybe the abuse they felt under the hands of Pharaoh caused them to rebel against any type of authority in their lives and so they murmured and complained…they whined and the gossiped.
It’s a sad state that people who once had Pharaohs in their life wont allow Moseses to lead---
I’m sure Moses had his crowd that whined and said- AWE I JUST FOLLOW GOD NOT MAN—WHEN THE TRUTH BE KNOWN THEY DON’T FOLLOW ANYBODY BUT THEIR OWN SELFISH DESIRES---THESE ARE THE ONE’S THAT WANT PREACHERS TO FEED THEM FOOD BUT DESPISE PASTORS THAT BRING CORRECTION INTO THEIR LIVES- THEIR CRY IS MAKE ME FEEL GOOD BUT DON’T EXPECT ME TO BE GOOD!
Just cause someone you loved, respected and followed in your life betrayed your trust does not give you permission to no longer submit to godly leadership, nor does it give you permission to scrutinize, criticize, interrogate and question every leader God has placed in your life!
The third phase is- The Promise Land- More than enough- Land flowing with milk and honey!
Deuteronomy 3:11 By the way, Bashan’s King Og was the last of the Rephaim. His bed was made of iron. Isn’t it still in the Ammonite town of Rabbah? By standard measurements, it was thirteen and a half feet long and six feet wide.)
THIS WAS THE DESCRIPTION OF THE LAST GIANT TO BE DEFEATED IN THE LAND BEFORE ENTERING INTO THE PROMISE LAND?
WHAT ABOUT HIS SWORD? WHAT ABOUT WHAT A MIGHTY WARRIOR HE WAS? WHAT ABOUT HOW MEAN HE WAS? HIS SPECIAL ABILITIES? HOW MANY BATTLES HE WON?
NONE OF THESE ARE GIVEN---BUT IT TELLS US THE DESCRIPTION OF HIS BED!
KING OG---HAD A KING SIZE BED!
I think Spiritually speaking there is something that we need to take note of- This Giants bed represented leisure, relaxation, rest and contentment- THE GREATEST GIANT THAT MANY OF US FACE WILL NOT BE A GIANT LABELED WITH HORRIBLY WICKED SINS
THIS GIANT IS THE CURSE OF CONTENTMENT AND CASUAL COMMITMENT
THIS GIANT SAYS- IM TOO TIRED TO GO TO CHURCH- BUT I CAN STAY UP ALL NIGHT AND WATCH MOVIES THAT I KNOW JESUS LEFT THEM ROOM WHEN I TURNED THEM ON!
THIS GIANT SAYS- I’M TOO BUSY TO GO PRAY- BUT NOT TOO BUSY TO GO PLAY
THIS GIANT SAYS PASSION IN CHURCH AND WORSHIPPING GOD---THAT’S WEIRD
PAINTING FROM HEAD TO TOE---YELLING AND SCREAMING FOR A MAN RUNNING ON A FIELD WITH A FOOTBALL---THAT’S ACCEPTABLE
THIS GIANT SAYS- I CANT MAKE IT TO CHURCH ON TIME ON SUNDAY---BUT I CAN MAKE TO WALMART AT 4AM ON FRIDAY
THIS GIANT SAYS- I CANT GIVE 10% TO THE CHURCH ON SUNDAY BUT I CAN GIVE 20% TO THE THEATER ON SATURDAY!
Amos 6:1 Woe to them that are at ease in Zion…
Amos 6:1 Doom to those resting comfortably in Zion
YOU SEE THE ONE’S INFECTED WITH THIS AT EASE DISEASE ARE THE ONE’S RIGHT NOW THAT UNDER THEIR BREATH ARE MUMBLING I WISH HE WOULDNT PREACH STUFF LIKE THIS- YOU WANT ME TO PREACH A FEEL GOOD, PAT YOU ON THE BACK AND BURP YOU LIKE A BABY SERMON- PREACH ON PROBLEMS YOU DON’T HAVE-SO YOU CAN POINT AT THE PERSON ACROSS THE ISLE FROM YOU
WHY DON’T YOU STOP POINTING YOUR FINGER AT OTHER PEOPLE AND SAY LORD THANKS FOR BRINGING A WORD TO MY LIFE- THAT WILL CHANGE ME- PUSH ME- CHALLENGE ME- THAT WILL WAKE ME UP OUT OF THIS SPIRITUAL LETHARGY
YOU’RE SO BUSY POINTING AT PEOPLE FALLING OFF THEIR BIKES---YOU HAVEN’T EVEN TAKEN THE TRAINING WHEELS OFF
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU SAID “THIS SERMON IS FOR ME” THAN WALKED DOWN TO AN ALTAR AND REPENTED OF YOUR SINS AND CRIED OUT TO GOD TO FORGIVE YOU AND HAVE MERCY ON YOUR LIFE
If all the sleeping folk will wake up, If all the lukewarm folk will fire up, If all the dishonest folk will confess up, If all the disgruntled folk will cheer up, If all the depressed folk will cheer up, If all the estranged folk will make up, If all the gossipers will shut up, If all true soldiers will stand up, If all the dry bones will shake up, If all the church members will pray up... Then we can have a revival!
Illustration- "The trouble with some of us is that we have been inoculated with small doses of Christianity which keep us from catching the real thing."
I BELIEVE SOME OF THE GREATEST REVIVALS WILL HAPPEN WHEN JUST A COUPLE SAINTS REALIZE WHAT BIG SINNERS THEY REALLY ARE!
Lukewarm--
revelation 3:15 I know your works. You are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot. 16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I’m about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 After all, you say, ‘I’m rich, and I’ve grown wealthy, and I don’t need a thing.’ You don’t realize that you are miserable, pathetic, poor, blind, and naked. 18 My advice is that you buy gold from me that has been purified by fire so that you may be rich, and white clothing to wear so that your nakedness won’t be shamefully exposed, and ointment to put on your eyes so that you may see. 19 I correct and discipline those whom I love
SAMSON WOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN DEFEATED IF HE WOULD NOT BECAME COMFORTABLE
Romans 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
Rom 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
