Confronting Giants

There were giants in the earth in those days. . . (Genesis 6:4).

We know there were giants in the biblical times of the Old Testament. They're mentioned early in Genesis and then several more times in other books of the Bible. When Moses sent the twelve men to spy out the land of Canaan, their report lets us know there were still giants there. Caleb wanted to go at once and possess the land, but ten of the men said, "We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. . . . And there we saw 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."

Which also were accounted giants, as the Anakims; but the Moabites called them Emims (Deuteronomy 2:11).

The Anakim were warrior-like giants, descendants of the giant, Anak. Moses records in Deuteronomy that God destroyed the giants who lived in Ammon so that Lot's children could possess the land. Later in Deuteronomy, it mentions Og of Bashan, saying that this king came from the remnant of giants. Deuteronomy talks about other giants, but most of them are different names for the same ones.

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 the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we might fight together (1 Samuel 17:4 & 10).

Of course, the story of the most famous giant in the Bible is told in 1 Samuel 17. Goliath of the Philistines mocked David's God and taunted the Israelites to choose a man to fight him. When David heard his mockery, he was insulted on God's behalf and determined to defeat the blasphemer, which he did with a sling and rock. The Philistines also had another giant with them when they confronted the Israelites in battle at Gob in 2 Samuel 21:18. Sibbechai the Hushath killed Saph.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end (Jeremiah 29:11).

Today we're more likely to encounter figurative giants than physical ones, but most of us have probably faced giant problems at one time or another. We should approach these giants the same way Joshua, Caleb, and David did. They relied on God, knowing that nothing is impossible with Him and that His plans are always best.

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