A Deadly Weapon

A DEADLY WEAPON

 

Sometimes a discouraging remark can be "a deadly weapon", for Biblical examples we can take Nehemiah (Neh 4:1-10), and young David when he met the giant Goliath in (1 Sam 17:41-44) for details of what these 2 men had to face. Sometimes all of us have received comments, even from friends that can be quite damaging to our relationships. Perhaps it is just a casual remark that was not meant to offend, but was spoken in hast and was received as an offence. In the case of the passages mentioned from Nehemiah these men were real enemies who were trying to prevent the rebuilding of the walls around Jerusalem that had been destroyed. We read that Sanballat and Tobiah, along with other friends really didn't want to see Jerusalem restored, and did everything they could to discourage the workers.

 

In the passage from (1 Sam 17:41-44), David, the youngest son of Jesse, was sent by his father to take some food to his older brothers who were part of the Israelite army that were at war with the Philistine army. When David arrived at the battle site, he saw the Philistine giant Goliath who had been challenging the Israelite army for 40 days to send out a man to fight against him. When David observed the situation he cried out "Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?" (Verse 26). David had fought lions and bears to protect his father's sheep, and was not afraid of this pagan giant that was defying the army of the living God that he served. You know the rest of the story, how David defeated the giant with only one stone from his sling, that struck Goliath in the forehead and knocked him down, then David used the giant's sword to kill him and cut off his head. When the Philistine army saw that their champion was dead, they turned and ran. Then the Israelite army had a great victory that day.

 

So the enemies of both Nehemiah and David were defeated; Nehemiah and his workers finished rebuilding the wall; and David went on to be king of Israel. The fact that both of these men did not let the discouraging remarks of their enemies prevent them from having complete victory over their situations, should be a real encouragement to all of us. We all as followers of Jesus, face a common enemy in Satan, who hates God and all of God's children, and will do everything he can to prevent us from serving God by extending His Kingdom here on earth. The Father has given all His children the gift of the Holy Spirit when He "adopts" us into His family, and the Holy Spirit will abide with us for ever and ever!!

Sincerely submitted.

Dave Jamer                                                                                           03/03/15