2 Samuel 21:15

2 Samuel 21:15 says, Moreover the Philistines had yet war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines: and David waxed faint.  The Philistines were once again at war with Israel, and though he was now old as Matthew Henry points out, David went to fight against them.  After fighting against them, David became faint from his efforts.  We are always going to be at war with the lost and sinful world today and at times we may become faint from the battle. David’s strength was no longer what it had been, but his willingness to go into battle was still strong.  As we get older, our strength may wane, but our willingness to fight against the enemies of God never should.  Verse sixteen adds, And Ishbibenob, which was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of brass in weight, he being girded with a new sword, thought to have slain David.  Ishbibenob, the son of the giant, sought to kill David.  Like David, at times we may be facing giants, but also like David, our God will always be bigger than them.  Verse seventeen continues, But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel.  Abishai helped David regain his strength, and Matthew Henry says that it was David who then killed the giant.  As followers of Christ, we may at times be the one in need of help and at other times be the one giving help, but we are all in the battle together and need to support one another.  The people of Israel told David that he would no longer go into battle with them and risk being killed and quenching the light of Israel.   As Christians, Jesus Christ is our Light, and we never have to fear that He will be defeated. Verse eighteen states, And it came to pass after this, that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob: then Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Saph, which was of the sons of the giant.  The battle against the Philistines continued, and David’s men continued to beat the giants, first with Sibbechai defeating one at Gob.  As Christian leaders get older, we need to know that God is calling others to replace them.  Verse nineteen adds, And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim, a Bethlehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.  In another battle, Elhanan killed the brother of Goliath, another giant.  Earlier, when David killed Goliath, the men of the army of Israel had been afraid to face him, but now they were facing and defeating giants.  We should grow in faith as we begin to understand more what it means to be a follower of Christ.  We are already victorious through faith in Christ, so there should be no giant that we are afraid to face.  Verse twenty says, And there was yet a battle in Gath, where was a man of great stature, that had on every hand six fingers, and on every foot six toes, four and twenty in number; and he also was born to the giant.  Verse twenty-one adds, And when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea the brother of David slew him.  At Gath, there was a giant with six fingers 9n each hand and six toes on each foot who defied Israel, and Jonathan, David’s nephew and not Saul's son, killed him.  David’s family may have questioned his ability to be king, but at least some were now supporting him.  We never need to question Jesus Christ's ability to rule, and we need to be willing to face anyone or anything that attempts to defeat us today, and we need to do it for His glory.  Verse twenty-two continues, These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.  The giants all fell by the hand of David and his men, just as all the giants we face today will fall as long a we are faithful to Jesus Christ.