The Giant of the World
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The War of 1812
The United States was pushing westward and north into Canada, but the British forces were making it very difficult for them to achieve much success.
In 1814, after two years of fighting, things got even worse for the United States. • They had lost many men, and their efforts at conquest were constantly thwarted.
In April of 1814, Napoleon surrendered to the Russians and was exiled to Elba.
This, however, meant that the British could now send more skilled and seasoned soldiers to assist in the war against the United States.
In an effort to deliver a psychological blow to the United States and its citizens, the British set their sights on Washington, D.C.
Landing in Benedict, Maryland, on August 19, 1814, a British force of roughly 5,000 men marched toward Washington.
An American force of approximately 7,000, led by Brigadier General William Winder, attempted to stop the British at the Battle of Bladensburg, Maryland, on August 24.
However, the battle was so poorly planned, and the American forces so confused, that it quickly turned into a disastrous rout. With the road to Washington wide open, the British advanced.
Once in Washington, the British burned the White House (after sitting down to a large feast prepared by Dolly Madison and her staff for cabinet members before they were all forced to flee).
They also torched the War Department, the State Department, the Treasury Department, and many other government offices. And, of course, the Capitol building, along with the original Library of Congress, was destroyed.
The policy was to leave private property alone; however, with the massive fires spreading out of control, the city was in jeopardy.
The next day, a massive storm hit Washington, with driving rains extinguishing most of the fires.
The storm was so fierce that it tore some buildings apart, lifting them off their foundations.
Trees were uprooted, and even cannons were lifted off the ground and thrown into the air.
This frightened the British so much that they cut their invasion short and retreated.
As the storm began to subside, one of the British officers in command of the invasion emerged from his shelter and said to one of the inhabitants of Washington, “Great God, Madam, is this the kind of storm to which you are accustomed in this infernal country?!”
She responded, “No, sir, this is a special interposition of Providence to drive our enemies from the city.”
The storms and tornadoes that struck Washington that day saved the capital of the United States.
God had intervened.
We are continuing our series on facing the giants in our lives based on the lives of King Saul and King David.
I believe one of the most deceptive giants we face in life is what I refer to as the Giant of the World!
We see from the historical events and the lives of King Saul and King David that both faced this giant, but each of them had their own approach.
King Saul versus The Giant Of The World
King Saul versus The Giant Of The World
In 1 Samuel 15:1-5, we see that Saul is given a mission by Samuel, who speaks on God’s behalf.
Then Samuel said to Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you as king over His people, over Israel; now therefore, listen to the words of the Lord.
“Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way while he was coming up from Egypt.
‘Now go and strike Amalek and utterly destroy all that he has, and do not spare him; but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’ ”
Then Saul summoned the people and numbered them in Telaim, 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah.
Saul came to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the valley.
So far, so good; Saul seems to be following the word of God given to him by Samuel.
• Saul and his army destroy King Agag and the Amalekites.
• However, Saul did not fully obey the orders he was given.
• 1 Samuel 15:9 “But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were not willing to destroy them utterly; but everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.”
• Samuel confronts Saul about his disobedience, and look at Saul’s response in verses 13-15.
Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of the Lord! I have carried out the command of the Lord.”
But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?”
Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen, to sacrifice to the Lord your God; but the rest we have utterly destroyed.”
Saul lies about carrying out God’s command and then makes an excuse.
He refers to God as Samuel’s God rather than “our God.”
Samuel reminds Saul that he was supposed to destroy everything.
Saul again lies, claiming he did so in verse 20.
He then blames the people instead of taking responsibility for his own sin. 1 Samuel 15:21
“But the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal.”
What was the issue here?
Saul desired the spoils of war rather than obedience to God.
Saul refused to take ownership of his sin and instead blamed others.
Saul’s reliance was on himself and maintaining his image, rather than on God and obedience.
Samuel said, “Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.
Saul was defeated by the Giant of the World.
He valued what the world had to offer more than obedience.
He indulged his own desires and pride instead of humbling himself before God.
King David versus The Giant Of The World
King David versus The Giant Of The World
And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and may the Lord be with you.”
Then Saul clothed David with his garments and put a bronze helmet on his head, and he clothed him with armor.
David girded his sword over his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. So David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.” And David took them off.
He took his stick in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd’s bag which he had, even in his pouch, and his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine.
I love David’s quote, “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.”
Who had he tested?
He had seen God pull through for him with both a bear and a lion!
He knew God had his back!
King David had an opportunity to take up Saul’s armor when he faced Goliath.
From a worldly perspective, this would make sense.
Saul’s armor was the king’s armor; it would have been the best of the best.
Goliath was in full gear; it would only make sense to meet him in full gear.
David would have been outmatched had he taken the armor.
David was not a trained warrior.
David was not accustomed to swinging a sword.
David chose to believe God’s way, and that was obedience.
Instead of David being outmatched by Goliath, Goliath was now outmatched and had no chance against God.
King David successfully defeated the Giant of the World.
How Does This Apply To You And Me?
How Does This Apply To You And Me?
Too often, we get ahead of God in our lives and try to do things the world’s way.
Instead of seeking God, we chase after wealth.
Instead of trusting God, we depend on worldly philosophies.
Instead of immediately praying about situations, we rationalize and hypothesize ways to resolve various issues.
Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.
If we are going to defeat the Giant of the World, we must not only understand but also fully believe in who fights for us.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
If we can get our minds and hearts focused where they should be, then when troubles arise and situations come that are beyond our control, our first response should be total reliance on our heavenly Father.
Much like the storm that saved Washington DC in 1814, when we allow God to fight for us, nothing can stop us.
Words of Warning
Words of Warning
The Giant of the World can be deceptive. Sometimes the Giant is not so easy to detect.
Our cars come with indicators:
Low fuel gauge
Check engine
Oil light
Tire pressure warning
Temperature gauge
Etc.
We can choose to address and fix these indicators, or we can choose to ignore them. Often, if we choose to ignore them, it can result in a heavy cost and even ruin our vehicle.
God’s word also provides us with an indicator of how we are doing against the world.
Let’s take a look at today’s verses.
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Just like King Saul, it is easy to get caught up in and dependent on what the world has to offer.
We forget that we are meant to live in obedience to God and with eternity in mind.
King David lived in obedience; he did not rely on the world’s methods, and God helped him defeat a real giant, but also the giant of the World.
I love the depiction of God described in Isaiah 41:10.
‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
God is extending His right hand to hold yours.
When troubles come into your life and you fall, it may be because you are so busy holding on to your possessions that you don’t have a hand free.
While there is certainly nothing wrong with nice things, IRAs, and savings accounts, let’s ensure that our dependence remains on God and not worldly possessions.
Let’s pray
