Episode Details

Men for the Fight

2 Samuel 21:15-22, 23:8-39; Remsen Bible Fellowship; 11/20/2022

Introduction

Societies need men. Churches need men. Families need men. Those three statements, hopefully, seem like common sense to you. But you are also well aware that in many parts of our society those statements would need a trigger warning attached. We hear frequent drumbeats of the dangers of patriarchy and toxic masculinity. Is masculinity a dangerous thing? Is it something to steer boys away from, and to protect women from?

The Bible doesn’t seem to think so. Which, given that the Bible is God’s word, means that God doesn’t seem to think so. He created us male and female in His image. There is something about the distinctions between, and the resultant fitting together of men and women, that expresses God’s likeness in a way that androgynous humanity simply wouldn’t.

We can all think of texts which celebrate various aspects of femininity and female strength. The stories of Ruth and Esther, the woman of Proverbs 31, and many of the women in the Gospels and Paul’s letters shine forth showing the way to what competent, beautiful, female, image bearing looks like. Where do the men turn?

One answer would be our two passages from 2 Samuel this morning. We begin with 2 Samuel 21:15ff.

15 There was war again between the Philistines and Israel, and David went down together with his servants, and they fought against the Philistines. And David grew weary. 16 And Ishbi-benob, one of the descendants of the giants, whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of bronze, and who was armed with a new sword, thought to kill David. 17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid and attacked the Philistine and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, “You shall no longer go out with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel.”

18 After this there was again war with the Philistines at Gob. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite struck down Saph, who was one of the descendants of the giants. 19 And there was again war with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim, the Bethlehemite, struck down Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. 20 And there was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number, and he also was descended from the giants. 21 And when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimei, David’s brother, struck him down. 22 These four were descended from the giants in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants. (2 Samuel 21:15-22)

Rather than slowly walk through each detail of our two passages, I want to highlight the obvious theology of these texts, and then spend the end of the sermon meditating on potential applications for us today.

God’s Preservation

We have to remember where these texts are situated - in the epilogue of 2 Samuel, the conclusion of the narrative about David’s years as king. Though much of what takes place in these texts is from earlier in David’s reign, and some even before he becomes king, the author places the material here for us to see God’s hand at work preserving his anointed ruler, and preserving his chosen people. This is especially clear in 21:17-18, where David’s life is on the line. He is tired from fighting, and Ishbi-benob, a giant, takes notice. This mountain of a man, who wields a spear with an eight pound point on the end and who had some form of new weapon (the Hebrew is unclear if it was a new sword or new armor or new something else - but it was new and shiny and ready for a test against David) is about to slay the king. Until Abishai steps in and saves the day.

In this section of chapter 21 there are four different giants who fall by the hand of David and his men, and the material here is to help