Deuteronomy 9:1&2 says, “Hear O Israel: Thou art to pass over Jordan this day, to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fenced up to heaven, A people great and tall, the children of the Anakims, whom thou knowest, and of whom thou hast heard say, Who can stand before the children of Anak!”
One time I chose to ride the bus home from college. I sat next to a black man about ten years older than me. He was from the South. This bus trip was the first time he had seen the Northwest. I tried to answer his many questions. Somehow the subject turned to bears. After telling him several bear-encounter stories (not mine personally), he quit asking questions. As we were drawing near to the bus station in Spokane, he asked me if it would be safe to get off. I explained to him that there wouldn’t be bears at the bus garage. He wasn’t too sure, and was the last to get off the bus.
In our text, Moses was talking to the Israelites before they were to enter the land of Canaan. He was warning them about the “people great and tall.” These were the children of Anak! Anak was a giant. They were about to enter the “land of the giants” (Deuteronomy 2:20). We are not talking about a giant spotted here or there on occasion. The land was full of them. There was a saying: “Who can stand before the children of Anak?” Moses said they are, “greater and mightier than thyself.”
Today, maybe tomorrow—sometime you are bound to meet a “giant” greater than you. You might have faced one already, or are facing one now. You may be able to climb a tall ladder without fear. The height we are looking at here is the height of the giant. The giant we face in our life looms over us creating fear. These giants can come in the form of cancer, bankruptcy, divorce, death of a spouse or loved one, old age, etc. We begin to wonder what the future holds. Fear sets in. We can choose the acronym, False Evidence Appearing Real, or Forget Everything And Run (not original).
Let us note several things about these giants. First, they are all over the land. Many have faced them before us. The martyrs faced them boldly. If you are not facing a giant now, you probably know someone who is.
Second, many of these giants have been killed, as the Bible states. I don’t see cases in the Scripture of a giant killing anyone. No doubt they have. Many people do die of cancer. In fact, everyone dies of something sometime. Death is not the end of the journey. It never seems like the right time.
Jesus died and rose again to take away the sting of death. Jesus died at 33 years old. His was a short earthly life. Think of how much more He could have done if He had lived longer. His death was at the right time. He had completed His work. Death didn’t kill Him. The death giant can’t really kill us if we walk with Jesus.
Third, giants are never too big for God to handle. Moses told the people that God would go before them and destroy the giants with a consuming fire. They would actually see this. Moses spoke these words on the day they were about to cross Jordan and face these giants.
Today may be your day, or my day. Remember Hebrews 13:5&6, “…I will never leave thee or forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”
Heights? Giants don’t look so tall when they are burnt up and lying flat on the ground.
