“A while after this there was again war with the P’lishtim, at Gov. Sibkhai the Hushati killed Saf, one of the sons of the giant.”-2 Samuel 21:18
From verse 18, we’re told about the downfall of a race of giants who had decided to place their bets with the Philistines.
For the longest time, these huge dudes were part and parcel of what made the Philistine war machine seem so intimidating.
In Scripture, do you recall the two terms used to refer to these abnormally big men?
They were called the ANAKIM or the REPHAIM.
They became extinct soon after David’s time ended.
The reason they died out is quite simple.
Since they were so huge and physically imposing, they were always thrown to the frontlines of the battlefield as a way to scare the bejesus out of the enemy.
But this also put them at the most risk.
Hence, the reason they got killed off so quickly.
We’re even told one of these behemoths had 6 fingers and 6 toes.
As freakish as that sounds, I’m told that when it occurs, it normally happens only with unusually tall people.
Now, there is one little phrase in verse 18 that we need to look at more closely.
Notice the part where it says, “one of the sons of the giant.”
The original Hebrew is YALID HA RAPHA.
This literally means, “born to Rapha.”
To be clear, it does NOT say “born in Rapha,” but born TO Rapha.
In other words, Rapha is the name of the father of the race of people called the Rephaim, whom he spawned.
This would be akin to saying David was “one born to Jacob.”
Jacob wasn’t David’s biological father, right?
This was a way to express ancient family ties that we would today simply call a race of people.
So in David’s case, we would simply say he was an Israelite.
This leads to today’s takeaway.
We live in a world that places way too much freakin’ emphasis on ethnicity and blood ties.
Way too much emphasis, man!
Every homie and his grandmama are like, “We’re Chinese,” “We’re Japanese,” or “We’re Italian,” or whatever.
I gotta tell ya, man.
Unless you’re an Amalekite, the Bible doesn’t really give two hoots.
As far as Scripture is concerned, your spiritual identity is far more important than the color of your skin or which ancient village your ancestors cooked pasta in.
Ya feeling me here?
The Bible is revolutionary in this sense.
What other book than the holy scriptures would immortalize two gentile females (one of them a prostitute to boot) by having them grafted into Israel’s messianic genealogy?
I’m talking about Rahab, the innkeeper, and then later, Ruth the Moabite.
And ironically speaking, the two nations today that are the least racist in the world also happen to be the same two nations whose cultural bedrock is the Holy Scriptures.
Of course, I’m talking about the United States of America and Israel.
I’m of mixed French and Japanese ancestry, but in the United States, I’m still considered 100% American.
Am I saying there isn’t racial conflict or tension in the US or Israel?
Of course not.
But I am saying that, ideologically speaking, America and Israel are the least racist countries in the world.
What other country than the US can you have a half-African, half white president?
Or what other countries in the world that, when you visit them, have full-fledged citizens of those nations representing every creed and color under the sun?
That’s right.
Even if you reject the God of the Biblical background of the US and Israel, the Biblical background of these nations gives you the freedom to reject their Biblical background.
The bottom line is that the Lord is no respecter of persons.
Either you accept Him as Lord and Savior…
Or you don’t.
Done.
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“There is neither Jew nor Greek,
there is neither bond nor free,
there is neither male nor female:
For ye are all one in Messiah Yeshua.”
— Galatians 3:28
“And have put on the new man,
which is renewed in knowledge
after the image of him that created him:
Where there is neither Greek nor Jew,
circumcision nor uncircumcision,
Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free:
but Messiah is all, and in all.”
— Colossians 3:10–11
“Of a truth I perceive that
God is no respecter of persons:
But in every nation he that feareth him,
and worketh righteousness,
is accepted with him.”
— Acts 10:34–35
“For there is no respect
of persons with God.”
— Romans 2:11
“For ye are all the children of God
by faith in Messiah Yeshua.”
— Galatians 3:26
“But as many as received him,
to them gave he power to
become the sons of God,
even to them that believe on his name:
Which were born, not of blood,
nor of the will of the flesh,
nor of the will of man,
but of God.”
— John 1:12–13
“Wherefore henceforth know
we no man after the flesh:
yea, though we have known
Messiah after the flesh,
yet now henceforth know we him no more.
Therefore if any man be in Messiah,
he is a new creature:
old things are passed away;
behold, all things are become new.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:16–17
“For by one Spirit are we
all baptized into one body,
whether we be Jews or Gentiles,
whether we be bond or free;
and have been all made to
drink into one Spirit.”
— 1 Corinthians 12:13
“And hath made of one blood
all nations of men for to dwell
on all the face of the earth.”
— Acts 17:26
NEXT TIME WE BEGIN 2ND SAMUEL CHAPTER 22
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