The Anakims and Goliath

I was reading in Joshua (11) this morning and they mentioned the Anakims. While not mentioned in the New Testament, there's historical significance for the Anakims to Israel that comes out after they left Egypt.

In Numbers 13, Moses sends out scouts. They surveyed the land, looking to see what was there. Their report was that the inhabitants were giants and the sons of Anak (hence, Anakims). Deuteronomy 2 confirms the report of the Anakims being Giants.

So, they're giants.

In Joshua 11, Israel battles the Anakims and wipes them out. Picture this, you have the sons of Jacob (Israel) going to battle against the children of Anak. Men of average stature going against giants and winning.

It says that all of the Anakims were completely wiped out from Hebron. Hebron was given to the tribe of Judah (Joshua 21).

Lets fast forward a few generations. David ruled in Hebron for seven and a half years according to 2 Samuel 2. Prior to becoming king over Hebron, David slew a man from Gath (one of the cities where the Anakims remained). Do you remember his name?

Goliath was a giant, and Israel was terrified of him (1 Samuel 17). It was David who trusted in God and slew Goliath using only a stone. One parts of the battle I find interesting is that David ran toward Goliath. It is obvious that for David there was no option to retreat (at least, not in his heart). So, David took the battle to Goliath and won.

If you look at the two stories, Joshua led Israel against the sons of Anak who were all giants like Goliath. While it doesn't say how many Anakims there were to each Israelite, they still went into battle and slew them. Generations later, a more powerful Israeli nation backed down from a single Anakim. It is as if they had forgotten what God had done for them all those years ago.

I would like to encourage you to keep your trust in God. I'm sure that everyone has Anakims in their life that God has reduced to nothing. Then that one Goliath comes up and you panic because it seems too much to deal with. Keep faith. God will show His power in your life and give you the strength to overcome.

Verses:

Numbers 13:33

33) And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

Deuteronomy 2:10-11

10) The Emims dwelt therein in times past, a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims;

11) Which also were accounted giants, as the Anakims; but the Moabites call them Emims.

Joshua 11:21-23

21) And at that time came Joshua, and cut off the Anakims from the mountains, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel: Joshua destroyed them utterly with their cities.

22) There was none of the Anakims left in the land of the children of Israel: only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, there remained.

23) So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war.

Joshua 21:11

11) And they gave them the city of Arba the father of Anak, which city is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, with the suburbs thereof round about it.

2 Samuel 2:11

11) And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

1 Samuel 17:23-24

23) And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them.

24) And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.

1 Samuel 17:48-50

48) And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.

49) And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.

50) So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.