The Sons of Anak - 10/19/08am

The Land of Milk and Honey
Exodus 3:7-8 -The land of milk and honey
Genesis 12:6-7 -Promised to Abraham
Exodus 6:8 -Promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, given to Israel by God
Exodus 19:4-6 -Here they’d be God’s treasured possession

The Land of Giants
Numbers 13:1-25 -The spies enter Canaan and spy out the land
Numbers 13:26-33 -The spies report on Canaan
Numbers 14:1-10 -The people refuse to enter the promised land

Giants of the Bible
Races/tribes of Giants:
In Noah’s time, the Nephilim, who the sons of Anak were like
Rephaites
Emites
Zamzummites
Zuzites
Specific Giants:
Og of Bashan
Anakites
Arba
Sheshai
Ahiman
Talmai
Ishbi Benob
Jaare Oregim
Saph the Philistine
Goliath

Giants Today
I have often wondered what became of all the giants, the sons of Anak. So I did a little checking, and found out that their descendants are still living today. And what’s more, they still stand opposed to those who want to do God’s will. They build fortified cities that reach the sky, and if you try to bring the word of the Lord to where they live, they will kill you, take your children away and make them into slaves.

Have you ever seen them? They live right next door to me. They might live next door to you, too. Because, you see, one might say “Let’s go teach our neighbor about Jesus”. But then you will hear voices saying, “no, no, you can’t go over there, they don’t want to know about Jesus, they are not that kind of people, they are the sons of Anak, they are mighty giants, they will smite you and kill you”.

Or maybe you have seen someone along the road who needed help. You wanted to help them, but then you saw them, and you were afraid, because they were giants. No, I can’t help that person, they might smite me, and kill me. Let’s turn back, let’s go back the way we came. Let’s go back to Egypt and be slaves once again.

There are a lot of things Christians want to be doing. But unfortunately, we live in a land of giants, and everywhere we turn, the Sons of Anak oppose us. They come out of the woodwork when we are asked to teach a Bible class. They run after us if someone needs us to preach a sermon or lead singing. They also block the road if we try to visit the shut-ins, or the sick. Sometimes when the Church wants to do a good work, the sons of Anak come out with vast armies. The Church can’t select elders because the giants step in their way. They can’t hold a Gospel meeting, or start a correspondence class, because there are just too many giants to slay.

And men would like to serve the Church, but Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai keep them pinned down at every turn. We would like to attend Gospel meetings too, but the Sons of Anak just won’t let us get out of the house much any more. And sometimes the Sons of Anak are among us preaching lies and not teaching God’s true word. But what choice do we have? We can’t prevent them for surely they will smite us and kill us. We are better off going back home where it is safe from danger.

The Giant Slayers
Joshua and Caleb were willing to go out and slay the giants. There are others in scipture who did the same.
I Samuel 17:34-37, 48-54 -David and Goliath
I Chronicles 11:22-23 -Benaiah and the Egyptian

Will We Slay the Giants?
Those who were unwilling to go against the sons of Anak were punished for their faithlessness
Numbers 14:36-37 -God kills 10 spies with a plague
Numbers 14:32-35 -The people who refused to enter the land

Those who were willing to enter the land, trusting in God, and fight the giants were rewarded
Numbers 14:30, 38 -Joshua and Caleb spared
Joshua 14:6-15 -Caleb is given Hebron
Joshua 15:14 -Caleb drives out the sons of Anak
Joshua 11:21-23 -Joshua drives out the Anakites and destroys their towns

We too, have the same promise of a promised land. Will we slay the giants and enter? Or will we lose faith?