A Throne, a Crown, and Felled Giants

1 Chronicles 20:1-8
    1 It happened in the spring of the year, at the time kings go out to battle, that Joab led out the armed forces and ravaged the country of the people of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem. And Joab defeated Rabbah and overthrew it. 2 Then David took their king's crown from his head, and found it to weigh a talent of gold, and there were precious stones in it. And it was set on David's head. Also he brought out the spoil of the city in great abundance. 3 And he brought out the people who were in it, and put them to work with saws, with iron picks, and with axes. So David did to all the cities of the people of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
    4 Now it happened afterward that war broke out at Gezer with the Philistines, at which time Sibbechai the Hushathite killed Sippai, who was one of the sons of the giant. And they were subdued.
    5 Again there was war with the Philistines, and Elhanan the son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.
    6 Yet again there was war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, with twenty-four fingers and toes, six on each hand and six on each foot; and he also was born to the giant. 7 So when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea, David's brother, killed him.
    8 These were born to the giant in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.

David sat on a comfortable and magnificent throne given by God for him to lead His people.  David sent out the army under Joab while he stayed home, a time when kings should be out leading armies.  In 2 Samuel 11:1-2 and following, we see how keeping out of the battle can lead to devastating temptations and their consequences.  David took the bounties of his commander’s victories instead, even acquiring a massive crown along with other abundance.  David’s armies and even a nephew defeated the giants, the Raphah, including Goliath’s brother, the one David had killed as a youth (1 Samuel 17:4, 50).  These were tall and formidable enemies whom God handed over to the Israelites in battle by His strength given to them, both to David and his servants who fought for him in the name of the LORD.  We do not battle giants of unrelated obstacles as some would interpret this concept, but against towering powers unseen (Ephesians 6:12) who oppose the Lord Christ and His gospel.  These will fall in the fight for right by valiant men of faith in His wisdom and power, and will face ultimate judgment in the final battle.  As for us, we cannot sit on comfortable thrones with expensive crowns and great material wealth when there are battles to be engaged in.  Remember king David and the outcome of that thinking for self preservation.  There are tall lies against the truth and unseen battles behind them which need to be engaged with the sword of the Spirit, the word of truth (Ephesians 6:17, Hebrews 4:12).  This sword convicts us as well with the truth; the difference is that with us it leads to godly repentance (2 Corinthians 7:9-10).  Therefore, let us step down from our thrones as Jesus rules from His and directs us to fight the good fight for the true crown of any value (James 1:12, 1 Corinthians 9:25, 1 Peter 5:4).  Let it be so.