Meditation for the week of July 22, 2007
2 Samuel 21:17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel.
Romans 16:2 That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also.
Hebrews 2:18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
When David was relatively young and before he knew how to use the armor of a man of war, he was able to slay Goliath with a sling and a stone. He had already killed a lion and a bear, and he fearlessly took on this giant of a man in the name of the Lord. All of this is recorded in 1 Samuel 17. I suspect David took five smooth stones because Goliath came from a big family, and big families tend to stick together. Goliath had four close relatives, and I believe David was ready to take on Goliath as well as the four other close relatives (see 2nd Samuel 21:15-22). However, when David was a seasoned warrior, he needed Abishai to come along side him and help him destroy one of these sons of the giant. Sometimes we have the strength to do what needs to be done and sometimes we need help. It may have been that David was just too old to be fighting the way he once had. But that really doesn’t explain his need for help; because when he slew Goliath, most would have said he was too young and too inexperienced to fight the giant.
There is likely a lesson here involving our need to realize that every battle is the Lord’s whether we are inexperienced or whether we are seasoned warriors. Sometimes after doing the Lord’s work for a while we may think we are now equipped to handle whatever comes along, and we may forget that we cannot depend upon our own abilities. We must depend upon the Lord. Most of us need to learn this lesson over and over again.
But the lesson that has appealed to me is that all of us need helpers to come along side and to “succor†us at times. Abishai took over for David or David might have lost the last battle with a giant even though he won the first one. In Romans 16:2, Phoebe seems to have been a real helper to many including Paul. The best person to turn to when we are weak is the Lord Himself Who is able to succor them that are tried.
Helps or the ability to give relief is one of the gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:28. How can we help one another? We can pray for one another (Ephesians 6:18). We can bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2). We can also have fellowship with one another’s work (Philippians 1:5). We can encourage each other (1 Thessalonians 5:11). A little praise that is well-deserved is not flattery and is uplifting. We can admonish one another (Romans 15:14). A timely word of correction given in humility may be just the thing that will keep someone from making a terrible mistake that they will regret for the rest of their lives.
Sometimes when we are carrying something heavy, it is a real relief to have someone who is strong come along and help bear the weight. It is even better when they say, “Here, let me carry that for you.†Sometimes we need helpers or succorers in our spiritual lives who can give us relief from some of the burdens that we are carrying. And the Lord is the One who can actually carry the burden for us if we will just let Him. We are admonished to cast all of our care upon Him because He cares (1 Peter 5:7). Christ was able to bear our sins in His own body on the cross (1 Peter 2:24), so He obviously can handle the weight.
Bruce Collins