The Bible abundantly teaches that God blesses everyone (Matthew 5:45; Titus 2:11-14), and particularly those who are in His family, the church (Ephesians 1:3-14; 3:20-21). One of the means God uses to bless our lives is Christian friendship (1 Peter 1:22). In short, God uses His people to bless His people.
Notice that although David himself slew Goliath the Philistine (1 Samuel 17), years later, David’s friends killed three or four other giants.
- Ishbi-benob, another giant of the Philistines, thought he could kill King David because David had grown weary (2 Samuel 21:15-17). But Abishai came to David’s aid and killed the Ishbi-benob.
- Sibbecai killed Saph, who was one of the descendants of the giants (2 Samuel 21:18).
- Elhanan struck down Lahmi, the brother of Goliath (2 Chronicles 20:5).
- In the war at Gath, Jonathan, David’s nephew, struck down a giant who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot (2 Samuel 21:20-21).
In summarizing these events, 2 Samuel 21:22 reads, “These four were descended from the giants in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants” (emp. added). Clearly David’s friends were an invaluable help.
The best people in the world are God’s people, and so if you have spent much time amongst them, you know that they are a great encouragement. Christians must not fail to spend time with one another, and so fail to experience the joys of Christian fellowship. The Bible clearly teaches that we must get to know one another and develop brotherly affection. For example,
“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality” (Romans 12:9-13, emp. added).
The Bible says that when worthies such as Abraham and Moses died, each was “gathered to his people” (Genesis 25:8; Deuteronomy 32:50). This refers to their spiritual home after death. Could it be said of us that the people of God are “our people,” i.e., our closest associates? When we pass from this fleeting earthly scene, will the saints be able to smile and say, “He has been gathered to his people”?