Exodus Teaching - 23 - Conquest of God

TEACHING SERIES # 23

SUBJECT: CONQUEST OF GOD

TEXT: EXODUS, JOSHUA.

INTRODUCTION

Those of us who love to read or hear about the great wars of history really like to hear about the great generals or commanders involved in those wars. So it is with the wars of Bible times, and so it is with the extra-biblical wars involving nations like Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, and all the powerful nations since those times. The history of those nations is not complete without a reference to those who led those wars. How can we study the history of Israel without an awareness of the great military commanders (generals), Joshua and David? And what about David’s top three, or his thirty mighty? The more we read about those two generals the more aware we become of the fact that while these were obviously great military men, their great victories were the gift of Almighty God. That doesn’t take one thing away from their brilliance, courage, experience, planning, or even their armies, but you cannot read about Joshua’s conquest or David’s great battles without reading about how the Lord gave them the victory.

Assyria became a great power before the days of the great empires about which we read in the Bible. When I think of Assyria I recall the Syro-Ephraimitic War when Assyria crushed the combined forces of Syria and Israel in 734 B.C. Then, when Israel rebelled, Sargon II came in and defeated Israel and relocated a large percentage of the population and scattered them among the nations of the Middle east. This was something new among the nations of the ancient world, when the king of Assyria moved people out of one country and scattered them among a number of nations, and then replaced them with captives from other nations of the region. Assyria moved foreigners into Israel and settled them there. They could not communicate because they spoke different languages and worshiped differently, Israel claiming to worship Yahweh, the God of Israel while others worshiped pagan gods.

The Samaritan people came from an amalgamation of these peoples. However, those who teach that there Samaritans were a mixed race are absolutely wrong. The late Dr. Leo Eddleman, a noted Hebrew scholar who served as a missionary to Israel before World War II, who in six months learned Arabic and began preaching to the Arabs in their language, once told me, “If you had taken an Israelite and a Samaritan and dressed them alike and stood them side by side you couldn’t tell them apart. They were all Semitic people.”

There is Pharaoh Necho whose army killed Josiah, the last godly king of Judah. Josiah was a man after David’s own heart. Then, there is Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, who with his general, Nebuzaradan, overthrew Assyria and conquered all the surrounding nations and established a mighty empire. Then, there is Cyrus, who established himself as king of Medo-Persia, and then conquered Babylon and established the mighty Persian Empire.

We can follow the empires by reading from the Book of Daniel. God raised up Babylon to overthrow Assyria and to take Judah into captivity for a period of seventy years. Then, He raised up Persia to overthrow Babylon and return a remnant of the Chosen People to the Promised Land. Next, He turned young Alexander the Great lose on the world. He defeated Persia, established the Greek Empire, and spread the Greek language all over the known world. Remember that the New Testament was written in Greek, and everywhere missionaries went, the people of the market place spoke Greek, regardless of their native language. Then, the Lord raised up Rome to overthrow the Greek Empire. When we think of Rome, do we not think of Julius Caesar? How did Rome serve the Lord’s purpose? (1) Rome gave the world the greatest highway system the world had ever known, and great population centers were established along those highways. (2) Rome gave the world the safest travel by land and sea the world had ever known. (3) Rome also gave the world the greatest postal system the world had ever known.

The Lord now had the stage set for coming of the Messiah. The New Testament, written in Greek, the language of the masses, was preached in the major population centers along those great highways, and from there the Gospel spread inland to towns and villages throughout the country sides. There is more: The Gospel, written in Greek, was mailed all over the known world through the Roman postal system. Rome exiled the Apostle John to the Isles of Patmos to silence him, but Jesus gave him the Revelation, which he took down to the post office and mailed it back to Ephesus, Sardis, Philadelphia, and the others of the seven cities of the Revelation - and today we would say, “It went viral!”

Our purpose here is not to glorify the great military leaders of the various nations, but to take a look at the Conquest of God, as revealed in the Bible. More specifically, we are going to look at the Conquest of God, by God, and for God in giving His Chosen People the Land of Canaan. As we do so, please remember the times we are told that God gave Joshua or David a great victory. We should no more lose sight of the role of the Lord in those victories than we should lose sight of the place He plays in the life of Christian people of all ages.

I. GOD GIVES THE VICTORY.

There is a very interesting story in Genesis, Chapter 14 about a war between an alliance of kings who invaded the valley around the Dead Sea, an area that included Sodom and Gomorrah. The name of one king stands out for historians. That name is Amraphel, king of Shinar, which may have been an ancient name for the city of Babylon, even though there are references to the Plains of Shinar. The reason I underscore his name is that liberal higher critics have been attacking the historicity of the biblical accounts of ancient events for a long time. To them, Daniel and his three Hebrew friends never existed and the Book of Daniel was made up around 168 B. C. to inspired faith and commitment among the Israelites of that day. My good friend, Dr. Bill Cooper, in his very interesting and enlightening book, The Authenticity of the Book of Daniel, proves that those higher critics are not so high after all. There are many references to Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego on ancient cuneiform tablets. On one of those tablets there is a rental contract between Abednedgo and a Persian woman for the rental of a house for Abednego who would live in the house and provide twelve meals a day. Now, you are going to love this - the contract was signed by Abednego, his son, and his grandson (who was obviously not a eunuch) and the Persian woman.

In another in his six volume Authenticity series, Dr. Cooper shares evidence that “the Amrophel of Genesis 14 is Hammurabi of Babylon” (Cooper, Bill, The Authenticity of the Book of Genesis, p. 89). In one of the earlier studies in this series I include an extended quotation on this, so I will not spend more time on that here. However, I will add that those who insist that Moses got the Mosaic Law (Levitical Law) from the Code of Hammurabi, I would like to propose another, and infinitely more logical explanation. I believe Hammurabi got his code from the same source as Moses! When Noah and his three sons and their wives left the ark, they left it with the only code of ethics, or God given code for human conduct and human interaction there was in the entire world. It was whatever God gave Noah so that he could teach his sons, and they could teach their sons. There can be no doubt that the teachings of God had been watered down by Hammurabi’s day, but that should not be a surprise to anyone who had observed the way mankind has watered down the Word of God, even in our day.

Now, let us look at the account in Genesis 14:

(1) In those days Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim (2) waged war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, as well as the king of Bela (that is, Zoar ). (3) All of these came as allies to the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Dead Sea ). (4) They were subject to Chedorlaomer for 12 years, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled. (5) In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim, (6) and the Horites in the mountains of Seir, as far as El-paran by the wilderness. (7) Then they came back to invade En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh ), and they defeated all the territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who lived in Hazazon-tamar.

(8) Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out and lined up for battle in the Valley of Siddim (9) against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five.
(10) Now the Valley of Siddim contained many asphalt pits, and ⌊as⌋ the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, ⌊some⌋ fell into them, but the rest fled to the mountains. (11) The ⌊four kings⌋ took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food and went on. (12) They also took Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, for he was living in Sodom, and they went on.

(13) One of the survivors came and told Abram the Hebrew, who lived near the oaks belonging to Mamre the Amorite, the brother of Eshcol and the brother of Aner. They were bound by a treaty with Abram. (14) When Abram heard that his relative had been taken prisoner, he assembled his 318 trained men, born in his household, and they went in pursuit as far as Dan. (15) And he and his servants deployed against them by night, attacked them, and pursued them as far as Hobah to the north of Damascus. (16) He brought back all the goods and also his relative Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the ⌊other⌋ people.” (Gen 14:1-16, (HCSB)

The Lord had called Abram to leave his home in Ur of the Chaldees and go to a land He would give to his descendants at some point in the future. In faith, Abram obeyed the Lord and traveled to the Land of Canaan, which Yahweh promised He would give to his descendants, but only after they had lived in a foreign land for 400 years. Abraham was living in that land when news came to him that four powerful kings had invaded the area on the east side of the Jordan River, defeated the kings of the region and retaken control of the area. There is more: they had taken Lot and his family along with the spoils of war from Sodom, Gomorrah, and other places. In addition, they had taken Lot, Abraham’s nephew, and his family, with them when they left the area.

Abraham sent his servants - 318 trained men - and they overtook those kings with their captives and the spoils of war and they defeated them. Surely, you know the story, but have you considered how unlikely such a victory was. Those four military kings, with their combined armies, had defeated the strongest kings of the region, brought them under subjection, and taken away that which they desired, including people they would either press into slavery or sell as slaves. Abraham’s 318 trained servants overtook those four kings and their combined armies, defeated them, rescued Lot and the others, and returned the spoils of war to the countries where they belonged. Has this number really registered in your mind yet? Think about it - 318 servants defeated four powerful kings and their armies and took back Lot and others, as well as their possessions!

In an earlier lesson in this series, I mentioned asking the late General Dutch Shoffner to explain to me the difference between strategy and tactics. Lt G. Shoffner was the commander of the Third Infantry Division in Germany during the Cold War. He was our man standing on this side of the Wall looking the top Soviet generals in the eye to see who would blink first. Dutch told me about the special group of officers he put together to study how the Soviet generals made their decisions.
He trained them and then he would make some little move and stop and let his special group of officers observe the Soviet response. He would do this periodically so they could determine how the Soviets would respond to his moves. He wanted to know how they made their decisions.

Toward the end of the Cold War, someone asked General Shoffner what would happen if the Soviet Union collapsed and the military took over. He contacted their top generals and admirals and asked them. They had no idea, but they invited him to fly to Moscow to lead a seminar about how the military functions in a democracy. He did. Without permission! When he had an opportunity, both then and later, he would ask a Soviet general here and there why they had made some move. They would tell him and he looked at me and said, “I thought, ‘got you!”

More recently, I asked his son, COL Andy Shoffner to help me relate that to the conquest of Canaan. Both strategy and tactics are crucial in warfare. COL Shoffner noted that in attacking an enemy on his grounds you wanted a 3 - 1 advantage, and he would prefer a 6 - 1 advantage. That kind of an advantage makes a lot of sense, so then, how could Abraham send 318 men to overtake those four kings, defeat their armies, and take back the prisoners and all the possessions they and taken? Since we are talking about powerful armies serving under experienced leaders, how could Abraham have expected them to be successful? But he did. He simply trusted the Lord to give them the victory. That is made perfectly clear by the passage that tells us that Abraham went to the priest/king of Salem and paid the tithe to him. He obviously knew this victory had been of God.

II. GOD GAVE THE VICTORY DURING THE EXODUS EXPERIENCE.

1. The Exodus was a miracle from beginning to end. The Lord had promised the land of Canaan to the descendants of Abraham, but only after they had lived in a foreign land for 400 years. Why 400 years? They needed time to grow from seventy people in number to some two million people before they undertook the effort to conquer the entire land of Canaan.

It was a famine throughout the region that led the children of Jacob, whose name had been changed to Israel, down into Egypt, where Jacob’s son Joseph had been so blessed by the Lord that he was now the second highest official in all of Egypt. He settled his kinsmen in the fertile Land of Goshen where they flourished for generations, or until a new Pharaoh came to power who knew nothing of the commitment that earlier Pharaoh had made to Joseph. They had grown from seventy in number to two million by this time and the new Pharaoh realized that, should the Israelites join forces with an invading army they could defeat his army. His answer was an especially harsh, cruel form of slavery, designed to get all the work he could from them, and at the same time reduce the population. They placed no value on the life of any of the Israelites. In fact, the Pharaoh issued an order that all male babies born to an Israelite woman was to be drowned.

When the situation became extremely desperate the Israelites called upon the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to deliver them. He sent Moses, to whom He spoke from a burning bush that was not being consumed and told him He had heard the cries of the Israelites and He was sending Moses to deliver them from Egypt to take them to the Land of Promise.

Moses, with his brother Aaron, stood before Pharaoh and demanded that he let the Israelites go some distance out of the land to worship their God, but Pharaoh hardened his heart and refused to let them go. At first, Pharaoh hardened his heart as the Lord sent plague after plague upon Egypt, and then, the Lord began to harden his heart that he would not permit them to leave. The thing we must not miss here is that the Lord was inflicting plagues on the people of Egypt, while protecting the Israelites, and each plague was an attack on some form of idolatry in the land of Egypt. The tenth plague was the death of every male in Egypt, except for those living in the Land of Goshen where the Israelites observed Passover and smeared the blood of a lamb on the lintel of their door. God’s death angel passed over those houses, but all over Egypt the first born son was slain by the death angel whom the lord sent. The number ten, by the way, is not without significance. It is the number for human completion (ten fingers, ten toes) and Yahweh proved Himself to be completely in control of the situation. Pharaoh was not. He was defeated by the only God there has ever been.

Then, the Israelites came to the Red Sea, only to discover that Pharaoh was pursuing them. They panicked, but the Lord was prepared for any and every situation. The Lord blessed the Israelites with a pillar of cloud to protect them by day and a pillar of fire to provide light and protection for them during the night time. Now, as the mighty Egyptian army, including chariots and calvary, charged toward them, the Lord moved the pillar of fire so that it stood between the Egyptians and the Israelites so that the Egyptians could not attack them.

Next, the Lord parted the waters of the Red Sea and permitted the Israelites to cross on dry land, but when the Egyptians pursued them He caused the walls or water on either side of them to collapse upon them and drown them. Is there any wonder that Yahweh declared that He had delivered them by His mighty hand? By His mighty hand He had delivered them from death and an especially vile form of slavery, and by His mighty hand he had delivered them through the waters of the Red sea.
Remember that there was absolutely nothing the Israelites could do to help themselves. Only God could deliver them from slavery and death. Remember also that there was a time when you and I were slaves to sin, Satan, and death, and there was absolutely no escape. We were totally helpless.
Those of us who really know the Lord as our Savior, were redeemed by the grace of God when we believed in Him. We were hopelessly lost in spiritual slavery and death. We are alive today because Jesus Christ delivered us. When one is hopelessly lost in slavery and death it takes a miracle from God to deliver us. That miracle is Jesus Christ, our Redeemer.

2. Then came Amalek. Now this is interesting. Why did Amalek attach Israel? I believer I know the answer to that question, but first, I would like to consider another suggestion found in The New Commentary on the Whole Bible, New Testament, a commentary I have used many times and have usually found it to be a good source. However, in this case I believe they have missed something.
“At Rephidim the Israelites were attacked by the Amalekites who, like them, were a semi-nomadic people, and descendants of Esau (Gen. 36:12). Their reason for the fight is quite evident. The water and vegetation in the area were insufficient to support two large tribes with their herds (Beetle; Cole). The problem of sustaining two large herds of different owners is well reflected in the story of Abraham and Lot (Gen. 13:5-7) and in the dispute over water rights between Isaac and Abimelech the Philistine (Gen. 26:12-22). The Amalekites’ aggression is recalled in 1 Samuel 15:2 when Saul fought the Amalekites, then located in the area of northern Sinai (1 Sam. 15:7). David also attacked the Amalekites after their raid on his city, Ziklag in southern Israel (1 Sam. 1:14, bold added for emphasis).”

Now, may I suggest another reason for the attack. In the first place, the Amalekites and the Israelites were related, the Israelites descending from Jacob (Israel) and the Amalekites from his brother Esau. Water and grass may have been a secondary issue, but there is more to it than that. Forty years later Rahab, the prostitute at Jericho knew the Israelites had been delivered from Egypt by their God, who had delivered them from Egypt by parting the waters of the Red Sea and bringing them across on dry land. She also knew that the God of the Israelites had given them the land where she lived, the land of Canaan. If Rahab knew that, the Amalekites probably knew it.

If the matter had only been grass and water they may have contacted Moses to ask about their plans. They may have asked if they were going to settle there, or if they were just passing through the area. However, if they had been aware of the miraculous deliverance of the Israelites by their God in fulfillment of the promise to Abraham, that was a different matter. Well, how might we decide this issue? I believe the Lord settles it for us. But before we pursue that line, let us look at the attack and the battle.

(8) At Rephidim, Amalek came and fought against Israel. (9) Moses said to Joshua, “Select some men for us and go fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the hilltop with God’s staff in my hand.”

(10) “Joshua did as Moses had told him, and fought against Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. (11) While Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, but whenever he put his hand down, Amalek prevailed. (12) When Moses’ hands grew heavy, they took a stone and put ⌊it⌋ under him, and he sat down on it. Then Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other so that his hands remained steady until the sun went down. (13) So Joshua defeated Amalek and his army with the sword.” (Ex 17:8-13, HCSB)

What do we learn from this brief account? In the first place, we see that Amalek was not playing around. They were not simply trying to test Israel, they were trying to destroy them. Why? Was this a matter of grazing rights or a water source. When the Israelites needed water at Marah, did they have to take if from the Amalekites? No, the water there was too biter to drink. What was the issue at Rephidim? They did not fight over water at Horeb because there was no water there.

“The Lord answered Moses, “Go on ahead of the people and take some of the elders of Israel with you. Take the staff you struck the Nile with in your hand and go. (6) I am going to stand there in front of you on the rock at Horeb; when you hit the rock, water will come out of it and the people will drink.” Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. (7) He named the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites complained, and because they tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?” (Ex 17:5-7)

There had been no water there over which they would fight. Why, then, did the Amalakites attack them? In the first place, they never attacked Israel until the Israelites were on the way to Mt. Sinai for a meeting with Yahweh. Why did the Lord deliver the Israelites from Egypt? He tells us it was to bring them to Himself at Sinai. They had a meeting with Yahweh at Sinai. The Amalekites may have had their own reason for attacking the Israelites, but there may well have been reasons for their hatred they did not understand. The Israelites were on their way to a special meeting with the Lord and Satan, the bitter enemy of God and of all who follow Him understood their purpose and he sent his servants against the people of God. Satan, who successfully tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, did not have to worry about the Israelites as long as they were in slavery in Egypt. He had the Egyptians there to deal with them, and they were making life miserable for them. Satan would have wanted to thwart God’s plan for His Chosen People, and he had the right tool to destroy them: the Amalekites. Satan may well have chosen this time to try to destroy God’s chosen people. Afer all, they were given to doubt, fear, griping, and complaining. Furthermore, they had been slaves in Egypt, not soldiers. In Amalek, he descendants of Esau, he had chosen an enemy who hated the very name of Jacob’s descendants. This was an enemy the Israelites may not have imagined would attempt such thing.

When the attack came, the Lord had an answer for them. He had a new leader, a commander of the Lord’s army, Joshua, who would eventually succeed Moses as their leader. Joshua would lead in the conquest of Canaan. But there was more:

(11) “While Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, but whenever he put his hand down, Amalek prevailed. (12) When Moses’ hands grew heavy, they took a stone and put ⌊it⌋ under him, and he sat down on it. Then Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other so that his hands remained steady until the sun went down.” (Exodus 17:11-12)

Joshua, who had no past training in military tactics, won a great victory - but when we look at how
they won the battle we see God’s hand in the victory. God blessed when Moses held up his hand and the enemy prevailed when his hand tired and it began to be lowered.

This tells us that the victory was won by the mighty hand of God, not through the power and might of the Israelites. This should also remind us that there are battles we can only win in this world by the grace of God and by the power of God. Others have referred this as an example of the flesh. God’s people may be marching on without any fear of Satan or the temptations that come us in the flesh. At a time when we do not expect it, Satan will attack, and his attacks are not always as bold and direct as the attack of the Amalekites. We must be prepared to do battle with Satan and we must learn to recognize the influence and power of the flesh, or the world. Just as the Lord gave the Israelites a victory he will give us a victory. That is a victory we cannot win in the flesh. Only the mighty hand of God will deliver us and give us the victory.

“The Lord then said to Moses, “Write this down on a scroll as a reminder and recite it to Joshua: I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek under heaven.” (15) And Moses built an altar and named it, “The Lord Is My Banner.” 16 He said, “Indeed, ⌊my⌋ hand is ⌊lifted up⌋ toward the Lord’s throne. The Lord will be at war with Amalek from generation to generation.” (Ex 17:14-16)

This is one reason I am convinced that there was more at stake here than water and grass. The Israelites had to battle numerous enemies during this time, but it is only of Amalek that Yahweh says, “ The Lord will be at war with Amalek from generation to generation.” Now, follow this for a few hundred years and see how the Lord commanded King Saul to destroy the Amalekites.

III. GOD GAVE THE VICTORY ON THE WAY TO CANAAN

1. The God of victory is also the God of Protection and Provisions. The Lord gave the Israelites a victory over Amalakites and if He could do that He could handle whatever obstacles they might encounter. How sad that they never could remember that. It is just as sad that the America that saw the Lord deliver oppressed and persecuted people from various nations, bring them to America to find both freedom and opportunity would elect George Washington as president or the United States, and then, with a clear history of God’s blessings, begin electing politicians instead of statesmen to lead the country. Can you believe the America of the Bill of Rights would go all the way to the Supreme Court to try to force God out of our schools, out of our courts, out of our government buildings, and off the public highways? Yet, that is exactly what we have done. In a democracy, the majority is supposed to rule, but now the majority is being held hostage by an ungodly minority, with thanks to liberal politicians, lawyers, judges and courts. Can you believe the country God has given amazing victories in the past wold declare war on the God recognized by our Founding Fathers? Yet, that is what seems to be happening.

By the time the Israelites had reached Mt. Sinai, which, according to Galatians 4:25 was in Arabia, Yahweh had blessed them with His presence, and miraculously, with food (manna) and water from a rock. There was plenty of food and water for some two million people - and if there had been ten times that many there would have been enough for them. At Sinai, the Lord protected them from His holiness, for no one can, with sin in their lives, come into His presence and live (and we are all sinners). Because of His love and compassion for the people he had Moses and the leaders to set up barriers to prevent anyone from touching the mountain when He came down on it. He then gave Moses the Ten Commandments to give to the Israelites - and to you and me - and then He provided other laws to help the people to live peacefully with one another. He also provided opportunities and guidelines for worshiping Him.

2. After Sinai, the Lord sent them on toward Canaan and the Conquest. Leaving Sinai, the people were organized, equipped, and trained for the next step on their way to Canaan. The conquest was assured, but to be sure of the lay of the land the Lord told Moses to sent twelve spies through Canaan to spy out the land. They did so and when they returned they reported that all the good things they had heard about the Promised Land were true, but ten of they twelve spies told the people that the inhabitants of the land were too strong for them. Only Joshua and Caleb of all the twelve spies assured the people the Lord would give them the victory. Still, the people listened to the spies who said they could not take the land.

Here is a point to remember as we read the Scripture and think about the rebellion of these people: There was no part of this whole process that rested completely in their hands. It was not a matter of whether or not they could defeat the enemies in the land. The point was, did they trust the Lord to give them the victory? Had He not delivered them from Pharaoh? Who parted the water of the
Red Sea so they could cross on dry ground? Who provided water to drink and manna to eat? Had He not revealed His glory on Mt. Sinai. Before we condemn those ancient followers of God, let us stop and think about how this parallels our experience with the Lord. He has delivered us from slavery to sin and death that it brings, He has saved us by His grace, filled us with His Spirit, and given us His Word to guide us. Leaving nothing to chance, He fills those who obey Him with the same Holy Spirit who inspired every word of the Word of God, to help us understand it and apply it in everyday life. Yet, how many times to we find something more important than God on Sunday morning? Let’s get more specific: How many times do you find something more important than God on Sunday evening? Apply that test to the other commandments. Now, do you want to reconsider your attitude toward those ancient Israelites. They made a choice that left them in the wilderness for 40 years. How many times do we make choices that leave us in the world or in the flesh, complaining because we cannot get God to answer our prayers?

There is an application in this for us today? When has the Lord ever failed you? When has He failed America? God had not failed us, but we have failed him, and we are failing Him. It is as though America has declared war on God. Every time we turn around there is another assault on the only One who can bless us and assure us of a victory. Any time you pick up a newspaper you can expect to find some new attack on the name of God, the Word of God, and the people of God. All some tiny minority has to do is to find a liberal attorney and a liberal judge and claim that wishing someone a Merry Christmas offends some Muslim or atheist. It was refreshing recently when the Supreme ruled against those who might want to have a prayer before a meeting in a government building. The paper today discussed the harm in wishing someone a Merry Christmas. They tell us we should wish people a Happy Holiday. Well, I will tell you right now, that is not enough for me! It is the birth of Jesus Christ which is being celebrated and the world needs to know it. And please don’t tell me we are honoring some Roman god when we celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25. I might have been born on the birthday of Adolph Hitler, but I don’t think I would give him a thought on my birthday.

The multitude, upon hearing the reports of the ten unbelieving spies, voted not to attempt to conquer the Land of Promise, the land flowing with milk and honey. They paid a price for rebelling against God. Not one person 20 years of age or older was ever permitted enter the land, with the exception of Joshua an Caleb. Only those under twenty would ever see the Promised Land. When we say no to the Lord we may also pay for it for the rest of our lives. When God says, “Go”, and we say, “No” that is still a serious offense against Him.

The land was theirs. The victory is assured. All the people had to do was believe Him and follow Him. That’s all. And they refused to do it. They paid a price. They had to eat manna for forty years. They won no battles, the built no houses, they planted no grain crops, they harvested no grain, they picked no grapes and the harvested no olives. Do you want to know the primary activity of those Israelites who were stuck in the wilderness for forty years? They griped. They complained. They plotted against their leaders. They floundered in the wilderness for forty years. They were permitted to enter Canaan and experience the blessings of Yahweh after all those doubters were dead.

IV. VICTORY IN CANAAN WAS GOD’S VICTORY.

1. It was all accomplished by the mighty hand of God. The Lord had chosen Joshua as Moses’ successor, the leader of Israel. This was a good choice considering all the time he had spent at Moses’ side, and the fact that he was the commander of the Lord’s army. Because of their lack of faith in the Lord’s promise of the conquest of Canaan, the Israelites were forced to remain in the wilderness for forty more years, or until all those who had been twenty years of age at the time of their rebellion were dead. How often have we heard someone say they were wandering in the wilderness? But, is that right? Well, it is, and again it isn’t. They were left in the wilderness for forty years, but two million people were not wandering around in all directions. There were controlled moves from time to time, such as hygiene and other matters dictated, or as Yahweh decided. They had specific instructions as to how they were to move, how they were to take down the tabernacle, carry the Ark of the Covenant and all the other furnishings of the Tabernacle. They had to follow the Lord’ orders each time they marched and no march was without His control.

Finally, after the death of Miriam, Aaron, and Moses, the Lord told Joshua to take them on to the Land of Canaan. At this point, I would like to share something the late Dr. H. Leo Eddleman once told me, something I also heard him say in a sermon. When the Lord chose a successor to Moses he chose a man named Joshua (Yeshua). Dr. Eddleman was the first person I had heard say this was a double barreled prophecy: one barrel pointed to Joshua the son of Nun, and the second barrel pointed to Jesus. Jesus’ Hebrew name is Joshua (Yeshua).

Just as Joshua would lead the Children of Israel into the Land of Canaan where they would possess their possessions, Jesus leads all who follow Him into a real place that is far greater than Canaan, and I don’t mean the Sweet Bye and Bye. Canaan was a real place for real people. The Christian parallel to Canaan is the Spirit-filled life. Jesus teaches us the importance of walking in the Spirit, and the Holy Spirit enables us to do it.

In Canaan, the Israelites would have to fight to take the land, stand off all enemies, and work to make the land productive. Yahweh fed them in the wilderness, but they had to work to feed themselves in Canaan. Jesus is preparing a place for all who believe in Him and in that place no one has ever been attacked, killed, robbed, or cheated out of his inheritance. We know that place as Heaven. I will not continue on this path at this time, but please do not miss the parallels between Joshua’ leadership in the conquest of Canaan, and role of Jesus plays in our redemption, and the fulfillment of all his promises He makes to those who believe in Him:

“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish—ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand. (29) My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. (30) The Father and I are one.” (John 10:28-30, HCSB)

I know many people who are genuinely saved who cannot accept Jesus at His word here. They use earthly (worldly?) arguments to deny His promise. If I cannot accept His word for the security of all who are born again, by grace, through faith in Him, then how can I accept His promise that He is preparing a place for each one of us? When I was in New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, my wife and I learned that R. G. Lee was preaching a revival at Mid-City Baptist Church in New Orleans where Paul Driscol was pastor. Driscol had someone place a banner over the choir loft that read: GOD SAID IT, I BELIEVE IT,AND THAT SETTLES IT. I have never forgotten that sign, but at the same time there was something about it that continued to bother me. Then, one day it hit me: When God says it, it is settled! Whether I believe it or not, it is settled. When God speaks divine truth is established; it set in something far more lasting than stone. It is set in the nature, character, and person of Almighty God. My faith may falter but God’s promise never does.

Following the instructions of Yahweh, Joshua led the Children of Israel across the Jordan River on dry ground. It took the mighty hand of God to lead the Israelites across the Red Sea and it took His mighty hand to lead them across the Jordan River on dry land and on into Canaan. It takes the mighty hand of God to save a lost person, and it takes the mighty hand of God to take a Christian who has wasted his opportunities, flaunted fellowship with the Lord, and refused to obey Him from the wilderness of the flesh into a right relationship with the Lord (from the life in the flesh to the Spirit-filled life).

The Lord told Joshua to have twelve men carry rocks from the east side of the Jordan River into the middle of the river and pile them upon the dry river bottom, and then to take twelve stones from the river and stack them at Gilgal, west of the Jordan River, so that they would remind the Children of Israel that Yahweh had delivered them from death in Egypt and the miseries of the wilderness into Canaan, the land flowing with milk and honey. In the same way, Jesus miraculously delivers those who believe in Him from spiritual slavery and death to a life that is eternal, never ending, and filled with blessings that surpasses anything one can imagine in the physical Land of Canaan. Oh, there is one other thing: we do not have to walk by and view a pile of rocks to have His assurance of eternal life, with all the blessings He promises. He place the Rock of Ages in the heart of each believer. He places the Holy Spirit - permanently - in the heart of each born again believer in Jesus Christ. He will lead and bless all who follow Him in faith, but those who think they can live the Christian life under their own power are as barren and fruitless as the Israelites were in the wilderness. They never had to go back to Egypt, the place of slavery and death, but they could not enter Canaan until the Lord enabled them to do so. The believer who walks in the flesh stays in the flesh, never having to go back into spiritual death, but never under his own power moving into the spirit-filled life.

2. God gave His Chosen People a miraculous victory at Jericho. In the teaching series # 22 we looked at the battle of Jericho, so I will not go over that battle again. It should be sufficient to simply point out that Jericho was the first battle for Joshua and the Children of Israel after the Lord parted the waters of the Jordan River and let them walk across that river just as He had parted the waters of the Red Sea so they could cross on dry land. In that case, Pharaoh ordered his army to pursue them, slay those who resisted and capture the rest and return them and all the material things they had taken with them, including the gold, silver, and other things of value. The Israelites did not defeat the Egyptian charioteers and cavalry, God destroyed them.

The parallel we have seen before is that Egypt was a place of slavery. Every Hebrew living in Egypt was a slave to the Egyptians, the mightiest force in that part of the world. They were helpless to escape their cruel taskmasters. It took a miracle from God to deliver them from that evil force. They were dead - dead to the purpose of God, dead to the fulfillment of the promise of God, dead to the joy and happiness they could only know when Yahweh delivered them and took them into the Land of Promise where they could possess their possessions. They were powerless to deliver themselves, they were powerless to resist their cruel taskmasters, powerless to realize the fulfillment of the promise the Lord had made to Abraham 430 years earlier. The Lord had promised to give the Land of Canaan to the descendants of Abraham, but only after they had lived in a foreign land for 400 years. That would allow them the time and growth necessary to have a powerful army when the time came to conquer the land Canaan and possess their possessions.

The Children of Israel had entered Egypt and settled in the Land of Goshen, the land Pharaoh had given to Joseph for his people. Over the centuries they had grown to a formidable force of some two million people, with 600,000 men who could bear the sword - if they had a sword, spear, or club, which they did not have as slaves, but seemed to have had when they were attacked by Amalek on the way to Mt. Sinai. They were totally owned and controlled by those who had the swords, spears, and chariots. They were helpless. Then they called out to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who was not powerless and before whom the Egyptians were powerless to hold them.

The lost person today is a slave to sin, Satan, and the flesh (the world). He is dead to God’s purpose for him or her. Like ancient Israel, the lost person can do nothing to free himself, nothing to escape, nothing to deliver himself from a form of slavery more deadly than that of the ancient Egyptians. There is no way of escape, and no one has ever reformed himself, as one might reform himself or herself from alcohol, immorality, and other sinful behavior. The only thing the lost person can do to be free from slavery to sin, suffering, and Satan is to call on the Lord. When the lost person calls on Jesus Christ in simple faith he or she is immediately and eternally free. The Israelites never had to return to the land of slavery and death, regardless of how many times they disobeyed God. They did pay a price for their unfaithfulness - they had to live in the wilderness for forty years, until all those who were twenty years of age and older were dead, with the exception of Joshua and Caleb, who remained faithful to the Lord when the other ten spies refused to obey Him and caused the rest of the people to rebel against Yahweh.

Those who believe that every time a Christian sins he is lost and must be saved again do not seem to realize what the Lord can do with them in the wilderness of the world without having to send them back to Egypt. As we have seen, Jesus promised, “I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish” (John 10:28, KJV). Peter was inspired to write:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy, He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (4) and into an inheritance that is imperishable, uncorrupted, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, (5) who are being protected by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:3-5, HCSB)

Those who read those verses and declare in the presence of God that they do not believe Him or is Word will have to take that up with Him. The simple fact is that not one Israelite was forced to return to Egypt and Jesus declares that the one whom He saves He will keep. However, there is a terrible price to pay for rebellion against Him. Sadly, the person who is living in the flesh can find so many others who are living in the flesh and deceived by the ruler of this world that may convince themselves that they are faithful believers. After all, they live like their friends, and they go to church more often than they miss. The fact that they refuse to walk before the Lord in faith, they compromise at every turn, and feed their children the things of the world does not seem to register with them. If that way is popular among others who freely talk about God when it is popular among their friends, and when they go to church, they are convinced that they are faithful to the Lord. Only He, through the Holy Spirit, can convince them otherwise, and those who heed the voice of the Holy Spirit will be restored to the Spirit filled Life before God.

3. The Lord gave Joshua the victory over the middle part of Canaan. Now, is that just one of those claims religious people make when they attribute anything they cannot explain to a fresh miracle from the Lord, or was God actually responsible for the victory? Well, let me ask you this, if Joshua prayed for the sun to stand still and the sun stood still for about one day, would you say that was a genuine miracle from the Lord, or some type of military deception? How would I answer that? When I find something in the Word of God, if it speaks to history, God’s promises, protection, or commandments I accept that as an historical fact. If something is obviously a metaphor or a parable I accept it as such. How do I know I am right in accepting something miraculous as the truth from God? The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit inspired the writing of the Bible, and it teaches us that at the point of salvation the Lord places the Holy Spirit in the heart of each believer. The Holy Sprit can affirm the God breathed Scripture for the born again believer. It is for that reason that only spirit-filled Christians can fully understand and appreciate the Word of God. No lost person can fully understand the Word of God, even if he knows more Bible stories and recalls more historical facts than his Christian neighbor. However, the Holy Spirit will convict the lost person of the fact of sin and the need for the Savior.

Remember Joshua’s strategy was divide and conquer. I had heard a professor at Mississippi College suggest that this was his strategy and believed he was right, but when I looked at the conquest of Canaan I contacted a man with a lot of experience, GOL Andy Shoffner, and asked him about it. His father, the late Lt. Gen. (3 star) Dutch Shoffner, once told me that both of his sons, COL Andy Shoffner and Gen. Al Shoffner now had about as much experience in battle in the Middle East as he did in Viet Nam. In other words, I believe Col. Shoffner understands strategy and tactics. He says that “divide and conquer” is a good strategy, assuming the numbers are in your favor. The first battle was the Battle of Jericho, where the Lord gave the Israelites an amazing victory. They followed that by destroying Ai, and the word spread all across the central part of the country. Some of the kings came up with a plan:

“When all the kings heard ⌊about Jericho and Ai⌋, those who were west of the Jordan in the hill country, in the Judean foothills, and all along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea toward Lebanon—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites— (2) they formed a unified alliance to fight against Joshua and Israel.” (Joshua 9:1-2).

This prompted leaders of Gebeon to devise a plan by which they might avoid war with Joshua. Here is the opening part of the account:

(3) “When the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, (4) they acted deceptively. They gathered provisions and took worn-out sacks on their donkeys and old wineskins, cracked and mended. (5) ⌊They wore⌋ old, patched sandals on their feet and threadbare clothing on their bodies. Their entire provision of bread was dry and crumbly. (6) They went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant land. Please make a treaty with us.” (Joshua 9:3-6)

Joshua questioned the Gibeonites and they assured him they had come from a distant land to make peace with him: “They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” Then Joshua asked them, “Who are you and where do you come from?” (Josh 9:8 (HCSB) Joshua asked where they were from and they not only told him they had come from a distant land, they showed him the signs of travel from a long journey to convince him.

The historical background for what happened next is found in this miraculous happening is found in Joshua 10:

(1) “Now Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured Ai and completely destroyed it, treating Ai and its king as he had Jericho and its king, and that the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were ⌊living⌋ among them.

(2) “So Adoni-zedek and his people were greatly alarmed because Gibeon was a large city like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were warriors. (3) Therefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent ⌊word⌋ to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying, (4) “Come up and help me. We will attack Gibeon, because they have made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.” (5) So the five Amorite kings—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon—joined forces, advanced with all their armies, besieged Gibeon, and fought against it.” (Josh. 10:1-5)

When they moved against Giveon they sent an urgent message to Joshua:

(6) “Then the men of Gibeon sent ⌊word⌋ to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: “Don’t abandon your servants. Come quickly and save us! Help us, for all the Amorite kings living in the hill country have joined forces against us.” (7) So Joshua and his whole military force, including all the fighting men, came from Gilgal.” (Josh. 10:6-7)

As we have seen already, Yahweh was in charge of the Conquest of Canaan. He spoke to Joshua just as He had spoken to Moses and when Joshua obeyed the Lord he was always victorious. Every time.

(8) “The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for I have handed them over to you. Not one of them will be able to stand against you.”

(9) “So Joshua caught them by surprise, after marching all night from Gilgal. (10) The Lord threw them into confusion before Israel. He defeated them in a great slaughter at Gibeon, chased them through the ascent of Beth-horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah. (11) As they fled before Israel, the Lord threw large hailstones on them from the sky along the descent of Beth-horon all the way to Azekah, and they died. More of them died from the hail than the Israelites killed with the sword.” (Josh. 10:8-11)

I read somewhere that a British military historian spent a lot of time on this continent during the Civil War, writing about battles and military leaders. After the war was over he wrote, as I recall, that the single greatest soldier in the Civil War was General Nathan Bedford Forest - and no, he never said anything about the one who “gits there the fustist with the mostist,” It was attributed to him but he didn’t talk like that. Even if he had, no one laughed at his military strategy or tactics. Forest was known to fight a battle one day and then march all night and then launch a surprise attack on another unit. There was a story about him in a biography that amazes the reader. It seems that he fled ahead Union troops from somewhere in Tennessee to somewhere around Meridian, Mississippi (if memory serves). They marched on and on, leading the Union troops deeper and deeper into their own territory. Suddenly, he turned is troops back toward the enemy and cried, “CHARGE!”, and he led the charge. The Union troops fled before him.

At one point, Forest got out ahead of his own troops and he stopped and looked off to his right and saw a small cluster of his men on a wooded hillside, so he rode over. When he got there he asked an officer where the enemy was. The officer pointed straight ahead and said, “They are right there and they are about to charge. What do we do?” Nathan Bedford Forrest turned, raised his sword, stood in his stirrups, and cried, “We charge!” And he charged. As a matter of fact, the enemy turned and ran, but he charged on trough what had been the front line until he realized he was in a dangerous position. He turned his horse and reached down and caught hold of a young Union soldier and pulled him up behind himself and charged back through the line toward his own troops. After he was out of range he dropped the young soldier and kept racing back to his troops. It helps us to appreciate the fact that he had either 26 or 29 horses shot out from under him during the war.

Joshua had an advantage Nathan Bedford Forest did not have until after the war was over. Joshua was God’s military commander from the time they were attacked by Amalek until the end of his life. Forest did not become a Christian until after the war.

As the battle raged, Joshua - “(12) On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua spoke to the Lord in the presence of Israel:

“Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.” (13) And the sun stood still and the moon stopped until the nation took vengeance on its enemies. Isn’t this written in the Book of Jashar? So the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed its setting almost a full day.

(14) There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord listened to the voice of a man, because the Lord fought for Israel. (15) Then Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp at Gilgal.” (Josh 10:1-15)

Did you hear that?! The sun stood still! “(T)he sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed its setting almost a full day.” No one has ever reported another day like that day. Ever! Can you imagine how the news spread? Can you imagine how the media would report that today? Joshua could not have caused the sun to back up about one day. But, God could, and He did.

At some point during the battle the five kings realized they were losing the war and they had “fled and hidden themselves in the cave at Makkedah.” (17) It was reported to Joshua: “The five kings have been found; they are hiding in the cave at Makkedah.” Joshua ordered his men to “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and station men by it to guard the kings.” After they defeated the five nations Joshua commanded his troops, “...Joshua said,

“Open the mouth of the cave, and bring those five kings to me out of there.” 23 That is what they did. They brought the five kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon to Joshua out of the cave. 24 When they had brought the kings to him, Joshua summoned all the men of Israel and said to the military commanders who had accompanied him, “Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So the commanders came forward and put their feet on their necks. 25 Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Be strong and courageous, for the Lord will do this to all the enemies you fight.”

(26) “After this, Joshua struck them down and executed them. He hung their bodies on five trees and they were there until evening. 27 At sunset Joshua commanded that they be taken down from the trees and thrown into the cave where they had hidden. Then large stones were placed against the mouth of the cave, and the stones are there to this day.” (Josh 10:16-27)

The Lord gave His people victory after victory during the Conquest; phenomenal victories, long remembered victories. He was their strategy and He was the source of the tactics. However, He is more than strategy and tactic. In fact, He is everything David says He is in Psalm 23:

1) The Lord is my shepherd; (Relationship)

there is nothing I lack. (Provisions and Protection)

2) He lets me lie down in green pastures; (Protection and Provisions)

He leads me beside quiet waters (Provisions

He renews my life; (Provision - new life in Him)

3) He leads me along the right paths (Protection and Provisions)

for His name’s sake. (Relationship)

4) Even when I go through the darkest valley,

I fear no danger, for You are with me; (Protection and Provisions)

Your rod and Your staff —they comfort me. (Potection)

5) You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies; (Provisions)

You anoint my head with oil; (Relationship)

my cup overflows. (Provisions)

6) Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me (Relationship, Provisions, Protection)

all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord

as long as I live. (I prefer “forever” here - Relationship, Provisions, Protection)

Psalms 23:1-6 (HCSB)

Because of His personal relationship with the children of Israel He protected them and provided for them. This is abundantly clear as we read the account of the conquest.

4. The Lord assured the victory. The conquest of the south is found in Joshua 10:28- 41. The conquest of the north is found in Joshua 11:1-15. A fitting summary is found in 11:16-23:

(16) “So Joshua took all this land—the hill country, all the Negev, all the land of Goshen, the foothills, the Arabah, and the hill country of Israel with its foothills — (17) from Mount Halak, which ascends to Seir, as far as Baal-gad in the Valley of Lebanon at the foot of Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings and struck them down, putting them to death. (18) Joshua waged war with all these kings for a long time. (19) No city made peace with the Israelites except the Hivites who inhabited Gibeon; all of them were taken in battle. (20) For it was the Lord’s intention to harden their hearts, so that they would engage Israel in battle, be completely destroyed without mercy, and be annihilated, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

(21) “At that time Joshua proceeded to exterminate the Anakim from the hill country—Hebron, Debir, Anab—all the hill country of Judah and of Israel. Joshua completely destroyed them with their cities. (22) No Anakim were left in the land of the Israelites, except for some remaining in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod.

(23) “So Joshua took the entire land, in keeping with all that the Lord had told Moses. Joshua then gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal allotments. After this, the land had rest from war.” (Josh 11:16-23 (HCSB)

CONCLUSION

There was a silent hero in the conquest of Canaan, and except for this one brief account we would never know what happened to one of the two courageous spies, the one who agreed with Joshua and tried to convince the Israelites that the Lord would give them the victory over all the inhabitants of the land of Canaan. The people listened to the ten unfaithful spies rather than Joshua and Caleb. Caleb proved himself of man of God that day. Upon their return, ten of the twelve spies insisted that while the land was indeed fruitful, it was occupied by powerful people who were skilled in warfare. There was no way, according to them that they could defeat the inhabitants of the land. Only two of the spies, Joshua and Caleb, were convinced that the Lord would give them the victory. When the people believed the ten spies rather than Joshua and Caleb, the Lord told them that not one person who was twenty years old and older, and who had sided with the ten spies would ever enter the Land of Promise, except Joshua and Caleb. It is a serious matter when the Lord tells us to go or to do something and we say, “I don’t believe He can take care of us.”

Caleb not only proved himself in the wilderness of Paran, he proved his faith and courage during the Conquest. According to the record in Joshua 14, during the conquest of Canaan, a group of men from the tribe of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, which seems to have been Joshua’s headquarters, and asked for a certain piece of land. Caleb reminded his friend Joshua that they were the ones of the twelve spies who believed Yahweh would give them a victory when they returned from spying out the land. Caleb said,

(7) “I was 40 years old when Moses the Lord’s servant sent me from Kadesh-barnea to scout the land, and I brought back an honest report. (8) My brothers who went with me caused the people’s hearts to melt with fear, but I remained loyal to the Lord my God. (9) On that day Moses promised me: ‘The land where you have set foot will be an inheritance for you and your descendants forever, because you have remained loyal to the Lord my God.” (Josh. 14:7-9)

Caleb went on to remind Joshua that he had been forty years old at that time, and the Lord had kept him alive for 45 years. He said,

“Here I am today, 85 years old. (11) I am still as strong today as I was the day Moses sent me out. My strength for battle and for daily tasks is now as it was then. (12) Now give me this hill country the Lord promised ⌊me⌋ on that day, because you heard then that the Anakim are there, as well as large fortified cities. Perhaps the Lord will be with me and I will drive them out as the Lord promised.” (Josh. 14:11-12)

There is an interesting note in the Believer’s Bible Notes: “Note that Caleb was motivated not only by faith in the Lord’s word but also by the difficulty of the task (v. 12). He wanted to prove that the Lord was faithful. His words (“It may be ...”) in v. 12 express Caleb’s humility rather than doubt of God’s sufficiency.” Caleb showed both faith and courage on one hand, and humility on the other hand.

Caleb was 40 years old when he was sent into Canaan to spy out the land. He was 80 years old at the time they crossed the Jordan River (after wasting 40 years in the wilderness), and now, after five years of war, he is 85 years old and still as strong as he was when he was when he helped spy out the land. Please notice that Caleb did not say, “here is the land I choose for my inheritance, will you fight the giants for me? Will you take the land and give it to me?” No, he didn’t say that. Nor did he say, “I will fight with you to take this land?” What did Caleb say? He said, “Perhaps the Lord will be with me and I will drive them out as the Lord promised.” I have no doubt that Caleb was confident that the Lord would give him the victory, but he shows humility before the Lord before Joshua.

Here is an interesting footnote to this story:

(13)_Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as an inheritance. (14) Therefore, Hebron belongs to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite as an inheritance to this day, because he remained loyal to the Lord, the God of Israel. (15) Hebron’s name used to be Kiriath-arba; Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim. After this, the land had rest from war.’ (Josh 14:6-15)

The land he took was the land controlled by Hebron. As Joshua points out, Hebron had formerly been known as Kiriath-arba. We have the added note that Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim. The Anakim were giants. An older commentator (Clarke) adds the interesting note that Kiriath-arba is actually the city of Arba:

“or rather, the city of the four...kiryath arba may be literally translated. It is very likely that this city had its name from four Anakim, gigantic or powerful men, probably brothers, who built or conquered it. This conjecture receives considerable strength from Joshua 15:14, where it is said that Caleb drove from Hebron the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai: now it is quite possible that Hebron had its former name, Kirjath-arba, the city of the four, from these three sons and their father, who, being men of uncommon stature or abilities, had rendered themselves famous by acts proportioned to their strength and influence in the country. It appears however from Joshua 15:13 that Arba was a proper name, as there he is called the father of Anak.” (Clarke's Com.)

What do we learn from all of this? While there are many lessons we may learn from reading this account of the Conquest of Canaan, there is one thing that stands out supremely: They were successful in the conquest because Yahweh gave them the victory. My good friend, the late LTG Dutch Shoffner once told me that America is the only country that has ever provided training for general officers. There have been some very successful generals along the way, but they learned by having the right kind of mind and the right kind of skills, and practical experience for the job, and they learned from their victories and from their defeats. Caleb was a man of courage and commitment for an 85 year old man. He was convinced that the Lord would give him the victory.

What may we glean from the Conquest of Canaan? In the first place, it was all of God. He gave the victory. He planned the battle of Jericho and when the Israelites followed His orders they experienced a miraculous victory. Today, God is still granting a victory to those who believe in Him and obey Him. He saves us and He holds us in His hand - we do not hold Him in our hand. We sing Trust and Obey, but do we really mean it? Trust Him and Obey Him. He desires for you a Spirit-filled life and a Spirit-filled life is a glorious life.