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Table In F rance would have a very large sympathy w ith Jo shu a in th is p a rt of th e work. I t was one th ing to conquer th e enemy, b u t ano th er th ing to divide up th e conquered te rrito ry to everybody’s satisfaction. Notice th e boundaries of th e land which God prom ised to H is people. It was to extend up in th e N orth from Lebanon, on the W est from th e g reat sea, th e Mediter ranean, and as- far F a s t as th e E uphrates, a far larg er te rrito ry th an Israel ever occupied, even in Solomon’s most palmy days. How tru e th is is, of w hat God has made possible fo r th e believer in Christ Jesus. How much more sp iritu a l te rrito ry is ours th a n any of us have yet actually made our own! While God prom ised them such a large te rrito ry , notice th a t He was careful to say th a t they should actually possess “ Every place th a t th e sole of your foot shall tread upon.” The troub le w ith Israel was th a t they never marched th rough th e en tire length and bread th of the land. How much h av e ' you, reader, actually made your own experi mentally. W ill you, by God’s grace, und ertak e a g rea t sp iritu a l campaign and make your own in experience w hat is already yours in prom ise? Remem ber th a t God’s prom ises are absolutely su re of fulfillment, and th a t th e only lim itations surrounding th e believer are those which spring from his own lack of faith and lack of knowledge. As the old Scotchman well said, “We aye get w hat we gang in fo r.” TIT- The P resence Prom ised. Three tim es does God encourage Jo shu a w ith th e prom ise of H is pres ence. v. 5, “ I will be w ith th ee,” “ I will no t forsake th e e ;” v. 9, “The Lord th y God is w ith thee.” God also re m inded Joshua th a t He would be w ith him ju s t as He h ad been w ith Moses, in th e days gone by. W h at a host of memories th a t prom ise would recall for Jo sh u a’s encouragement! Because God would be w ith him, th e re should be “ no man able to stand
before.”, No king of th e Amorites, or any of th e o th er tribes, would be a m atch for Joshua. The C anaanites m ight have more men, and they m ight be arm ed w ith b etter weapons, and they m ight be entrenched in strong er posi tions, b u t Joshua, w ith God, would be th e ir conqueror. W hat a com fort and a stren g th to th e believer today, who “w restles no t ag ain st flesh and blood b u t again st principalities and powers, ag ain st th e world ru lers of th is d ark ness, ag ain st th e sp iritu al hosts of wick edness in th e Heavenly places.” There shall not any man be able to stand before thee, no m a tte r how learned, no m a tte r how powerful, no m a tte r how rich, no m a tte r how influential. No agnostic, or worldling, can prevail again st th e simple, surrendered, spirit- filled child of God. When th e Captain of our salvation gave H is g reat march ing o rder to th e Church, He concluded it w ith th e promise, “Lo, I am w ith you always, even unto th e end of th e age.” IV. The Power Provided. How our bookstores have been flooded, du ring th e la st few months, w ith “Manual of Arm s” of one kind and another. The soldier, who would be a well in structed and competent soldier, m ust study th e book of instructions. In like m anner Jo shua is commanded, “This book of th e law shall no t dep art ou t of th y mouth, b u t thou sh a lt medi ta te th erein day and night, th a t thou m ayst observe to do according to all th a t is w ritten th erein ; for th e n sh alt thou m ake thy way prosperous; then thou sh a lt have good success.” To m aster the Book, we m ust let the Book m aster us. The soldier who mas te rs th e captain’s orders, no t only saves tim e in th e long run, b u t also ensures victory. If th e Word of God which Joshua had, would mean so“ much to him , how much more does our larg er and more complete revelation prom ise to us. He was no t only to m editate on it, b u t he was “ to observe to do according
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