The southern Palestine campaign is now over. Joshua returns to Gilgal in 10:43.
v. 1-5—the gathering of Israel’s enemies.
Jabin is the leader—his name means “intelligent.”
1. Note the numbers—many people, even as the sand that is upon the seashore for multitude.
2. Their equipment—horses and chariots were very many. The Israelites were no match for their enemies.
v. 6—The Lord said, “Be not afraid because of them”, etc.
Consider now:
Ecclesiastes 9:11—“The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong.”
Zechariah 4:6—“Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.”
Psalm 91—“The place of security…secret place…shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”
The opposition to Israel by Jabin and his cohorts is a picture of the devil’s enmity against spiritual believers.
Quote Ephesians 6:12.
None of us are immune from these attacks.
Satan attacked the Lord. Temptations. Matthew 4. Then Satan left Him for a season.
v. 6—The Lord’s reaction to this formidable group.
“Tomorrow about this time I will deliver them up all slain.”
We cannot really estimate or imagine the power of God which is at our disposal.
“He is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all that we are able to ask or think according to the power which worketh with us.”—Ephesians 3:20.
“Greater is He who is in you than He that is in the world.”
“I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me.”—Philippians 4:18.
This force was by far the greatest that had ever been assembled against them.
It came after they had been in the land a long time. The longer there were in the land the greater the opposition.
This is the roaring lion aspect of Satan’s attack. Quote 1 Peter 5:8.
“Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
v. 7—Joshua took the initiative and launched a sudden attack upon his enemies. He took them by surprise.
v. 8—“The Lord delivered them into the hand of Israel.”
v. 9—Joshua’s secret of success: obedience to God’s commandments.
He showed no quarter and expected none. He did not compromise with her enemies, he destroyed them. The secret of the success of our spiritual warfare will be in our uncompromising attitude toward our spiritual enemies.
It took Israel seven years to conquer the land.
Caleb was forty years old when Moses sent him to spy out the land—14:7.
According to Joshua he is now 85 years old—14:10.
40 years old + 38 years wandering = 78 years
78 years from 85 years leaves 7 years
This was the time it took to conquer the land.
v. 21—When the spies saw the Anakites they were afraid.
Read Numbers 13:28-33.
The Anakites were giants. They lived in caves and fortresses in the mountains.
The nation that died in the wilderness were afraid of them, and would not go into the land.
They were still there as numerous and strong as ever; despite this, the new nation under God, assailed their strongholds and defeated them.
v. 22—There were Anakites in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod.
1 Samuel 17:4 tells us that Goliath was of Gath.
Application: Satan’s pains and attempts to hinder and destroy our spiritual progress never lessen, in fact they increase. Victory can only be had by abandoning fleshly means of warfare and by putting ourselves in the hand of God. To accomplish this we must know God’s will then be obedient to it.
“If God is for us who can be against us.”