and atonement.  Before Israel could meet either king Og of Bashan or king Sihon

of Heshbon, even on this side of Jordan, they needed the instruction and the

types of acceptance foreshadowed in the Tabernacle.  This order is observed in

Redemption (Eph. 1:7).

Atonement; `made nigh'; `access' (Eph. 2).

The conflict (Eph. 6).

To invert this order, or to omit one section, is to court dismal failure.

Moreover, Joshua, who led the people on to victory, was a man of the Word (Josh.

1:8).  He knew the value of the `sword of the Spirit', and of that weapon that

was mighty through God to the pulling down of the strongholds of Satan, as at

Jericho.  Let us now notice the foes of Israel's wilderness period.

Amalek.  Some authorities think that it is an error to suppose that the

Amalekites are descendants of Esau who had a grandson of that name (Gen. 36:10-

16), for the country of the Amalekites is mentioned together with the Canaanite

nations as that of the Rephaims and Amorites in Genesis 14:7 long before the

birth of Esau, the grandfather of Amalek.  Be this as it may, Amalek's attack is

separated from the rest.  So far as Israel were concerned Amalek's attack was a

treacherous act:

`He met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that

were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary' (Deut. 25:18).

His opportunity seems to have been provided by the murmuring and

rebellious spirit of the people.  Conquest no longer lay in `standing still and

seeing the salvation of the Lord', but by active and prayerful co-operation.

`Go fight' was God's will for Joshua; `Go pray' His will for Moses.  The

opportunity afforded by murmuring and the power of prayer will not be lightly

passed over by those to whom Ephesians 6 comes as personal truth.

The essential character of Amalek's opposition, however, is found in the

margin of Exodus 17:16, `Because the hand of Amalek is against the throne of the

Lord'.  The `world-holders of this darkness' oppose the purpose of the ages, and

that purpose involves the very throne of the Lord.  The enthroned Christ and all

His people are the great centre of Satanic attack.  This is developed in full in

the Book of the Revelation.

Saul, type of Antichrist as he was, the persecutor of the Lord's anointed

(David), forfeits his throne through failure to blot out Amalek (1 Sam. 28:18).

Haman the Agagite almost accomplished the destruction of Israel (Esther 3).

Balaam, however, foretold that Amalek, the first of the nations, should

nevertheless end in destruction (Num. 24:20).

Sihon.  Israel sought no quarrel with Sihon.  A request was sent asking

Sihon to allow Israel to pass through, their objective being the territory of

Canaan but not of Sihon.  Sihon, however, `would not suffer Israel to pass

through his border'. (Num. 21:23).  Our inheritance lies beyond the borders of

this earth, even in the heavenlies, but the conflict started by Amalek is

perpetuated by Sihon even here and now.  Israel consequently smote Sihon and

possessed his land `this side of Jordan' (Deut. 4:47).  In Numbers 21:1-3 we

have one more encounter recorded: