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Lord, for . . . . . the Lord shall fight for you and ye shall hold your peace" (Exod. 14: 14).
This initial victory had far-reaching effects:--
"The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of
Palestina . . . . . all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away . . . . . they shall be as still
as a stone, till Thy people pass over, which Thou hast purchased" (Exod. 15: 14-16).
Rahab, of Jericho, said to the spies:--
"I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us,
and that all the inhabitants of the land have melted because of you. For we have heard
how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt"
(Josh. 2: 9, 10).
Here it will be seen that the initial victory at Israel's redemption went before them,
melting the opposition of their foes. By reading Joshua 2: 10, 11, and 5: 1, we see that
the second victory, namely, that of Israel over Amalek, Sihon and Og, all of which be it
noted are on "this side of Jordan", likewise carried consternation into the ranks of the
Canaanites.
The present conflict.
The present conflict with the "world-holders of this darkness" is typified in Israel's
battles with Amalek, Sihon and Og. We must remember that the reason why Israel were
led through the wilderness, instead of taking the shorter road through the land of the
Philistines, was to prevent the people from being discouraged, "lest peradventure the
people repent when they see war" (Exod. 13: 17). Consequently, the battles of the
wilderness are not to be reckoned as "war" in the full sense. Our present conflict is
spoken of as "wrestling", the shock of battle may be yet future.
It will help us considerably to note a few features of this typical wilderness struggle.
The first great victory was immediately subsequent to redemption. After Amalek's attack
Israel do not meet Canaanite foes until they have met with God, been cleansed,
sanctified, and made a covenant people. Readers are already acquainted with the
difference that exists between redemption 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 Ephesians.
1. Redemption (Eph. 1: 7).
2. Atonement; "made nigh"; "access" (Eph. 2:).
3. 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