March 29, 2011
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The Victorious Life of Joshua Part 5
The reason I have gone back in time here and am in the book of numbers, is that first I want you to see a little history on Joshua, so that you can see and understand a bit about his leadership style. He was not the same sort of leader as Moses was.
I want to see and understand what he was facing or what obstacles he encountered, because remember, they were going in to take the promised land. A lot of people, including myself, have struggled with the idea of “taking” anything. We’ve grown up with the connotation that to take what we want is a bad thing. But, I’ve discovered a different way of thinking on this matter, and I’d like to show you it, because I’m finding it here in this study as well, and I had never recognized it in these passages before.
Num 13:17 And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get you up this [way] southward, and go up into the mountain:
Canaan = “lowland”
1) the 4th son of Ham and the progenitor of the Phoenicians and of the various nations who peopled the seacoast of Palestine
2) merchant, trader
The first thing I’m noticing is that this is a lowland area. So its not like they are trying to capture a mountain fortress. God has not made this “promised land” something that is unattainable and out of reach.
Num 13:18 And see the land, what it [is]; and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they [be] strong or weak, few or many;
Num 13:19 And what the land [is] that they dwell in, whether it [be] good or bad; and what cities [they be] that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strong holds;
Num 13:20 And what the land [is], whether it [be] fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time [was] the time of the first ripe grapes.
Now, in all of these questions he sent them to find answers to, I see 5W’s and an H. The majority question here was “What?” But, answering that question would enable Moses to understand “How,” “When,” and “Where” to move the people of Israel to, particularly if they needed to attack to take the land. Additionally, he wanted to know conditions; “Who” the people were; in other words, who or what were they facing, and what was their strength?
Num 13:21 So they went up, and searched the land from the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, as men come to Hamath.
Zin = “flat”
Rehob = “broad place”
Hamath = “fortress”
Num 13:22 And they ascended by the south, and came unto Hebron; where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, [were]. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)
Hebron = “association”
Ahiman = “my brother is a gift”
Sheshai = “noble”
Talmai = “furrowed”
1) one of the 3 sons of the giant Anak who were slain by the men of Judah
Anak = “neck”
1) progenitor of a family, or tribe of the giant people in Canaan
Zoan = “place of departure”
1) an ancient city of lower Egypt called Tanis by the Greeks; located on the eastern bank of the Tanitic branch of the Nile; the capital of the Shepherd dynasty, built 7 years after Hebron and existing before Abraham and the dwelling place of the Pharaoh at the time of the exodus
a) modern ‘San’
Egypt = “land of the Copts”
1) a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows.
So essentially, they discovered a flat, broad place that was likened unto a fortress. This place was in an association where “my brother is a gift.” This association was with giants; considered noble and of furrowed neck. This association was initiated seven years before the place of departure in the land of Copts.
Seven was the expression of the highest power, the greatest conceivable fullness of force. It is the number of expressed fullness, or completeness. (The number 7 is made up of two significant numbers, each also suggestive of completeness – 3, the number of God (the trinity) and 4, the number of the Spirit.)
The fact that there is a footnote about this number in the verse, speaks of a situation that was preordained. In other words, the spies were supposed to see these challenges. This was orchestrated in advance. There were supposed to be obstacles with which to test their faith and understanding of the God they claimed to serve.
