Josh 17:18, … but the hill country shall be yours. For though it is a forest, you shall clear it, and to its farthest borders it shall be yours; for you shall drive out the Canaanites, even though they have chariots of iron and though they are strong." 
    	In our last consideration, we looked, with sadness, at the fact that the Children of Israel, did not thoroughly cast out the Canaanites from the Promised Land. The nation of the Lord was successful to a point, yet did not follow through with the whole command of the Lord. They allowed a remnant of the defiled people to live in each one of the territories of the tribes. This was that prick in the eye and that thorn in their sides against which the Lord had so sternly warned. This lack of trust in the Lord to go before them and obedience unto Him eventually led to their own dispossession from the land. 
Lest we completely focus our deliberation upon this failure of the people to follow through with their responsibilities before the Lord, we can find great strength for our current day in the encouragement of Joshua to the house of Joseph. The Lord made something wonderfully abundant in the heart of those who truly wanted to honor Him as the only Lord God Almighty. We find that we are once again heartened by Joshua as to the fact that the Lord was going before His people, if the people would just obey and follow and trust in God’s Sovereignty. We are taken back to the pleading of both Joshua and Caleb before that first generation to enter the Land of the Lord’s Promise. Please return to Num Chapter 14, verses 6-9.
Num 14:6-9, And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; and they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, "The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land, and give it to us — a land which flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they shall be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them." 
	We can hear the certainty in the voices of Joshua and Caleb as they pleaded with the people to just go in and trust the Lord. …If the Lord is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land, and give it to us — a land which flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they shall be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them."
    	As well, in Deut 20:1-4, we have the words of the Lord delivered through Moses concerning the actual entering into the land by the second generation of Israelites. Just as the Lord would have gone before the parents, now He will go before the children. He will remove the terror of the Canaanite’s superior numbers and chariots. Strong as these defiled nations were, the Lord was far, far beyond any measurability stronger. He would be fighting the battle on the side of His people. 
	Deut 20:1-4, "When you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you. Now it shall come about that when you are approaching the battle, the priest shall come near and speak to the people. And he shall say to them, 'Hear, O Israel, you are approaching the battle against your enemies today. Do not be fainthearted. Do not be afraid, or panic, or tremble before them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.' 
	Then, as the great battle was before Joshua, when the Canaanite kings and rulers banded together to bring forth a huge army against the Children of Israel, The Lord again encouraged Joshua to not be afraid. He made it very clear that the Children of Israel would be victorious against the overwhelming odds and the advanced weaponry of the Canaanite forces. All that did not matter as long as the nation was not afraid and took courage in the power of the Lord to utterly defeat all these enemies. This is recorded for us in Josh 11:4-8, if you would turn to it. 
	Josh 11:4-8, And they came out, they and all their armies with them, as many people as the sand that is on the seashore, with very many horses and chariots. So all of these kings having agreed to meet, came and encamped together at the waters of Merom, to fight against Israel. Then the Lord said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid because of them, for tomorrow at this time I will deliver all of them slain before Israel; you shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire." So Joshua and all the people of war with him came upon them suddenly by the waters of Merom, and attacked them. And the Lord delivered them into the hand of Israel, so that they defeated them, and pursued them as far as Great Sidon and Misrephoth-maim and the valley of Mizpeh to the east; and they struck them until no survivor was left to them. 
    	Joshua had successfully led the people to enter and begin to inhabit the Promised Land. However, as he and Caleb were the eldest of the people, the only two remaining from that first generation. Joshua was close to death. He was not going to be there for the complete subdual and habitation of the Promised Land. Therefore, the Lord made it very clear, before Joshua passed from the earth, what was expected from the nation as they divided up the land into areas and parcels which would become the inheritance of each tribe. This was God’s bequeathal to the following generations. We find this all outlined in Josh 13:1-7.
	Josh 13:1-7, Now Joshua was old and advanced in years when the Lord said to him, "You are old and advanced in years, and very much of the land remains to be possessed. This is the land that remains: all the regions of the Philistines and all those of the Geshurites; from the Shihor which is east of Egypt, even as far as the border of Ekron to the north (it is counted as Canaanite); the five lords of the Philistines: the Gazite, the Ashdodite, the Ashkelonite, the Gittite, the Ekronite; and the Avvite to the south, all the land of the Canaanite, and Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians, as far as Aphek, to the border of the Amorite; and the land of the Gebalite, and all of Lebanon, toward the east, from Baal-gad below Mount Hermon as far as Lebo-hamath. All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon as far as Misrephoth-maim, all the Sidonians, I will drive them out from before the sons of Israel; only allot it to Israel for an inheritance as I have commanded you. Now therefore, apportion this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes, and the half-tribe of Manasseh." 
    	The Lord explained where the people were to continue their habitation of the Promised Land. He also made it very evident that He would be the One going before the people as long as they trusted and obeyed the guidelines of the Lord’s plan of attack. They were to dispossess the nations in the land with the Lord going before them in the confident assurance that He would take care of them. As He stated so succinctly …I will drive them out from before the sons of Israel… The people only needed to learn to trust and to obey the Lord. In so doing the course of their habitation of the land would be finalized. 
However, we know the history of Israel. Without the strong stature of Joshua to guide them and to encourage them in the Lord and to hammer home continuously the truth that they did not have to be afraid no matter how strong the enemies of the people might be, they failed to follow through with the plan that the Lord laid before them. They allowed the fear of the earthly strength of those defiled peoples to dissuade them from confidence in the Omnipotence of the Lord God Almighty. Therefore, they paid the consequences as so clearly outlined by the Lord.
	Another strong proponent of absolute trust in the Lord as Protector and Defender and Victor over all is the Psalmist. We can find so many Psalms in which this is detailed. We will consider only a portion of Psalms 27, verses 1-8. The Psalmist knew of this confident assurance in the Lord. His trust was fully set in the Lord to overcome all the enemies and foes that were part of His people’s walk on this earth.
	Ps 27:1-8, The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread? When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell. Though a host encamp against me, My heart will not fear; Though war arise against me, In spite of this I shall be confident. One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to meditate in His temple. For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock. And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me; And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord. Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice, And be gracious to me and answer me. When Thou didst say, "Seek My face," my heart said to Thee, "Thy face, O Lord, I shall seek." 
	Another Old Testament example of one who tried to encourage and cajole the people to trust in the Lord no matter what enemies were arrayed against them was the Prophet Isaiah. The Lord pleaded with His people through this prophet to simply trust and obey Him. If only they would turn from their wicked ways and follow the Lord, He would meet their every need. All the cares and the concerns and the worries of this age are nothing in the light of the Power of God on high. Seek Him and count on Him and Honor Him and Cherish Him and He will make every foe to tremble and flee. 
Consider first of all, the oh so joyous truth declared in Isa 41:8-16. When we count on the Lord to fight our battles and to meet our every need, we will be hard pressed to even find an enemy against whom we may need to stand. God will see to it all before we even know that we are in the conflict. Please open to it. 	
Isa 41:8-16, "But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, Descendant of Abraham My friend, You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, And called from its remotest parts, And said to you, 'You are My servant, I have chosen you and not rejected you. 'Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.' "Behold, all those who are angered at you will be shamed and dishonored; Those who contend with you will be as nothing, and will perish. "You will seek those who quarrel with you, but will not find them, Those who war with you will be as nothing, and non-existent. "For I am the Lord your God, who upholds your right hand, Who says to you, 'Do not fear, I will help you.' "Do not fear, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel; I will help you," declares the Lord, "and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. "Behold, I have made you a new, sharp threshing sledge with double edges; You will thresh the mountains, and pulverize them, And will make the hills like chaff. "You will winnow them, and the wind will carry them away, And the storm will scatter them; But you will rejoice in the Lord, You will glory in the Holy One of Israel. 
    	Then consider what we are told in Isa 51:11-16. Here we have the prophetic detailing of the gloriousness of the Lord God, Creator of Heaven and earth. He is our God. He goes before us. He makes every provision for His people. He holds us in the palm of His hand and shepherds us with all His divine power and wisdom and grace and mercy. What do we have to fear in this world that can stand against Him?
	Isa 51:11-16, So the ransomed of the Lord will return, And come with joyful shouting to Zion; And everlasting joy will be on their heads. They will obtain gladness and joy, And sorrow and sighing will flee away. "I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, And of the son of man who is made like grass; That you have forgotten the Lord your Maker, Who stretched out the heavens, And laid the foundations of the earth; That you fear continually all day long because of the fury of the oppressor, As he makes ready to destroy? But where is the fury of the oppressor? "The exile will soon be set free, and will not die in the dungeon, nor will his bread be lacking. "For I am the Lord your God, who stirs up the sea and its waves roar (the Lord of hosts is His name). "And I have put My words in your mouth, and have covered you with the shadow of My hand, to establish the heavens, to found the earth, and to say to Zion, 'You are My people.'" 
	Moving forward into the New Testament then, we want to highlight a couple of tremendously important and abundantly filled passages which we should mark in our Bibles. This is for that needed encouragement in these days when all may seem to be hopeless and our lives are in disarray and we are being bombarded by the stresses and pandemics and odious circumstances of this realm.
These are two passages, ripe with the whole treasury of Heaven in Jesus Christ which should cause us to make the same declaration that Joshua and Caleb made to the Children of Israel. Enter into the Land of our Promised peace and joy and right-standing in Jesus Christ. Who can possibly overcome the victory that He is this very moment to you and to me for all of eternity?
  	The first passage is our so beloved writing of the Apostle Paul to the church at Rome, Romans 8:26-39. It is immensely filled with every wonderful detail of what our life now is through the wondrous working of His power by the Holy Spirit. He is marvelously given to us, and living forth from us. Notice, as we read through this heavenly anthem of what is now true of us, that it is all God Who does the work. He holds all things together in our lives, each moment of each day, now and forevermore.
	Rom 8:26-39, And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren; and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, "For Thy sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered." But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 
    	And the final passage for our encouragement this morning is from the Writer to the Hebrews. It details just how much we mean to God. Please open to Chapter 13, verses 5+6, as we conclude our morning’s consideration. In it is proclaimed the absolute reality that we have nothing to fear as our lives are kept by Our Ever Present and Omnipotent and Omniscient Lord God Almighty.
	Heb 13:5+6, Let your character be free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you," so that we confidently say, "The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What shall man do to me?" So be it!
	… but the hill country shall be yours. For though it is a forest, you shall clear it, and to its farthest borders it shall be yours; for you shall drive out the Canaanites, even though they have chariots of iron and though they are strong." Amen.

	
This morning’s benediction is Ps 106:48. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, From everlasting even to everlasting. And let all the people say, "Amen." Praise the Lord! Amen.