Remember reading in Numbers 13 about Joshua and Caleb being sent into the Promised Land? Moses sent one man from each of the twelve tribes of Israel to go on ahead and spy it out. In verses 18-20 Moses says to them, “See what the land is like and whether the people living there are strong or weak, few or many. Is the land they live in good or bad? Do their cities have walls around them or not? Is the soil rich or poor? Does the land have trees or not?” Then Moses said, “Do your best to bring back some fruit from the land.” Everyone wanted to know what awaited them if they should decide to enter into the land.
Do you remember their report when they returned?
Forty days later, they reported back to Moses and Aaron, and the rest of the camp. They showed them the fruit. They said, “We went to the land where you sent us. It really is a land flowing with milk and honey. Here’s some of its fruit. But the people who live there are strong, and the cities have walls and are very large. We even saw the descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites live in the Negev. The Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the mountain region. And the Canaanites live along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and all along the Jordan River.” Then Caleb said, “Let’s go now and take possession of the land. We should be more than able to conquer it.”
It’s no wonder that the name “Caleb” means “brave one.” Even with all those giants in the land, both he and Joshua concurred that they should go in. The other ten men that had accompanied them said, “No! “We can’t attack those people! They’re too strong for us! We felt as small as grasshoppers, and that’s how we must have looked to them.”
In Numbers 14 all the people adamantly disagreed with Joshua and Caleb. They complained to Moses and Aaron saying they would all be killed if they tried to enter into the land.
In verses 5-9 we see how the four leaders responded. “Immediately, Moses and Aaron bowed with their faces touching the ground in front of the whole community of Israel assembled there. At the same time, two of those who had explored the land, Joshua and Caleb, rent their clothes in despair. They said, “The land we explored is very good. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us. This is a land flowing with milk and honey! Don’t rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. We will devour them like bread. They have no protection, and the Lord is with us. So don’t be afraid of them.” Notice that the four of them (Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and Caleb) acknowledged that there were in fact giants in the land, but they refused to be fearful or intimidated by them. They knew that with the Lord’s help they were able to conquer the giants.
Furthermore, Moses prayed for the people that God forgive them. The Lord said, “I forgive them, as you have asked. But as I live and as the glory of the Lord fills the whole earth, I solemnly swear that none of the people who saw my glory and the miraculous signs I did in Egypt and in the desert will see the land which I promised their ancestors. But because my servant Caleb has a different attitude and has wholeheartedly followed me, I’ll bring him to the land he already explored. His descendants will possess it. Tomorrow you must turn around, go back into the desert, and follow the road that goes to the Red Sea.” There they wandered for forty years!
Originally there were 31 giants (kings) in the promised land, but God destroyed them all except for six. Why would he leave six giants? Why not kill them all?
We find the answer in Judges 3:1-2. To teach the children of Israel how to war. “Now these are the nations which the Lord left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan; only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof.”
Psalm 144:1 says, He teaches our hands to war.” Yes! Our God teaches us how to war and overcome. In Revelation we see many scriptures about the saints of God “warring against the dragon.” How could we ever know how to war with him unless we have been taught and properly trained? How could there be so many promises to the overcomer if the overcomer was given nothing to overcome? The sons of God must learn how to fight and overcome.
HE IS PREPARING HIS BLOOD BOUGHT CHURCH FOR A GREAT VICTORY OVER SATAN’S KINGDOM!
Satan has no power over the believer except to get you to believe his lies. He is not necessarily trying to get you to fall into sin.
His sole purpose is to keep us from the Promised Land, from obtaining our inheritance. He does this by any means possible.
Are you believing lies about giants in your land? If you are it could keep you from your inheritance.
Remember back to Joshua and Caleb and what God spoke to the ones who said it wasn’t possible to enter the Promised Land and kill the giants? God said, “I solemnly swear that none of the people who saw my glory and the miraculous signs I did in Egypt and in the desert will see the land which I promised their ancestors.”
God wants us to believe HIS report, not what our giants tell us.
In Deuteronomy 31:23 the Lord told Joshua two things. What were they?
Be strong and courageous
I will be with you
So Joshua and the people moved on in to the Promised Land, and fought the giants.
And they didn’t just fight them. They brought them down and stood on the necks of those giants! Joshua 10:24-25 I bet our giants could no longer talk if we were to stand on their necks!
What two things did Joshua tell the people?
Be strong and courageous
The Lord will be with you
Our giants will keep on taunting us. They won’t give up. On day one, Goliath stood across the valley from David. We see him coming down the mountain, across the stream, closer towards Israel’s army. David knew he had to kill him. Otherwise he would move right in, into every area in their lives. It is no different with us. Our giants want to move right in. Into our homes, our jobs; our giants will affect every area of our lives. They take over!
The only way to handle a giant is to kill it.
Here’s the first key to David’s success:
1 Samuel 17:20-26 . He wasn’t slaying the giant for his own sake. He was only concerned about God’s cause.
1 Samuel 17:29-39, David couldn’t use Saul’s armor. He hadn’t proved (tested) it. He didn’t know for sure if it would work. He had proved the Lord and he knew God’s way worked. God had already taught his hands how to war and David showed up prepared.
In 1 Samuel 17:39-44 Goliath is insulted that Israel would choose such a tiny youth to fight him. He mocked and taunted David.
1 Samuel 17:45-47 “It’s not by might, or by power, but by my Spirit, sayeth the Lord.” Zech 4:6
There’s the 2nd key to David’s success. “I come to you in the name of the Lord.”
In 1 Samuel 17:50-51, David stood on Goliath. This represents putting the flesh (enemy) under his feet.
The 3rd key to David’s success: he made haste to put the giant under his feet. Notice that he used the giant’s own weapon to cut off his head. (his government)
Romans 8:37 says, “we are MORE than conquerors through Him.
Psalm 18:40 “Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.”
Earlier on I said, “never bargain with or listen to the promises of a giant.”
But Psalm 18:40 is one promise you can believe and hold onto.
Remember, he teaches our fingers to fight and our hands to war. We are learning to be overcomers.
And if you hath an ear make sure you hear what the Spirit is saying to you today…
“To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” Amen.