Joshua 1:10-11 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,… "Oh," but they might have said, "we cannot pass over Jordan, because there is Jericho right in front of us, and of course the inhabitants will call in the Jebusites, who are not far off, at Jerusalem, and these will fetch in the Hivites, and the Amorites, and all the other nations; and these will hotly dispute the passage of the river, and it will be out of the question to force our way through that torrent, and fight up the other bank against such foes." Such a fear would be most natural. When Caesar tried to land in England, what did the Britons do? They rushed into the water off Dover to meet the Romans, and they fought with them in the surf of the sea. It was natural that brave men should fight the invaders in the water, and not suffer them to tread their soil. Do you suppose that the Canaanites were less brave than the ancient Britons? Had there not been a spell upon them, they would have pressed back Israel in the river itself, and would not have allowed them to enter the land. Yet Israel passed over Jordan at the appointed time. God had said, "Ye shall go over," and they did go over; and no Canaanite, Hivite, or Jebusite dared to molest them. So the poor child of God sighs, "Alas! when I come to die, Satan will meet me, temptations and doubts and fears will rush upon me." We read in chap. Joshua 3:16, "And the people passed over right against Jericho." Fear not, O, trembling heart. God can so deal with evil spirits, and with the doubts of your own spirit, that they shall be still as a stone till you have passed over. No demon shall dare to peep or mutter. No doubt or fear shall venture near. We read, "All the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan." Not an arrow or a stone came from over the walls of Jericho. Glory be to the name of the Lord, He made the hearts of Israel's enemies to melt, so that no more courage remained in them. ( C. H. Spurgeon.) Parallel Verses KJV: Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,WEB: Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, |
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