Take your Bibles this morning and turn with me to the book of Joshua. Joshua chapter 11. I want to use three verses of scripture from my text this morning. Verses 21, 22, and 23 of Joshua chapter 11. Verse 21, he says, And at that time came Joshua, and cut off the Anakins from the mountains, from Hebron, and from Debar, from Anab, and from the mountains of Judah, from all the mountains of Israel. Joshua destroyed them utterly. with their cities. There was none of the Anakins left in the land of the children of Israel, only in Gaza and Gath and in Ashdod there remained. So Joshua took the whole land according to all the Lord said unto Moses, and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes, and the land rested from war. The subject of our study this morning is a full and complete victory. Joshua and every man fit for battle came across the Jordan River while in the spring when it was at flood stage. And they crossed that river on dry ground. And they crossed that river by the commandment of God. There was no doubt in anybody's mind that these people who came across that river were the children of God, the elect of God. God was with them. Nobody else could cause the Jordan River to stack up and not flow. The rivers didn't flow anymore, the waters didn't, they just stacked up in a heap. They were the Israel of God. They'd been there before, some 40 years earlier. And again, they sent into that country that God had promised them for an inheritance. They sent in spies. He calls them evil spies later on, wicked spies. They brought back a bad report from the land. But now they stand at the land, and all those who brought forth that evil report, they all died. Their carcasses fell in the wilderness. God swore in his wrath that not one of those unbelieving rebels would enter into this land which was promised and called a promised rest, but should die in the wilderness. Now the Apostle Paul writing to the Hebrew people, this is in the book of Hebrews if you care to turn over there. He's writing to the Hebrew people in the last verse in chapter 3. He's talking about these people. Verse 19, he said, so we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. Chapter 4, verse 1. Let us fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should come short of it. Verse 2. For unto us was the gospel preached as well as unto them, but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter in to rest. Now Joshua's and his victories over the heathen inhabitants of Canaan is about a gospel rest. That's what Paul's showing us here in Hebrews chapter 4. He uses the word Jesus, which is the New Testament name for Joshua, in describing that rest. There's a direct reference to Joshua and the children of Israel and to this promised rest that we have in Christ. He so plainly tells the Hebrew people they could not enter in because of unbelief and what was preached to them was the same thing preached to us, salvation in Christ. The gospel was preached. That's what it says. I just read it to you. So Joshua and his victories over the heathen inhabitants of Canaan is about a gospel rest. It's about a sure and complete victory over all the enemies of your souls. That's what this text is talking about. Now I know that news commentators and just people who like to talk about things they don't know anything about, they look at these victories in natural Israel back there, and they compare them to modern-day Israel, which is feared by most of the world. I don't want to take anything away from them. There are people to be feared. Their armies are trained higher than any armies anywhere else in the world. But that's not what this text is about. This text is about a sure and complete victory for the rest, for your souls. You know, it's one of the wonders of Scripture to me how that the Holy Ghost inspired chosen men to write these accounts. He clearly states the truth. He preserves the promise in the words that he's inspired, yet words it in such a way to make a snare for ungodly men to get caught in. I'll give you an example. He's already stated that all Israel fought against these ungodly armies. They strapped on a sword, and under Joshua's leadership, they went in and defeated those alien armies. They engaged them in battle and put them down. We've read it verse after verse after verse all through the book of Joshua. Some even to death. Yet it's clear that all the glory of the victories is ascribed to Joshua alone. Joshua cut off the Anakins. Isn't that what I just read in my text? The first thing he tells us, Joshua cut them off. Joshua took the whole land, the last verse in our text. He took the whole land and Joshua divided their inheritance promised of God to each tribe by their division. Joshua, he gets all the glory. And here's the reason for this. Acts chapter 4 verse 12. Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. This is about Christ. And all the glory of salvation goes to God and God's chosen man, which is Christ. Joshua, or Jesus, if you will, gets all the glory. He says the gospel was preached unto them. What is the gospel? The gospel is a person. It's a person. Well, you say it talks about the doctrines of that person. Yes, it does, but those doctrines describe the person in whom salvation is. It's not doctrine in you that saves you, it's Christ in you, the hope of glory. The gospel is a person, a promised redeemer, a king, a priest, a prophet, a governor. The government shall be upon his shoulders. He's calling the shots. And he's a deliverer. Paul said he delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us. He's the deliverer. And there's no part of our salvation that he's not involved in. Joshua was involved in these battles from day one, from the time they crossed the river until the last enemy was put down. Now how are we to view these things then in Joshua? Well, we view them as Christ our Deliverer and all Israel in Him. Did we actually fight those battles? We did in Christ. We did in Christ. I didn't. I can't do anything. I'm not worthy or able, if you will, to manifest the righteousness of God. I can't do it. I can't keep this law. I can't honor him. I'm a sinner. But Christ did it for us. But in the scripture, over in 2 Corinthians 5.21, it said, For God hath made him to be sin for us. You think he was a sinner? No, but he was accounted as one. And God poured out his wrath on him, so he considered him as one. He died in our place. He bore our sins. He not only bore our sins, he bore our guilt. He opened not his mouth. He didn't have an excuse when he come before God. He opened not his mouth. Led as a lamb to the slaughter. And in that same way, we're counted as one with Him in these battles. You know, in one place it talks about a man entering into heaven, and the Lord looks at him and He says, Well done, my good and faithful servant. You think he was good and faithful? No. But he was in Christ, and he was counted as faithful. And so we see these battles being fought. They were thought, why does Joshua get all the glory? Because we were in him. He's typifying the Lord Jesus Christ. He's a symbol of Christ. He's a picture. He's illustrating what salvation is. The hope of Israel was Joshua. And the war is over concerning the possession of the land. It's done. He cut off the Anakins. That's the last enemy. The war is over. Now, there are going to be some skirmishes to maintain what God has given them and to enjoy what God has given them. There are going to be some skirmishes, the same as there is in our hearts. But this peace has been accomplished. This land is now in possession of Israel. The full and complete victory was manifested and God gives all the glory to Joshua. All those that were with him are representative of all those that he's chosen, that God chose in him. Our hope of glory is the victory of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's my hope. Now our text documents the final battle that establishes the promised rest, the battle of the Anakins. Who are they? Well, they're children of Anak. That's why he calls them Anakins, children of Anak. And they were giants, fierce men of war. Goliath was one of his sons and his four brothers, Anakins. And they was a source, a great source of fear for Israel. In fact, Goliath on one occasion single-handedly held all Israel. He halted their forward motion completely. And that giant stood out there in the field alone and nobody dared go down and do battle with him except the man God sent. And he sent him down with a sling, which is a picture of the gospel. And he takes that single stone in a sling, wheels that stone, hit him right between the eyes, fell that big giant. This was the Battle of the Anakins. They're children of Anak. And they were giants, fierce men of war. These Anakins were one of the most convincing of everything that was in this promised land. They were the most convincing things to the spies who brought back an evil report. Joshua was ready to go in. Caleb was ready to go in. But all Israel defied them because of the testimony of these spies. You know what they said? There's giants in the land. We're like grasshoppers standing before them. They're huge. They're monsters. They're fierce. We can't do battle with them. And they're cities. They're walled. They have armies. They have trained men of war. They have machines on the wall. Machines of war. We can't go in there. Well, what are these anacons, what are they a picture of? Well, they're typical of death. Death. They're symbolic of death in that they were the final enemy. Turn with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 15, let me show you that. I'm not just, I don't just set my study and make stuff up. All of these things are made known in the Word of God. You may never have read it or even thought about it before, but all of these things are in the Word of God. Now we're talking about the Kingdom of God. This is what's going on in that land. The Kingdom of God is being established in the hearts of God's people. But everything in that heart is evil. Out of the heart, Come forth thefts, murders, evil thoughts, on and on and on the list goes. Now, chapter 15 of 1 Corinthians is a resurrection chapter. It has to do with the saints' victory over death. That's why we use it at funerals so often. Now, I'm going to pick up down here in verse 19, but I suggest you read that chapter and give it some thought. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. No matter what we gain in this world, it's gone in just a few years. Why? Because of death. If my hope doesn't extend any longer than my days in this world, I'm miserable. Because eternal life is not here, it's there. But now is Christ risen from the dead and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. Verse 22. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order, Christ the firstfruits, afterwards they that are are Christ at his coming. Then cometh the end when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father, when he shall have put down all rule and all authority. Now watch this. He must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy, that's what we're talking about. The last enemy. to be destroyed is death. That's what this is all about. Death looms as a giant over men. They have no power over it, no resistance to it. I can't stop it. No weapon can resist it. It'll take all it's sent to take. And death is the final victory. I have no victory unless I have victory over death. And there can be no rest in Canaan while the Anakins still hold their ground. In Hebrews 2, verse 15, Paul tells us that Christ took on Himself our flesh, now listen to this, to deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. holds me in bondage, the fear of death, all my life. And there is but one way for anyone to find peace and rest for their souls, and that is to see death taken out of the way. There must be a victory, and it has to be manifested, a manifest victory over death. When the battle with these five kings was over, Joshua called for the kings and said, bring them up here to me. And so here they come with all these great kings. They're in chapels. And they were made to lie down prostrate in front of them. And here they are. They're on their backs. They're looking up at Joshua. And he calls for his captains. And he said, come here. He said, put your foot on their neck. Put your foot on their neck, on the necks of these kings. Joshua chapter 10, if you want to read it, verse 25. And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed. Be strong and of good courage, for thus shall the Lord do to all your enemies against whom you fight. And afterward Joshua smote them, slew them, and hung them on a tree till evening. And as it was with the Anakins, same thing. Same thing. They too must be put under his feet. To destroy death, our Lord must die. He must die himself. He must take our place and be slain and hung on a tree till evening. That's the victory being pictured here. He tells them, behold our peace and victory. And he says it comes from the gospel. That's what Paul's telling us. It comes from the gospel. What gospel? The gospel of substitution. Now I'm telling you, you better get all ideas about standing before God on the merit of your own works. Let me tell you what the Bible says about our righteousness. He said, all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. Now you go back and read in the book of Numbers and the books of the law back here in the Old Testament and they'll tell you what these filthy rags are. It's a woman's menstrual cloth. That's one definition of it. Another definition was the rag that the lepers carried. Their face eaten up, part of it gone, pus filled sores and they take that rag and they wipe their face and hold it over their face and they cry unclean, unclean. He said that's our righteousness. The best deed we ever did, the best prayer we ever prayed. Abomination before God. You don't touch an unclean thing without coming before the priest. A sacrifice had to be offered. If you just touch something, To destroy death, our Lord must die himself. He must take our place, be slain, and hung on a tree till evening. And our peace and victory come from this. It comes from the gospel of substitution. He was delivered, it says, for our offenses, raised again for our justification. All God's elect saw the Anakins' fall. They saw their lifeless bodies lying on the ground, put their feet on their neck, They saw death die. And I tell you, you'll never have any peace until you see death die. You'll dread that day your whole life. You'll be in fear and bondage to it. Believers don't fear death. And the reason is they saw death die. Where? On the cross. A righteous God can't punish his son for my sins and then punish me. God's elect see these things. Are you a believer? Do you fear death? You do? Why? He died for our sins. That's what our faith's all about, isn't it? He died for our sins. How'd he do that? According to the scripture. And according to the scripture, his death was a vicarious death. His death was a substitutionary death. He died to satisfy the justice of God. He died to pay our sin debt. He died in our room instead. And because he died, I don't have to. You passed, he said. You believe on me? You passed from death unto life. Death to a believer is the laying aside of an old tent. That's all it is. He lays aside the old tent. He's not losing anything, Russell, he's gaining. He's discarding that old covering and being clothed with a perfect house. Look at this over here in 2 Corinthians chapter 5. Now if you don't see death die, you're still going to think, oh, there's Anakins in them mountains. No, I saw them die. They're not there anymore. They're gone. Now watch this, verse 2, 2 Corinthians chapter 5. In this we earnestly groan, desiring to be clothed to bond with our house which is in heaven. Our victory over death was brought to pass by virtue of our substitute. And manifesting the death of our death is what he did. And God raises him from the dead and tells us that he's going to prepare. He said in my father's house are many mansions. You know what a mansion is? That's a house with all the amenities. That's what it is. There are many mansions in my father's house. You won't want for anything in that house. That house has everything a believer could ever desire. It's a mansion. I can't even, in my wildest imagination, I can't picture a slum area in heaven. Can you? It's not there. Why? It's filled with mansions. Houses with every amenity that you can imagine. I'm not talking about natural houses now. I'm talking about this body. I'm talking about being vacant of sin. Not even a thought of sin. All your spiritual needs met. He's the water, isn't he? I'll never thirst. He's the water. He's the bread. I'll never go hungry. Oh, what a thought. There's a place for me in glory. Huh? Think about that. A place. Whenever I think about this, I think about old Mephibosheth, son of Saul. He was the last of the enemies. David called for all his enemies, all the family of Saul to be slain, and he was bringing them all to him, getting rid of them, all of his enemies. But there was one that David had made a covenant with Jonathan, Saul's son, to save and have mercy on, Mephibosheth. Now, during the crisis, To keep from being slain, his nurse picked him up, took off running and dropped him. Ruined by the fall, wasn't he? He was made lame on his feet, couldn't walk. So here comes the soldiers and they're carrying Mephibosheth into the palace. He thinks he's coming in there to be slain or be in prison. And they carry him into the palace and David said, you go wash him. and put the royal clothes on him. Put clothes fit for my table. And a place was made at the king's table for me to be. Who am I? He said. That thou should show such mercy to such a dead dog as I am. Huh? You feel that way? There's a place. He said, I'm going to make a place for you. Your name's written there, written right over the heart of our high priest, written on his shoulders to bear us up before God. Reserved in heaven, Peter said, for you. Oh, my soul. I go to prepare a place for you. We have a house in glory, a house that every believing heart it has anything you could ever want or desire. And oh, what a thought! I could lay down tonight and sleep like a baby because death has been cut off. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, to them who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. And seeing these things, The last words of our text says this, and because of the death of the Anakins and the land wrested from war. No more war about the possession of eternal life. It belongs to Christ. He has the full and complete victory. And these things being a picture of the kingdom of God established in the heart we should then in our hearts enter into this rest. I'm not trying to conquer Canaan, it's already conquered. The victory's already won. And then he tells us in the last part of that resurrection chapter that I read to you from a while ago, here's what he says. The believer dies, that mortal puts on immortality. He begins to enter into his real inheritance. And listen to this, he says, O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? And then he says this, Now thanks be unto God that giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, I pray that the Lord himself will teach us this lesson. We have nothing to fear in death. The fact is, we have something to look forward to. Paul said, I earnestly desire to be clothed on with my new house. I'm getting sick of this old house. I was looking around inside the building this morning. There's a water leak there, and one over here. This don't work, and that don't work, and something needs to be painted. You get a little older, you'll see what I'm talking about. This old house is falling apart. And you start longing for that new house. Oh, what a house. And what a location, in glory. What more could you want? Oh, but not us, no. We're going to hang on to the last blade of grass, because we planted it. Hold on, big head up. My mother planted that, so what? He said, my father's the husband man, and he planted divine, and if you ain't grafted into the vine, you ain't nothing. You can't produce anything. Without me, you can do nothing. But in me, you can produce fruit, divine fruit, fruit of the Spirit. All right, that's it.