I'm gonna ask you to take your
Bibles now and turn to the book of Joshua 11, Joshua 11. Joshua chapter 11, I wanna look
at the last three verses. Joshua 11 verse 21 says this. And at that time came Joshua
and cut off the Anakims from the mountains, from Hebron, from
Debor, from Anab, from all the mountains of Judah, from all
the mountains of Israel. Joshua destroyed them utterly
with their cities. There was none of the Anakims
left in the land of the children of Israel. only in Gaza, Gath,
Ashdod there remained. So Joshua took the whole land
according to all that 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. Joshua, now, We want to remember
something. Joshua is a picture, he's a type
of the Lord Jesus Christ. And it is by our mighty Joshua,
the Lord Jesus himself, that all the victories over God's
enemies and people of his choosing are beheld. That's where the
victories are wrought. by our mighty Joshua. Victory holds your place in Joshua
11. Just turn back to Joshua 1. Victory was promised to Joshua,
just as victory was promised to the Lord Jesus Christ, the
servant of Jehovah, the servant of his father. Listen to what
Joshua 1, verses 2 to 6 says. God speaking to Joshua, he says,
Moses, my servant, is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over
this Jordan, thou and all this people, unto the land which I
do give to them, even to the children of Israel. Every place
that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given
unto you, as I said unto Moses. From the wilderness, this Lebanon,
even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land
of the Hittites, Under the great sea toward the going down of
the sun shall be your coast. There shall not be any man be
able to stand before thee all the days of thy life. As I was
with Moses, so I will be with thee. I will not fail thee nor
forsake thee. Be strong and of good courage. For unto this people shall thou
divide for an inheritance the land which I swear unto their
fathers to give it them. Now let me tell you what Joshua's
got. He got God's word. The Lord's saying, I give you
my word. I'm telling you right now, I promise, I promise. I'm gonna give you, every place
I lead you, every place that your foot steps, I gave that
to you. And I'm gonna destroy all the
enemies in the land that I've given unto you. Well, back in
Joshua 11, the Spirit of God was pleased
to tell us about victory over a specific group of people that
had formerly struck fear into many that were found within the
ranks of the nation of Israel. those that heard what God said. He said, I'm going to give you
victory. I'm going to destroy everybody. Everybody that's in
the land that I gave you, I'm going to destroy them and I'm
going to give it to you. Well, the scripture back in Joshua
11, like I said, mentioned a specific group of people. Verse 21, at
that time came Joshua and cut off the Anakims. Verse 22, there was none of the
Anakims left in the land of the children of Israel. Now, what
significance this specific victory had for the people of God is
what I want to look at today. Here's what the scripture says.
After the Anakims were destroyed, The last line, verse 23, and
the land rested from war. The land was quiet. It was undisturbed. So we would do well to consider
just who were these people? And what was the significance
of the victory over them, the Anacoms? Now I'm gonna, As I
was going over my notes, I had to kind of, I have to re-write
and re-write and re-write so I can understand that I want
to be simple. The anicums I'm going to tell
you right now are actually, they were pictures and types of all
the principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness that
was defeated by the Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary on our behalf. The Anacoms was a picture of
that. That's what the Anacoms were.
Everything that opposes us, spiritually speaking, I'm not talking about
what we can see, I'm talking about what we don't see. Satan, death, hell, the grave. These things, these spiritual
wickedness, The Lord Jesus Christ made a show of them openly, nailing
them to his cross. This is who the Anicums represented,
and I want to show you that. Now, we're getting ready to look
at something over in Numbers. You can mark your place right
there, because we're going to be in Numbers for a little bit.
Numbers chapter 13. Numbers 13. I want to go back and I want
to look at what the scriptures has got to say about who these
Anacoms were. Numbers 13 verses 1 to 3 says,
and the Lord spake unto Moses saying, send thou men that they
may search the land of Canaan which I give unto the children
of Israel of every tribe of their fathers shall you send a man,
every one a ruler among them. And Moses, by the commandment
of the Lord, sent them from the wilderness of Paran. All those
men were heads of the children of Israel." Twelve men, twelve men, twelve
spies, which included two men that will be of great significance
to us, Caleb and Joshua. The, out of that list, if you
start looking at that verse three, it starts giving the names of
all these men. Look at verse six, of the tribe of Judah, Caleb. Look at verse eight, of the tribe
of Ephraim, Oshiah, Joshua, Joshua. And there was two men out of
that group of men, that 12 men, two men, Joshua and Caleb. And these men were sent at the
order of the Lord by Moses, wants you to go in here and spy out
the land. Now look at verse 17 to 20. This is what Moses told them
to do. Moses sent them to spy out the
land of Canaan, verse 17, and said unto them, get you up this
way southward, and go up into the mountain, and see the land,
what it is, and the people that dwelleth therein. whether they
be strong or weak, few or many, and what the land is that they
dwell in, whether it be good or bad, what cities they be that
they dwell in, whether in tents or in strongholds, 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 a time of the first ripe grapes. Moses told these men, he said,
now I want you to go into the land of Canaan. Now I want you
to check it out. I want you to see, just see what's
there. See if it's good land, you got
woods, you got, what is it? What is it? I want you to go
and see what you see. And you come back and tell us
what you got. Canaan, remember this, is a picture
of heaven, the land of promise, the promised kingdom prepared
for God's people from before the foundation of the world.
And Moses told these spies, I wanna know, I wanna know something
of what's over there. I want you to go check it out,
all those things. Tell me about, tell me what's
there. Tell me what you see. Come back and let us know. Now, these specific inquiries,
spiritually speaking, is this not the interest of God's people
concerning our heavenly kingdom? Glory. Tell me something. I want to know something. Now,
here's the issue with us right now. By nature, and you hold
your place there in numbers, but just turn over to Isaiah
64. There's some things that we do
know. There's some things that we do
know about glory. I'll tell you what we know. The
Lord told us, in my father's house are many mansions. If it
were not so, I would have told you. And I go to prepare a place
for you. Now Neil, that's how much I know. That's all I know about the dwelling
places there. Second Peter 3.13 says, according
to his promise, We look for new heavens and a new earth wherein
dwelleth righteousness. That's all I know about it. I
know something. I know that there's many mansions
there. Well, how are we gonna live?
I don't know. What's it gonna look like? I
don't know. Well, I mean, are they gonna be, I don't know.
I know that the Lord has said He went to prepare a place for
us. And He said, if it wasn't so, I'd have told you. But that's
all I know. Here's what the Spirit of God
moved Isaiah the prophet to say concerning these things that
are heavenly. Isaiah 64, 4. For since the beginning
of the world, men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, neither
hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee. what he hath prepared for
him that waiteth for him. I just, there's some things we
just don't know. They're glorious and our hearts are moved to hear
these things. I know in the high priestly prayer
of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord said, Father, I will, that
those that you've given me be with me where I am, that they
may behold my glory, the glory of the Redeemer, the glory of
the Messiah, the glory of the Lord. I don't know. Outside of that, nothing has
ever entered into the heart of man. I have not seen, ear heard,
neither hath entered into the heart of man. That which God
has prepared for those that love him. Wait for him. Well, back
in Numbers 13, Moses told him, he said, you go into the land
and I want you to check it out. Tell me what you see when you
go over there. And so far, I've told you everything
that I've seen in the scriptures concerning glory. That's all
I know. But that's what they were doing.
They were going. And so the scripture says back in Numbers 13, verses
21, 22. So they went up and searched the land from the wilderness
of Zin onto Rehob as men come to Hamath. And they ascended
by the south and came unto Hebron, where Ahimon, Shishai, Talmai,
the children of Anak were. Now Hebron was built seven years
before Zoan in Egypt. I want to make a comment on that
last line there. Now Hebron, there was not a whole
lot I could find on the explanation. of that particular passage of
that scripture. I do know this. I know what Hebron
was. Hebron is that place where Abraham
and Sarah, his wife, Jacob, Rebecca, Leah, Isaac, are buried. I know that's where it is. Hebron
is a place, though, is a picture, is a type eternal rest, rest. You know, we see that R.I.P.,
rest in peace. Well, they were buried there,
but it's just a type. Their bodies are going to rise
from the grave. We know that. When the Lord comes back, they'll
rise. But that Hebron, Hebron was a
place of burial, of rest, of lying in the grave. Zoan, I found
out, was the capital of Pharaoh's palace. And also, Zoan was a
place where many of the miracles, or the miracles and the plagues,
when God sent those plagues to Egypt. So the scripture, this
is how much I know about that last verse. Hebron was built
seven years. There was a final resting place
of God's people before there were palaces of the rebellious,
I can tell you that. God has eternally loved us. Before
man ever came, before man ever fell, Before there was ever any
palaces that were built by man for his honor and glory and praise,
God had a resting place before any of that. I'll just leave
it right there. That's as far as I could go with
it. So the scripture sets forth that these spies, as they were
going in here, and that verse is 21, 22, they were searching
the land and they came across a group of people And they were
known to be the children of Anak. That's verse 21. They went up,
searched the land from the wilderness of Zin on to Rehob, as men come
to Hamath. And they ascended by the south
and came upon Hebron, where Haman and Shishai, Talmon, the children
of Anak were. Now, to find out who these people,
Anak, who the children of Anak were, We gotta turn over to Deuteronomy,
Deuteronomy 9. Numbers, Deuteronomy 9. Who are
these children of Anak? Well, Anak, I mean, Deuteronomy
chapter 9, verses 1 to 3 tells us, Hear, O Israel, Deuteronomy
9.1, Hear, O Israel, thou art to pass over Jordan this day,
to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities
great and fenced up to heaven, of people great and tall, the
children of the Anakims, whom thou knowest, of whom thou hast
heard, who can stand before the children of Anak? Understand
therefore this day that the Lord thy God is he which goeth over
before thee as a consuming fire He shall destroy them. He shall
bring them down before thy face. So shalt thou drive them out
and destroy them quickly as the Lord has said unto thee. So these children of Anak, who
are they? They were the Anakims. They were the Anakims. They're
mighty. They're powerful. They're big. Big giants, walls of their cities. It reaches under the heavens.
Yeah, but I'm gonna drive them out. You remember who those Anacoms
pictured? I've said all that before to
let you stay with me here on who they represent. These are
all these spiritual wickedness, these high places, these principalities,
all this that fights against God's people. That's who the
Anacoms set forth. Well, back in Numbers 13, The
spies are in the land. They've come across some of these
children of Anak. They've seen them. These guys
are big guys. Scripture says in Numbers 13,
23, and they came unto the brook of Eshkol and cut down from thence
a branch with one cluster of grapes. And they bear it between
two upon a staff, and they brought of the pomegranates and of the
figs. The place would call the brook
or the valley of Eshkol, Eshkol meaning a cluster of grapes,
because of the cluster of grapes, which the children of Israel
cut down from thence, and they returned from searching of the
land after 40 days. Now Moses told them, you go in,
you be of good courage, You know this, that the Lord's gonna defeat
all of our enemies. But then he said, back in verse
20, what the land is, whether it be fat, 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. Let's always be careful. Let's
don't read over these scriptures lightly and just miss a few words,
you know, like I'm way too often prone to do. I get into something
and if it's like a lot of names and stuff like that, you know,
I can use a scan of it. Lord, help us not to do that.
Let's read what God has written. The Spirit of God was very specific. This place that they went to
They were told, you bring, bring some of the fruit back. That's
what Moses told him, bring, bring some of the fruit back there.
And it was the time of the first ripe grapes, where those, those
first fruits were coming in. Now, notice that this, this fruit,
again, the time being of the first ripe, the earnest, of what
was to come. That was the first ripe grapes.
They had some first ripe grapes. Had some pomegranates, had some
figs, but they got to that place, that brook of Eshcol, and there
was some grapes, grape vines there that were so big and so
bountiful. They cut down, the scripture
says, in verse 23, they cut down from the fence a branch, one
cluster, one cluster of grapes, and it was so much, they had
to bear it between two men on a pole, put it on their shoulders. One cluster of grapes. Now here they are, they're bringing
this back, and they're looking. You know, going home, they've
seen the sons of Anak, how big they are, they see the fruit
of the land is just unbelievable. And they're going back, they're
going to give a report, verses 26, 29. And they went and came
to Moses and to Aaron and all the congregation of the children
of Israel unto the wilderness of Paran and Kadesh and brought
back word unto them and unto all the congregation and showed
them the fruit of the land. And they told him and said, we
came into the land where thou sendest us and surely it floweth
with milk and honey. And this is the fruit of it. Nevertheless, the people be strong
that dwell in the land. And the cities are walled, very
great. And moreover, we saw the children
of Anak there, the Malachites. dwell in the land of the South,
and the Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites dwell in the mountains,
and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and by the coast of Jordan. Now, I want you to notice that
report that was given by most of the spies, 10 of them. They started talking about this
land is unbelievable. It's just amazing. It is truly
a land that flows with milk and honey. It's, I mean, the fruit
that's in that place is unbelievable. Nevertheless, nevertheless, isn't it amazing
how God has promised victory. He promised victory. He promised
that his people are going to be, by his power, by his conquering,
we're going to be victorious. He said, it's just like you said
it would be. But I'm telling you, those walled cities and
the children of Anak are there. Their eyes were focused upon
the visible rather than trusting him who is invisible. His word
that's sure. His word that's sure. And in
the midst of all this disrespect, they came back and said, it's
a gorgeous place, but we got problems. We got some things
we gotta deal with. In the midst of all that disrespect,
there was a man named Caleb. Verse 30, and Caleb stilled.
He quieted the people before Moses and said, let us go up
at once and possess it. for we are well able to overcome
it. Caleb set forth the promise of
God's word. God said, God said, God said. The Lord had said, I'm going
to give this land to you and I'm going to destroy all that's
there. But Caleb had seen something.
When Moses told him, he said, y'all go in there and see what
you see. Take a look at it. Look at it. I want you to go
back and I want you to see what you can behold. Come back and
tell me. Brethren, God's people behold
the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ in all things. We don't have
any problem whenever we start talking about the ark of Noah. We have no problem beholding
the Lord Jesus Christ. That's Christ. You talking about
on that piece of wood? Yeah. You talk about that boat
in which Noah and his wife and his three sons and their wives
and those animals were secure and the wrath of God fell upon
this earth, and you see Christ in that? Absolutely. How about
that smitten rock? You got a problem seeing the
Lord Jesus Christ? God said that that rock was Christ. Moses was told of God. They were thirsty. What did the
Lord tell Moses to do? Strike the rock. The water came
out. Life came out. A picture of our
Lord smitten of God. and life coming forth from him.
They were hungry the second time. What did God tell them to do?
He said, you speak to the rock this time. Don't you smite it.
What did he do? God said, you're not going in the promised land
because of your disobedience. He was, he laid down his life
one time. How about that brazen serpent?
As Moses lifted up the serpent, even so must the son of man be
lifted up. We see Christ in these things. And I'm going to tell you, The
Spirit of God was very specific. Whenever they came to that cluster
of grapes, they said this, back in verse 20, Moses told them,
he said, you bring of the fruit of the land, the time was the
time of the first ripe grapes. Caleb, by the grace of God, I
believe this is a beautiful picture here, he saw the glory of the
Lord Jesus Christ. He who is the first fruits. from the dead. Listen to this.
That cluster of grapes, that he saw, Caleb saw something,
and by faith, and faith always, folks, faith from above, always
sees the glory of Christ. That's faith. By faith, seeing
Him, by faith, Caleb saw the victorious, risen Savior. of sinners. First Corinthians
1520, but now is Christ risen from the dead and become the
first fruits of them that slept. Everybody else was looking at
the sons of Anak. They saw how big those walls
were. Those people, oh man, if you see the size of those people.
Caleb looked at that cluster of grapes and he saw Christ. This is what God has done for
us. This is the mighty victory that we have over death and hell
and the grave and the principalities. Principalities. Spiritual wickedness. This is it. God Almighty has
victoriously borne the guilt of His people. Paid their debt
at Calvary. Died under the judgment of God.
Buried for three days. And God raised Him from the dead.
And Caleb said, that's our victory right there. Our victory is in
the Lord Jesus Christ. That cluster of grapes on that
pole between those two men was more than just a cluster of grapes
to impress a group of men. Caleb saw Christ and the promise
of God and the abundance of his blessing according to his covenant
mercy. Scripture says in verses 31 and
33, after Caleb reprimanded him,
verse 31, but the man that went up with him said, we'd be not
able to go up against his people. They'd be stronger than we. And
they brought up an evil report of the land, which they had searched
unto the children of Israel, saying, for which we have gone
to search it is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof. And
all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature.
And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come
of the giants. And we were in our sight, our
own sight as grasshoppers. So we were in their sight. We can't do it. We just can't
do it. We're just not going to be able to have God's promise. We're not going to have God's
promise. What was the cost of those men
doubting God? What was the cost? Numbers chapter
14, verse 22 to 24. What did it cost them? Numbers
14, 22. Because all those men which have seen my glory and my miracles which I did in
Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these
10 times, and have not hearkened to my voice, surely they shall
not see the land which I swear unto their fathers. Neither shall
any of them that provoke me see it. But my servant Caleb, because
he had another spirit with him, and it followed me fully, That's
what Caleb did. He was following the Lord. He
saw the first fruits that was born on there. Again, it wasn't
just a cluster of grapes to Caleb. My servant Caleb, verse 24, because
he hath another spirit and hath followed me fully, him will I
bring into the land wherein he went, and his seed shall possess
it. Look at verse 28, 30. Saying to them, as truly as I
live, saith the Lord, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will
I do to you. Your carcasses shall fall in
this wilderness, and all that were numbered of you, according
to your whole number from 20 years old and upward, which have
murmured against me, doubtless you shall not come into the land
concerning which I swear to make you dwell therein, saith Caleb,
son of Jephunneh, and Joshua, the son of Nun. Two men out of those 12, two
men actually who were over the age of 20 when Israel left Egypt
were permitted to enter the land of Canaan and to enjoy the victory
and rest given unto the people of God, Joshua and Caleb. Now, knowing who the Anakims
are, knowing what they represent, all this spiritual wickedness.
That Satan that came in and tempted Eve and Adam, listened to his
wife and fell, all of mankind plunged into death, darkness,
rebellion against God, all this spiritual wickedness. That's
what the Anakins were. Israel was saying, they're too
strong for us. Can't do it, can't do it, we cannot do it, we cannot
do it, we cannot do it. Caleb said, yes we can. God said
we can. Now knowing that, just turn back
with me to Joshua. Joshua chapter 11. And all I'm
gonna do is just read the three verses we started with. Joshua
11, verse 21. And at that time came Joshua.
the Lord Jesus Christ, and cut off the Anakins from the mountains,
from Hebron and Debor, from Anab, from all 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. None of them left in the children
of Israel. only in Gaza, Gath, Ashdod there remained. There
is victory, there is peace only in the land of Israel, God's
Israel. So Joshua took the whole land
according to all that 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. What war? That war against all
the principalities and powers, spiritual wickedness in high
places. Oh, we're going through some battles right now, but I'm
telling you the war is over. The war's over. The Lord Jesus
Christ said from Calvary, it's finished. It's finished. I pray
God bless this to our hearts for Christ's sake.