Page 320 - Foundations

to Yahweh, rather than to Israel. The mismatch had to be so substantial that it would require faith in
Yahweh’s divine intervention for Israel to triumph. Yahweh intended this as a test of His chosen
people’s faith. If there was any chance of Israel triumphing through their own natural abilities, the
people would not have looked to God to fight for them. They would have leaned upon the arm of the
flesh, and when victory came they would have been puffed up in pride. No! This had to be a real test.
Israel was facing much more than a marginally stronger and taller people. They were facing giants.

The victory of Israel was not obtained by their physical strength, or their cunning. Their victory was
their faith. They believed that Yahweh would do what He said when He promised to fight for them.
Yahweh had told Joshua that no enemy in the land would be able to stand against them. As Joshua
and the Israelites reckoned on the promises of God, rather than on what their eyes beheld, they were
made mighty in faith and found approval by God. The former generation were disapproved and
rejected by Yahweh because they would not stand upon His word. They put sight before faith in
Yahweh’s promises.

Numbers 14:11
And Yahweh said to Moses, “How long will this people spurn Me? And how long will they not
believe in Me, despite all the signs which I have performed in their midst?”

Psalms 78:22-33
Because they did not believe in God, and did not trust in His salvation. Yet He commanded the clouds
above, and opened the doors of heaven; And He rained down manna upon them to eat, and gave them
food from heaven. Man did eat the bread of angels; He sent them food in abundance. He caused the
east wind to blow in the heavens; And by His power He directed the south wind. When He rained
meat upon them like the dust, even winged fowl like the sand of the seas, then He let them fall in the
midst of their camp, round about their dwellings. So they ate and were well filled; And their desire
He gave to them. Before they had satisfied their desire, while their food was in their mouths, the anger
of God rose against them, and killed some of their stoutest ones, and subdued the choice men of
Israel. In spite of all this they still sinned, and did not believe in His wonderful works. So He brought
their days to an end in futility, and their years in sudden terror.

We must not think it was a small test that caused the people to stumble in unbelief. There truly were
giants in the land the Israelites were commanded to go in and possess. These were a people of great
height and power. They were terrible to behold. Only an overwhelming faith in Yahweh could induce
the men of Israel to face such foes with any hope of victory. They had to believe Yahweh would
remove the strength of their adversaries while giving skill, stamina, and strength to His own people.
This is precisely what Yahweh did.

Amos 2:9
“Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them, though his height was like the height of cedars
and he was strong as the oaks; I even destroyed his fruit above and his root below.”

Joshua 24:18
“And Yahweh drove out from before us all the peoples, even the Amorites who lived in the land.”