The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 240

tremble l Let not the wicked exa,lt themselves ; there is a power that ce.n easily lay them low. III. THE VICTORY THAT REWARDS FAITHFUL AND PATIENT MORAL CONFLICT, The captains are ca,lled, in the presence of all the men of Israel, to "put their feet upon the necks,. of these doomed kings. So sha,ll it be the honour a,nd joy of all ea,rnest ·wan"ior souls to see their enemies at la,st subdued under them. "The God of peace shall brmse Satan under your feet shortly" (Rom. xvi. 20). 'Tie hard work to be continually fighting against some form of evil in the world without or the world within; to haYe continually to confront some new foe, or" old foes with new faces;_" to be compelled ofte_n to drag fo~h some lurking iniquity from its hiding place 111 our own hearts that 1t may be slam. But let us be resolute and patient and we shall " come off more than conquerors through him who hath loved us," and at last plant our feet proudly on the necks of all our adversa,ries. IV. THE FIXAL GLORIOUS VICTORY OF CHRIST. It is the eterna,l purpose of God that every stronghold of evil should fall before Rini and all His enemies be put beneath His feet, and the events of tinie are all helping in some way or other to bring about that issue (Psa. ex. 1; 1 Cor. xv. 25; Phil. ii. 9-11).-W. Yer. 25.-Courage and strength. I. THE DUTY TO BE BRAVE AND STRONG. This is often insisted on in the Book of Joshua, (e.g., i. 6). Christianity gives prominence to gentler graces of humility, mildness, and the forgiving spirit. But it does not therefore exonerate us from the more masculine duties (1 Cor. xvi.13; Eph. vi. 10). (1) It is our duty to be brave. Cowardice is a sin in a Christian even more than in a page,n, because the Christian has higher motives for courage. The exhortation, " Fe,p- not," is not only an en- couragement to comfort; it is an incitement to duty, because cowardice leads us to shrink from (a) da,nger, (b) responsibility, (c) pain and loss, (d) ridicule; and yet nll of these may come in the way of our life's work. (2) It is our duty to be strong. ,Ye should not siniply bewail weakness as a calamity; we should repent of it as a failing. More.I weakness comes from moral corruption. It makes us fail in our work of resisting sin and doing good. It is therefore needful that we should over- come it if we are to fulfil our mission. II. THE C.ll.L FOR THE EXERCISE OF THIS DUTY. (1) We are surrounded by alarming dangers; (a) in our own sinful hearts; (b) in the evil of the world, and the troubles and temptations which arise from this; (c) in the mystery of life. He who is not bra'l'e with God's courage will sink before these terrors when once he realises their full proportions. (2) We are called to difficult tasks; (a) like the Israelites, we are invited to take possession of an inheritance. The kingdom of hea'l'en is not won without fighting (1 Cor. ix. 26); (b) like the Israelites, we have foes to resist in sin within and temptation without (1 Peter v. 8, 9); (c) like the Israelites, we have territory to conquer for God. We have not to fight for our own inheritance and safety only or chiefly, but that we ma,y win the world for Christ (1 Tini. 'l'i. 12; 2 Tini. ii. 3). III. THE SECRET OF COURAGE AND STRENGTH. (1) They are derived from God. We are not to fear, becauoe God is with us (Isa. xliii. 1, 2). We are to be strong in His strength (Psa. xxiL 11 ; Phil. iv. 13). Therefore those naturally most timid and weak can be strong and brave in God (Isa. xl. 31 ; 2 Cor. xii. 10). (2) They are encouraged by experience. To us it appears a brutal source of courage-those Hebrew captains planting their feet on the necks of the conquered kings in triumph. But rejoicing in the victory, it was well that they should see God's hand in it, ~nd gain strength from it. We may seek strength and courage in the contemplation of the wa_y in which God has helped us in the past (Psa. xxxiv. 6). (3) They a.re in- cnascd by practice. The text is an exhortation. Though strength and courage come from God, they come through our own efforts to be brave and energetic. We must exercise Divine grace in order to realise its efficiency (Phil. ii. 12). (4) They are mutually helpful. Courage and strength are associa,ted. Courage without strength is rash. Strength without courage is futile. We must be strong to justify onr courage and brave to WMl our strength. Thus the various Christian graces are cir. x. 1-48.] 'l'IIE BOOK OF JOSHUA. 188