The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 258

in nil their complexity by an instinctive apprehensiveness which '' scents the danger from afar." While there are giants it is desirable that there should be some fear of the:m, Fo~ fear, wit~in bounds, makes men brace up their energies- take all precaut1~ns a!;amst surp~rne, sends them to God for guidance and for help, sets them to repair their weak point, whatever it may be. It is only in excess that fear is mischievous-that is, when it occupies the entire thought, paralyses all the energies of the life, and itself directly aids the overthrow it was meant to avert. It may perhaps be expresserl accurately thus : Fear is a good servant but a bad master. So long as it does not rule us, but only suggests precautions and helps to make our protection complete, so long it is a blessing. Whenever it becomes master, and commands instead of merely advising us, then our manhood is destroyed, and the ills we fear overtake us all the faster for our alarm. Israel did not do wrono- in fearing the Anakim, but only in Jetting their fear exceed its proper limits, and fill their souls to the exclusion of all faith in God and hope of His help. Do not need- lessly blame yourself for the agitation and apprehension produced by the possibilities of the future, only limit these things by faith and prayer and watchfulness, so that, thus kept in its place, your fear may serve you well Thirdly observe- III. ISRAEL HAS NOT TO FIGHT THE GIANTS TILL IT IS STRO~G E~OUGH TO CONQUER THEM. Somehow-we hardly know how-the fight with the Anakim comes last. Perhaps because they occupied the fortresses formed by Nature-the mountain fastnesses; and naturally the first attention was given to the more regular and more numerous combatants inhabiting the cities. Whatever the reason, they were five years in the land before Galeb led the first attack on them (see eh. xiv. 10). And only when they were flushed with victory, every man a conqueror- when the presti_qe of their miraculous forces conquered men's hearts before a sword was drawn-only then are they exposed to the strain of what seemed such an unequal conflict. And meeting them when they were thus grown in courage and prowess, their defeat requires no more effort than many of the lesser struggles which taxed their less developed powers. There seems something here characteristic of a universal experience. God's Israel are never unequal for a conflict, when the time has come for it. There is always such growth of force, or such heavenly aid, that when the fight comes it is found that fitness for it has come before it. You perhaps look forward with extreme solicitude to the giants that will dispute your passage. Remember, there is some distance between you and them, and much may happen before you reach them. You are gathering strength every step you take on the right road. And every lesser victory is giving you force and nerve to win a greater one. And should the giants not die before you get to them, you will find that, like Israel, you have grown fit to fight them before you are called to fight them. You will be strong enough for victory over them before yon are required to enter into conflict with them. Lastly observe- IV: THEY FOUND OUT THAT THE WORST PART OF THE GIANTS WAS THE TERROR THEY COULD INSPIRE. The great power of the giants was over the imaginations of their foes. And they had no real force at all equal to the terror they excitetl. Israel saw in imagination the size of the men, heard with alarm of the lengtu of their spears and the weight of their armour. They did not remember that in any match between a great soul and a big body, the big body has but little chance. And so they were overpowered by the mere inlagination of their enemis force. But when they actually face them, they find that valour avails more than muscle, energy than height, faith than armour, soul than body. By beating them they found that the chief power of the giant was his power of affecting the inlagination of his opponent. So is it still. " The worst ills are those that never happen," as the French proverb says. They threaten us, alarm us, agitate us, ancl after all tum off in some other direction, and do not come to us. And so is it with our giants. Their worst part is something which exists only in our imagination. They kill us by frightening us, and they frighten us by the powers they borrow from om· inlagination. Let us be of good cour~ge and not afraid. . And if giants many and strong threaten us Jet us keep fear Ill th_e boun_ds of _faith, let us remember on warfare is ordained for us except where victory 1s possible, aml let us put a check 202 THE BOOK OF JOSHUA. [ CH, Xl, 1-23,