Seven Giants who won’t let you in to your
promised land

Its your’s. You have every right to it. Someone won’t let you have what’s your’s. This was the case with Israel about to enter their Promised Land. With every achievement, there’s a challenge. With every victory there’s a battle. After Israel had yielded themselves to God in total obedience, they were to face challenges and battles. While the generation that had refused to go into the Promised Land for fear of giants had now been judged and killed, a new generation had arisen under the leadership of Joshua. They were a generation that were prepared to have faith in God. They knew that the Land was full of giants. But they also knew that with God they could defeat anyone. Their entrance into the Promised Land characterises the challenges and battles that we face when we come to new faith in God. Once they had entered the Land, their battles had really just begun. Once we’ve come to Christ, our battles have really just begun. Far from being the end of challenges and struggles, it marks the beginning of new ones. The difference is though, that we have God on our side.

1. What is our Promised Land based on our last study-

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Ancient peoples had a simple approach to names. They would call people by an obvious trait. Even though a people in a city may have had different family names, their city was named after their reputation. For example, if it was a big city, its name might simply be Big City. If all the people in one city had a reputation for horsemanship, the city might be called Horse City. The seven nations that Israel had to defeat to subdue the Promised Land bore significant names. They are listed in
Joshua 3:10.

CAnaanites

This name means merchants who humiliate. They were financial giants. The New Testament believer has to learn what God wants done in the area of finance. The devil would love to conquer the believer through bad financial decisions. How does God want us to be conquerors in our finances?

2. Note the following principles of Christian financial handling-

a) Prov. 3:9

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b) Mal. 3:10

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c) Rom. 13:8

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d) Prov. 24:27

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Canaanites were motivated by greed and lust for material accumulation.

3. According to Jesus, what affect can a Canaanitish "spirit" have over the believer?

(Mtt. 13:22)

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hittites

This name means terror. Hittites were giants who brought fear, confusion and discouragement. The believer today is challenged by the enemy’s bombardment of fear, confusion and discouragement.

4. What were the Israelites told to do in the face of such opposition? (Num. 14:9)

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5. What assurance of victory over fear, confusion, and discouragement do we have? (Mtt. 28:20)

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(NB Joshua 1:5)

This giant wants to conquer us and hinder us from possessing our Promised Land. By looking to God in His Word rather than at the problem we face, we are assured of victory.

Hivites

Hivites claimed to offer a good life by living their lifestyle. Many alternate philosophies and religions today offer to give their adherents "life". The enemy loves to lure people into lifestyles claiming to be the answer to that person’s needs and desires. Lifestyles such as "swinging", "if it feels good- do it", "don’t worry what other people think", "look out for number one", and "its about time you did something just for yourself" can all lure people away from the lifestyle that God requires of them.

6. What lifestyle are we told to live? (NB Lev. 20:23; Rom. 8:4-5, 13; Phil. 3:17; 2Th. 3:6)

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Perizzites

Perizzites were people who had been separated and lived in unprotected/unwalled villages. The enemy loves to separate us from God, and thus our protection.

7. How is God described in Psalm 61:3? (Psalm 9:9; Prov. 18:10; 2Sam. 22:31)

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8. How does the enemy lure us away from God’s protection?

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girgashites

from "Giants or Grasshoppers" by R. Klimionok, pg. 120

Therefore, Girgashites are people who go back and are earthy. Backsliding and carnality. The believer must do battle with the spirit of backsliding and carnality. Girgashites battle by degrees. That is, by little compromises. The believer must learn to do battle with the little compromises that this enemy puts before them. No habit or sin is too great that you and God can not overcome it.

9. What does Hebrews 2:1 instruct us to do?

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AMORITES

Amorites were people who were arrogant and boastful in their speech, who always challenged. We too have a battle with our tongue.

10. What is the mark of a perfect person? (James 3:2)

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jebusites

Jebusites were people who trod on others and polluted them. Power and defilement. Scripture speaks of two areas where people can be defiled: sexually (Gen. 34:5) and religiously (Lev. 18:30; 20:3; Neh. 13:29). The Jebusite spirit seeks to destroy the believer in these two areas. We fight by observing God’s Word.

11. First Thessalonians 4:3-7 speaks about this issue. What does it tell us to do?

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With God’s help we are made more than overcomers! (1Jn. 5:4)