one occasion, the Israelites fought against “Jetur and Naphish.” Ishmael did indeed “become a great nation,” just as Jehovah said.—Job 6:19; Isa. 21:14, 16, 17; Jer. 49:28; 1 Chron. 5:19.

PROPHECIES OF ISAAC AND JACOB

Abraham’s son Isaac had two sons, the twins Jacob and Esau. In a prophecy concerning his son Esau, Isaac said under God’s inspiration: “Behold, away from the fertile soils of the earth your dwelling will be found, and away from the dew of the heavens above. And by your sword you will live, and your brother you will serve. But it will certainly occur that, when you grow restless, you will indeed break his yoke off your neck.”—Gen. 27:39, 40.

Joshua and the Israelites were eyewitnesses to the trueness of this word of God. They could see that “Esau [also called Edom] took up dwelling in the mountainous region of Seir,” away from the fertile soils of the earth. In time the rest of this prophecy also had its fulfillment. An ancient trade route between Palestine and Arabia ran through their territory and the Edomites made their living by robbing and pillaging the caravans. They lived by the sword.—Gen. 36:8.

Later, in fulfillment of the prediction that they would serve their Israelite brothers, “all the Edomites came to be servants of David.” However, in keeping with the final part of the prophecy, in the days of King Jehoram of Judah “Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah.” Truly, not one word that God spoke failed!—2 Sam. 8:14; 2 Ki. 8:20-22.

Under the direction of God’s spirit Isaac’s son Jacob blessed his twelve sons and his grandsons Ephraim and Manasseh. By this time Jacob and his large household had moved down to Egypt, and it was there that Jacob uttered his deathbed blessing. “The scepter [symbol of kingship] will not turn aside from Judah, neither the commander’s staff from between his feet,” Jacob foretold. And, true to this word, when the rulership came into Judah’s line with the crowning of David, it did not turn aside from the tribe of Judah.—Gen. 49:8-10.

Although Joshua did not live to see the fulfillment of this prophecy, he saw the prediction concerning Manasseh and Ephraim come to pass before his very eyes. Jacob had foretold: Ephraim “will become greater than [Manasseh], and his offspring will become the full equivalent of nations.” When the Israelites left Egypt about two hundred years later, the census showed that the tribe of Ephraim outnumbered the tribe of Manasseh by some thousands, and toward the end of the wilderness march Moses spoke of “the tens of thousands of Ephraim,” but only “the thousands of Manasseh.”—Gen. 48:19; Num. 1:33-35; Deut. 33:17.

FROM EGYPT TO THE PROMISED LAND

Joshua and his fellow Israelites saw many more marvelous fulfillments of God’s Word as they moved out of Egypt and on to the Promised Land. Jehovah had told Abraham: “Your seed will become an alien resident in a land not theirs,” but “they will go out with many goods.” Later, while the Israelites were still captives in that “land not theirs,” Jehovah said to Moses: “I am proceeding to go down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land . . . And I will give this people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians; and it will certainly occur that when you go, you will not go empty-handed.”—Gen. 15:13, 14; Ex. 3:8, 21, 22.

How exciting were the following developments! When Pharaoh refused to let Israel leave Egypt, Jehovah sent his messenger Moses to warn him that Jehovah was turning the Nile River to blood. True to God’s word, the Nile River became like blood, killing the fish and making the water undrinkable. Repeatedly God warned Pharaoh of plagues to come, and when, each time, Pharaoh became obstinate, Jehovah brought the plague according to his word. Not once did his word fail!—Exodus chapters 7 to 12.

After the tenth plague, which struck dead every firstborn in Egypt, Pharaoh urged the Israelites to leave. Did they “go out with many goods” as God had foretold hundreds of years before? They certainly did! “Jehovah gave the people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, so that these granted what was asked; and they stripped the Egyptians.” How impressive it was to young Joshua to see Jehovah’s word repeatedly come true!—Ex. 12:35, 36.

In the wilderness Jehovah’s word continued to prove reliable. One month after bringing them out of Egypt, God promised: “Here I am raining down bread for you from the heavens; and the people must go out and pick up each his amount day for day.” And, sure enough, God provided that ‘bread from heaven.’ “When the sons of Israel got to see it, they began to say to one another: ‘What is it?’” It was the bread that Jehovah had promised, which the Israelites called “manna.”—Ex. 16:2-36.

After a while the Israelites complained because all they had to eat was this manna. They wanted meat. So Jehovah promised: “Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, as you will certainly eat meat.” Although it seemed impossible to supply such a multitude in that wilderness, Jehovah kept his word. He caused a wind that “began driving quails from the sea and letting them fall above the camp.” The number of birds was staggering!—Num. 11:4-33.

Finally the Israelites came to the boundaries of the Promised Land. Because of their disobedience they had wandered forty years in the wilderness. Would God now give them this land, in keeping with his promise to Abraham? Even though the Canaanite inhabitants were a mighty foe, Jehovah encouraged: “You must take possession of the land and dwell in it, because to you I shall certainly give the land to take possession of it.” How reassuring to Joshua was this sure word of God!—Num. 33:50-53.

Years later, after the conquest of the land of the Canaanites, aged Joshua reminded his people: “You took possession of their land, just as Jehovah your God had promised you.” That is the point Joshua wanted to impress upon their minds: Rely on Jehovah’s word, for it always comes true! “You well know with all your hearts and with all your souls,” Joshua emphasized, “that not one word out of all the good words that Jehovah your God has spoken to you has failed. They have all come true for you. Not one word of them has failed.”—Josh. 23:1-14.

Do you doubt God’s Word? Can you point to any promise of His that was due for fulfillment that failed to be fulfilled at His appointed time? It is impossible to do so, for “they have all come true.” You therefore have every reason to put confidence in the sure Word of God. Believe it. Live according to its righteous principles, and enjoy everlasting life in God’s peaceful new system of things.

Biblically Accurate

A New Pronouncing Dictionary of the Spanish and English Languages, compiled by Mariano Velázquez da la Cadena, in the edition of 1902, gives as one of the definitions of the word “remnant” the following: “Los verdaderos siervos de Jehová” (The true servants of Jehovah).