Before the Blessing of Rest
Joshua: Pass Over and Possess • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor had heard those things, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph, And to the kings that were on the north of the mountains, and of the plains south of Chinneroth, and in the valley, and in the borders of Dor on the west,
And to the Canaanite on the east and on the west, and to the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the mountains, and to the Hivite under Hermon in the land of Mizpeh. And they went out, they and all their hosts with them, much people, even as the sand that is upon the sea shore in multitude, with horses and chariots very many.
And when all these kings were met together, they came and pitched together at the waters of Merom, to fight against Israel. And the Lord said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of them: for to morrow about this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel: thou shalt hough their horses, and burn their chariots with fire.
So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom suddenly; and they fell upon them. And the Lord delivered them into the hand of Israel, who smote them, and chased them unto great Zidon, and unto Misrephoth-maim, and unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward; and they smote them, until they left them none remaining.
And Joshua did unto them as the Lord bade him: he houghed their horses, and burnt their chariots with fire. And Joshua at that time turned back, and took Hazor, and smote the king thereof with the sword: for Hazor beforetime was the head of all those kingdoms.
Introduction
Introduction
As we continue the book of Joshua, we find ourselves at the final battle account in the book. There have been ups and downs but God has gotten the people to this point. We will see the culmination of the plan that God has for the possession of the land.
We need to be looking throughout the book for our theme for 2025. The central focus of the book of Joshua is that God wants us to move forward and take ahold of the blessings of our salvation.
Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the Lord your God giveth you to possess it.
As we saw in our study of Ephesians, God has blessed us with spiritual blessings. All the saved have access to these blessings. Do we share them with the lost? Do we live them faithfully in our lives? Do we thank God for them daily? The book of Joshua leads us along the path of living the victorious Christian life. All we need to live victoriously, we already have in Christ. We must just cross over the river of fear and take ownership of the land of Promise!
Chapters 11 and 12 of Joshua are the outcome of many choices over the previous chapters. God has given commands to both Joshua and the people. There have been some victories and some defeats. There has been sin and repentance. The path to chapter 11 has not been a straight or smooth one.
We see in the book of Joshua a picture of the occurrences of our own Christian lives. There will be times that we win the victory through faithfulness to God. Other times, we will be defeated by giving into our sinful nature. In all things, God is still the One who is guiding us toward His final goal of redemption and glory.
What we do in the times of spiritual battle indicates the faith that we have in the power of God and the promises of God.
One of the most famous books about the War Between the States is the Red Badge of Courage. In this novel, Stephen Crane records the story of man who fled from the battlefield when he was faced with the violence of conflict. The man, ashamed of his cowardice, spends the rest of the novel looking for a way to earn back his self-respect and recover his courage.
There was a real fear of death just as we face a real fear of defeat. What makes the difference for the Christian is the reality that God has already won the victory for us.
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
In our passage this morning, we see the final instance of God’s involvement in the spiritual battle for the promised blessings. Joshua and Israel are faced with an impossible situation. God is most able to show His sovereignty in the impossible situations of our lives.
Declaration
Declaration
God alone brings rest from war. Our job is to trust His plan and follow His lead in the spiritual battles of our lives. Victory is promised for the faithful believer.
1. We Will Face Many Adversaries
1. We Will Face Many Adversaries
And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor had heard those things, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph, And to the kings that were on the north of the mountains, and of the plains south of Chinneroth, and in the valley, and in the borders of Dor on the west, And to the Canaanite on the east and on the west, and to the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the mountains, and to the Hivite under Hermon in the land of Mizpeh. And they went out, they and all their hosts with them, much people, even as the sand that is upon the sea shore in multitude, with horses and chariots very many. And when all these kings were met together, they came and pitched together at the waters of Merom, to fight against Israel.
The beginning of chapter 11 is the same as chapter 10. There, we saw the gathering of the southern coalition against the invasion by Israel. The rest of chapter 10 was an account of the victory won by the working of God and the prayer of Joshua. Prayer was a key part of that victory as God responded unlike any other day in history.
In chapter 11, we see the gathering of the norther coalition. Here is the king of Hazor calling those in his geographic area to fight for their freedom against the victorious Israelites. The name that is given for the king is “Jabin”. Later in the book of Judges 4-5, we would meet another Jabin, also from Hazor. While it is not certain, one theory is that this might have been a title for the ruler of Hazor, now found to be the largest geographic ruin in Israel. It seems that this city was in reality one of the greatest cities in the land.
When the king of Hazor called, the people came. We see three specific cities and several regions mentioned here that they came from. The gathering was a group of all those left in the land not defeated by Israel. Fear was the motivation of this army just as it had been in chapter 10.
The people gathered are compared to the sand on the sea shore in verse 4. They were overwhelming in the numbers as they prepared to destroy Israel. The meaning of the word “Merom” where they gathered gives us a clear indication of the attitude that these Canaanites had. It means “height or pride”. The enemies of the Christian are proud of what they are doing against God.
The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.
There will be many people that we will encounter in our lives that operate from this position of prideful rejection of God. There will be those who try to discourage us from our faith in God. There will be those who do their best to deny us the blessings of God. Here we see a truth that there are many adversaries before us. Realize that there must be a plan in your life to face the adversaries. For the servant of God, faithfulness requires facing the enemy not turning your back. Paul told the Corinthians,
For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.
Before the blessing of rest, we must face many adversaries. Are you looking up at the danger that lurks in the mountains? Is there a respect for the spiritual warfare that we are engaged in. Whether you are involved or not, there are adversaries that are there for you to overcome. Israel had to respond somehow to the many adversaries that they faced.
2. We Will Fight Obedient Battles
2. We Will Fight Obedient Battles
And the Lord said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of them: for to morrow about this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel: thou shalt hough their horses, and burn their chariots with fire. So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom suddenly; and they fell upon them. And the Lord delivered them into the hand of Israel, who smote them, and chased them unto great Zidon, and unto Misrephoth-maim, and unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward; and they smote them, until they left them none remaining. And Joshua did unto them as the Lord bade him: he houghed their horses, and burnt their chariots with fire. And Joshua at that time turned back, and took Hazor, and smote the king thereof with the sword: for Hazor beforetime was the head of all those kingdoms. And they smote all the souls that were therein with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them: there was not any left to breathe: and he burnt Hazor with fire. And all the cities of those kings, and all the kings of them, did Joshua take, and smote them with the edge of the sword, and he utterly destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the Lord commanded. But as for the cities that stood still in their strength, Israel burned none of them, save Hazor only; that did Joshua burn. And all the spoil of these cities, and the cattle, the children of Israel took for a prey unto themselves; but every man they smote with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them, neither left they any to breathe. As the Lord commanded Moses his servant, so did Moses command Joshua, and so did Joshua; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses.
The adversaries are gathered. There must be a response by the people of God. In verse 6, we see that God commands Joshua “Be not afraid because of them”. Why not? The reason given is that God “will deliver them up all slain before Israel.” Fear not for the battle is the Lords and He will gain the eternal victory for us.
As part of the command to fear not, God gives two specific tasks to Joshua in verse 6. Together, these show that only God will be the victorious factor in Israel’s battles. Here, the King James uses the word “hough” or as we currently would spell it “hock”. This was the intentional cutting of the hamstring of a horse to ensure its death. God wants His people to rely on Him for protection. In the prophets, Egypt is associated with the idea of chariots and horses. God commands the people in the days of Isaiah and Jeremiah to not go to Egypt or trust in chariots. The Psalmist tells us,
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
Joshua: No Falling Words The Energy in God’s Sovereignty (11:6–7)
Divine sovereignty creates confidence, which calls forth our effort even to the point of reckless abandon.
Through stealth, Joshua is able to reach the camp of the enemy in the mountainous area and negate the advantage of the chariots in the battle to come. This area of the land was not wide or flat enough to allow the Canaanites to use their chariots to their advantage. Verse 8 gives us the deciding factor in this and every battle, “And the LORD delivered them.” God carried out His promise to bring victory.
For the Lord your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.
Joshua was obedient to destroy the people, the horses and their chariots in verse 9. Surely, this would have taken faith that they would not need these in later battles. As the passage continues, we see the route of the enemy becomes a complete conquest of the northern portion of the land. Verse 11 tells us that Joshua burned Hazor. This was not just a small campfire. Instead, God commanded and Joshua executed a complete destruction by fire. There was to be nothing left as evidence of the adversaries of Israel. In the battles of life, the job of the Christian is obedience to the commands of God through His Word.
In verse 12, the cities around are destroyed according to the command of Moses, We see a phrase in verse 13 that shows us the futher impact of the judgment of God on the land. The phrase translated “still in their strength” connects to the location of the cities on the top of hills. This allowed for sight in any direction, natural protection from attack, as well as a visible reminder of the power of the ruler over the land around it. Joshua left these alone because the time would come soon that they would receive their judgment by the individual tribes. This word is always associated with the visible results of God’s judgment.
The Works of the Rev. Isaac Watts, Vol. 9 Psalm 46 Part II
O Lord of Hosts, Almighty King!
While we so near thy presence dwell,
Our faith shall sit secure and sing
Defiance to the gates of hell.
The people took all that God had given to them in the cities that they captured. Verse 15 ends this portion with a summary statement of obedience by Joshua. The writer tells us that “he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses.” God had promised His power if there was obedience by Joshua at the beginning of the book.
Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
Before the blessing of rest, we will fight obedient battles. What are you doing with the commands of God? Joshua was careful to carry out the clear commands of God to the full extent in the conquest. If we want the blessings of God in our life, we will have to fight in our Christian life. God rewards those who are faithful warriors with the rest He has promised.
3. We Will Find Personal Resilience
3. We Will Find Personal Resilience
So Joshua took all that land, the hills, and all the south country, and all the land of Goshen, and the valley, and the plain, and the mountain of Israel, and the valley of the same; Even from the mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir, even unto Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon under mount Hermon: and all their kings he took, and smote them, and slew them. Joshua made war a long time with all those kings. There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, save the Hivites the inhabitants of Gibeon: all other they took in battle. For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favour, but that he might destroy them, as the Lord commanded Moses. And at that time came Joshua, and cut off the Anakims from the mountains, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel: Joshua destroyed them utterly with their cities. There was none of the Anakims left in the land of the children of Israel: only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, there remained. So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war.
The rest of the chapter is a reminder of what God has accomplished through the obedience of His servant, Joshua. In verse 17, we see the “ban” executed again on the cities. This was the dedication of all that was there to destruction by the command of God. The obedience of Joshua shows the dedication that he has to the obedient character of the spiritual walk.
For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: But the wicked shall fall into mischief.
Verse 18 gives us an idea of what the life of the believer will be. It is not a sprint. The Christian life is a long obedience to the commands of God. Some scholars date this period of conquest from chapters 1-11 to between 5 and 7 years. Moses had told them,
And the Lord thy God will put out those nations before thee by little and little: thou mayest not consume them at once, lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee.
God brought the people of the land constantly against Israel to allow them to accomplish in a short time the Conquest of Canaan. We see in verse 20, God worked to harden the hearts of the prideful and immoral people in the land to accomplish His will. The final result is accomplished for the life of Joshua in verse 23. Joshua “took the whole land” and “the land rested from war.”
We Will Have Rest When God Receives the Glory
We Will Have Rest When God Receives the Glory
The truth is that God is the One who ultimately fights our battles through us. As we saw in the book of Ephesians, the job of the Christian soldier is to call for help and let God be the glorious Victor. This was the ultimate reality in the Holy War in Joshua. When God was allowed to work, victory was won. Chapter 12 gives us a review of the kings that were defeated by God.
Now these are the kings of the land, which the children of Israel smote, and possessed their land on the other side Jordan toward the rising of the sun, from the river Arnon unto mount Hermon, and all the plain on the east:
Them did Moses the servant of the Lord and the children of Israel smite: and Moses the servant of the Lord gave it for a possession unto the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh. And these are the kings of the country which Joshua and the children of Israel smote on this side Jordan on the west, from Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon even unto the mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir; which Joshua gave unto the tribes of Israel for a possession according to their divisions; In the mountains, and in the valleys, and in the plains, and in the springs, and in the wilderness, and in the south country; the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites:
The king of Tirzah, one: all the kings thirty and one.
The goal of the Conquest of Canaan is found in verse 7 of chapter 12. God wanted them to take possession of the land that He had specifically designed for them. God never intends for us to stay only in the position of someone who is saved from hell to heaven. Instead, God wants us to experience His presence, the fruit of the Spirit, and the power of prayer. God wants the Christian life to be a way that we grow to love Him and live to be more like Him. Surely, the best way to show the Love of God is to show our love for one another. In the upper room, Jesus told His Disciples,
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
As we move through our lives and the trials and temptations we face, God is calling us to account for what direction we are going. Are we running toward the battle or away from the challenge? There must be resilience in our stand for right so that we can bring glory to God.
Commitment to the plan of God was the character of Jesus in His life on earth. He came to die for sinful man. Though in the garden of Gethsemane He asked for God to remove the cup from Him, He continued on for you and me. On the third day, He rose again to give new life to those that believe. Jesus died for you and He calls to you this morning to see His love that brought Him to death in your place.
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Will you respond to the offer of salvation by Jesus Christ to you? Give Gospel
In essence, the story of the Conquest is a testimony to the power of God in the impossible situations of life when people are willing to follow His plan and will. Good and bad, there is an example for us in our own spiritual battles. Joshua told those from the other side of Jordan to stay faithful to the battle,
Until the Lord have given your brethren rest, as he hath given you, and they also have possessed the land which the Lord your God giveth them: then ye shall return unto the land of your possession, and enjoy it, which Moses the Lord’s servant gave you on this side Jordan toward the sunrising.
Before the blessing of rest, we will find personal resilience. The key to the leadership of Joshua was consistency even when he made mistakes. There will be victories and defeats in the land of promise, what we do with these is an indication our faith lived out. Bring glory to God through staying faithful to Him. Surely, He is faithful to you!
Conclusion
Conclusion
God alone brings rest from war. Our job is to trust His plan and follow His lead in the spiritual battles of our lives. Victory is promised for the faithful believer.
What are you experiencing in your battles today? What is the score on the scoreboard? How many wins and losses do you have?
The truth is that we have only ourselves to blame for the defeats that we suffer in the Christian life. God has given us His Son as our perfect sacrifice. Jesus died to bring us victory over sin and death. When the spiritual enemies gave a victory, we are retreating from a blessing that God has provided. Ephesians tells us how to gain the victory through God’s supplied armaments.
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Brother, stand for obedience to the Word of God in your life. Stand consistently against temptation in your life. Fight valiantly for a heart that is tender to the working of God and the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Whatever battle you face each day, battle for the cross and for your relationship with Christ.
Before the blessing of rest, there are some adversaries and some battles we must encounter. Before the blessing of rest, we will have to learn personal resilience as we fight for the blessings in the land of Promise. But the good news is that we will have that blessing of rest when God finally gets the glory for the victories won in the battles of our lives.
So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war.
