Ongoing Victory

Joshua 11-12

Introduction

We are continuing our series on lessons about leadership from the book of Joshua.

Our text this morning is Joshua 11-12 and we will be focussed on what we can learn about Joshua’s continuation of the victory enjoyed in the previous chapter.

Let’s begin by reading these first 9 verses.

Trust God’s Word

Israel faces its most overwhelming force yet (Josh. 11:4).

The need for courage is a repeated and diverse exercise (Josh. 1:9; 6:1-2).

We face our own overwhelming responsibilities and are likewise called to trust in God.

We have responsibilities in the home that feel overwhelming (educating a child well).

We find difficult situations at work that require courage to take the godly path (working for a massive corporation with ungodly policies).

We run into conflicts among God’s people that feel impossible to know how to address (family conflicts).

But it is accompanied with a promise (Josh. 11:6).

We are also given promises. There are no temptations that we cannot escape (1 Cor. 10:13).

He has called us to overcome our personal temptations (1 Thess. 4:1-8; Rom. 6:14).

He has called us to lead our families into holiness (Prov. 22:6).

God calls for leadership in the messy conflicts that arise among His people (1 Cor. 6:1-8).

Joshua trusts God both before and after victory (Josh. 11:9).

Sometimes it is hard to trust God going into a battle.

Surprisingly, it is also difficult to trust God AFTER victory:

Asa (2 Chron. 14-16).

Jehoshaphat (2 Chron. 17-20).

Joash (2 Chron. 24).

Amaziah (2 Chron. 25).

Uzziah (2 Chron. 26).

It is easy to win a victory and assign the credit not to faithfulness to God but to your own forms of strength and strategy.

People enter into a regimen of prayer and devotion only to abandon it as “unnecessary” once they have experienced initial victories.

We pray to God for victory, and when it comes, we give the credit to more visible means and fail to acknowledge Him.

We experience the beginning stages of victory that comes from making hard choices and decide that we don’t need to go all the way.

We experience the blessings of faithfulness to God but become more afraid of losing those blessings than of losing a relationship with the one who gave them to us.

Keep Going

The massive victory is followed by smaller victories (Josh. 11:10-12).

It is easy to rest on the laurels of great victories instead of looking to the next challenge.

Israel never ran out of battles to fight, they just failed to fight them all.

Even as they fought battles, they would eventually have to refight some of them.

He went as far as God had commanded him to go (Josh. 11:15-17).

When I think of the “restoration movement,” I think of victories won. But battles remain.

Some of them are refighting battles where territory is being reclaimed.

But also, there is more territory to conquer. The movement focussed primarily on congregational structure and forms. But what about the restoration of the character of the people and the daily life of the Christian?

Keep going!

There is also the danger at arriving at a good place (not the final picture) and not realizing that we can fall back from even what we have gained very quickly.

It took “a long time” (Josh. 11:18).

Weariness sets in.

There is battle fatigue.

When do we get to enjoy the fruits of all of this fighting?

There are periods of rest (Josh. 11:23).

But true and final rest comes in the end (Heb. 4:8-9; Rev. 14:13).

Remember the Victories

What do we do with a chapter full of names (Josh. 12)?

The Bible teaches us how to think about history.

History is not something we should think of as in competition with God (like science).

Rather, we should view history through the lens of God (like science).

Study the history of God’s people. Study their victories, study their defeats. Continue to learn the lessons as God’s people continue to trust and distrust Him in turns.

See the victories and gain confidence.

See the defeats and gain wisdom.

Record your own victories and defeats so that you can do the same.

In all this, we are learning to see the faithfulness of God.

Conclusion

God has called all of us to victory.

It may be that you are here and haven’t even proclaimed loyalty to the conquering King.

Or perhaps you are here and have proclaimed that loyalty but have not followed Him in victory over the enemies that stand against you.

Come, and trust in His promises today and trust Him until the end.