Victory in the promised land.
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Intro
As we begin this morning we are going to be covering a large section of our text today.
In the first 10 chapters, we have seen an up close detailed account of the first battles that occured in the promised land.
Joshua: An Expositional Commentary Chapter 11: The Southern and Northern Campaigns
There have only been three real engagements: at Jericho, Ai, and on the hills near Gibeon
The method of how the story is told changes.
Instead of a careful retelling of each battle, there are quick summaries of the campaigns that led to the people of Israel taking possession of the land.
It begins with the end of the southern campaign, continues into the northern campaign, and finishes with a summary of the conquest.
The main point of this retelling is that God provides victory for His people.
As we read the text, we see this again and again.
God keeps his promise to give his chosen people the promised land.
As Christians, we see the example God provides.
This shows God’s character.
The Southern Campaign 10:16-43
The Southern Campaign 10:16-43
We can look at the process as having happened in three phases.
The initial crossing of the Jordan and a push across the Jordan and cutting into the center of the country by taking Jericho, Ai, and the battle at Gibeon.
This first phase established the Israelite’s in the land and divided Canaan in half.
The second phase was the southern campaign.
The area south of the wedge that had been driven in splitting the country and communication lines between the Canaanites.
The five kings that mustered their armies to assault Gibeon were only part of the cities in the south.
There were still many hill cities in the area as well as those who did make it back to their cities when fled from the battle at Gibeon.
Five kings
Five kings
Before they continued with the campaign though, Joshua had to deal with the five kings.
Joshua knew the importance of having discovered and captured the leaders of the enemy force but he also knew the military opportunity to wipe out the armies of 5 cities.
The cave had been sealed and guarded with the rest of the army pursued the fleeing armies.
It is now after that battle had been finished that Joshua is dealing with the 5 rulers.
It is interesting that Joshua did not simply order the kings to be killed when they were found.
Also when Joshua returned to deal with the captured kings, he did not immediately put them to death.
He called his commanders to come.
24 And when they brought those kings out to Joshua, Joshua summoned all the men of Israel and said to the chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him, “Come near; put your feet on the necks of these kings.” Then they came near and put their feet on their necks. 25 And Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous. For thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.”
Joshua used this moment to encourage the chiefs of the men, the leaders of the army, to encourage them and to point them to the Lord.
It was also an act of humbling them.
Joshua reminds them that “For thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.”
The leaders’ feet upon the necks of these prostrate kings was an assuring sign, of how the Lord would certainly place all their enemies beneath them.
The symbolic action is intended as a visible encouragement to the people of God.
God himself battles on behalf of His people.
God will be the one to put their enemies underneath their feet.
Southern Campaign
Southern Campaign
The continuation of the story moves on to the southern campaign which picks up in verse 29.
Picture
The list begins with Libnah, continued on to Lachish, at Lachish, another king came from Gezer, which was near the valley of Aijalon.
The people went on to Eglon and from Eglon to Hebron.
The final city mentioned is Debir.
None of the accounts of the fall of the seven cities exactly replicates another, but there are strong similarities all the way through.
Sometimes there is a siege, sometimes not; but the outcome is always the same—a total victory for Israel and the apparent annihilation of all her enemies
Each of these towns were devoted to destruction.
it is important to remember exactly who these kings are.
Joshua portrays them clearly as steadfast opponents of God’s plan for his people, rulers willing to make alliances and muster armies to annihilate Israel.
In essence, they seek to do to Israel what Israel intends to do to them
The chapter concludes by saying that Joshua totally subdued the region.
42 And Joshua captured all these kings and their land at one time, because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel.
The “at one time,” in this verse does not indicate that it was rapid.
Rather it was viewed as an entire campaign to deal with the opposition in the south.
The Northern Campaign 11:1-23
The Northern Campaign 11:1-23
The third phase was moving on to take the northern region. Chapter 11
The the military strategy in Joshua has been studied and used even into current times.
I can’t remember where I heard the story, some of you may know, but there was a class where a man was teaching about a great military victory, when finished, the teacher asked the students who they thought the leader was.
Students guessed names such as Hitler and Nazi Germany, Napolean, Alexander the Great. What the teacher was describing though was this campaign.
God led His people to cross the Jordan at a specific place, to enter land, split it in half, disrupting any potential communication between the two, and also taking the high ground.
After defeating the southern armies, Joshua moved on to the north.
It is in the north that Joshua and the people of Israel faced their greatest battle thus far.
Chapter 11 begins when Jabin, king of Hazor sent out a call for aid, gathering the Canaanites in the east and west, Amorites, Hivites, Perizzites, and Jebusites to gather their armies.
4 And they came out with all their troops, a great horde, in number like the sand that is on the seashore, with very many horses and chariots.
5 And all these kings joined their forces and came and encamped together at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel.
Josephus, the Jewish historian, we don’t know how exact his numbers are at this since he wrote so many hundreds of years later, but according to him, the combined forces of the Canaanites numbered 300,000 foot soldiers, 100,000 cavalry, and 20,000 chariots.
The numbers themselves are daunting, but in addition, there were the chariots, against which Israel had never before fought.
Josephus suggests that, “This host of enemies dismayed both Joshua himself and the Israelites, and in the excess of their fear they scarce durst hope for success.”
The Bible does not say that Joshua was made fearful by the size and nature of the opposing forces, but it is possible that he was, since God intervened again to promise him success.
6 And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for tomorrow at this time I will give over all of them, slain, to Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.”
God again reiterates His promise to fight on behalf of His people.
Do not be afraid - I will give over all of them.
The enemy resisting Israel in this conflict was enormous.
How could Israel stand against such a mighty army?
They couldn’t. But God could enable them to! Each battle that Israel fought was larger than the previous one.
God prepared Israel for the next battle through the lessons of the previous one.
Think back to the previous chapter, the chiefs, the commanders, would have remembered the promise that God would make their enemies like those 5 kings.
God’s past faithfulness in giving victory would encourage them for the next conflict.
God gave sufficient resources, sufficient grace for the battle at hand.
God will grant victory.
It was not a quick and easy process though as we see in verse 18
18 Joshua made war a long time with all those kings.
19 There was not a city that made peace with the people of Israel except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon. They took them all in battle.
20 For it was the Lord’s doing to harden their hearts that they should come against Israel in battle, in order that they should be devoted to destruction and should receive no mercy but be destroyed, just as the Lord commanded Moses.
A little later we see are given clues to just how long it took for the military campaign.
Caleb was 40 years old when the 12 spies initially went into the land, and it says in chapter 14 that he was 85 years old when he recieved his inheritance.
Doing an estimate with information provided in scripture, Dt 2:14 says the Israelites wandered 38 years in the wilderness after their rejection of God and His plan the first time.
That leaves 7 years.
Israel had been at war for for 7 years.
It is significant then at the end of chapter 11 when the text says
And the land had rest from war.
Summary of the conquest. 12:1-24
Summary of the conquest. 12:1-24
The book of Joshua is divided into two parts: the conquest and the settlement of the land.
The conquest story ends with chapter 12, so it is appropriate that chapter 12 is a summary of the conquest.
It goes back to the battles fought under Moses on the east side of the Jordan before the invasion of the land.
The territory conquered then was the portion given to the descendants of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh.
Then the victories under Joshua are summarized, concluding with a list of the kings who were defeated and killed.
It is something of a checklist:
the king of Jericho
one
the kind of Ai (near Bethel)
one
the king of Jerusalem
one
the king of Hebron
one
the king of Jarmuth
one
the king of Lachish
one .…
The list continues that way for thirty-one items and concludes, “thirty-one kings in all” (Josh. 12:9–24).
God used Joshua and the people of Israel to bring the people living in the land - living in a manner that was completely contrary and disobedient to God to justice.
Joshua - More than an action/adventure story.
Joshua - More than an action/adventure story.
To bring this all to point - we must ask ourselves an important question.
This is an amazing story, many people love to read Joshua because it is a story of action and adventure.
But what is the point, why should we read this, let alone any other OT historical book?
The answer is that is gives us a greater picture of who God is.
The God of Israel is the same God we serve today.
Though this was a one time event of physical conquest, there is still a war that is raging.
Joshua offers a picture of physical war, God fighting for his people on earth, the place where we live.
The battle we fight is a spiritual one, a realm we cannot see.
How much more is God fighting for His children in the realm we cannot see.
The physical battles told in Joshua give us a small piece of the “big picture,” God at work for His people in history.
Whatever your thoughts are on morality of the Conquest, theologically it marks a step forward in God’s plan to establish his kingdom on earth.
God, through Joshua and the people of Israel, confronted the ruling powers of the day in that time and place with the demand that they submit to His sovereign rule.
Which they chose not to.
The Bible regards the conquest of Canaan as a one-time-only event to achieve a specific purpose—to provide Israel a homeland and God a geographical base from which eventually to bless the world.
There is no justification for adopting the physical conquest of the land as the norm.
For the use of violence as part of spiritual warfare today.
Paul points in the right direction when he commends the gospel as “the power of God for … salvation” (Rom. 1:16).
It is more powerful than anything humans can do.
God doesn’t need weapons or political systems to achieve His goals.
Think about, people have tried.
Look back to the crusades - the premise was Christians attempting to retake the Holy Land for God’s purposes.
God’s work culminates in the gospel.
The good news of Jesus, God’s own son, coming to earth, living a sinless life, dieing to take the punishment for our sins, then being raised to new life.
The Christians battle.
The Christians battle.
The battle we fight is both external and internal.
The big picture: there’s a war out there!
There is a spiritual war going on as I speak.
There is, in fact, a war out there and “in here,” too.
External
External
George Hunter wrote 20 years ago in his book The Celtic Way of Evangelism: How Christianity Can Win the West—Again describes the contemporary culture in which we as Christians live and minister:
The Church, in the Western world, faces populations who are increasingly “secular”—people with no Christian memory, who don’t know what we Christians are talking about.
These populations are increasingly “urban”—and out of touch with God’s “natural revelation.”
These populations are increasingly “postmodern”; they have graduated from Enlightenment ideology and are more peer driven, feeling driven, and “right-brained” than their forebears.
These populations are increasingly “neo-barbarian”; they lack “refinement” or “class,” and their lives are often out of control.
These populations are increasingly receptive—exploring worldview options from Astrology to Zen—and are often looking “in all the wrong places” to make sense of their lives and find their soul’s true home.
That was 20 years ago and much of that has increased even more so.
It seems that there are an increasing number of groups that are taking even a militant secular point of view.
Rather than allowing those who believe in Christianity to quote “do their own thing” there is strong push back and even those attempting to de-evangelize people.
For Christians the war though is a spiritual one.
While yes we do face other people who seek to discredit and destroy Christianity.
Paul reminds us as we prepare for battle in Ephesians 6
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
The power we have, our offensive weapon is really is not even our own.
The sword of the spirit.
Even in the picture of the armor of God - It is God himself who fights on our behalf.
We must take up the whole armor of God, fasten the belt of truth, put on the breastplate of righteousness, place the gospel of peace on our feet, take up the shield of faith in all circumstances, all while wearing the helmet of salvation.
Then we may take up the sword of the Spirit - which is the very word of God.
God will fight for His people and provide victory.
Internal
Internal
There is also an internal battle.
Paul describes a battle with the flesh in Romans 7
14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
The picture of Israel’s conquest of the promised land is a picture of what God plans to do to sin in our lives.
The plan is to come in and completely eradicate it.
Like Israel taking the land God promised, we to must fight for the life He has promised us.
As we close I would like to share with you some insights to our battle from Stuart Scott
In running a race, it doesn’t do us much good to run with a bunch of weight strapped to our backs.
To realize true pursuit of Christ and victory over sin, it is important to think about some personal hindrances concerning our own struggles.
These hindrances are related to pride and or a lack of true devotion and humility.
1. Not saved
1. Not saved
The first hindrance is if you have not accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
Without Christ in your life, there is not hope in victory, look at what happened the first time Israel attacked Ai. The failed to seek the Lord, He was not with them.
Without Christ we don’t stand a chance for lasting change from the inside out.
Without Christ, we are still under the power of sin, without Christ, you have not been set free.
14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
2. Laziness
2. Laziness
The second is laziness.
Nothing puts a kink in the best laid plans as much as laziness.
How often do we start things with good intentions but then get lazy
We cannot coast into godliness.
We must exercise ourselves unto godliness and that takes work.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge,
3. Apathy
3. Apathy
The third is apathy - giving up or not taking things seriously.
Our eternal state ought to be of the utmost significance.
Failing to take sin seriously only leads to more sin and greater disaster.
No more oh just a little bit of gossip won’t hurt - oh one extra long look won’t hurt.
One little spark can start a whole forest fire.
The battle can also go on for so long that we become tired of it - why try, it has never worked before.
It hasn’t worked because serious effort has not been made - by serious I mean for a person struggling with anger - seeking counseling and help, for a person struggling with lust - having someone else install and mange content filters, having the computer in a public space, getting a dumb phone.
Heart change takes time and takes drastic measures.
11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.
4. Treasuring secret sin.
4. Treasuring secret sin.
The fourth follows the third a bit.
Are you treasuring secret sin?
When doing so, we want to keep sin quiet, not tell anyone, it’s our own little secret.
Perhaps you start to believe if you don’t tell anyone, it’s not a problem.
Treasuring secret sin is placing that sin before Christ.
This is also a hindrance in our communion with God.
18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened.
But we may take heart in
3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah 5 I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
5. Weariness
5. Weariness
The 5th has to do with weariness.
Sometimes we do become weary in well doing, especially if we are doing in our own strength.
There is a warning and a promise in Galatians.
7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
Persevere in your spiritual walk, don’t give in to feelings of weariness in dealing with sin in your life.
The Lord will bring relief and blessing in His time.
6. Ignorance of theology.
6. Ignorance of theology.
A sixth hindrance can be an ignorance of theology.
Scott writes
“In the first four years of my Christian life, I was not growing much in my faith because I was “letting go and letting God.” I adopted a false theology of sanctification, praying “Oh Lord, please take the lust away, please take the problems away, please take the difficult people out of my life.” That was my way of letting go.
As have seen thus far in Joshua though, God does fight for his people, but he expects them to take steps of obedience first.
We need to be in God’s word, spending time around other mature believers to help us adopt a biblical understanding about sin, sanctification, and the Christian life.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
7. Misplaced priorities.
7. Misplaced priorities.
The seventh hindrance to our growth in Christ and dealing with sin has to do with the fact that we are prone to distraction.
We easily misplace our priorities.
Priorities are misplaced when we give our greatest attention to temporary things of this world rather than to God and our relationship with Christ.
I am not saying neglect your earthly duties and family, but we are stunted in our growth if we don’t make Jesus, His word, and his body, the church, a priority in our lives.
This can also include though doing ministry as well. If we get too busy doing good for the sake of doing, to the point that we give little thought about our personal daily relationship with Christ, our priorities are misplaced.
1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
8. Bad company.
8. Bad company.
The final hindrance has to do with who we seek for companionship and advice.
33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”
Find friends who seek God’s will for their lives and are eager to bring glory to God.
As I said though, this relates to who who spend the most time with, who you look to for advice.
This does not give us the excuse to not be reaching out to non-believers and offering them friendship and love.
The book of Joshua thus far shows us that God provides victory for His people.
As Christians we can take heart that God will fight for and provide victory for His children in battle.
Today is really a significant day for us to remember this victory as well.
Today is Palm Sunday - the day Jesus made his triumphal entrance into Jerusalem.
English Standard Version Chapter 21
And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 10 And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”
The Jewish people praised him coming in as a victorious conquering king.
They were mistaken however in what exactly Jesus was going to conquer.
They thought he came to conquer the Romans, what he came to conquer though was death.
The only reason we may have victory in our Christian lives is because Jesus had victory over death.