20.6.14p - Joshua - Conquerors

Think about your enemies. Who are they or what are they? Some of us have real enemies who do not want us to succeed in life. They are making it their life's mission to destroy our lives. But most of us have found a way to avoid those situations for the most part. An occasional enemy might arise that we do not know how to handle. Aside from the people enemies that we face, can we think of other enemies? What about the spiritual forces of wickedness that are trying to make us stumble and fall away from God? Satan is a formidable enemy in our lives who we hardly think or talk about. Do we see ourselves as our own worst enemy? We can deceive ourselves. We have passions at war within us, temptations that pull us amidst trials or prosperity. It is scary to live in this world when our eyes are opened to this reality: We have many enemies.

Israel had many enemies as well. In Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, we are reminded over and over again that the people are in a constant battle with Satan and sin. They go through trials and temptations, and they fall most of the time. When they come up to the edge of the promised land, their enemies stood before them, and they let fear take over. They did not even try to conquer the enemy because he was too strong for them. We cringe on that event, knowing that God could have easily given them the land if they had just believed. However, all hope is not lost. God has promised the next generation that they would enter into the promised land. Deuteronomy tells us that they are no different than their ancestors. God and Moses both end the book pointing out how stubborn they are. They refuse the obey. How could these rebellious people enter into the promised land?

Faith (1-12)

The first eleven chapters of this book show us why God was willing to bring these people into the promised land. The answer is that they trusted in the Lord to defeat their enemies. They did not shrink back. These are some of the most exciting and encouraging chapters of the Bible.

Faith To Lead - Joshua Leads (1)

The first thing we notice is that Joshua, who was commissioned to lead the people at the end of Deuteronomy, is spoken to by the Lord in the first chapter. His words at the beginning of the book help us understand what will happen in the entire book.

Joshua 1:1--9 (ESV) --- 1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. 5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

God promises to Joshua that he will conquer all of the enemies and give Israel the land he has promised to provide them. Not one man will be able to stand before Joshua so long as he remains "strong and courageous" while being careful to obey Moses's Law. In the second half of Chapter 1, Joshua takes command, and the people pledge allegiance with Joshua. They will follow him as they followed Moses.

Faith To Follow - Crossing Jordan, Defeating Jericho (2-6)

In Chapter 2, Joshua sends spies into the land of Jericho. They are camped just on the other side of the Jordan River from Jericho. Jericho's men seek to kill them, and they hide in the house of a prostitute named Rahab. This citizen of Jericho pledges allegiance to the God of Israel and asks to be saved from the coming destruction.

Chapters 3-5 are about the preparation of the people to enter the land. This is the moment of choice. Will this generation go into the promised land? They do pass over the Jordan River and enter into the promised land.

In Chapter 5, Joshua sees a man standing before him with his sword drawn. He tells Joshua to take off his shoes because he is on holy ground. This is the commander of the Lord's army. He tells him to march around the city once a day for six days, and on the seventh day, they will march around seven times. Then, in Chapter 6, they obey, God takes down their walls, and they go in to destroy everyone inside. They killed everyone except Rahab and her family. Then, they devoted all the treasure to the Lord's treasury.

Broken Faith - Sin In The Camp (7-8)

In Chapter 7, they moved on to the next city of Ai. When they see that this is a smaller city, they send only a few thousand men to take the city.

Joshua 7:4--5 (ESV) --- 4 So about three thousand men went up there from the people. And they fled before the men of Ai, 5 and the men of Ai killed about thirty-six of their men and chased them before the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them at the descent. And the hearts of the people melted and became as water.

They did not lose a single person in Jericho, and now they were running away from the people in this smaller town of Ai. They lose thirty-six people, and now they no longer feel invincible. Their strength and courage has failed, but what happened? Joshua falls on his face before God, afraid that all is lost. But God tells him to Get up and bring Israel before him. There is a sinner in their midst. Someone has failed to obey the Lord. So God gathers all of Israel and narrows the offender down to the tribe, the clan, and the household. Achan, the son of Carmi, is called out to confess his sin. He admits that he has stolen things that were devoted to the Lord, and God commands Israel to stone him, his family, and all he has.

In Chapter 8, the people destroy all in the town of Ai because the Lord is with them. Then, Joshua builds an altar to the Lord and offers a burnt offering and a peace offering. The people are once again in fellowship with God because they are free from the one who is guilty of rebellious sin. Then, Joshua reads all of the Law of Moses to the people so that they all know the God they serve and do not transgress his commands. Even the sojourners and the little ones heard and understood.

Presumptive Faith - Rash Vow (9)

In Chapter 9, we read that a large number of kings in the land started to gather to fight with Israel. They also have visitors come to them seeming to be from a faraway land, but they are actually from the next town Israel was supposed to attack. These Gibeonites begged the leaders to make a covenant with them, and the leaders agreed without consulting the Lord. So the Gibeonites were able to deceive Israel, and Israel was unable to destroy them as the Lord commanded them. They would forever be Israel's slaves.

Great Faith - Holding The Sun, Conquering Kings (10-12)

In Chapter 10, all of those kings started to attack Gibeon for joining Israel. The Gibeonites called out for Israel to help them, and they came to their aid. Joshua, the men of war, and his mighty men of valor all went to battle the kings. But the Lord sent down large hailstones and killed more than Joshua or his men. During the battle, Joshua called out to the Lord for more time.

Joshua 10:12--13 (ESV) --- 12 At that time Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, “Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.” 13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day.

The sun stood in place for an entire day while the people destroyed almost all of their enemies. Joshua gathered all five of the kings that rose against him and had all of the chiefs come and stand on the necks of the kings before killing them.

Joshua 10:25 (ESV) --- 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.”

From there, Joshua continued into the southern portion of the land and destroyed all of the other kings. In Chapter 11, all of the northern kings gathered to fight against Israel, and Joshua led them to kill everyone. The repeated refrain in chapters 10 and 11 is, "They left none remaining." This was a complete wipeout of the Canaanites, just as the Lord has commanded them.

Joshua 11:19--20 (ESV) --- 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.

Why did they fight against Israel? Because God wanted to wipe them out. This was prophesied back in Genesis. God wanted to judge these nations for their sins. He wanted to destroy them entirely so that his people could possess the land. Chapter 12 details all of the kings Moses and Joshua killed, thirty-one kings in all.

Inheritance Divided (13-22)

In Chapters 13-22, Joshua divides up the land they have conquered in six years as God has commanded him. He gives Caleb the first selection and provides a significant portion to the tribes of Judah and Joseph's tribes of Menasseh and Ephraim. Then, he gives all of the other tribes their land by lot. In Chapter 20, he sets up cities of refuge, and in Chapter 21, he sets up cities for the Levites. The Levites did not own a portion of land, but they were given areas where they could pasture their flocks and herds.

Chapter 22 describes an unusual event where two and a half tribes travel east of the Jordan and set up an altar. Israel goes out to destroy them, thinking that they are going to worship God apart from command of the Lord. They wanted to remind everyone of their right to worship with Israel.

Joshua's Final Words (23-24)

At the end of the book, Joshua tells the people to finish killing all the inhabitants in the land. There were still quite a few towns left undefeated. His words sound a lot like Moses in Deuteronomy. He warns the people against forsaking God and marrying with the people.

Joshua 23:14--16 (ESV) --- 14 “And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed. 15 But just as all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you have been fulfilled for you, so the Lord will bring upon you all the evil things, until he has destroyed you from off this good land that the Lord your God has given you, 16 if you transgress the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them. Then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land that he has given to you.”

Then, like Moses, he tells them to choose who they are going to serve. Will they choose life or death?

Joshua 24:14--15 (ESV) --- 14 “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

They say they will choose life, but Joshua, like Moses, is not convinced.

Joshua 24:19--21 (ESV) --- 19 But Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. 20 If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good.” 21 And the people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve the Lord.”

In the end, we find that they do serve the Lord, at least until the elders die.

Joshua 24:31 (ESV) --- 31 Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua and had known all the work that the Lord did for Israel.

Why Is This Important?

In the book of Joshua, we see Israel defeat most of their enemies. They could have destroyed them all if they hadn't made any mistakes. God was willing and able to conquer all of the people who stood between Israel and the promised land. The theme throughout this book is not that Joshua was a mighty leader, but that God is mighty and able to defeat all of Israel's enemies.

Joshua 23:9--10 (ESV) --- 9 For the Lord has driven out before you great and strong nations. And as for you, no man has been able to stand before you to this day. 10 One man of you puts to flight a thousand, since it is the Lord your God who fights for you, just as he promised you.

The main lesson that Israel is supposed to learn from this book is that God is fighting for them as long as they are focused on keeping a relationship with the Lord.

We have come a long way since Genesis, but notice how much God has done over hundreds of years. He has made many promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and now he is perfectly able to accomplish them. He can create a nation of people from one man and give them the land he wants to provide them with. Then, he can give them rest from their enemies. This is not the end of the story, though. These Israelites are only faithful for a little while. Joshua foretells God destroying his people from the land, so this is not the final solution to the Genesis 3 problem.

Joshua represents one who would come and bring the final solution. The great commander of the Lord's army, Jesus, will take on human form and defeat the ultimate enemy of God's people, Satan. So the book of Joshua is giving us a picture of our final victory over sin and death.

Application

If we learn anything from this book, it should be that God can fight our battles for us when we put our trust and faith in him. We arm ourselves with the armor of God

Ephesians 6:13--18 (ESV) --- 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

Then, we will find that God can do exceedingly, abundantly beyond all that we ask or think. Our enemies will be defeated before us, and we will enter the promised land.

Think about your enemies. Satan and guilt don't stand a chance against God's forgiveness. The endless temptation to find satisfaction and pleasure in this world doesn't stand a chance against God's rest. Trials don't stand a chance against God's peace and joy. The goods of this world don't stand a chance against God's eternal wealth. The false feeling of security and endless life doesn't stand a chance against our immortal body. Loneliness and feelings of abandonment don't stand a chance against God's presence and God's family. Whatever is plaguing you can be defeated by God's promises.

Even if we suffer in this life, we will come out on the other side as conquerors if we do not shrink back. All we need to do is keep putting our trust in our God, and he guarantees that we will gain a million times more than we ever lose.

Conclusion

Ultimately, this book is about faith. The people had faith in God, so God conquered the land for Israel and set them up to have peace and prosperity forever. This peace is contingent on their obedience to his commands and their trust in him. How do we think that will work out? In Exodus, we saw that giving the people the law did not help them obey God. In Numbers, we noticed that giving Israel a close relationship with God through sacrifices did not help them remain faithful. Will full access to the promised land create a faithful heart? Stay tuned to find out. We know that the only thing that can create a faithful heart is the giving of Jesus on the cross for our sins. This one event demonstrates the love of God so that we know he will be with us and fight our enemies on our behalf.