Some Take Pride In Chariots

Underdog Champions…David and Goliath: the true giant vs. the helpless

The Strength of Israel’s Opponent (vv.1-5)

Opens in a way that is quite similar to the beginning of chapters 9 & 10. Presented as people still in opposition to the will of God.

While the listing in previous chapters is more organized and succinct, this one is much more broad in scope.

Further, vs.4 notes:

Joshua 11:4 CSB

They went out with all their armies—a multitude as numerous as the sand on the seashore—along with a vast number of horses and chariots.

All of this is meant to paint a single picture in the reader’s mind: this was a formidable force that Israel faced, insurmountable by human means.

The Sufficiency of God’s Oath (vv.6-9)

A similar refrain assures Joshua and Israel of their victory.

Do not be afraid of them (v.6a), and

I will cause all of them to be killed before Israel.

There is a command to calm Israel and a promise to call them.

First, a command to calm Israel. This refrain is mentioned throughout the book, and it is a reminder that Israel can face the task before them. Throughout the book we’ve been reminded that obedience = blessing. There is no need for Israel to fear, only to obey.

Second, a promise to call them.

One might think that such a sizeable army would require a miraculous intervention, a hailstone miracle maybe.

Rather, God simply gives them assurance that the victory is His.

This serves as an invitation, a call to faith. One scholar makes some interesting notes here:

We often treat God’s sovereignty as an invitation to “let go and let God.” However, Joshua’s actions indicate a different understanding of YHWH’s will — not that we should LET GO but that we should GRAB HOLD. Right here I would caution us that A THEOLOGY THAT WOULD RENDER HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY NULL AND VOID, THAT WOULD DISCREDIT THAT ACTIVE OBEDIENCE OF FAITH IN GOD’S PROMISES, IS A FAULTY THEOLOGY. AFTER ALL, YHWH CALLS HIS PEOPLE TO OBEDIENCE!

Further, God’s promise serves not as a shackle but a liberating truth, “an elixir that invigorates” God’s people to obedience.

Finally, the miracle was no less spectacular. Assured of victory, Joshua and the Israelite army sprung into battle and surprised them at the Waters of Merom and attacked them. What’s interesting is that the Israelites catch the northern alliance in Upper Galilee, a place that’s about 4,000 above sea level…rocky hill country. The result is that technological advantage the northern alliance had, their horses and their chariots, were rendered near-useless by Joshua’s tactical guile. Now you tell me, is that any less miraculous than God hurling hailstones? The timing was impeccable!

As Joshua and Israel moves forward, they do so in obedience. God commands them to hamstring the horses and burn the chariots.

The horses would no longer be fit for military service after this. Our question is why? Why would you remove that technological advantage as you move into the rest of the land. Ps.20:7 “Some take pride in chariots, and others in horses, but we take pride in the name of the Lord our God.”

You see, God is reminding the Israelites that HE IS ENOUGH! What He has promised, that’s what He intends to do.

So how does this relate to the church?

It’s tempting to say that we should trust God’s provision in our life, which is true (see Mt.6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.”), but God’s provision isn’t the point here. The point was to resist the temptation to trust in worldly means to accomplished the task to which God had called them.

So, the question we must ask ourselves is this: what does Jesus call the church to do?

Here’s what I know — there were four things the early church was dedicated to. Acts 2:42 “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.” But here’s the temptation — we want to adopt whatever new trend has come down the pipe from the church growth gurus who know what pragmatic program is needed for your church to become a megachurch, too!

Here’s what else I know — God calls us to make disciples. Check out Matt.28:18-20 “Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” But for the sake of numbers, we’ve way OVEREMPHASIZED the conversion/baptism aspect of the Great Commission and way UNDEREMPHASIZED the making disciples and teaching to obey aspects of the Great Commission.

And one more — I know that God intends to use the family to reach the family. It’s evident from Genesis 1-2 when God says that man and woman are to tend and keep…or worship and obey…in the Garden. And, then He tells them to be fruitful and multiply, and the implication there is that their children will also be people who worship and obey. So, that’s the argument from the beginning of creation. But, need more proof? Deut.6:4-9 “Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates.” The Word of God is to be taught in the home and passed down from generation to generation. But what’s the common practice in the church today? Have we ever stopped to think about why we do the things we do? Why have we DELEGATED what very well might be the primary responsibility of parents off to other people…to “professionals?”

I won’t get in to all the why’s and how’s that have lead us here. I’ll only point back to Josh.11:6-9 “The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for at this time tomorrow I will cause all of them to be killed before Israel. You are to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots.” So Joshua and all his troops surprised them at the Waters of Merom and attacked them. The Lord handed them over to Israel, and they struck them down, pursuing them as far as greater Sidon and Misrephoth-maim, and to the east as far as the Valley of Mizpeh. They struck them down, leaving no survivors. Joshua treated them as the Lord had told him; he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots.” YHWH commanded, Israel obeyed, and the LORD’s will was fleshed out through the people’s faith. They experienced the move of God.

His will and His ways are sufficient! Even against such a terrifying force…remember that this army they faced was as numerous as the sands on the seashore. Yet, God’s word was enough, Israel was obedient, and the victory was theirs. Maybe it’s time to start digging in to God’s Word so that we know God’s ways so that we can see God do things through us that only God can do!

The Sum of Joshua’s Obedience (vv.10-15)

Joshua completely destroys the northern alliance, just as Moses the LORD’s servant had commanded. That’s important, hang on to it.

He burned Hazor, the chief city and ring leader of rebellion against YHWH, to the ground. However, other cities were left standing. In case we wonder why:

Deuteronomy 6:10 CSB

“When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that he would give you—a land with large and beautiful cities that you did not build,

You can’t inhabit cities that you did not build if you burn ‘em all to the ground! We can’t always trust common sense, but it goes a long way here!

Israel plunders the cities, as God allowed: Deut.20:10-14 “When you approach a city to fight against it, make an offer of peace. If it accepts your offer of peace and opens its gates to you, all the people found in it will become forced laborers for you and serve you. However, if it does not make peace with you but wages war against you, lay siege to it. When the Lord your God hands it over to you, strike down all its males with the sword. But you may take the women, dependents, animals, and whatever else is in the city—all its spoil—as plunder. You may enjoy the spoil of your enemies that the Lord your God has given you.”

Then the account concludes: Josh.11:15 “Just as the Lord had commanded his servant Moses, Moses commanded Joshua. That is what Joshua did, leaving nothing undone of all that the Lord had commanded Moses.” What’s interesting about the conclusion here, there’s an idea I told you to hold on to back in vs.12, and it’s repeated here, the fact that Joshua did everything that Moses had commanded.

We often talk about OT heroes, biblical heroes in general, and we underscore the fact that the point of a passage is rarely “be like David” or “be like Peter,” etc. Sure, we can learn from their faithfulness and their practices, but for the most part what makes those people special is God and His grace.

However, here is an outlier that more proves the rule. It is Joshua’s faithfulness to observe God’s command that is commended to us at the end of the passage. Scholars note Joshua seems to be presented as the model servant of God. These verses serve as “a monument to the great faithfulness of Joshua to the Mosaic law” and becomes the goal that all of Israel’s future leaders should strive for. Rather than being a law-giver like Moses, Israel’s future leaders must strive to be law keepers.

With this in mind, we are again confronted with the choice that is continually presented to Israel in the Book of Joshua: choose whom you will serve. And now, Christ is our head, our leader, our Joshua, and in John 8:29 “The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what pleases him.” we are confronted with the perfect obedience of Christ as well. And we are challenged ourselves to be law keepers, too.

So What?

Do we see YHWH’s might right arm at work in our world today? And if not, why? It was clear why He worked in Joshua. Do we lack the key aspect of obedient faith today? And if so, how can you not “let go and let God,” but how can you “grab hold and let God?”

Are there any areas where you’ve trusted conventional wisdom and pragmatic approaches at the expense of God’s ways? How will you reclaim God’s ways in your life?