Strategies in Warfare
Lessons from the Book of Joshua • Sermon • Submitted
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Intro
Intro
Text - Joshua 11.18-19
18 Joshua made war a long time with all those kings.
19 There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon. All the others they took in battle.
Title - Strategies In Warfare
Series - Lesson from the Book of Joshua
Background
Background
What is strategy
the science and art of military command exercised to meet the enemy in combat under advantageous conditions
a careful plan or method;
the art of devising or employing plans towards a goal
Summary of events
Joshua 9 - the enemies strategized among themselves
they established a confederacy - a league or alliance
1 And it came to pass when all the kings who were on this side of the Jordan, in the hills and in the lowland and in all the coasts of the Great Sea toward Lebanon—the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite—heard about it,
2 that they gathered together to fight with Joshua and Israel with one accord.
others worked out a plan to forge an alliance with Israel by deceit
3 But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,
4 they worked craftily, and went and pretended to be ambassadors. And they took old sacks on their donkeys, old wineskins torn and mended,
5 old and patched sandals on their feet, and old garments on themselves; and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy.
6 And they went to Joshua, to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a far country; now therefore, make a covenant with us.”
Joshua 10 - Israel helps Gibeon when he was attacked
the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon fought with Gibeon
the men of Gibeon ask Joshua for help
the LORD gave the go signal to fight the Amorites
the enemy fled and Joshua was commanded the sun and moon to stay in place until the battle is finished
the kings hid in a cave in Makkedah, later they brought out and killed before Israel
Joshua continued the conquest southward, beginning in Makkedah, to Libnah, Lachish, Gezer, Eglon, Hebron, then turned back Debir; from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza, all the country of Goshen
Joshua 11 - Israel embarks on the conquest of the northern lands of Canaan
Jabin king of Hazor, gathers his neighboring cities to fight against Israel in Merom
Jobab king of Madon
the king of Shimron
the king of Achshaph
the kings of the north in the mountains and in the lowland (south) in Chinneroth
the highlands of Dor
the Canaanites east and west, the Amorites and Perizzites
the Jebusites in the mountains
the Hivites below Hermon in the land of Mizpah
the LORD assured Joshua of victory
Joshua 12 - a recollection of their conquests
the kings that were conquered under Moses - 2
the kings that were conquered under Joshua - 31
The main point
The main point
Joshua did not simply go to war, he devised plans on how to engage the enemies that they must conquer.
He could not have won a single battle without careful planning.
Joshua strategized with God
Although Christ has already won the war through His cross, he battle rages on in the life of every Christian.
Winning the battle in our life requires careful planning on how to engage the enemy .
Christians who do not make plans are the ones who always fail in their spiritual warfare
to fail to plan is to plan to fail!
Joshua’s strategy
He worked with God and God worked with Him
because the battle is the Lord’s
he learned from his mistakes in Ai
the LORD directed their southward conquest
8 And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand before you.”
9 Joshua therefore came upon them suddenly, having marched all night from Gilgal.
10 So the Lord routed them before Israel, killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, chased them along the road that goes to Beth Horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah.
11 And it happened, as they fled before Israel and were on the descent of Beth Horon, that the Lord cast down large hailstones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword.
routed - God caused trouble in the mind of the enemies
God used nature to help Joshua win the battle
29 Then Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, to Libnah; and they fought against Libnah.
30 And the Lord also delivered it and its king into the hand of Israel; he struck it and all the people who were in it with the edge of the sword. He let none remain in it, but did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho.
32 And the Lord delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, who took it on the second day, and struck it and all the people who were in it with the edge of the sword, according to all that he had done to Libnah.
God was active in the battlefield!
the LORD directed their northern conquest
5 And when all these kings had met together, they came and camped together at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel.
6 But the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid because of them, for tomorrow about this time I will deliver all of them slain before Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.”
7 So Joshua and all the people of war with him came against them suddenly by the waters of Merom, and they attacked them.
8 And the Lord delivered them into the hand of Israel, who defeated them and chased them to Greater Sidon, to the Brook Misrephoth, and to the Valley of Mizpah eastward; they attacked them until they left none of them remaining.
9 So Joshua did to them as the Lord had told him: he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire.
God taught Joshua how toi disable the power of the enemy - their horses and chariots
19 There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon. All the others they took in battle.
20 For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that He might utterly destroy them, and that they might receive no mercy, but that He might destroy them, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
God hardened their hearts so they can be destroyed in the hand of Joshua and Israel
He used his God-given authority
12 Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon; And Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.”
13 So the sun stood still, And the moon stopped, Till the people had revenge Upon their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day.
Joshua commanded nature and it obeyed the son of God!
nature obeyed because it was necessary for victory of God’s army
He let none remain
28 On that day Joshua took Makkedah, and struck it and its king with the edge of the sword. He utterly destroyed them—all the people who were in it. He let none remain. He also did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho.
30 And the Lord also delivered it and its king into the hand of Israel; he struck it and all the people who were in it with the edge of the sword. He let none remain in it, but did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho.
37 And they took it and struck it with the edge of the sword—its king, all its cities, and all the people who were in it; he left none remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon, but utterly destroyed it and all the people who were in it.
39 And he took it and its king and all its cities; they struck them with the edge of the sword and utterly destroyed all the people who were in it. He left none remaining; as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir and its king, as he had done also to Libnah and its king.
40 So Joshua conquered all the land: the mountain country and the South and the lowland and the wilderness slopes, and all their kings; he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded.
8 And the Lord delivered them into the hand of Israel, who defeated them and chased them to Greater Sidon, to the Brook Misrephoth, and to the Valley of Mizpah eastward; they attacked them until they left none of them remaining.
it was God’s command - to destroy all the enemy
it ensures no enemy will rise up in the future
He struck the head of kingdoms
10 Joshua turned back at that time and took Hazor, and struck its king with the sword; for Hazor was formerly the head of all those kingdoms.
11 And they struck all the people who were in it with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them. There was none left breathing. Then he burned Hazor with fire.
striking at the head of kingdoms greatly weakens the enemy
killing kings inspires courage to his soldiers, and fear to his enemies
He counted their victories
7 And these are the kings of the country which Joshua and the children of Israel conquered on this side of the Jordan, on the west, from Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon as far as Mount Halak and the ascent to Seir, which Joshua gave to the tribes of Israel as a possession according to their divisions,
8 in the mountain country, in the lowlands, in the Jordan plain, in the slopes, in the wilderness, and in the South—the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites:
9 the king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one;
10 the king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one;
11 the king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one;
12 the king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer, one;
13 the king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one;
14 the king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one;
15 the king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one;
16 the king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one;
17 the king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one;
18 the king of Aphek, one; the king of Lasharon, one;
19 the king of Madon, one; the king of Hazor, one;
20 the king of Shimron Meron, one; the king of Achshaph, one;
21 the king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one;
22 the king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam in Carmel, one;
23 the king of Dor in the heights of Dor, one; the king of the people of Gilgal, one;
24 the king of Tirzah, one—all the kings, thirty-one.
when victories are counted, they bring memories back to those involved in the battle!
counting the victories helped boost the morale of his soldiers
Key Points
Key Points
Do you have strategies in your personal warfares?
Having a strategy is a sign of wisdom
Having a strategy is a sign of wisdom
even the ants have a plan
25 The ants are a people not strong, Yet they prepare their food in the summer;
plan before you go to war
18 Plans are established by counsel; By wise counsel wage war.
6 For by wise counsel you will wage your own war, And in a multitude of counselors there is safety.
Have a plan when you -
speak, work, engage in conversation
minister - preach, go on a mission, song lead etc
get married
Strategize with God
Strategize with God
God is the Master Strategist!
He knows the beginning and the end
He knows what’s in the mind of the enemy
He knows every move of the enemy
God’s greatest strategy was bared on the cross!
Jesus’s death was supposed to be the defeat of the Son of God and the victory of Satan. But God, in wisdom, turned death into victory!
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”
20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.
19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”;
commit your plans to God
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
David always inquired of the LORD - 7 times in 1 and 2 Samuel
Jesus put His complete in the Father’s plan!
marks of a good strategy in warfare
it is simple
it is unpreditable it catches the enemy by surprise
it is based on godly principles
it is adapted to a specific situation
It involves God
Conclusion
Conclusion
The battles are not there for us to show off.
that’s what spoiled children usually do.
The battles are there to demonstrate the wisdom of God
8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
9 and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ;
10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places,
11 according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord,
Christ was God’s strategy in solving the problem of sin
His work, from the cross to the day of judgment, will destroy all the works of the enemy
the church in the present age is God’s means of showing/demonstrating the wisdom of His strategy.
10 God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,
Our job is to be participants in God’s work
Our job is to work with God - just like Joshua did in his day.
13 Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.
SONG - We’ll Work Till Jesus Comes