Joshua 10

Scripture

The king of Jerusalem, Adoni-zedek, saw what had happened to Jericho and Ai, as well as what had happened to the Gibeonites. He knew that Gibeon was a large city and had many strong skilled warriors. And yet they too were under the rule of Israel. Adoni-zedek gathered 5 nearby kings and their forces as allies to defeat the Gibeonites for  having made peace with Israel. The combined army was made up of the men of Hebron, Harmuth, Lachish, and Eglon.

When the Gibeonites heard that they were to be attacked, they were frightened and sent messages to Joshua: “Don’t abandon your servants now,” they pleaded, “Come at once! Save us! Help us!” (10:6).

Joshua and his entire army set out from their homes in Gilgal to defend the Gibeonites from these five armies. “Do not be afraid of them,” the Lord said to Joshua, “for I have given you victory over them. Not a single one of them will be able to stand up to you.”

Observation

Israel conquered the whole region of Canaan, leaving no survivors. Here, the Hebrew word for “destroyed” means “Complete consecration of things or people to the Lord; either by destroying them, or by giving them as an offering.”

I believe in the sovereignty of God. I trust his wisdom, plan, and timing. I also have a lot of questions. It’s hard for me to reconcile the deaths of people, the children, the animals that you ordained. Why, and what am I to think about this? I think it’s important to remember that we will never have all the answers. I know several people who do not believe, precisely because they do not understand God’s reasoning and because of that, can’t trust that what He says is true. And to that, I say: God is God. He created everything from nothing. How could I, a small-minded, limited created being, presume to understand God’s mind? I have accepted that I will never be able to understand everything, and I’m okay with that because I know that my Father in Heaven is good. Note that this doesn’t give me license to be blindly led around without thinking anything over for myself. As a Christian I am still responsible for carefully testing everything according to truths found in God’s Word. However my faith in God is bigger than any issue I can’t work out in my limited understanding. 

Application

It also makes me think of the fact that I have been trying to conquer my own “demons” In my heart there are several territories where foreign and unwelcome demons are living and taking root. I need to be like Joshua and kill those living in the Lord’s territory so I can take over. God has given me a soul immortal so that I may live with him forever. But by virtue of living in the world and being a human, it’s been taken over and I need to participate in the complete consecration of “things” either by destroying them or giving them over as an offering.

Prayer

Lord, would you make clear to me the things I need to vanquish in order to move into the land where you have called me? Help me to pinpoint and destroy them so that I can repent begin again, turning to you, to obedience and to live in the light of your wisdom.