Joshua
11 - Chapter 10
In Joshua chapter 10 we learn of a fierce and united opposition to the city of Gibeon because it had joined up with Joshua and the Israelites. The forces against God's people were led by Adonizedek the king of Jerusalem. He not only wanted to punish Gibeon for its defection to Joshua, but also to stop the Israelites spreading into the centre and south of the country.
This king Adonizedek sent to the kings of Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon and their combines forces took up positions against Gibeon and attacked it. The besieged inhabitants managed to alert Joshua to their plight and the Israelite forces marched up from Gilgal in the Jordan valley.
Joshua, assured by God of Victory in the conflict, sent his troops against the enemy forces and they fled before the Israelites a distance of some fifteen kilometres. As they scrambled down the rocky pass leading from Beth-horon God poured down great hailstones on them and many were killed in their flight westwards.
At this point Joshua asked for an unheard of favour from God. He called upon the Lord for the day to be prolonged so that the enemy might not escape into the darkness. God graciously heard his cry, working in his sovereign, mysterious power. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day until Israel's enemies were completely defeated. The kings who had united against Joshua and God's people were eventually put to death.
In the rest of Joshua chapter 10 we are told how Joshua conquered the remaining cities in the south of Canaan. Complete destruction was visited on those cities "as the Lord God of Israel commanded."
What spiritual lessons can we discover from these events that will instruct us as God's people today? First we see Satanic Opposition. against the people of God and any connected with them there is always the hatred of Satan and his forces. The king of Jerusalem feared greatly when he saw the success of Joshua against other cities enabling the Israelites to take possession of the Promised Land. Satan never likes to see God's children enjoying their heritage, entering upon what is theirs by right.
If you are a Christian, you will remember those early days when you began to realise how blessed you were. The fact of being reconciled to God by the death of Christ, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, fellowship with your Lord, these and many other blessings were enjoyed. There was a freshness in those early experiences. You began to find delight in prayer, reading God's Word and fellowship with other believers.
It is this that makes Satan troubled and afraid, for he begins to see success and enjoyment among God's people and he is determined to hinder it if he can. Very soon you will have found that ridicule and rejection met your witness for Christ. Distracting thoughts will have hampered your prayer and the reading of the Scriptures. You may have been let down or disappointed by people in Christian circles. All theses are ways in which Satan wages war on the Christian believer. He is fighting back to stop you enjoying your spiritual inheritance and privileges.
Thankfully, this is not the whole picture for in this chapter we also have Divine Provision. If the battle were left to Joshua alone or to us in our human strength, it would soon be over. Thank God, we are NOT left alone. Our Saviour warned us that in the world we would have troubles of every kind, but that we should take heart because He has overcome the world. You'll find that in John chapter 16 verse 33.
All through this chapter we see the presence of God with His people. He enabled them to be victorious in the conflict, although the opposition was considerable and determined. In verse 8 we have the Lord assuring Joshua that his enemies were given into his hand and not a man would stand against him. In verse 10 we read of the Lord troubling or unnerving them before Israel. In verse 11 we discover that great hailstones poured down on the enemy at God's direction. The greatest miracle is recorded in verses 12 to 14 where we read of the prolonging of the day so that victory might be complete. It is all summed up at the end of verse 14 with the words: "Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel!" And surely we can say, "If God be for us, who can be against us!" It is only by the power of God that we can be conquerors over the enemy and against sin.
We discover now the third lesson that this chapter has for us as we consider our spiritual battle as believers. We have thought about "Satanic Opposition" and "Divine Provision", but we cannot minimise or overlook the third, indispensable lesson which is Total Warfare. By that we mean full commitment to the destruction of the enemy, holding back nothing in our efforts.
In conflicts between nations there may be limited warfare because a short-term gain is in view. The whole of he armed forces are not committed and a token show of strength is sufficient. Total warfare is quite different for everything is committed, manpower and materials, so as to gain the victory.
In Joshua 10 we see total warfare, no half-measures, no playing about making mock attacks or playing for time. The Israelites go all out against their corrupt and heathen Canaanites foes. Some might think that they were too harsh and ruthless in their relentless pursuit and destruction of the enemy, but this reveals a failure to understand the nature of the conflict. God was determined that His people would not learn the vile ways of the Canaanites and so they had to be rooted out of the land that He had given to them as an inheritance. The Israelites were to be the instrument of God's judgement against those heathen kingdoms. Their destruction was to be absolute so that there would be nothing remaining to defile the infant nation. Therefore when you read of the utter destruction of the people of Canaan, remember it was done "As the lord God of Israel commanded" (verse 40) and not by way of spiteful vengeance on the part of Joshua or his soldiers.
You and I are engaged in total warfare against evil, whether within ourselves, our churches or in the world around us. We cannot, we dare not, have an easygoing attitude to this. We are to endure hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 2:3). We are to use spiritual weapons in our warfare (2 Corinthians 10:4). We are to put on spiritual armour (Ephesians 6:10-17). We are to put to death our spiritual enemies, whatever belongs to the earthly nature and the misdeeds of the body. (Colossians 3:5 and Romans 8:13)
If the Israelites had allowed the Canaanites to regroup and re-equip do you think they would have shown any mercy to them? It was asking for cruelty and disaster, let alone moral and spiritual corruption, to let them go. And do you imaging that Satan will give you an easy time if you slacken the pressure? He is always prowling around "like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour". (! Peter 5:8) The only way to defeat him is to watch and pray - to be alert - as our Saviour taught us in Mark 14:38. Above all else it is a matter of waging total warfare as we have been discovering.
At one stage in the hostilities five captured kings were brought out of a cave and the Israelite captains were allowed to put their feet on their necks. This was a symbol of the complete conquest of their enemies, and this is what Joshua said to them: "Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the Lord will do to all the enemies you are going to fight." What an encouragement this must have been to those men!
What encouragements do we have in our battle against evil and corruptions? First, we have a Saviour Who has conquered and triumphed over Satan and his minions at the cross. (Colossians 2:15) At this point may I say that if you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, then you are not going to get anywhere in your struggles against temptations and wrongdoing. By yourself you are powerless to overcome but with Christ as your Saviour from sin's penalty, and with His Holy Spirit in you, you can win spiritual battles. Turn to Him in repentance and believing faith and you can know this power today.
The Lord Jesus Christ was tempted in every way just as we are, yet He did not sin and so He is able to help us when we are tempted. (Hebrews 2:18) On the cross He dealt with our sin, so we need not fear any condemnation by God if we are trusting in that sacrifice for sinners. We are also promised that Satan will be put under our feet soon enough and that our Lord Himself will make all His enemies His footstool. (Romans 16:200; 1 Corinthians 15:25; Hebrews 10:13).
The Israelites under Joshua and with God's deliverance saw victory after victory. If you belong to Christ then you have a victorious leader and you are on the winning side. Keep fighting to the end and the crown will be yours.