7-12-12. Joshua 10b. THE LORD FOUGHT FOR ISRAEL

Joshua 10:16-43   Key Verse: 10:42

Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF  Thursday, July 12, 2012

“All these kings and their lands Joshua conquered in one campaign, because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel”

Dear Lord Jesus. Thank you for your love and mercy. Thank you for filling my life with hope and mission. Thank you for helping me to be excited about meditating on your word each morning and granting me time and willing spirit to dig deeper into the word of God. I pray that you may raise up people around us who love to meditate on and expound of the word of God. Some say that Christianity in this country is 1,000 miles long and one inch deep. Help our Christian faith and heritage be 1,000 miles long and 1,000 miles deep. Please bless the healthcare workers’ group Bible study and my meeting with Pastor Teddy. Please help Jenn to grow in all ways though her stay in Montreal. Please grant me one word of God through this passage. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Part 1: Experience Complete Victory (16-27).

Verses 16-27, “Now the five kings had fled and hidden in the cave at Makkedah. 17 When Joshua was told that the five kings had been found hiding in the cave at Makkedah, 18 he said, “Roll large rocks up to the mouth of the cave, and post some men there to guard it. 19 But don’t stop; pursue your enemies! Attack them from the rear and don’t let them reach their cities, for the LORD your God has given them into your hand.” 20 So Joshua and the Israelites defeated them completely, but a few survivors managed to reach their fortified cities. 21 The whole army then returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah, and no one uttered a word against the Israelites. 22 Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me.” 23 So they brought the five kings out of the cave—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon. 24 When they had brought these kings to Joshua, he summoned all the men of Israel and said to the army commanders who had come with him, “Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came forward and placed their feet on their necks. 25 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.” 26 Then Joshua put the kings to death and exposed their bodies on five poles, and they were left hanging on the poles until evening. 27 At sunset Joshua gave the order and they took them down from the poles and threw them into the cave where they had been hiding. At the mouth of the cave they placed large rocks, which are there to this day.”

Placing the foot on the necks of their captives symbolized complete domination. When the commanders faced their enemy and did this, they could experience total victory. We have some ferocious inner enemies called sin, self, and Satan – and also our fears. We cannot overcome them unless we step on their necks. Many people don’t get to this point and let their spiritual enemies linger. But we must go all the way and see our sin for what it is, kneeling helplessly under the cross of Jesus.

I cannot imagine this type of warfare. It is complete domination and defeat of the enemy. I learn here that I must defeat all of my spiritual enemies within my heart and soul, like this. I must not stop until they are eradicated. This means not just taking things, half way, but all the way. I remember when I smoked cigarettes. I tried to quit, but I could not fully quit. I would whittle the numbers of cigarettes smoked to 2-3 a day and then I would rationalize, “This number of cigarettes will not hurt me” and I would start it up again to half a pack a day on the weekends. The same thing happens when we try to overcome any vice or “sin problem”. We must get rid of it fully and not just harbor them in our hearts. It is like a fire smoldering in the ground. Eventually it will rise its ugly head and start a raging fire. To be set free we must fully repent and never go back to that sin again.

The only way to do this is to repent and come to Jesus to receive his forgiveness and grace and his power to leave our sins behind for good. Before meeting Jesus, I was a hedonist. But after meeting Jesus my desires were completely changed. I did not feel the need to go again indulge in my hedonistic sins. Jesus transformed my heart and gave me new heart. Now, today, I need to step on the necks of despair, depression, anger, and selfishness and legalism and cold heartedness and insensitivity. I need to repent of these and bring them to the cross of Jesus.

Part 2: Victory Because of the Lord (28-43).

Verse 28-43, “28 That day Joshua took Makkedah. He put the city and its king to the sword and totally destroyed everyone in it. He left no survivors. And he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho. 29 Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Makkedah to Libnah and attacked it. 30 The LORD also gave that city and its king into Israel’s hand. The city and everyone in it Joshua put to the sword. He left no survivors there. And he did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho. 31 Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Libnah to Lachish; he took up positions against it and attacked it. 32 The LORD gave Lachish into Israel’s hands, and Joshua took it on the second day. The city and everyone in it he put to the sword, just as he had done to Libnah. 33 Meanwhile, Horam king of Gezer had come up to help Lachish, but Joshua defeated him and his army—until no survivors were left. 34 Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Lachish to Eglon; they took up positions against it and attacked it. 35 They captured it that same day and put it to the sword and totally destroyed everyone in it, just as they had done to Lachish. 36 Then Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron and attacked it. 37 They took the city and put it to the sword, together with its king, its villages and everyone in it. They left no survivors. Just as at Eglon, they totally destroyed it and everyone in it. 38 Then Joshua and all Israel with him turned around and attacked Debir. 39 They took the city, its king and its villages, and put them to the sword. Everyone in it they totally destroyed. They left no survivors. They did to Debir and its king as they had done to Libnah and its king and to Hebron. 40 So Joshua subdued the whole region, including the hill country, the Negev, the western foothills and the mountain slopes, together with all their kings. He left no survivors. He totally destroyed all who breathed, just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded. 41 Joshua subdued them from Kadesh Barnea to Gazaand from the whole region of Goshen to Gibeon. 42 All these kings and their lands Joshua conquered in one campaign, because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel. 43 Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.”

Joshua was eager to fulfill God’s task. He could have the right attitude because he was not fighting for himself or to satisfy his own desires. He was not content with a small victory. He was seeking total victory for the glory of God. He sought to conquer the whole region. And that is what he did with the help of the Lord. We tend to stop to enjoy small victories. But why quit? We have no reason to quit. Jesus is with us and we must move on to total victory.
This reminds me when God told one of the prophets to beat some sticks against the ground and to be blessed. But he held back and only beat the ground several times when God wanted him to go all out and beat the ground with his whole heart, many times. How often do we forfeit the blessing of God, because of our partial faith and partial obedience? I need to go for complete spiritual victory in my life. It does not mean financial blessings or material blessings. But it means overcoming this world and the devil’s whiles and walking in faith and victory, through this world into the next. God gives this victory, but we must not hold back. We need to put both feet on the side of Christ and have a passion in our hearts to pray for and expect greater things. I pray that God may help me to walk in faith and victory and to work through me to reveal Christ’s character. I pray to daily dwell in Jesus and walk with Jesus in the Kingdom of God. I pray that I may know the joy and excitement of raising up disciples of Jesus and seeing my kids loving the Lord.

Prayer: Lord, forgive me for being satisfied with partial victory. Help me to achieve total victory for your glory alone knowing that you are with me.

One Word: Experience complete victory in Jesus