7-13-12. Joshua 11. OBEY THE LORD DESPITE THE ODDS-devotional

Kevin Jesmer   NIU UBF  Friday, July 13, 2012

Joshua 11:1-23
Key Verse: 11:23

“ So Joshua took the entire land, just as the LORD had directed Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions. Then the land had rest from war.

Dear Lord heavenly Father. Thank you for dying on the cross so that I can be forgiven of all my sins. Thank you for helping me to grow as your child and as a servant of God in my generation. I pray that I may know you and reveal you to others. Please be with me as I go to the Ugandan Summer Bible conference. Make me a blessing and help me to be a blessing there. Open my eyes to the work of God and help me to share what is going on with others in America. Help me to enter into a new, Christ revealing relationship with my family and others close to me. Please help us to all mature and grow strong in our faith. Please grant me one word of God. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Part 1: Do Not Fear; God Will Lead His People (1-6).

Verses 1-6, “When Jabin king of Hazor heard of this, he sent word to Jobab king of Madon, to the kings of Shimronand Akshaph, 2 and to the northern kings who were in the mountains, in the Arabah south of Kinnereth, in the western foothills and in Naphoth Dor on the west; 3 to the Canaanites in the east and west; to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites and Jebusites in the hill country; and to the Hivites below Hermon in the region of Mizpah. 4 They came out with all their troops and a large number of horses and chariots—a huge army, as numerous as the sand on the seashore. 5 All these kings joined forces and made camp together at the Waters of Merom to fight against Israel. 6 The LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, because by this time tomorrow I will hand all of them, slain, over to Israel. You are to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots.”

Kings joined forces to battle against the Israelites. Jabin’s power came from building alliances with dozens of kings. Jabin had a clear advantage over Joshua. But God’s people should not cower before the seeming advantages of opposing forces. They need to focus their eyes on Jesus and take steps to honor the Lord, for those who honor God can be victorious regardless of the odds.

All through the Bible we learn that the odds do not matter. When God is for us, who can be against us? Our God is the Creator of the heavens and the earth. Our God is in control of history. Our God has the whole world in his hands. Our God is Almighty and all powerful and all knowing and omnipresent. He raises the dead. He is the God who controls quantum mechanics and walks through walls. When he wills something to happen, it happens, not matter what the odds.

What great odds am I facing? There are the odds of all my kids loving Jesus, desiring to know God and wanting to grow as a servants of Christ. What are the odds of me being set free to from all the ties that bind to go and live a permanent missionary to the ends of the earth? What are the odds where I could form heart to heart relationships with others that truly reveal the love of God? What are the odds of establishing a 1:1 Bible study, discipleship, missionary sending ministry at NIU? What are the odds of me getting a master’s degree at Wheaton College? What are the odds that my soul and my heart can be over flowing with love and joy and a deep sense of victory every day as I walk with the Lord?

There are many things that are against the odds of happening but may very well be in the will of God. But through this passage I can see that, though there are overwhelming odds in many arenas of life, our God is the mighty God. He can accomplish great things when we pray and obey in faith. I want to move forward in my spiritual life. I want to embrace the will of God in my life. I want to overcome this world and bear fruit and bring glory to the name of Jesus. Lord, you are God, our God who hears prayers and is with his people. Help me and my family to walk with you and do your will. Amen!

Part 2: Obedience – The Secret of His Strength (7-23).

Verses 7-23, “ So Joshua and his whole army came against them suddenly at the Waters of Merom and attacked them,8 and the LORD gave them into the hand of Israel. They defeated them and pursued them all the way to Greater Sidon, to Misrephoth Maim, and to the Valley of Mizpah on the east, until no survivors were left.9 Joshua did to them as the LORD had directed: He hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots. 10 At that time Joshua turned back and captured Hazor and put its king to the sword. (Hazor had been the head of all these kingdoms.) 11 Everyone in it they put to the sword. They totally destroyed them, not sparing anyone that breathed, and he burned Hazor itself. 12 Joshua took all these royal cities and their kings and put them to the sword. He totally destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded. 13 Yet Israel did not burn any of the cities built on their mounds—except Hazor, which Joshua burned. 14 The Israelites carried off for themselves all the plunder and livestock of these cities, but all the people they put to the sword until they completely destroyed them, not sparing anyone that breathed. 15 As the LORD commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD commanded Moses. 16 So Joshua took this entire land: the hill country, all the Negev, the whole region of Goshen, the western foothills, the Arabah and the mountains of Israel with their foothills, 17 from Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir, to Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings and put them to death. 18 Joshua waged war against all these kings for a long time. 19 Except for the Hivites living in Gibeon, not one city made a treaty of peace with the Israelites, who took them all in battle. 20 For it was the LORD himself who hardened their hearts to wage war against Israel, so that he might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy, as the LORD had commanded Moses. 21 At that time Joshua went and destroyed the Anakites from the hill country: from Hebron, Debir and Anab, from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua totally destroyed them and their towns. 22 No Anakites were left in Israelite territory; only in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod did any survive. 23 So Joshua took the entire land, just as the LORD had directed Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions. Then the land had rest from war.”

Joshua attacked them by surprise, carefully obeying all the instructions given by God, and Hazor was destroyed. This was God’s wise strategy brought about through Joshua’s faith and obedience. This former capital was a symbol of the wicked culture. Its complete destruction broke the back of Jabin’s coalition and weakened the will of the people to resist. God has his wisdom when he gave his direction to Joshua.

There are so many factors in life that we cannot control, but a choice to obey God is one aspect of life that we have some control over. Today, let us choose to obey God in one way. I need to choose to obey God. How can I obey God today? Well, writing daily bread and praying is a good way. I want to study the Bible with several people. I want to walk in the Lord with a joyful, victorious spirit. I want to work on my Christian Theology homework. I want to show my kids the love of Jesus. There are ways that I can serve the Lord today. Lord, keep me with a humble, obedient heart. Help me to be in your will.

Prayer: Lord, so often I focus on the impossibilities of the situations I am in and am quick to give up all hope. But help me to focus on Jesus and set out to bring honor and glory to your name.

One Word: Choose to obey the Lord today.