Joshua chapter eleven ends with the words, “Then the land rested from war.”
That, is His plan for
this planet; it’s how, HIStory ends. It’s also His heart’s desire, for you and
me, here and now, today.
To rest from war, you must go, through, war.
This war in the eleventh chapter of Joshua, is
reflected in this eleventh hour in which we live; and foreshadows, another
war just around the bend.
And it came to pass, when
Jabin king of Hazor heard these things, that he sent to Jobab king
of Madon, to the king of Shimron, to the king of
Achshaph, 2 and to the kings
who were from the north, in the mountains, in the plain south
of Chinneroth, in the lowland, and in the heights of Dor on the west, 3 to
the Canaanites in the east and in the west, the Amorite, the
Hittite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite in the mountains, and the Hivite below Hermon in
the land of Mizpah. Joshua 11:1-3.
Whatever the war, the battle, the struggle, remember, it
came to pass. It will end, it will not last. There may be a million reasons
why this test has come, but now that it’s here, you may as well, win. It’s
for you to pass, not fail; to pass with flying colors.
Jabin was king of Hazor, which was probably the
largest city in the Promise Land. He was also kingpin of other kingdoms in the
region (Joshua 11:10). Today the archeological dig sight of Hazor is about two
hundred acres—the largest in all of Israel.
When Jabin heard how God delivered the southern
kingdoms into Joshua’s hand, he called to kings from the north, south, east,
and west. From the mountains to the prairies, to the ocean white with foam.
4 So
they went out, they and all their armies with them, as many
people as the sand that is on the seashore in
multitude, with very many horses and chariots. 5 And
when all these kings had met together, they came and camped together
at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel.
Those two verses are a preview into another battle still
in our future. The battle of Armageddon.
Revelation 16:16; 19:17-18, tell of a great invitation to the birds, for a feast on kings and horses and all those gathered to fight against the Lord.
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.”
“But the Lord said…”
should be our answer to every battle.
The doctor’s report says it’s really bad, but the Lord
said, I AM the Lord your God that heals you, Exodus 15:26. The Lord says, by His
stripes, I am healed, 1 Peter 2:24.
The bank account says there’s not enough, but the Lord
said, He shall provide all my need according to His riches in glory, Philippians
4:19. The Lord says, seek first His kingdom and all these other things will be
added, Matthew 6:33.
The world says you’re a looser, but the Lord said, I
am so loved, chosen, royal, holy, God’s very own possession, John 3:16, 1 Peter 2:9.
Jesus sees the end from the beginning. He knows the
way to win, so do not be afraid. The surest way to victory, is surrender,
to Him. Thanks be to God who always causes us to triumph in Christ. 2 Corinthians 2:14.
However, His view of victory, and method to get there,
may look a whole lot different than ours.
Hamstring the horses? Then they'd only be useful for
farming, but not fighting. Why do that?
Burn the chariots? Are you kidding? These are state of
the art implements of war.
God leads them not into temptation. Some
trust in chariots and horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD. Psalm 20:7.
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…
The rest of the chapter is a summary of Joshua’s conquering
conquest. Some claim Joshua was a military genius. However, his success can be
summed up in few words: He left nothing undone, that the Lord commanded.
Joshua 11:7-15.
About now, many ask, why? Why would a God of love, command
Joshua to slaughter so many?
The answer goes back over four hundred years. God
promised Abraham the Promise Land, but said, it’d have to wait, because the
iniquity of the Amorites was not yet full. Genesis 15:16. The people in the
Promise Land, heard all about God generation after generation. He knocked and
knocked, year after year, century after century. Each time He knocked, they
refused and their heart grew a little harder, their cup of iniquity a little
fuller. Until their heart turned to stone, the cup of iniquity overflowed, they
reached the point of no return.
They became a people of wretched evil, including bestiality
and child sacrifice.
How close to the brim, has America’s cup of iniquity, come?
Joshua made war a long time with all those
kings. Joshua 11:18. Scholars claim he battled for around
seven years.
The iniquity reached the brim and then judgement fell,
for about seven years.
And then, the land rested from war, Joshua 11:23.
One day, perhaps not so long from now, the cup of
iniquity will reach the brim and spill and judgement will fall on the planet
for seven years…
And then, the Prince of Peace, Jesus, (the New
Testament name for Joshua) will rule and reign, and for a thousand years, the
land will rest from war.
Let’s pray.
Lord Jesus, please help us to leave
nothing undone. To answer anytime You knock. To follow everywhere You lead. Please
use us, to lead others into Your Promise Land of perfect peace.
We love You, forever.
Amen.
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