Triggered & Tricked, Joshua 9

Have you ever heard the phrase, “keep your friends close, and your enemies closer”?

Well, in chapter eight, we took a look at God’s secret weapon to winning. Now, in nine, we expand our view to expose, the battle plan of the enemy.

Joshua 9:1

 And it came to pass when all the kings who were on this side of the Jordan, in the hills and in the lowland and in all the coasts of the Great Sea toward Lebanon—the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite—heard about it,

When all the –ites; Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Termites, Pepsi Lights, heard about it—

Wait. "it"? heard about “it”? What's "it"?

Oh, good question. “It” becomes clear if we back up into chapter eight a few verses. Then, we see “it” is the battle plan God’s people just set in motion; a battle plan so extreme, so powerful, so profound, that it triggers all enemies into fight or flight mode.

God’s people simply stepped off the War Road, and entered the War Room. They walked off the battle field against flesh and blood, put down their man-made sword, and picked up the God-made One…and won, every battle after that.

That exact same battle plan still works. Millions are using it, right now, today. It works in every battle, against any enemy.

We discussed in detail this winning battle plan here:

The secret weapon to winning

Wielding the Weapon to Winning

All God’s people gathered together, in the midst of enemy territory, and boldly proclaimed His uncompromised word.

ALL of them, ALL, of it.

They ALL gathered. None stayed home to watch online. They did not just go their separate ways and do whatever was right in their own eyes.

They ALL gathered, and read ALL… not just the good parts, not just the politically correct parts, not just the feel-good parts. ALL. Blessing and cursing.

The word “all” is repeated seven times in four verses, (Joshua 8:33-9:1). Five refer to Joshua and crew, and two reflect the response of the enemy.

This is no accident. God wastes no words.

Make no mistake, God’s call is to all; to be all-in—no fence straddlers, no lukewarm laziness.

When God’s people, unite and follow, His battle plan for winning, it triggers the enemy to fight.

  … they gathered together to fight with Joshua and Israel with one accord. Joshua 9:2

Yeah, but Doug, that was back in the day. That’d never happen today. We’re too civilized.

Really?

The same demon-ites triggered then, are alive today. We witnessed their fury, in 2020; and would again, in an instant, if God’s people would do, what Joshua and crew, did back then.

Just imagine if all God’s people united.

They say there’s about, 210 million Christians in the U.S. and about 2.4 billion in the world.  Some may be, CINO—Christian in name only. So, let’s just say about 25% are real Christians.  

Now, imagine, fifty million Christians in the U.S. (fifty billion, in the world), stepping up to microphones tomorrow morning, in schools, colleges, before sporting events, court hearings, business meetings, street corners, public squares, any place where people gather; and reading, the blessings and cursings, from Deuteronomy 27 and 28, or any part of the Bible, and then, praying, in the name of Jesus.

What if tomorrow morning, every classroom in America heard Bible reading and prayer to Jesus, echo from the intercom system?

Our little village has a weekly meeting. It starts with a prayer. Some complained. The manager, politely, yet firmly, let them know they have a right not like it, a right not to attend it, but there’s no right, that supersedes, what’s Right.

Acknowledging God, thanking Him, and asking for His blessing, has always been, and always will be, right.  

What would happen if God’s people acted like that? Like He was in charge, rather than some corrupt interpretation of the law, the constitution, and especially that perverted phrase: separation of church and state?

What if God’s people acted like ambassadors for the Ruler of the Universe, like children of the King of kings, like the Bride of Christ, coworkers with the Creator, like His Church; His Ekklésia—the ones called out, to rule and reign, in this life and the next…like He’s coming back, at any moment.

How would the woke respond if Christians woke up, spoke up, and stood up, and didn’t ask permission, to acknowledge, out loud, in all places, Jesus Christ as King?

If we did, what Joshua did, or what Jesus did; you can be sure, the ites would respond the same way.

And you can be doubly sure, that God would respond as well. Even, if need be, to the point of holding the sun in place, and hammering hailstones from heaven, which we'll see actually happen, in the very next chapter; and in our not so distant future, as we see in Revelation.

However, not all rise up to fight openly, like those in verse two. 

You see, the devil’s battle plan is two pronged. 

He comes in roaring like a lion, to instill fear. Or, he sneaks in quietly camouflaged, like a snake, to deceive.

Like a roaring lion. 1 Peter 5:8.

Disguised as an angel of light. 2 Corinthians 11:14-15.  

The second scheme is the deadliest. With just a handful of people, without firing a shot, it hamstrings the entire nation. It does the same today, by, “ites”, masquerading as “rights.”

Lord willing, we’ll look at all that, and more, next week. Joshua 9:3-14.

 

Let’s pray.

Lord Jesus, thank You for not sugar-coating the Truth. For letting us know, we’re in a fight. Help us face, with faith, not fear, the ites, in our life. Give us a passion to be all-in, courageous and uncompromised. Most of all, make us ever aware, of Your presence, so the words of our mouth, and the meditations of our heart, are acceptable to You, our Lord, our Strength, our Redeemer.

We love You, forever.

Amen.