Joshua 9:1-10:15
Some chose ‘to make war against Joshua and Israel’(9:1-2). The Gibeonites came, looking for peace. They achieved their objective - ‘Joshua made peace with them’(9:15). In this story we see the work of Satan, and we may catch a glimpse of the work of God. The ‘peace’was based on deception. The Gibeonites ‘acted with cunning’(9:4). The Israelites were easily deceived. They ‘did not ask direction from the Lord’(9:14). The Gibeonites brought trouble to Israel (10:3-5). There were ‘weeds among the wheat’- ‘An enemy has done this’(Matthew 13:25,28). Through the grace of God, the Gibeonites’‘ curse’ could become a ‘blessing’. Working at ‘the place’ of worship, they could come to know and love the Person who is worshipped (23,27; Psalm 84:4). Let Christ bring you from ‘no peace’ to real peace (Jeremiah 6:14; Romans 5:1).
Joshua 10:16-11:15
God gives the promise. Believing His promise, we obey His command, pressing on to victory (25,6). This is God’s way of victory: ‘go in to take possession of the land which the Lord your God gives you to possess’(1:11). As we read of Joshua’s military exploits, we must not lose sight of the spiritual dimension: ‘the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel’(42). This is what we must learn. The victory does not come from ourselves. It comes from the Lord who fights for us. Through ‘the obedience of faith’(Romans 1:5), - believing God’s promise, we obey His command - , the Lord’s victory becomes a living reality in our lives. Joshua built on the foundation laid for him by Moses (12,15). Learning from ‘the apostles and prophets’, we build on God’s Foundation, ‘Jesus Christ’(Ephesians 2:20; 1 Corinthians 3:11).
Joshua 11:16-12:24
What is the spiritual value of this list of victories? Don’t be sidetracked by the military aspect. This is not about Israel blowing its own trumpet. It is about giving glory to God. In Genesis 12:1-3, we have God’s promise to bring blessing to all nations. Before Christ came as ‘the Saviour of the world’(John 4:42), Israel was to become ‘a great nation’- ‘a holy nation’, ‘a light to the nations’(Exodus 19:6; Isaiah 49:6). This involved the ‘curse’ on the rebellious peoples who presented a sinful obstacle to God’s saving purpose. The Lord is King! The united people of God won a decisive victory in ‘the whole land’(11:23). There was, however, still ‘very much land to be possessed’ by the individual tribes (13:1). God’s Word is preached publicly. It must also be applied personally - by you!
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
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