Victory and Defeat
Victory and Defeat
Joshua 6-10
“The Lord said to Joshua, ‘See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the valiant warriors.”
The battle plans were both absurd and straightforward. The people were to march around the city of Jericho once a day for six days, and on the seventh, they were to march around the city seven times and then blow the trumpets. When they had done so, God promised them that the city's walls would collapse and they would be able to capture the city. However, this was more than just a plan on how to capture the city; it was a test of the people of Israel. Would they trust in God and His ability to give the victory, or would they trust in their own strength and ability? To further point to God’s sovereign control, the ark of the covenant was to be carried behind the people as they marched as a reminder of God’s promise to be with His people. However, there was one requirement: when they achieved the victory, all the spoils would be “under the ban.” This means that everything captured within the city and all the wealth of the city belonged to the Lord, for He was the one who gave the victory. As God promised, when the time came for the people to shout, the city walls came down, and the victory was assured.
After the victory, the armies of Israel moved to attack the city of Ai. Unlike the strong, fortified, and well-equipped city of Jericho, Ai was a small city that appeared vulnerable—an easy victory for the armies of Israel. Ai posed no threat for the military leaders, so it did not require the whole army, only a small expeditionary force. However much to the surprise of Joshua and the leaders, the troops of Israel were quickly defeated and fled in panic. When Joshua accused God of being unfaithful, God responded that the people had been unfaithful. Instead of faithfully dedicating all the spoils of Jericho to God, Achan, because of his greed, had kept some for himself. This act of disobedience then placed the whole nation at risk.
These two stories contain an important lesson about God and the importance of obedience. God gives us the victory when we trust in Him and are faithful to obey His commands, even when the commands seem foolish. Faith is not just believing in God; it is surrendering to God’s commands even when we find them difficult or irrational. Often, we approach God’s word not with the attitude of surrender but with an attitude of superiority. If God’s word agrees with our viewpoint or wisdom, we willingly obey. However, when God’s actions and words contradict our wisdom, we reject them and justify our disobedience. Tragically, we see this in the church today. We obey the acceptable commands, but excuse our disobedience of the commands that we find disagreeable. We “deconstruct” the text to fit our concept of right and wrong. Like Achan, we ignore God’s commands. The result is that we find trouble and hardship in life. Instead of the joy of God’s blessing, we face the discipline of His condemnation.
To love God is to surrender to Him and His will. Living by faith is more than just living with the belief that God is real and oversees the universe. It is to obey His commands and surrender to His will in all things. God is perfect in His wisdom and righteousness, and He has communicated clearly and completely His will for us in His word. To love Him is to obey His word without hesitation or doubt, even when it does not make sense to us. It is to embrace His moral truth without hesitation or doubt and obey His commands without compromise. Only then will we experience the joy of His blessing.
Joshua 6-10
“The Lord said to Joshua, ‘See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the valiant warriors.”
The battle plans were both absurd and straightforward. The people were to march around the city of Jericho once a day for six days, and on the seventh, they were to march around the city seven times and then blow the trumpets. When they had done so, God promised them that the city's walls would collapse and they would be able to capture the city. However, this was more than just a plan on how to capture the city; it was a test of the people of Israel. Would they trust in God and His ability to give the victory, or would they trust in their own strength and ability? To further point to God’s sovereign control, the ark of the covenant was to be carried behind the people as they marched as a reminder of God’s promise to be with His people. However, there was one requirement: when they achieved the victory, all the spoils would be “under the ban.” This means that everything captured within the city and all the wealth of the city belonged to the Lord, for He was the one who gave the victory. As God promised, when the time came for the people to shout, the city walls came down, and the victory was assured.
After the victory, the armies of Israel moved to attack the city of Ai. Unlike the strong, fortified, and well-equipped city of Jericho, Ai was a small city that appeared vulnerable—an easy victory for the armies of Israel. Ai posed no threat for the military leaders, so it did not require the whole army, only a small expeditionary force. However much to the surprise of Joshua and the leaders, the troops of Israel were quickly defeated and fled in panic. When Joshua accused God of being unfaithful, God responded that the people had been unfaithful. Instead of faithfully dedicating all the spoils of Jericho to God, Achan, because of his greed, had kept some for himself. This act of disobedience then placed the whole nation at risk.
These two stories contain an important lesson about God and the importance of obedience. God gives us the victory when we trust in Him and are faithful to obey His commands, even when the commands seem foolish. Faith is not just believing in God; it is surrendering to God’s commands even when we find them difficult or irrational. Often, we approach God’s word not with the attitude of surrender but with an attitude of superiority. If God’s word agrees with our viewpoint or wisdom, we willingly obey. However, when God’s actions and words contradict our wisdom, we reject them and justify our disobedience. Tragically, we see this in the church today. We obey the acceptable commands, but excuse our disobedience of the commands that we find disagreeable. We “deconstruct” the text to fit our concept of right and wrong. Like Achan, we ignore God’s commands. The result is that we find trouble and hardship in life. Instead of the joy of God’s blessing, we face the discipline of His condemnation.
To love God is to surrender to Him and His will. Living by faith is more than just living with the belief that God is real and oversees the universe. It is to obey His commands and surrender to His will in all things. God is perfect in His wisdom and righteousness, and He has communicated clearly and completely His will for us in His word. To love Him is to obey His word without hesitation or doubt, even when it does not make sense to us. It is to embrace His moral truth without hesitation or doubt and obey His commands without compromise. Only then will we experience the joy of His blessing.
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