God’s Chosen Ones
The book of Joshua, placed right after the last book of the Pentateuch, Deuteronomy, deals with the conquest of the promised land by the Israelites under the command of Joshua, Moses’ second in command during the Exodus.
After the conquest of Jericho and Ai, Joshua and the Israelites have been tricked into making peace with the Gibeonites, who are then integrated into society as a class of servants.
Joshua 10:5-7
5 Then the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered their forces and went up with all their armies and encamped against Gibeon and made war against it.
6 And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal, saying, Do not relax your hand from your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the hill country are gathered against us.
7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor.
The Israelites are now pushed into combat with five kings and their armies, in order to protect their servants. Joshua could have easily let the Gibeonites be slaughtered by the larger force and decided to make war against the kings of the Amorites at a more opportune time. However, being loyal to their pact with the Gibeonites, Joshua leads the army against the five kings and their armies.
Joshua 10:8
And the LORD said to Joshua, Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands. Not a man of them shall stand before you.
We see here how God has taken care of His people, even when, arguably, it should not be their fight. We can also see how those who are not chosen, the Gibeonites, must ask the Israelites to SAVE them. Here, the servants of God are asked to defend their own servants. Joshua and the Israelites trust in the Lord, to make them victorious, even though they are faced with the daunting task of destroying five armies.
God will always come through on His promises, as long as His people are loyal and follow His commands.
Joshua 10:9-11
9 So Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched up all night from Gilgal.
10 And the LORD threw them into a panic before Israel, who struck them with a great blow at Gibeon and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah.
11 And as they fled before Israel, while they were going down the ascent of Beth-horon, the LORD threw down large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died because of the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword.
Here, God has come through with His promise. The armies are slaughtered, not only by the swords of the Israelites, but by miraculous hailstones falling from the sky! God was not about to let these armies rise up against His people again.
Joshua 10:12-14
12 At that time Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.
13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day.
14 There has been no day like it before or since, when the LORD obeyed the voice of a man, for the LORD fought for Israel.
Again we see how God has made the fight easy for the Israelites. The day was growing dark, and in order to pursue the remnants of the armies, Joshua speaks to the sun and moon, telling them to halt their normal course in the sky. The Bible says that the sun stayed in the sky for an extra day, so the Israelites could destroy their enemies. Then. the last verse is so powerful. The Lord fought for Israel!
In the present, we have been grafted into the body of the chosen people (Romans 11:11-21). The Israelites were the chosen people for thousands of years, but some have been broken off due to their rejection of Jesus, the Messiah. Now, we, the Gentiles (A term merely meaning non-Jewish), have become a part of that body. God has chosen all of humanity, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, to become His people. Just like Joshua and the Israelites, we must be faithful to the Lord, and He will be faithful to us.
Remember that God can overcome difficult tasks and spiritual battles being fought in our lives, as long as we are trusting in Him. Joshua and the Israelites did not hesitate to march against five armies, they marched knowing God was with them! Now, I ask you to face everyday events, difficult tasks, and unusually terrible situations with the knowledge that God is with you, and that He will empower you!
Buzz
