Psalm 18 The Lord is for Us!

As I read this long song of celebration for victory over enemies, I could not help myself from looking for God's qualities that inspired David to write it. David, after a long time of persecution and unjust treatment by many, finally enjoys justice. His enemies have been taken care of in one way or another and David celebrates his victory with all his heart.

What is God for me in the midst of my battle? For David it was literal enemies, but for me, I know that I don't battle against flesh and blood but against the powers of darkness. In my battle of faith, how does the Lord show himself on my behalf? David calls the Lord "my strength." In the midst of battle when my strength seems to fail, God sustains me - he is my strength. It is important to note how personal David gets with God and this is how I should pursue him - as MY GOD! Sometimes I want to battle on my own strength and forget about the endless supply of strength I have in my God. "I can do all things through him who strengthens me."(Phil.4:13)

God is "my rock." Rock is a solid foundation that cannot be moved as opposed to sand that shifts very easily. God is the foundation of my life and nothing can move me from my stand to serve my God. Obedience to his commands places me on a solid foundation that no enemy of mine can move.

God is "my fortress." A fortress is a place of refuge from danger and distress. God serves as my refuge. In the battle of faith, God's presence is the place where I desire to be. In his presence there is cover from the dangers of the battle. An oasis for the soul to recover and replenish.

God is "my deliverer." When the enemy has an upper hand upon my life, the Lord comes through and delivers me from his hand. The implication here is to save or to rescue. It means my life is in danger and needs the intervention of someone to get me out because I can't do it on my own.

God is "my shield." In the heat of battle when the enemy is pursuing with arrow shots, the shield serves as protection against those shots. The shield functions by standing between the shot and the body and preventing any harm to the body. My God stands in the way of the shots of my enemy and prevents any harm to my soul.

God is "my salvation." Salvation also implies rescue. When my life is in danger, God is my salvation. But I can't forget that the salvation implied here is not just of my physical life. Actually, I may not be saved in this life from becoming a martyr, but it is the salvation of my soul. God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, Jesus Christ, so that all who believe in him shall be saved. I have eternal life through the salvation God has brought forth for me.

God is "my stronghold." A stronghold is a strategic place that has been fortified for battle. God is not only my refuge when I need to get away from battle for a breather, but he is in the midst of battle with me as I wage battle day by day against my foes.

Father, may I constantly seek you and rely on you in the midst of battle. When I feel faint, may I be reminded that you are there for me as my strength, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, my shield, my salvation, and my stronghold. In you I find refuge! Amen.

Joshua 23 Joshua's Charge to Israel's Leaders

Joshua was able to see with his own eyes the fulfillment of God's promise to Israel concerning the land. Israel marched in and conquered the territory marked out for them and gave all their attention to its allotment and occupation. They saw the hand of God at work on their behalf against the nations in the land. Lord God Almighty fought for Israel to make all of this possible. But now that Joshua is of age, he calls the leaders to remind them of the covenant.

One of the most important things that Joshua wants the leaders to understand is that the covenant is conditional. God will continue to fight for Israel before the nations as long as they are faithful to him. Some of the things that Joshua highlights are: the keeping of the Law of Moses and avoiding the adoption of the religions of the surrounding nations. The prohibition against mixing with the nations and intermarrying with them was religious and not racial. Israel was to remain faithful to the covenant to continue to receive its benefits. To achieve this, Israel had to remain ready for battle at any moment.

On the other hand, if Israel disobeyed and was unfaithful to the covenant, it had to face its consequences. The main consequence of their disobedience is that God would no longer drive the nations before Israel. The nations would become a "snare and a trap for you, a whip on your sides, and thorns in your eyes until you perish." Basically, the surrounding nations would fight and dominate Israel and even take possession of the land promised. Their unfaithfulness would kindle the anger of the Lord against them until he has destroyed them from off the land.

In the new covenant with Christ, he requires me to do the same. I must be willing to wage battle with the world in which I live. Of course, it is not physical battle, but spiritual. Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of darkness. I am called to remain faithful to my Lord. I am called to avoid even the appearance of evil. I am called to abstain from the sinful desires that wage battle within my soul.

I am called to separate from the world and never adopt its sinful lifestyle. I am called to be in the world, but not of the world. I am called to never conform to its ways and standards. Am I waging the battle of faith day by day? Or have I given in to the ways of the world? Has materialism, power, greed, and religious syncretism gripped my heart? Is it choking the life of Christ out of me?

Lord, help me be faithful to you every day. Fill me with your Spirit that I may discern your ways and walk in them. Don't let me settle with the ways of the world. Deliver me from evil. Amen.

Joshua 11 Conquests in Northern Canaan

Joshua now moves to the north to subdue the remaining city-states in the promised land. Jabin, the king of Hazor calls in all the kings in the surrounding territories to join forces against Israel. They were a great horde, in number like the sand on the seashore, with very many horses and chariots. Military power in those days was determined by the number of warriors, the number of horses, and the number of chariots. The Canaanites had a great advantage over Israel on all three. But the Israelites were instructed not to fear!

Moses, wrote in the Law: "When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt." (Deut.20:1) Israel was instructed not to amass horses, chariots, or soldiers throughout its history for one simple reason. God wanted them to trust him and not their resources. In Psalm 20:7 we are reminded: "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God." (Psalm 20:7) 

The establishment of God's kingdom upon the earth is the battle of faith that I must wage in this world. It is a personal battle for the establishment of God's kingdom in my heart as well as a corporate battle for the establishment of God's kingdom in our communities. Many are the enemies of the kingdom and many are the resources available to them, but I am to trust in the Lord. I am not to fear their might against me because God has promised to fight for me and I am to depend on him. Am I really depending on God for this conquest? Or am I seeking comfort and strength in other things?

Because Joshua and the Israelites trusted in the Lord, they were able to subdue the Canaanites greater fighting power. They burned their chariots. They hamstrung (it seems to be a procedure by which they cut some tendons rendering them unfit for warfare) their horses. Even the Anakim were cut off from the land. These were the giants that instilled so much fear in the hearts of the 10 spies. Nothing is impossible with God. If God is for me, who can come against me?

Lord, fill my heart with trust in you. Don't allow me to put my trust in the things of this world, not even to fight the battle of faith. Search me and show me my dependencies. Try me and transform me to trust in you alone.

Joshua 10:16-28 Five Amorite Kings Executed

The conquest of the promised land requires an active pursuit of the enemy. If I want to establish the kingdom of God upon the earth, I cannot be passive. Certainly the enemies of God's kingdom are not people. Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces of evil. Joshua's campaign against the Amorite kings is a type of Christ's attack on Satan, sin, and the world (not people, but evil institutions). It is also a lesson for me. The establishment of God's kingdom upon the earth begins with the establishment of God's kingdom in my heart. I must actively pursue my spiritual enemies and squash them.

Joshua reminds Israel of God's word: "Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous. For thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight." God does not want me living in fear and distress during the conquest. He wants me to be strong and courageous. He wants me to know that he fights for me. He wants me to actively pursue my enemies believing that my enemies cannot stand in the battle.

Joshua uses a strong visual aid to illustrate his point. He brings out the Amorite kings and asks his leaders: "Come near; put your feet on the necks of these kings." Placing the feet on the necks of the defeated enemy, making them a footstool, was a proclamation of supremacy. Joshua gives them the opportunity to feel the supremacy by acting it out with him. It is a means to reassure the people of God's promise to fight and beat the enemy for them. 

Christ has certainly secured the victory against the enemy at the cross. He crushed Satan with a deadly blow. He cracked sin with its shame and guilt. He swallowed death with all its power. Nonetheless, what took place on the cross must be implemented in the hearts of people, one person at a time, until the kingdom of God is established upon the earth. God has chosen me to be a warrior, a minister of reconciliation, an agent for change who advances his kingdom. 

Though the enemies of God's kingdom have been defeated, they remain in battle until the day of Judgment. My efforts to advance God's kingdom will meet opposition, but not failure if I trust and depend on God. The promise is victory! It is a guaranteed outcome! But I must actively pursue the enemy and engage in battle. It is a conquest not a contest. Why do I take a passive role in this conquest? Why don't I actively pursue my enemies every day?

Lord, encourage my heart to know that your victory is mine. Don't let me be complacent and passive. Help me overcome fear and distress. May I actively pursue my enemies and engage in battle every day of my life.

Joshua 8:1-29 The Fall of Ai

Canaanite religion was characterized by a few things that were in quite contrast with the God of Israel. For one, Canaan was organized as a conglomerate of city-states where each one was ruled by a king who also acted as a priest for the people. For the Israelites, God was the king and a priest was appointed from the Levites. The worship rituals of Canaanite religion included extreme sexual immorality (bestiality, homosexuality, orgies, etc.), child sacrifice, and extreme corruption. All of these practices were prohibited among the Israelites. The literature of the day describes the Canaanite gods at length and it is impossible to think that the God of the Israelites was a development of Canaanite religion.

The love, holiness, and integrity of God are in stark contrast with these city-state despots. The God of Israel cannot stand the sight of sin as demonstrated with the sin of Achan. Achan and his family were stoned in an effort to eradicate intentional sin from the midst of Israel. The instructions to wipe out the Canaanite city-states must be understood from this perspective. The holy God of Israel stands against the gods of Canaan and sends his chosen people to cleanse the land from sin before they settle in it. One must think that there is an opportunity to repent, just like with Rahab and be spared of the destruction, but the Canaanites set their face against Israel.

Intentional sin is an abomination to our God. I tend to downplay how pervasive sin really is in my life and of those around me. My tendency is to excuse myself: "After all, I am only human." My humanity should not serve me as an excuse to engage in sin. It should motivate me to seek God all the more and depend on his help to overcome it all the more. The establishment of God's kingdom upon the earth begins with its establishment in my own heart and life. That is my battle day by day. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!

Lord, help me in my battle against sin. May I not settle for my sinful nature, but battle against intentional sin to please you and serve you. You have conquered sin and death! Help me enjoy the benefits of such victory through dependent obedience to you.

Joshua 7:1-9 Israel Defeated at Ai

The conquest of the promised land, the establishment of God's kingdom upon the earth is a holy war. Literally, it is a war between the God of Israel and the gods of the nations established in the promised land. The culture of the day viewed conflict between nations as a religious contest between their gods. This is very evident in the conflict with Pharaoh as Moses leads Israel out of its slavery in Egypt. Though difficult for us to understand, the reality of holy war made its way into the New Testament as one of the main images of the Christian conflict against sin, Satan, and the world.

If I am to make progress in my holy war, I must "keep the faith" and never "break faith." One of the rules of holy war is that the booty acquired from the enemy becomes "devoted" to the deity you are fighting for. To keep something devoted to deity was considered to "break faith," in other words, it was a disobedience for which it was necessary to pay with one's life at times. The establishment of God's kingdom requires my full trust in my God. I must keep the faith at all times. I must trust that he has a plan and knows what he is doing even when I don't understand.

Success in holy war is not dependent upon my abilities. It is dependent on my faith in God. Overconfidence in my abilities is an insult to my God. Many times my defeats are just a discipline of the Lord for my life so I may trust him and not myself. Ai was nothing compared to Jericho, yet they defeated Israel. In this conquest, strength is not in the numbers, but in the faith. Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord.

Joshua's prayer clearly shows that Israel's victory brings glory to God's name because God is the one who fights for Israel. But God has demonstrated time and again that he will not fight for those who are overconfident in their trust in themselves. I bring glory to God's name when I fight depending on his power and might and not on my own abilities. God is most glorified when I battle in his name using all his resources at my disposal in obedience to his plan and strategy.

God Almighty, grant me the faith to trust in you alone in all my battles against sin and the enemy. Fill me with your Spirit and teach me to use your whole armor. Shun in me overconfidence and self-reliance.

Joshua 5:10-15 First Passover in Canaan

The Israelites enjoyed God's supernatural provision during their journey. Now that they are to enter the promised land, they will continue to enjoy the provision of God, but through the land he promised them. God is still the provider, but his provision is now through the promise. All my needs are taken care of by my God. He provides for my every need all the time.

Passover is the Jewish celebration of their freedom from slavery. On Passover, all those who placed the blood on their doorposts were spared from death - they were passed over by the angel of death. If I am to be effective in the conquest of the promised land, the establishment of God's kingdom upon the earth, I must live in obedience through Baptism and Communion. Baptism is my initiation rite into the Body of Christ as a born again believer. Communion is my Passover. In Communion, I remember the sacrifice of Christ that freed me from my bondage to sin and gave me new life. It also feeds my soul in the grace of God to sustain me in the battle.

The conquest of the promised land, the establishment of God's kingdom upon earth is my mission in life. Baptism and Communion prepare me for it, but I can't forget that I am not alone in this endeavor. Joshua encountered the commander of the army of the Lord who confirmed his leadership in the conquest. The commander of the army of the Lord is with me by my side. It is a reminder that it is not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord. Intimate communion with my commander is a requirement to engage in this battle.

The conquest of the promised land is not for anyone, but only for those who have embraced the kingdom of God through Baptism and Communion and have committed their lives to an intimate communion with the Commander of the army of the Lord.

Lord, I want to be a good soldier in this conquest. You meet my every need. Fill me with your Spirit to remain in intimate communion with you as I wage battle every day. May I rely upon your grace as I march forward taking by storm the strongholds of ungodliness in this world.