It’s Not Just About You

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Joshua 11:12-23.  Let’s go!

Joshua 11:12-15 (NIV) 
12  Joshua took all these royal cities and their kings and put them to the sword. He totally destroyed them, as Moses the servant of theLORD had commanded. 
13  Yet Israel did not burn any of the cities built on their mounds–except Hazor, which Joshua burned. 
14  The Israelites carried off for themselves all the plunder and livestock of these cities, but all the people they put to the sword until they completely destroyed them, not sparing anyone that breathed. 
15  As the LORD commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD commanded Moses.

On verses 12-15:  Notice the emphasis on how Joshua did what his leader Moses told him to do.  Verse 15 describes it this way: “As the Lord commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it”.  Joshua was fully devoted not just to God but to his leader Moses.  Submission to his God-given leader was a crucial ingredient in Joshua’s recipe for success.

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Focus on the Mountain Mover, Not on the Mountain

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Joshua 11:1-11.  Let’s go!

Joshua 11:1-11 (NIV) 
1  When Jabin king of Hazor heard of this, he sent word to Jobab king of Madon, to the kings of Shimron and Acshaph, 
2  and to the northern kings who were in the mountains, in the Arabah south of Kinnereth, in the western foothills and in Naphoth Dor on the west; 
3  to the Canaanites in the east and west; to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites and Jebusites in the hill country; and to the Hivites below Hermon in the region of Mizpah. 
4  They came out with all their troops and a large number of horses and chariots–a huge army, as numerous as the sand on the seashore. ……

On verses 1-11: Joshua and the Israelites are facing a massive army made up of many allied enemy nations. Verse 4 describes them “as numerous as the sand on the seashore”. Yet God speaks to Joshua and says “Do not be afraid of them, for this time tomorrow I will hand all of them, slain, over to Israel.” (v6) The key word after that is “So”: “So Joshua and his whole army came against them suddenly” (v7). In other words, Joshua chooses to focus on what God says over and beyond his circumstances.  As a result Joshua and the Israelites achieve their most dominant victory yet.

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God-Given Momentum

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Joshua 10:33-43.  While we’re at it, let’s also look at verses 28-32, since they go together well.  Let’s go!

Joshua 10:28-43 (NIV) 
28  That day Joshua took Makkedah. He put the city and its king to the sword and totally destroyed everyone in it. He left no survivors. And he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho. 
29  Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Makkedah to Libnah and attacked it. 
30  The LORD also gave that city and its king into Israel’s hand. The city and everyone in it Joshua put to the sword. He left no survivors there. And he did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho. 
31  Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Libnah to Lachish; he took up positions against it and attacked it. 
32  The LORD handed Lachish over to Israel, and Joshua took it on the second day. The city and everyone in it he put to the sword, just as he had done to Libnah….

On verses 28-43:  After first taking over the middle portion of the promised land, in verses 28-39 we see Joshua and the Israelites taking over 7 cities in the southern part of the promised land, conquering many different kings and regions in the process.  Later in Joshua 11 they will start taking over the northern part.  Verses 40 to 42 summarize the incredible military success Joshua and the Israelites experienced before returning to their base camp at Gilgal (v43).  Verse 42 explains the reason for Israel’s success: it was because “the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.” (v42)

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Share the Honour

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Joshua 10:22-32.   Let’s go!

Joshua 10:22-25 (NIV) 
22  Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me.” 
23  So they brought the five kings out of the cave–the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon. 
24  When they had brought these kings to Joshua, he summoned all the men of Israel and said to the army commanders who had come with him, “Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came forward and placed their feet on their necks. 
25  Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the LORD will do to all the enemies you are going to fight.”

On verses 22-25:  Joshua bring out the five Amorite kings who were hiding in the cave and in the presence of all the Israelite men he allows his army commanders to place their feet on the necks of these kings.  In doing so, Joshua was sharing his honour, authority and power with his army commanders.  What can we learn from this?

When you experience victory or success in life, be sure not to hoard all the credit for yourself, but share the honour and credit with those who have worked hard alongside you and helped you to get you to where you are.

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Aim High

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Joshua 10:12-21.   Let’s go!

Joshua 10:12-15 (NIV) 
12  On the day the LORD gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the LORD in the presence of Israel: “O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.” 
13  So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. 
14  There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the LORD listened to a man. Surely the LORD was fighting for Israel! 
15  Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.

On verses 12-15:  So far in the book of Joshua, whenever Joshua experienced a miracle, it was because he heard the Lord speak and responded in faith.  This time, however, Joshua takes the initiative and God responds, as verse 14 suggests.  Joshua says to the Lord in the presence of Israel: “O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon” (v12).  According to these verses, the sun and moon obeyed Joshua’s voice. 

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The Most Powerful Alliance You Can Form

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Joshua 10:1-11.  Let’s go!

Joshua 10:1-5 (NIV) 
1  Now Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had taken Ai and totally destroyed it, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and that the people of Gibeon had made a treaty of peace with Israel and were living near them. 
2  He and his people were very much alarmed at this, because Gibeon was an important city, like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were good fighters. 
3  So Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem appealed to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish and Debir king of Eglon. 
4  “Come up and help me attack Gibeon,” he said, “because it has made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.” 
5  Then the five kings of the Amorites–the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon–joined forces. They moved up with all their troops and took up positions against Gibeon and attacked it.

On verses 1-5: Upon hearing that the Gibeonites had formed a peace treaty (or an alliance) with Joshua, five Amorite kings led by Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem form an alliance against the Gibeonites. Why? It’s because the Gibeonites were already a significant force to be reckoned with in their own right (v2). The Amorite kings were probably scared of what the Gibeonites could do if allied with Joshua. So this alliance of Amorite kings decides to attack the Gibeonites.

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No Longer a Slave to Fear

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Joshua 9:15-27.  Let’s go!

Joshua 9:15-21 (NIV) 
15  Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath. 
16  Three days after they made the treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites heard that they were neighbors, living near them. 
17  So the Israelites set out and on the third day came to their cities: Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth and Kiriath Jearim. 
18  But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the assembly had sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. The whole assembly grumbled against the leaders, 
19  but all the leaders answered, “We have given them our oath by the LORD, the God of Israel, and we cannot touch them now. 
20  This is what we will do to them: We will let them live, so that wrath will not fall on us for breaking the oath we swore to them.”
21  They continued, “Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers for the entire community.” So the leaders’ promise to them was kept. 

On verses 15-21:  Just as the Israelites kept their promise not to attack the Gibeonites, you and I should do everything we can to be those who keep our word or fulfill our promises, even when it hurts (Psalm 15:4). 

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Inquire of God before Making a Big Decision

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Joshua 9:1-14.  Let’s go!

Joshua 9:1-14 (NIV) 
1  Now when all the kings west of the Jordan heard about these things–those in the hill country, in the western foothills, and along the entire coast of the Great Sea as far as Lebanon (the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites)– 
2  they came together to make war against Joshua and Israel. 
3  However, when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, 
4  they resorted to a ruse: They went as a delegation whose donkeys were loaded with worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. ……

On verses 1-14:  Unlike the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites who form an alliance to fight Joshua and the Israelites (v1-2), the Gibeonites take another approach (v3).  Believing they are no match for the Israelites, they decide instead to send a worn out looking delegation pretending to come from a far away country and wanting to make a peace treaty with the Israelites (v4-6).  Without looking into the issue too much, and without praying and asking God for guidance, the Israelites eventually make the peace treaty with the Gibeonites (v7-14).  Only later do you they discover that the Gibeonites actually lived very close to the Israelites.

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Take a Moment to Be Still and Worship

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Joshua 8:28-35.  Let’s go!

Joshua 8:28-29 (NIV) 
28  So Joshua burned Ai and made it a permanent heap of ruins, a desolate place to this day. 
29  He hung the king of Ai on a tree and left him there until evening. At sunset, Joshua ordered them to take his body from the tree and throw it down at the entrance of the city gate. And they raised a large pile of rocks over it, which remains to this day.

On verses 28-29:  Whenever there is a change in regime, the leader of that old regime must “die”.  In ancient cultures and in times of war, this has been expressed through the king or leader of the losing nation to be killed, as in the case here where the king of Ai is hung and buried under a pile of rocks at the entrance of Ai’s city gate (v29).  In more modern times, the “death” of the old regime’s leader could mean, depending on the context, deposing the incumbent leader in the case of politics, firing the president and CEO in the case of a business, or changing general managers or head coaches in the case of sports. The same goes for the regime change that took place in your heart when you invited Jesus Christ into your life.  On that day, Jesus Christ took over as king of your life and the old leader, the old king – that is, you – died.  Christian, may you always remember who is now the king of your life.

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Stretch It Out

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Joshua 8:18-27.  Let’s go!

Joshua 8:18-27 (NIV) 
18  Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Hold out toward Ai the javelin that is in your hand, for into your hand I will deliver the city.” So Joshua held out his javelin toward Ai. 
19  As soon as he did this, the men in the ambush rose quickly from their position and rushed forward. They entered the city and captured it and quickly set it on fire. 
20  The men of Ai looked back and saw the smoke of the city rising against the sky, but they had no chance to escape in any direction, for the Israelites who had been fleeing toward the desert had turned back against their pursuers. 
21  For when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city and that smoke was going up from the city, they turned around and attacked the men of Ai. 
22  The men of the ambush also came out of the city against them, so that they were caught in the middle, with Israelites on both sides. Israel cut them down, leaving them neither survivors nor fugitives. ……

On verses 18-27:  Here we see Joshua and the Israelites achieving a dominant and overwhelming victory over the city of Ai and its king.  The ambush strategy God gave Joshua works perfectly, as the king of Ai and his troops are caught outside of their city walls and being attacked both from the front and from behind by Israelite forces.

What can we learn from this?  For me the image of Joshua obeying God’s command and stretching out his javelin toward the city of Ai (v18, 26) is a powerful one.  It reminds me of the time when Moses and the Israelites were fleeing from the Egyptians and God tells Moses to “[r]aise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.” (Exodus 14:16)  

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