Grace Church
257 Kendall Street
Burlington, WI 53105

(262) 763-3021

We are soldiers Joshua  10:1-15 Promised Land Living in Problematic World  Sermon #14 Do you like surprises? Do you enjoy being totally caught off guard? Knowing myself, I have to admit that I probably would rather be the instigator of the surprise rather than the recipient. I’m afraid I have a strong streak of “control freak” in me. But I have enjoyed pulling surprises off on others.   Jane and I have been married nearly twenty years. Having known me for so long, I find that I rarely can pull one over on Jane anymore. She knows me too well. Years ago though, when we were first in love and believed God was leading us together for life, Jane suspected that I would probably pop the question and give her a ring at Christmas. But I decided to surprise her at Thanksgiving.   Unbeknownst to her, I drove over to her parents’ home in East Lansing, Michigan, got her father’s permission a few days before, and then drove to Chicago to see her. At the time she was teaching second grade at a school in the Chicago suburbs. We went out to dinner and I was nervous. She did notice that I had a hard time eating my dinner. Other than that she didn’t suspect a thing. Afterwards, I took her on a horse drawn carriage ride in downtown Chicago. As we settled back in the carriage, I asked her if she was serious about marrying me. She said, “Yes.” So, I had a long overcoat on and I had the ring in the pocket of my coat underneath the overcoat (I had not thought this out as well as I should have) so I had to lift up my overcoat to reach my sport coat pocket. As I reached for the ring with my coat up around my hips, Jane romantically said, “Do you have an itch?” But when I pulled out her diamond engagement ring, her eyes got as big as saucers...and then we kissed and the rest is, well, the rest is history. Do you like surprises? Most of us like nice surprises. I know that I do...after I get over the initial shock.   After you committed your life to Christ, you may have gotten a surprise. When you came to Christ, you probably knew that God loved you, that now you were on your way to heaven. You may have known that now you were a citizen of heaven and even a servant of God, but you probably got one surprise. Christians are usually such wonderful, kind, loving people that you probably did not realize that when you were called to be a saint, you were also called to be a soldier. As believers, We are soldiers.   Modern war movies like Saving Private Ryan, Black Hawk Down and We Were Soldiers are much more realistic than those of the past. Some World War II vets had to leave while viewing Saving Private Ryan because it was a so realistic and such a vivid reminder of what they had gone through during that war. War is brutal and bloody, chaotic and confusing...and as much as we might like to deny it, war is a part of the world that we live in.   But for the Christian war is not theoretical or abstract. According to Scripture we are involved in a battle every day of our lives. The day you came to Christ you became a soldier in God’s army and Satan became your enemy. It’s not just an occasional skirmish. We are in a vicious spiritual battle with the hordes of hell and a world system violently opposed to the advance of God’s will and kingdom on earth. That’s why Paul wrote, “Fight the good fight of the faith” (1 Tim. 6:12). Ephesians 6 makes it very clear that the Christian life is one ongoing warfare. We are urged to, “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (vss. 11-12). For many though this opposition comes as a real surprise, but it is a reality of our spiritual life. We are soldiers.   Joshua, too, was in a battle against the forces of evil. His conduct in Joshua 10 exhibits ingredients necessary to win great battles. It also helps us understand what it means to be victorious soldiers, to be strong in the face of the enemy and to keep marching forward to claim new territory that our Commander in Chief, the Lord Jesus Christ, wants us to take.   In his farewell speech to Congress on April 19, 1951, General Douglas MacArthur said, "In war there is no substitute for victory." General Joshua would have agreed with that. Because we are all engaged in spiritual warfare, Joshua’s choices provides us with essential ingredients needed to win our own spiritual battles.  1. The First Ingredient for spiritual victory is to know that you are in a spiritual battle, vss. 1-6. Probably most of us would love to do what Carolyn Risher, the mayor of Inglis, Florida did last Halloween, but it’s just not a viable option. While reflecting on what she regarded as unwholesome trends in her town, Mayor Risher said that she got a clear message from God instructing her to decree the banishment of Lucifer from the city limits, so she complied, drafting a proclamation that left no room for doubt: "Be it known from this day forward that Satan, ruler of darkness, giver of evil, destroyer of what is good and just, is not now, nor ever again will be, a part of this town of Inglis." Invoking "our authority over the devil in Jesus’ name," the mayor said, "we command all Satanic and demonic forces to cease their activities and depart the town of Inglis."   The proclamation was signed by the town clerk and stamped with the town seal, and was inserted in four posts, one of which was placed at each entrance to the town. It didn’t quite work out. Lots of calls came into the mayor's office from people identifying themselves as the Prince of Darkness, which suggests that the proclamation didn't sever telephone links from Hades to Inglis. Then, somebody under a dark influence stole the posts and the messages, forcing the mayor to have them replaced. And a police spokesman admitted, "There hasn't been what I would call a mathematical drop in crimes." After the American Civil Liberties Union threatened to go to court, the town council renounced the decree and had the posts removed from town property.   Don’t you wish, though, that it were that easy? That we could somehow ban Satan from our city, our church and our homes...but we can’t. Like Joshua, we have vicious enemies.   Do you remember when we went to war against Iraq in Desert Storm? You may recall that there were several soldiers who had enlisted because joining the army was a secure career but they never intended to go to war and fight. These enlisted men found themselves in a moral dilemma when we declared war because you can’t be a soldier and be a pacifist. You also can’t be a Christian and be a spiritual pacifist.   God has called us to fight. We need the words of that old hymn echoing in our hearts, “Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus going on before. Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe; Forward into battle see His banners go!”   Somehow we believe that if we are faithful, it gets easier. That didn’t happen to Joshua. He had obeyed God conquering Jericho and Ai. Up until this point he has been fighting individual cities. But now, after he has been faithful, it gets tougher and he faces a coalition of five kings and their angry armies.   These are aggressive warriors. King Adoni-zedek has a cause. If you look at an ancient map of the holy land, you will see that Joshua had conquered part of the east with Jericho and Ai. With the treaty with Gibeon Israel now is in control of a large swath of territory right in the center of Canaan. Joshua has driven a wedge between north and south. Adoni-zedek feared the “domino theory,” that if he didn’t stop Israel now, his own city faced destruction.    Adoni-zedek’s attack had two purposes: 1) To punish the Gibeonites for making an alliance with Israel. 2) To stop Israel’s advance.   Friend, when you are on God’s side, you will face opposition. God’s people will always be attacked by those who are not on God’s side. When you have a committed relationship with the Lord, the word has a way of getting out and the sincerity of your commitment will be challenged. If you want to do something for God, if you’re serious about walking with the Lord, you’re going to face opposition.   If Joshua had been content to simply camp at Gilgal, setting up his own city-state, there wouldn’t have been much opposition. It was this energetic commitment to obey God and occupy the land that inflamed the enemy.   What’s particularly noteworthy is that this really is not Joshua’s fight. It’s the Gibeonites problem, Joshua 9. Humanly speaking, this was the perfect opportunity for Joshua to get rid of the Gibeonites. Why shouldn’t Joshua just ignore the very people who had deceived them? They’d made him look like a buffoon. Why not let this coalition destroy them, ridding him of the embarrassment? As a man of integrity who honored his word, Joshua did not consider that an option. Having given his word, he was duty bound to keep it.   Joshua also trusted in God’s sovereignty. This situation furnished him with a unique military opportunity. Rather than a long, drawn out campaign against one city at a time, it gave him an opportunity to defeat and destroy several armies at once.     Joshua stuck to principle, took on a battle and responsibility even when it was inconvenient. It is rarely convenient to please the Lord. Soldiers cover for soldiers and the soldiers in God’s army are to do the same. That’s part of being a family. It’s part of being the army of the Lord.   It’s exciting to see how often that happens in our church. Most of you know that the Alvarez’s are involved in a new business venture. Many of you have been seeking to assist them. Jerry Kennedy looks like he’s been working two jobs, he’s been helping so much. Recently, I was overwhelmed at Jawad’s willingness to minister. This week Charity flies back from Brazil. Making all the right connections, particularly for a teen, can be intimidating. Jawad, though, was willing to fly to Sao Paulo, an all night flight, just to assist her in getting on the right plane.   Joshua got involved when it was not convenient. That just goes with being part of God’s army! 2. The 2nd Ingredient for spiritual victory is to trust that God will keep His promises, vss. 7-11. Advice columnist Ann Landers used to receive something like 10,000 letters a month. One time she was asked what seems to be the most common topic. She answered that most people seem to be afraid of something. They are afraid of losing their health, their job, or their family. They are afraid of upsetting their neighbor, alienating a friend, or committing a social blunder. Many are even afraid when there is no reason to be afraid. Our’s is a world of fearful people.   The writer of Scripture is seeking to draw our attention to something in Joshua 10. Adoni-zedek and his allies are afraid of the Gibeonites and Israel. The Gibeonites ask Joshua to come save them because they are afraid of Adoni-zedek and his coalition army. But look at verse 8, “The LORD said to Joshua, ‘Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you’.”   God’s people doing God’s will should not fear. This is a continual theme throughout the book. Before the Canaan campaign began God told Joshua, “Be strong and courageous.” Three times God repeats those words to Joshua in chapter one. This now is the third time that God has told Joshua to “not be afraid.” We are free from fear when we trust God, believing that He will keep His promises.   Our loving Heavenly Father knows though that we have short memories. You will find that the Father reassures His children, not by revealing new truth that was previously unknown but by continually repeating, reassuring and reaffirming the promises that He has already given us. This is what God’s people usually need – not new truth but old and familiar truth freshly applied to our current needs.   But God does not just give them a verbal pacifier. He is the very reason that they should not fear because He Himself fights for them. Other translations more clearly reveal this wonderful reassurance within the text. The NASV and other versions translate verse 10 as God specifically warring on their behalf, “And the LORD confounded them before Israel, and He slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and pursued them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah.” All four verbs (confounded, slew, pursued, struck) have God as their subject. While this sounds strange to us, this is precisely the point that the writer wants us to see. It is God Who is the fighter, the warrior, the victor Who crushes the enemy. God is the one Who defeated their enemies and Israel must not miss this. This same point is reiterated in verse 11, “As they fled before Israel on the road down from Beth Horon to Azekah, the LORD hurled large hailstones down on them from the sky, and more of them died from the hailstones than were killed by the swords of the Israelites.”   These hailstones remind us that we will never succeed in our spiritual battles without God’s help, no matter how capable and well-armed we are. We have never won a battle in which God has not fought for us. This victory was the direct intervention and control of God. Even the weather and the hailstones are under His control. They only struck enemy soldiers, not the soldiers of Israel. God took special ammunition out of heaven’s arsenal and used it on behalf of His people. It was a God-thing, not a man-thing.   This is the implication of Ephesians 6. Each piece of armor we are commanded to wear – the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the sword of the Spirit – demonstrates it is God who gives us energy for our battles. Behind each piece of armor is a dimension of God’s power. Like Joshua, we trust in God’s promises. We have peace and courage because we rest on His Word and fight in total dependence on Him.   Now this does not mean that it will not require effort on our part. God’s empowerment and work on our behalf is not to sedate us but calls forth greater effort and activity in confidence that the battle belongs to the Lord. Israel marched all night with a 4,000 foot ascent, up steep and difficult terrain, some thirty miles to pull off a surprise attack while it was probably still dark. It was hard work.   The truth of God’s sovereignty should energize human response, not anesthetize it. Even when Joshua prays and asks for more time, He does not ask God to throw down more hailstones. Instead Joshua asks for more time so that by depending on God’s power, he can defeat the enemies. It is a both/and . . . not an either/or. God is the power, we are the hand that He uses. Israel put their lives on the line to obtain this victory. The people were expected to fight but God gave the victory.     Too often we pray that God will reach in and deliver us. We need to change our prayers and say like Joshua did, “God, I will do the job. Just give me the strength and the courage.” God will not give an “A” to a student who does not study or financial blessings to someone who is lazy. God’s grace is always sufficient and it is His power. But He will not do for us what we can and ought to do for ourselves. 3. The 3rd Ingredient for spiritual victory is to dream big (and pray big) for the glory of God, vss. 12-14. It started like so many evenings. Mom and Dad at home and Jimmy playing after dinner. Mom and Dad were absorbed with jobs and did not notice the time. It was a full moon and some of the light seeped through the windows. Then Mom glanced at the clock. "Jimmy, it’s time to go to bed. Go up now and I’ll come and settle you later." Unlike usual, Jimmy went straight upstairs to his room. An hour or so later his mother came up to check if all was well, and to her astonishment found that her son was staring quietly out of his window at the moonlit scenery. "What are you doing, Jimmy?" "I’m looking at the moon, Mommy." "Well, it’s time to go to bed now." As one reluctant boy settled down, he said, "Mommy, you know one day I’m going to walk on the moon." Who could have known that the boy in whom the dream was planted that night would survive a near fatal motorbike crash which broke almost every bone in his body, and would bring to fruition this dream 32 years later when “Jimmy” or James Irwin stepped on the moon’s surface, just one of the 12 representatives of the human race to have done so?   Unfortunately, most believers merely muddle through the muddle. Our vision is too small and limited. Not Joshua, he goes for it! He prayed for something that no one had ever prayed for before. But it wasn’t for personal gain, it was for the glory of God, vss. 12-14. Stop and let those words sink in. It is the supernatural resource of God at work on Israel's behalf. God did it. God keeps His word. God fought for Israel. But He did it in response to Joshua’s faith and prayer.   Too often in the discussion of this miracle and how it occurred, what is overlooked is that whatever God did, He did it because Joshua asked Him too.   This day was unique, not because of the sun and moon standing still but because it was in response to one committed believer’s prayer. Granted, it was some prayer! This should astound us...our awesome God listens to the voice of a man or a woman who comes to Him! The reality and potency of prayer must rebuke the flippancy with which we too often approach the throne of the Great King. It ought to cause us to catch our breath to think that God Who is seated in the heavens, stoops down and bends His ear to listen to words from the lips of creatures of clay! In Psalms 91:15 God promises us,  “He will call upon me, and I will answer him.” What a loving, gracious God!   Prayer is the indispensable ingredient for meeting and winning the battles of life. Joshua knew it and had a vibrant prayer life and we know it too...but do we have a vibrant prayer life?   To be candid, we don’t know how God accomplished this miracle. Donald Campbell, former president of Dallas Seminary shared that one research paper by a seminary student discussed 12 explanations for this miracle and stated that these were only representative samples.   One important and often overlooked fact is that the sun and moon were principal deities among the Canaanites. However it happened, it was a powerful demonstration that their pagan gods were no match for the one true God of Israel, who, in their minds, made even their gods obey.   Liberal theologians suggest that this was just poetic language, no miracle actually took place. They will then point out that every intelligent person knows that it is not the sun that moves but the earth that rotates on its axis around the sun. It’s interesting to note that the same skeptics refer to the sun “rising in the morning and setting in the evening.” Descriptive language is used even by the most “scientific” people.   There is a difference though in opinion among conservative scholars as to precisely what happened. Because of the wording used, some believe Joshua was actually requesting a continuation of the darkness that had aided him in his surprise attack upon the alliance. The majority opinion though is that Joshua was calling for continued light so as to finish the battle. Many a sermon or Bible lesson has concentrated on this being the “longest day.”   For me it really doesn’t matter. That’s not the point. Either theory is acceptable. What is essential though is that God supernaturally intervened in answer to one man’s prayer and in keeping with His promises to give His people the victory. He miraculously provided ideal atmospheric conditions under which to complete the battle.   In our naturalistic, skeptical world, believers forget that God provides supernatural resources to us when we are on His side. It is far too easy to read this account and think, “Well, that was nice back then, but God doesn’t work that way today.’’ Friend, let me encourage you to look back over your life. Do you really believe that things just happen, that your life is merely a series of coincidences?   Our family has been praying all month for Charity’s trip in Brazil. One of our concerns was about her return trip because of the difficulty of getting connected with the language barrier on to her flight in time. A year ago we said good-bye to Steve and Sheila Schwab when Steve was transferred by Chrysler to Brazil. Just a coincidence? Sheila offers for them to meet Charity in San Paulo and I take her up on it. What I didn’t realize was that they would have to fly to San Paulo from where they are at – though it is just a 45 minute flight – but in Brazil, it’s a ten hour drive. Obviously, it was too much. But now that Steve has her itinerary, he’s working out at the gym and a friend of his is flying back to the States on the same day and at the same time that Charity is flying out of San Paulo. Just a coincidence? Steve also looks at her flights and realizes that there is not enough time for Charity to make her connection, so he checks, finds that there is another flight and calls me.   It’s hard enough to change a ticket stateside but Charity is in Brazil. And I need to make a change on the Brazilian airline. At the very least, they are going to charge big bucks for the change and I don’t speak Portugese. The agency we purchased the ticket through told me to call United because they were the issuing airline and Varag, the Brazilian airline, is just the connection. Well, I call United, they look at the records and say that the ticket is a mistake. There is no way that that ticket should have been issued with those time limitations. Not only do they change it, but there is no charge. And Steve’s friend is all set to meet Charity at the airport in San Paulo this Thursday.   Now if you want to call those coincidences, go ahead but I don’t think so because if I believed in luck, I know that I couldn’t be that lucky. They are answers to prayer. They are the overruling hand of a loving sovereign God.   Someone said, “We have enough people who tell it like it is, now we could use a few who tell it like it can be.” My friend, if you let yourself dream. If you set aside your down to earth practicality and focused on God’s kingdom and glory, if you let yourself dream big, what would you ask God to do...in your life? In your part of His kingdom? In this church? Joshua was willing to dream and ask big...are we? Perhaps, as James says, we “do not have, because we do not ask God” (James 4:2). Conclusion: Early in his Christian experience, the believer recognizes that he too faces not a single foe but a coalition of the world, the flesh, and the devil. Without the help of God, victory is impossible.   A notorious drunkard was converted during the Welsh revival, and became a sober and respectable man. But the tavern owner was disturbed over losing such a good customer. One day as this new believer walked by, the proprietor called out, “What’s gone wrong, Charlie? Why do you keep going past instead of coming in?” Charlie stopped for a moment, and then with a glance heavenward, he replied, “Sir, it is not just that I keep going past; we go past!” That’s the secret to victory–the Lord is present and fights for us. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).   We are soldiers...soldiers in God’s army. If we are going to be victorious soldiers then we must remember that we are in a battle; trust God to keep His promises; dream big and pray big for the glory of God. Joshua was victorious and we can be victorious too...but we must do it God’s way!