Four Lessons in Spiritual Warfare

Text Joshua 10:1-28 Time 06 09 20 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church (Zoom)

We have looked now at the first nine chapters of the sixth book of the Bible, Joshua. We have had a little break from it and tonight I want us to go back to it and to Chapter 10 verses 1-28. In this chapter once again there is fighting between God's people and the Canaanites or Amorites who they have been commanded to destroy. Things are slightly more complicated at this point as they have been tricked into entering into a covenant with the Gibeonites to protect them and it is a call from Gibeon for help that leads to their battle with the Amorite kings. Nevertheless, here is another reminder of the spiritual battle that we are facing if we are true believers and valuable lessons with regard to going about the task.

There are four main things here.

1. Learn about your enemies from the five Amorite Kings who attack Gibeon

There are three things to notice in verses 1-5

1. Alarm. Notice what alarms our enemies

We read (1, 2) 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 had become their allies. 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.

So two things alarm the people - the defeat of Ai as well as Jericho and the peace treaty that the Gibeonites had entered into. This meant that Israel had taken the central plateau. They had driven a wedge between north and south. Unbelievers are alarmed both when they see Christian arguments winning outright favour or if they feel that others are being influenced by such thinking. If we make any progress at all, our enemies grow agitated.

2. Alliance. Notice that they often band together in an effort to defeat us

We then read how Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem appealed to four other Amorite kings Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish and Debir king of Eglon saying "Come up and help me attack Gibeon, ... because it has made peace with Joshua and the Israelites." Here the decision is to attack Gibeon rather than the Israelites - to punish them but note the tendency to make alliances.

3. Attack. Expect them to attack us or those who are sympathetic to us or related to us

Verse 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. We can always expect an attack - if not on us then on those we are allied to. Here it is the Gibeonites. For us, we may find family and friends are attacked simply for being associated with us not for actually being believers.

2. Learn about the battle from the needy Gibeonites and the way Joshua comes to save them

We come next to verses 6-8 and again there are three things.

1. Request. As soon as trouble came the Gibeonites call on Joshua as we should call on Jesus

6 The Gibeonites then sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: "Do not abandon your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us! Help us, because all the Amorite kings from the hill country have joined forces against us."

2. Response. As soon as Joshua knew the need he came with all his might as Jesus does to us

7 So Joshua marched up from Gilgal with his entire army, including all the best fighting men.

3. Reassurance. Joshua came reassured that he would be successful - just so Jesus come to us

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." What God had said to Joshua at the beginning of the campaign, he says again. We do not need fresh revelation but a reminder of what we already know.

3. Learn about victory - The Amorites defeated by surprise and by miracles

Two things give Joshua and the Israelites victory here. On the one hand there is the tactics used and on the other the miraculous intervention of God. We too need such things to be victorious.

1. Tactics are important

We read in verse 9 that After an all-night march from Gilgal, Joshua took them by surprise. This is part of the reason why they were victorious. As we will note, this is not the only factor but it is a factor. We need to learn the best ways of opposing those who beny the faith and hwo criticie the things we hold to.

2. The work of God is even more important

Some three miracles seem to have occurred during the battle that brought about the victory. Here God himself is seen to be a warrior who fights on Israel's behalf.

1. Confusion

10 The LORD threw them into confusion before Israel. This is how Joshua and the Israelites were able to defeat(ed) them completely (the Amorites) at Gibeon. Israel pursued them along the road going up to Beth Horon and cut them down all the way to Azekah and Makkedah.

2. Hailstones

We read further that (11) As they fled before Israel on the road down from Beth Horon to Azekah, the LORD hurled large hailstones down on them, and here is the interesting thing more of them died from the hail than were killed by the swords of the Israelites.

3. The solar stand still

And then in verses 12-14 we read that On the day the LORD gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the LORD in the presence of Israel: "Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon." 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. There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the LORD listened to a human being. Surely the LORD was fighting for Israel!

Now there are at least two reactions to this. On the one hand, some say this is absolutely impossible. There is no way that this can have happened. It is impossible.

On the other, some are so prepared to believe it that they will tell you the story of how NASA computers actually discovered the lost day of Joshua 10.

The story goes something like this - a NASA computer was programmed to calculate planetary positions in the future and the past. While running the program into the past, scientists were amazed when the computer "came to a halt" and put up a red signal that something was wrong. There appeared to be a day missing in space in elapsed time. After some discussion, it was suggested that this missing day might be the time when Joshua made the sun stand still. The computer indicated that "the elapsed time missing back in Joshua's day was 23 hours and 20 minutes," not a whole day. Someone then produced a Bible and found that it said "about a day." That removed an inconsistency but there was still 40 minutes of time to be accounted for. Someone then remembered II Kings 20, where Isaiah made the shadow of the sun return backward 10 degrees to impress the dying Hezekiah. "10 degrees is exactly 40 minutes ... Isn't that amazing?"

The story originally appeared in "Mary Kay's Kollum" (by Mary Kathryn Bryan) in the Spencer, Indiana Evening World, October 10, 1969. Other papers picked it up. The story credited a "Mr. Harold Hill" as its source. He was described as a "consultant in the space program" and "President of the Curtis Engine Company in Baltimore, Md".

Someone checked and found that Hill's company had a contract to maintain two small diesel engines that powered backup electrical generators for a building at The Goddard Space Flight Centre. When someone at Goddard enquired he found no evidence of the story and wondered if someone had passed it on in an attempt to wind up Hill. At the time computer programs were very expensive and only predicted future planetary positions for space missions for the next few years. NASA had absolutely no reason to calculate past planetary positions. The story also assumes greater accuracy than was then possible. There is no hint of this story in any science journals. When Hill himself was asked to verify the story he claimed to be unable to find the source that he had used.

The story probably comes from a 1936 book by a man called Harry Rimmer called The Harmony of Science and Scripture. He credits a very similar story to "a book by Prof C A Totten of Yale, written in 1890." He also asserts, without documentation, that "Sir Edwin Ball, the great British astronomer, found that 24 hours had been lost out of solar time." Totten turns out to have been a "Professor of Military Science and Tactics at Yale" who wrote on Joshua 10. Presumably Hill had read this story at some point and thinking he was helping Christ's cause modernised it a little to give it credibility. Not a good idea. As one sceptic comments these stories have "all the characteristics of modern "urban folk tales", such as the "alligators in the sewer" stories." They lack internal logic.

We do not need to go looking for evidence that Joshua 10 is true. We simply accept it by faith. Given that we do not know how it was done exactly that has to be the way forward. It is not even entirely clear whether the darkness was extended or the light. The important thing is that God miraculously intervened and that is a reminder of the importance of looking to God.

The lesson is that God will give us victory over our enemies. All we need to do is to look to him. He is unlikely to do anything miraculous but he does wonderful things to this day. Prayer is essential in spiritual warfare.

4. Consider the sequel - the enemy completely defeated and crushed and Israel's commanders encouraged

The rest of the story is in verses 15-28. A number of things happen. Again the story is full of lessons.

1. How good when our enemies are completely defeated

In verses 15-20 we read how Joshua and his army returned ... to the camp at Gilgal. We are told that the five kings had fled and hidden in the cave at Makkedah. When Joshua learned of this he ordered that large rocks be rolled up to the mouth of the cave, and men posted outside to guard it. Meanwhile the rest of the Amorites had to be pursued and attacked from the rear not allowing them reach their cities, for said Joshua the LORD your God has given them into your hand. And (20) So Joshua and the Israelites defeated them completely, although a few survivors managed to reach their fortified cities.

Sometimes great victories are won for the gospel. Be thankful when such things happen.

2. How good when God's people are encouraged

21-25 The whole army then returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah, and for that period no one even uttered a word against the Israelites. Joshua then commanded the cave be opened and the five kings brought to him - the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon. Joshua then got the kings to lie down and got the army commanders who had come with him to put their feet on the necks of the(se) kings. (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."

Joshua takes the opportunity then to show his commanders where this is all heading. This is the future he says. Take courage from it; be strengthened. Don't be afraid. This is what God is going to do with all your enemies. Yes, it was only a symbolic action but it wa s real symbolism.

3. How good when our enemies are crushed

26-28 Finally, Joshua put the kings to death and exposed their bodies on five poles. They were left hanging on the poles until evening. At sunset Joshua gave the order and they took them down from the poles bodies were not to be hung up overnight. They then threw them into the cave where they had been hiding. At the mouth of the cave they placed large rocks, which the writer says are there to this day. Finally there is a footnote - 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.

Some days we do see stunning victories over sin and over the devil. Be glad when we do.

Handling Subtle Attacks from our Enemies and Handling the Consequences

Text Joshua 9 Time 02 08 20 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church (Zoom)

In Joshua 9 we come to what is known as the Gibeonite deception - not a battle this time but certainly a further episode in Israel's conquering of the land. What happens here is that one group of Canaanites, namely the people of the city of Gibeon, come up with a ruse to trick the Israelites into making a treaty with them. Because the Israelites fail to enquire of the Lord they are fooled and so have to live with the consequences of their mistake.

The lesson for us today as we seek to live lives of devotion to the Lord is an obvious one. We too are liable to deception. Our enemies do not fight fairly and if we are not very careful we will find that we are put in a difficult position and we will live with the consequences, perhaps for the rest of our lives. It may have implications indeed for generations to come.

Three things then this evening

1. Watch out for attacks especially those of a more subtle kind

Joshua 9 opens with these words Now when all the kings west of the Jordan heard about these things - the kings in the hill country, in the western foothills, and along the entire coast of the Mediterranean Sea as far as Lebanon (the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites) - they came together to wage war against Joshua and Israel.

The Israelites had already defeated Jericho, Ai and other cities but now they face opposition of a different kind.

Firstly, their enemies decide that they can oppose Israel better if they unite. And so an alliance is formed by Hittite, Amorite, Canaanite, Perizzite, Hivite and Jebusite forces. Such an amalgamation was a greater threat than if Israel was allowed simply to pick each tribe off one by one.

It is worth remembering that if our enemies should ever amalgamate we would find it much more difficult than we do. As it is, we face a very divided opposition. Those who oppose us are not all atheists - there are Muslims and Jews and Hindus and Roman Catholics and liberals and cults for that matter. Even groups like the Muslims are hopelessly divided among themselves. There are Sunnis and Shiahs, as we know, but also Kharijites and Ismailites and Alawites and Sufis and Druze and Nation of Islam and the Ahmadiyya movement and so on.

But then there are the Gibeonites. Their plan is not about unity but about subtlety. Their approach is all about deceit, using false evidence and speaking false words. It is a common enough approach.

1. Watch for the use of false evidence

We read in verses 3-5 However, when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, instead of joining the alliance they resorted to a ruse: This is what they did They went as a delegation whose donkeys were loaded with worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. They put worn and patched sandals on their feet and wore old clothes. All the bread of their food supply was dry and mouldy. It sounds like a strange thing to do but the plan was to present themselves in such a way that they gave the impression that Gibeon was a lot further away than it was. It was in fact only six miles north west of Jerusalem.

We need to watch out for false evidence. Sometimes our enemies will try and fool us with false evidence - things that are not really true.

2. Watch for the speaking of false words

Of course, the mere items were not enough. There were false words too. Verses 6-8 Then they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the Israelites, "We have come from a distant country; make a treaty with us." The Israelites said to the Hivites, "But perhaps you live near us, so how can we make a treaty with you?" "We are your servants," they said to Joshua. They then showed the apparent evidence to back up their story about being from far away.

The lesson then is not to take all evidence at face value and not ot believe everything that people say at face value. Often the evidence is false and often people tell lies. Be ready for such antics.

3. Avoid a superficial examination that misses things

Joshua did ask "Who are you and where do you come from?" but on reflection it was rather superficial approach that he took. He was undone by their flattery and their lies.

1 Flattery 9-11 First they say Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the LORD your God. For we have heard reports of him: all that he did in Egypt, and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan - Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth. And our elders and all those living in our country said to us, 'Take provisions for your journey; go and meet them and say to them, "We are your servants; make a treaty with us."'

You see how they are buttering Joshua up. They are saying the very things he would want to hear. There is also no mention of Jericho and Ai. They deliberately miss out the thing that had led to them coming to Joshua as they did. Watch out for omissions.

From time to time I have been conned by men asking for money. I remember a Chinese man once who told me that he had been a monk and that he had fallen in love with a former nun and they were trying to run away together but the Catholic authorities were trying to stop them and were making the nun stay in her cloister. If you know anything about Protestant and Catholic differences you will see that this was just the story to arouse my sympathy and to open my wallet. But it was just a story. I know that because some while later I got chatting with a Roman Catholic Priest and we discussed this very man. When he had tried to con the Catholic priest, the story was that he knew someone who was expecting a baby and she was being forced into an abortion and he wanted to help her get away - again the very thing that a Catholic Priest would be sympathetic about.

Watch out when people seem to say the very thing you want to hear. It may just be flattery. They may just be saying what they know you want to hear.

With the flattery were straight lies, 12, 13 This bread of ours was warm when we packed it at home on the day we left to come to you they lied. But now see how dry and mouldy it is. And these wineskins that we filled were new, but see how cracked they are. And our clothes and sandals are worn out by the very long journey." Yes, very interesting and convincing but it was a lie. We have all been lied to at some time or another but we just can't get used to it. Again and again we are shocked to find actually what we were told was just a lie.

I have told you before how when I trained as a teacher I asked a class of 13 year olds how many of them believed in Father Christmas. I was surprised to see that a third of the class (about 10 or 12 kids) still said they believed. It led to a question about the old BBC Top of the Pops. How many children thought that the bands on that programme were actually performing their songs? This time about half the class put their hands up. Half of them did not realise that the bands were miming to their own music, even though if you look you can see drummers not hitting their drums and guitarists playing unplugged electric guitars. By the time I came to the question of whether the children thought the wrestling on  a Saturdy afternoon was real, nearly three quarters raised their hands. Again, if you watch with a sceptical eye, it is easy to see that it is all play acting but most of these kids had been fooled.

One night my son and I watched a programme revealing the tricks of magic. Most of the reveals are pretty simple. So when sawing the woman in half for example, usually she simply scrunches her body up so that it is all in the top half of the box outside the range of the saw. Have you seen a magician making the Empire State building or some other landmark disappear? It can seem very impressive on live TV but they simply change the camera angle and hope the live audience won't tell anyone. Yes, as simple as that. A big fat lie. Like this Gibeonite one.

People lie - not just about the fact they took the money or they lost the dog or whatever but about all sorts of things. Be ready for it.

Two other things here. Firstly, you note how very well informed the Gibeonites appear to be about Israel and what they could and could not do. They knew alliances were okay if the cities were a distance away. Often enemies of the gospel are well informed about the faith. However, they deny it and oppose it.

Secondly, just a reminder that appearance of age can be deceptive. Yes, the Gibeonites bread looked old and was old and their clothes and shoes really were worn out - but it did not prove what they said. We get the same sleight of hand when scientists tell us this or that rock is so many millions of years old and they claim that they can date things accurately and speak again in terms of millions of years. These figures only work if the theory of uniformity is true - that is, that nothing has changed down the years. You are familiar with the idea that a star is so many million years away from earth. But it is then assumed that the star began to shine that number of years before. Not necessarily. I always think of Eden. If you had cut down a tree in the first week of creation, no doubt you could count the rings and you might think it was ten years, twenty years old but you would be wrong.

So watch out for attacks especially those of a more subtle kind.

2. When faced with decisions do not make the fatal mistake of failing to inquire of the LORD

The most striking verse in this chapter is verse 14 The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the LORD. Again and again this is the mistake that we make - we go on what our ears and eyes tell us, which is often the right thing to do but not if someone is seeking to deceive you or is telling lies. You see those men with the three cups and the money. Which cup is the money under? It's simple it must be that one. The first customer got it easily and he won money but he was a plant and they are seeking to deceive you and you will lose money if you try and follow.

And so in verse 15 we read that Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath.

But (16) Three days after they made the treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites heard that they were neighbours, living near them! In fact (17) the Israelites set out and on the third day came to their cities: Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth and Kiriath Jearim. Just three days away. No distance at all.

We dare not trust to ourselves when weighing up whether people are speaking the truth or not. We have to enquire of the Lord.

3. Learn to live with the consequences of your own mistakes

The final thing to learn here concerns living with the consequences of our own mistakes. It is not easy but this is part of living the christian life. What happens here is that when they get to Gibeon the Israelites do not attack ..., because the leaders of the assembly had sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. The people were not happy about this and grumbled against the leaders, but all the leaders answered, quite rightly, We have given them our oath by the LORD, the God of Israel, and we cannot touch them now. Instead they announced We will let them live, so that God's wrath will not fall on us for breaking the oath we swore to them. However, They continued, "Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers in the service of the whole assembly." By this means the leaders' promise to them was kept. Joshua explains to the Gibeonites that they are now under a curse: You will never be released from service as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God. Finally, the Gibeonites come clean (24) They answered Joshua, Your servants were clearly told how the LORD your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you the whole land and to wipe out all its inhabitants from before you. So we feared for our lives because of you, and that is why we did this. They go on (25) We are now in your hands. Do to us whatever seems good and right to you.

So Joshua saved them from the Israelites, and they did not kill them. That day he made the Gibeonites woodcutters and water carriers for the assembly, to provide for the needs of the altar of the LORD at the place the LORD would choose. And that is what they are to this day.

Dale Ralph Davis gives the example of how his ten year old son made a bet with a friend on the national baseball play offs and lost. He was not allowed to bet but Davis felt that if he had agreed to the bet he ought to pay it off. And so he had to scrape together his pocket money and pay the debt. As it turned out the other boy's father would not allow his son to collect and so Davis's son was spared but it is a good example of how the principle might play out today in a Christian scenario.

I suppose the most obvious example for us today would be where a Christian disobeys the Lord and marries an unbeliever. What do you do in such a situation when you come to your senses? People told you not to marry an unbeliever or they told you the person you were going to marry was not a believer but you would not listen. Now it is clear the person is not converted. You do not divorce them. No, you have promised to love them and be devoted to them so you must remain married but you have to live with the consequences of that poor decision.

James Fraser of Alness (1700-1769) who wrote a praised Treatise on sanctification apparently had a wife who was very unsympathetic to him and his ministry. She refused to cook for him and at nighthe would retreat to the study to avoid a tongue lashing from her. However, she controlled the coal bin and the oil for the lamp, allowing him no fire to warm himself or oil to light his lamp. If he sat still in the dark, he would nearly freeze. Because of this, he walked back and forth from one end of his study to the other, in the dark, with his hands in front of him. After he died they examined his study and found indentations in the plaster where his hands hit the wall on his nightly beat.

It is said that oen time when the local Presbyterian pastors were gathered, a toast was offered for the wives of the pastors. The man offering the toast turned to Fraser and said, “You’ll want to offer a toast to your wife as well, James?”

“So I will and so I should,” said Fraser. “For my wife has been better to me than all of yours put together!”

“How so?” they asked.

“My wife has driven me to my knees seven times a day, and that is more than any of your wives have done for you!”

WHat an example of living with the consequences.

Or to take other examples, say you decided to get a large tattoo of your favourite football team on your arm or you went into a business partnership with an unbeliever or you joined the army on an 18 year contract or whatever it is - you have to live with yourself and with the consequences of your actions as best you can.

The other thing here is the way that because of the integrity of the Israelites, the Gibeonites were brought into a position where they became daily witnesses to God's grace to his people and no doubt some came to faith in due time. Gibeon became a priestly city and the ark was placed there at one time. Gibeonites returned from exile in later times. Again the obvious parallel is where a Christian sticks with the unbelieving spouse and in due time they are converted. There is no guarantee this will happen but sometimes it does. God is very gracious.

We live in a culture where talk is cheap and people do not keep their word. We are not to be like that. We are to keep our promises even if it hurts.