“So, 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 together and went up, they with all their armies, and camped by Gibeon and fought against it. Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, saying, “Do not abandon your servants; come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites that live in the hill country have assembled against us.” So, Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the valiant warriors. And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have handed them over to you; not one of them will stand against you.” So, Joshua came upon them suddenly by marching all night from Gilgal. And the Lord brought them into confusion before Israel, and He struck them down in a great defeat at Gibeon and pursued them by the way of the ascent to Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. And as they fled from Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth-horon, the Lord hurled large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died; there were more who died from the hailstones than those whom the sons of Israel killed with the sword. Then Joshua spoke to the Lord on the day when the Lord turned the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, “Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, at the Valley of Aijalon!” So, the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies. Is it not written in the Book of Jashar? And the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and did not hurry to go down for about a whole day. There was no day like that before it or after it, when the Lord listened to the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel.” (Joshua 10:5-14 NASB)
Joshua had learned some very, vital lessons from Israel’s victory over Jericho and Ai, especially from the latter because it took two battles to defeat the Ai. Here are some of the lessons he learned, lessons that you should take to heart and apply to your life. For when you do, victory will be yours, and you can say, “Now that I know!”
Here are some of the major lessons that Joshua learned: (1) Always remember that God is on the side of His chosen people. (2) The Lord should be consulted before each battle. Now, remember, each day you will face the enemy, the scheming enemy, the devil, joined in battle by the secular world and the flesh, allied forces that will try to defeat you. Therefore, consult with God early, through prayer, by looking to His word so He can direct your path, and by not being overconfident. (3) When you have a bad day, as was Israel’s case with Ai the first time, return to the practice of consulting with God so you can be victorious in the next battle. And yes, there is always a next battle. The Pastor preaching at the church I attend reminded us Sunday, “For our struggles is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12).” (4) Your power comes from the Lord. Again, Sunday we were reminded to, “Be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might (Ephesians 6:1 NASB).” (5) Be ready to support those in trouble that have made peace with you, just as Joshua and the Israelites provided support for Gibeon. A takeaway: Our battles are not only centered around us.
If you by chance think this meditation was too long, let me remind you that it is Tuesday. So, why were you looking for a Monday Short? Smile! Be blessed by what you have read, my friend. Make use of the specific message sent specifically to you in this post. Remember, “Now that I know!” Have a wonderful day! Be blessed!
Committed to the climb,
Mark L. King