Trust and Obey

GETTING STARTED

We often allow overwhelming circumstances in our lives to fulfill their description—to overwhelm us. Life presses us to the point that we feel there is no way out, no reasonable option to choose. Several enemy kings had combined their armies for a concerted and epic battle against Joshua and Israel. Joshua had a reason to be concerned. According to all the external evidence, the nation would be overrun within days. When we face moments like this, there are a variety of ways we might turn. We can take the path of faith in the person and promises of God, using the experience to establish us in our relationship with him. Or, we can minimize his commands and trust in our own resources.

READ THE WORD: JOSHUA 11:1-15 (ESV)

^11:1 When Jabin, king of Hazor, heard of this, he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph, ²and to the kings who were in the northern hill country, and in the Arabah south of Chinneroth, and in the lowland, and in Naphoth-dor on the west, ³to the Canaanites in the east and the west, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, and the Jebusites in the hill country, and the Hivites under Hermon in the land of Mizpah. ⁴And they came out with all their troops, a great horde, in number like the sand that is on the seashore, with very many horses and chariots. ⁵And all these kings joined their forces and came and encamped together at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel.

⁶And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for tomorrow at this time I will give over all of them, slain, to Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.” ⁷So Joshua and all his warriors came suddenly against them by the waters of Merom and fell upon them. ⁸And the Lord gave them into the hand of Israel, who struck them and chased them as far as Great Sidon and Misrephoth-maim, and eastward as far as the Valley of Mizpeh. And they struck them until he left none remaining. ⁹And Joshua did to them just as the Lord said to him: he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire.

¹⁰And Joshua turned back at that time and captured Hazor and struck its king with the sword, for Hazor formerly was the head of all those kingdoms. ¹¹And they struck with the sword all who were in it, devoting them to destruction; there was none left that breathed. And he burned Hazor with fire. ¹²And all the cities of those kings, and all their kings, Joshua captured, and struck them with the edge of the sword, devoting them to destruction, just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded. ¹³But none of the cities that stood on mounds did Israel burn, except Hazor alone; that Joshua burned. ¹⁴And all the spoil of these cities and the livestock, the people of Israel took for their plunder. But every person they struck with the edge of the sword until they had destroyed them, and they did not leave any who breathed. ¹⁵Just as the Lord had commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did. He left nothing undone of all that the Lord had commanded Moses.

DIGGING DEEPER

RESPOND TO GOD

Biblical faith never denies facts; it just isn’t limited by them. And the feelings of fear are only a reminder that we are “branches” (John 15), and of ourselves, we can do nothing. Faith is our reaction to a greater set of facts than our present circumstances allow us to see. Facts that arise from the understanding of a God who loves us, is in a covenant relationship with us, and has promised to never leave or forsake us. It is this kind of faith that prompts wholehearted obedience, which in turn prompts greater faith.