SCRIPTURE: Joshua 10:29-43
OBSERVATION:
What a lot of killing and death. It is important to remember that God did not design death as a part of His perfect world, it is the result of our sin and rebellion. Death is inevitable. God did not intend death for this world, but He does control it for His purpose. We will die because of our sin, but thankfully God is controlling its timing for His purpose, to open the way to life. Some die young, some die old; some die peacefully, some die violently… but everyone will die. God was directing the scourge of death towards the ultimate death of His Son, Jesus Christ… again, for His purpose (Acts 2:22-24). As hard as it is to understand or accept, these peoples’ purpose in this age was complete. God decided to let them experience the “wages of sin” earlier rather than later. For His purpose. We should also not assume that since everyone died this way, they were all doomed to hell. Many die violent deaths, that does not mean they are condemned. They stood before the Judge, as we all will, and He will judge them rightly, according to their hearts and their response to God in this life.
APPLICATION:
I do not believe that we are called today to imitate this kind of warfare. I believe the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is a significant turning point, and that the OT needed to happen the way it did in order to make the cross possible. Now we live on the other side of the cross, in the victory of life over death. We are now called to live out that victory through grace, love. We do not fight with the weapons of this world, but with spiritual weapons with spiritual power (2 Corinthians 10:1-5, Ephesians 6:10-20). I do personally struggle with the death and violence found in this passage, but I credit these to our sin, not to God. Thankfully God is in control, because if He wasn’t, then death and violence would be totally pointless, unleashed and uncontrollable without any hope of life or mercy. Believe it or not, if God was not restraining sin and evil and death, then this chapter would be mild compared to what the world would be like.
PRAYER:
Lord, forgive us for blaming or challenging You for the things that we do, and have unleashed in this world. We blame You, when in fact things would be much worse if You had not stepped in. Thankfully You are doing something, and You have joined us in the midst of violence and death to open the way to life. Amen.
Thank you Norm for sharing insight in these passages –
How much, like our own children, do we not understand the Fathers point of view on things. There are much more elements at play here then just the recording of all these nations being wiped out. There is much more of the story that needs understanding. God did not keep to the same action throughout history – there were certain chapters that certain action needed to happen. There were certain realities that were at play that we are not fully aware of. But God’s plan was still in the Redemption business. Ultimately, he saw the need to take action at various times and we have to believe that His ultimate goal was to redeem all of mankind to Himself.
What is important for me to realize today is – what is my response? Do I reject him and therefore walk outside of his providence. This was the choice that lay before even the children of Israel. They had no more control over God’s plan than their enemies if they did not choose to follow God’s plan.
Today, I choose God. Today, I claim to trust Him and obey His commandments.