Rest From War

Joshua 11:16-23

16 So Joshua took this entire land: the hill country, all the Negev, the whole region of Goshen, the western foothills, the Arabah and the mountains of Israel with their foothills, 17 from Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir, to Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings and put them to death. 18 Joshua waged war against all these kings for a long time. 19 Except for the Hivites living in Gibeon, not one city made a treaty of peace with the Israelites, who took them all in battle. 20 For it was the Lord himself who hardened their hearts to wage war against Israel, so that he might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
21 At that time Joshua went and destroyed the Anakites from the hill country: from Hebron, Debir and Anab, from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua totally destroyed them and their towns. 22 No Anakites were left in Israelite territory; only in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod did any survive.
23 So Joshua took the entire land, just as the Lord had directed Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions. Then the land had rest from war.

Religious Zeal

A pastor revealed his traumatic experience at the US president’s rally. One man screamed at the protesters, “This is my president, and nobody has the right to disrespect him, and nobody has the right to keep me from hearing him.”
The pastor likened the rally to a “religious zeal.” He admitted that not everyone at the rally was hostile or violent, and said that he did not want to judge the president based on the worst of his supporters. Despite what he witnessed, he said that as a citizen of the country, he will pray for the president.

In 1 Peter 2:11-15, 11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.

Not a few believers are confused about defying or obeying authorities. The Bible does not say, “Obey good leaders only!” Good leaders are easy to obey but bad leaders are instrumental to test obedience. Resistance exposes reality of spiritual warfare.
When the Israelites obeyed their leader Joshua, they subdued the entire land.

1. Entirety

16 So Joshua took this entire land: the hill country, all the Negev, the whole region of Goshen, the western foothills, the Arabah and the mountains of Israel with their foothills, 17 from Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir, to Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings and put them to death.

In principle, the Israelites took over the entire Canaan—from the mountains to the valleys and the lowlands, from the region of Goshen to the plains of Arabah which were located in Southern Judah. Arabah is properly translated “desert plains.”
But why is it that the mountains with their foothills were named after Israel in this narrative? Was it because the narrative was written not during the war but after they had settled in their inheritance when they changed the name of Canaan into Israel?
Mount Halak is a mountain at the south of the Dead Sea toward the mountain range of Seir in Edom. Lebanon below Mount Hermon is at the north Canaan. Israel destroyed the entire Canaan and its inhabitants from the south up to the north.
21 At that time Joshua went and destroyed the Anakites from the hill country: from Hebron, Debir and Anab, from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua totally destroyed them and their towns. 22 No Anakites were left in Israelite territory; only in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod did any survive. 23 So Joshua took the entire land, just as the Lord had directed Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions. Then the land had rest from war.

Gaza, Gath and Ashdod were cities in the west next to the Mediterranean Sea. These were the Philistine territory where the Israelites left a few survivors. Then there’s rest from war after Joshua and Israel killed the Canaanite kings.
What made Israel successful that they rested from war? Was it because they trusted God’s word through Joshua? Joshua was God-chosen leader of Israel.
Good or bad, elected leaders are chosen and established by God, right? Pray that God would raise more leaders who earnestly listen to the Lord’s voice. Pray that God would reveal very clearly to our leaders His will for the church. Pray that there will be unity among church members and to grow in obedience to the will of the Lord.

In Galatians 5:16-18, 16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Resistance to God’s commands shows that the Holy Spirit is rejected. God’s commands are very simple. Theological training cannot help one to obey them. With the help of the Spirit of the obedient Son of God, genuine believers obey what God says.

In 1 Corinthians 10:23, 23“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive.

Some Israelites did what they wanted to do. Those who listened to their God-chosen leader conquered the Promise Land and rested from war. Pray that God would fill His church with obedient believers. Pray also that God would totally exterminate all the spiritual gangrenes, spiritual cancer cells, and spiritual diabetes in the church.

2. Extermination

18 Joshua waged war against all these kings for a long time. 19 Except for the Hivites living in Gibeon, not one city made a treaty of peace with the Israelites, who took them all in battle. 20 For it was the Lord himself who hardened their hearts to wage war against Israel, so that he might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
How did the Gibeonites realize the need to make treaty with the Israelites? Did God put fear in their hearts? All the Canaanites melted in fear. God wanted all of them to be exterminated. God Himself hardened their hearts to resist the Israelites.
What would God do to those who resist His will?
Would God harden the heart of those who disobey elected leaders in the church? What should we do when elected leaders are advancing their personal agenda? Should we just keep quiet and do nothing?

Our zeal for the church can never exceed the love of God for the body of Christ. When God let Christ to be crucified, not a few have argued that God hated His Son. God has systematically allowed seemingly tragic events to advance His purposes.
When God allows wicked people to be elected as church leaders, the Lord might be teaching us the need to pray earnestly and sincerely and elect leaders who have matured spiritually, and not just anyone who is popular, talented or vocal.

The narrative of Israel’s journey to the promise Land illustrates our spiritual journey to the Promised Heaven. Did you know that Joshua is Hebrew term for Jesus? Both “Joshua” and “Jesus” are properly translated, “Yahweh saves,” Yahweh is salvation.
And just as Joshua led Israel into the Promised Land, Jesus leads us in our spiritual journey to eternal life. The Israelites obeyed Joshua, and they rested from war, and they settled in the Promised Land. In comparison, believers are assured of eternal life but we are still at war against sinful desires. We haven’t find rest yet, have we?
The Lord Jesus promised rest and it’s real and practical in Matthew 11:28-30,
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

People complained that they cannot find rest that Jesus promised, why? They say they come to Jesus but they ignore the condition on how rest in Jesus take effect. Jesus said, “Take my yoke and learn from me.” Christ’s yoke is easy and light—easy to follow.

Yoke

Farmers normally attach yoke on two or more animals together when they work in the farm. The yoke would guide the animals together on one direction not separate ways. The farmer can also guide the animals attached to the yoke more conveniently.

Similarly, Jesus’ yoke is His instructions. To take His yoke is to obey His teachings. When we let the Holy Spirit guide us, we experience practical and spiritual rest. Spirit-empowered obedience is dynamic and shows that we have indeed come to Christ.
Disobedience brings restlessness. Obey the Lord and you find rest for your soul.

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