How many of you have computers?  Computers are a necessary evil.  Right?

About 2 weeks before we went on vacation I defragmented our hard drive.  Which is a routine operation that’s suppose to help the computer run smoother.  Which it didn’t.  Suddenly the computer couldn’t find files and started running really really slow.

I tried everything to getting it working right.  After two weeks of discussions with technical support - they gave up - and sent out a really nice man with a new hard drive.

So over our vacation time - which is God’s grace because we didn’t need use the computer while we we’re away - over vacation I spent days loading programs and restoring files.  By the time we got back I was able to do my sermon preparation and send out the weekly sermon email.  Things were up and running.

Tuesday the computer decided it didn’t like Netscape and simply cut it off.  Which led to several several hours of futile efforts on my part to get things working again.  Now we’re getting error codes in Chinese.  By Thursday I was ready to fix our computer with a sledge hammer.  Been there?

Take a look at this slide.  Ever feel this way?  Like the only turn left takes you nowhere?

What about like this?  Like you’ve been climbing up a mountain - only to find out when you get to the top that it’s the wrong mountain.

As we go through life we can always find reasons to quit - to throw in the towel - to just give up.  Those can be pretty deep reasons.  The loss of a child.  A spouse who tells you they don’t love you any more—or that they’ve found someone new.  Abuse.  Loosing a job.  Not being able to come up with a reason to get up in the morning and do life - the depression - anxiety - the sense of failure is just to much.  Doing life just becomes overwhelming - futile.

We can always find reasons to give up.  Coming to Joshua 11 - what we’re looking at this morning are reasons to keep going.

Joshua 11 - verse 1:  Then it came about, when Jabin king of Hazor heard of it, that he sent to Jobab, king of Madon and to the king of Shimron and to the king of Achshaph, and to the kings who were in the north in the hill country, and in the Arabah - south of Chinneroth and the lowland and on the heights of Dor on the west - to the Canaanite on the east and on the west, and the Amorite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Jebusite in the hill country, and the Hivite at the foot of Hermon in the land of Mizpeh.  They came out, they and all their armies with them, as many people as the sand that is on the seashore, with very many horses and chariots.  So all of these kings having agreed to meet, came and encamped together at the waters of Merom, to fight against Israel.

Let’s pause and catch up to what’s happening here.

First - verse one says “When Jabin heard of it.”  We need to be reminded of what “it” is.

Last Sunday when we looked at chapter ten we saw that there was alliance of kings in the south that came together - a formidable enemy - came together for the one purpose of destroying Joshua and Israel.

We saw that when Joshua and God’s people trusted God - did things God’s way - God destroyed Israel’s enemies.  The result was that Israel ended up in control of the central highlands and all of the southern Promised Land.  What you see here represented by the green area.

That’s the “it” that Jabin - king of Hazor - heard about.  Along with the defeat of Pharaoh - the defeat of Og and Sihon and their kingdoms on the east side of the Jordan River - the defeat of Jericho and Ai and Bethel - Israel now mows down everyone in the south.

Second - we need to visualize the alliance that’s being put together.

If you look at the map you’ll see the cities listed here.  These are all the kings of the north - the principle cities.  Jabin appeals to these kings to join him.  Then Jabin sends out an invitation to everyone else - the rest of the Canaanites - the Amorites - Hittites - Perizzites - Jebusites - Hivites - Stalactites.

Looking at the map you’ll see that all these other peoples were the survivors of Israel’s conquest the south. These are the people that have lost their homes and families.  Scattered troops with a desire for vengeance.  Its pay back time.  

Third - we need to consider the strength of the alliance.

The city of Hazor was formidable in itself.  It was the most prominent - the most imposing - of all the Canaanite cities.  By size comparison - Jericho - and Jericho was pretty tough adversary in itself - Jericho covered about 6 or 7 acres.  Hazor covered about 200 acres.  Hazor is a powerful city.

Verse 4 says that - when all these kings and peoples joined together there were as many people as sand on the seashore.  That’s Scriptures way of saying there was a really vast number - huge.  Verse 4 also tells us that they had horses and chariots.  Cavalry and the heavy armor of the day.  The Hebrews had never come up against a chariots before.

Josephus - the Jewish historian - writes that there were 300,000 footmen - 10,000 horsemen - and 20,000 chariots.  Which may or may not be accurate numbers.

But, the point is that this was a large - armed to the teeth - with superior modern weapons - armed to the teeth - motivated - ready for revenge - defending their homes - formidable adversary.  The most formidable enemy Israel has faced - both in numbers and weaponry.  Assembled with one purpose - annihilate Israel.

Fourth - we need to know the location of the gathering.

Verse 5 says that they came together at the waters of Merom.  Which you’ll see on the map here.  The waters of Merom was in a mountainous area about 4,000 feet in elevation.  It was not a location where chariots could be used in battle - chariots couldn’t maneuver in the hills.  It was probably a place to gather and develop strategy.

Verse 6:  Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid because of them, for tomorrow this time I will deliver all of them slain before Israel; you shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.”  So Joshua and all the people of war with him came upon them suddenly by the waters of Merom, and attacked them.  The Lord delivered them into the hand of Israel, so that they defeated them, and pursued them as far as Great Sidon and Misrephoth-maim and the valley of Mizpeh to the east; and they struck them until no survivor was left to them.  Joshua did to them as the Lord had told him; he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire.

Three things we need to grab on to here.

First:  God’s confidence building statement.  “Do not be afraid.  By this time tomorrow I’m going to serve these guys up to you on a silver platter.”

“Footmen and horses and chariots - Oh My!”  But this is the God who  brought His people across the Jordan on dry land.  Who brought down the walls of Jericho.  Who led His people through an improbable series of conquests through the south - killing off Israel’s enemies with giant hailstones - even stopping the motion of the sun and moon through the sky.

Ever since Jericho - each time Israel moved forward - following God - they came up against increasingly greater opposition.  Each time they came up against greater opposition - each time their faith got stretched farther - God would prove that He was able to bring victory to His people.  

Which is true in our lives.  God demonstrates in increasingly more challenging circumstances - increasingly faith stretching circumstances - that He is able to deliver us.  That He’s with us.  So as we look back through our lives - as we see challenges of increasing difficulty - we also see God’s demonstrations of His providence and protection.  We see that as we’ve learned to trust Him in the past - we can have confidence to trust Him in whatever happens to us.

Joshua needed to hear this.  Israel needed to hear it.  We need to hear it.  “Do not be afraid.  I’ve got this one covered too.  Just like the last one when you wondered if I was able.  Trust Me.”

Second:  grab on to the speed of the attack.  Great strategy.

Joshua is suppose camped at Gilgal - way off in the south.  The alliance of the north - at the waters of Merom - is suppose to have time to organize and strategize.  But Joshua doesn’t do what he’s suppose to do.  He surprises the alliance.  He does it in the mountains where the chariots are useless.

Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.”

The word “wait” is the Hebrew word “qawa.”  It means to wait in eager expectation with our whole being - expecting that God will act - He will give instructions.

 “Be strong” is the word “hazaq.”  It has the idea of a conscious - dogged decision to stand firm - to dig our heals in.  No circumstances - no interval of time is going to move us from what we believe.

“Let your heart take courage”  The Hebrew for courage is “amets.”  Literally it means to “strengthen yourself.”  God gives us times of waiting, to prepare - to take stock of the resources He has given us.  To equip ourselves - to regain our focus.

There are times when we think that God is moving slow to intervene in our lives.  We can see the opposition growing - things are getting worse - waiting seems to take forever.  Why are we hanging out at Gilgal while all these alliances are being formed?

But God knows the optimal timing of things.  Faithfully waiting on God is never passive - always active.  Because we need to be ready to move forward in faith.  When God moves - often swift.  We need to be ready to move with Him.

Third:  Grab this - victory - once again - is God’s gift to His people.  “The Lord delivered them into the hand of Israel.”

Looking at the map you’ll see that Israel drove her enemies farther north.  Its a complete a rout.  No survivors.

Milling about - around the waters of Merom - are the horses.  Littering the field of battle are the abandoned chariots.  It would be tempting to keep the horses - to keep the chariots - to count them as spoils of war - to use them against Israel’s enemies.  A major strategic advantage.  But God didn’t say to do that.

Joshua does what God commands.  The horses are hamstrung.  Which means that the tendons over the ankle were cut - making them useless for battle.  The chariots were burned - destroyed.  Which made them useless for war.

The point is that Israel’s trust is not in horses and chariots but in God.  The victory isn’t because of superior weaponry - or Israel’s cleverness.  It’s a gift of God.  He delivers it to them. 

We need to be impressed by this.  In the face of overwhelming opposition - wait on God - follow His instructions - He will be with us.  God gives us victory.  Who gives us victory?  God.

Verse 10:  Then Joshua turned back at that time and captured Hazor, and struck its king with the sword; for Hazor formerly was the head of all these kingdoms.

Remember Joshua is wiping out Israel’s enemies - pursing them north. Then he turns south.  We’ve seen this strategy before.  Joshua takes out the enemy army.  Then captures the city.

Verse 11:  They struck every person who was in it [Hazor] with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them; there was no one left who breathed.  And he burned Hazor with fire.  Joshua captured all the cities of these kings, and he struck them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed them; just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded.

Remember that observation - just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded.

Verse 13:  However, Israel did not burn any cities that stood on their mounds, except Hazor alone, which Joshua burned.  All the spoil of these cities and the cattle, the sons of Israel took as their plunder; but they struck every man with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them, they left no one who breathed.

There’s an almost monotonous regularity to all this.  Defeat the army.  Capture the city.  Kill the kings.  Burn this.  Capture that.  Scripture records this regularity - through the central campaign.  Through the southern campaign.  And again, here in the northern campaign.

Here’s the point:  Verse 15 - they did all this - Just 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.

God commands Moses.  Moses - before Israel ever gets into the Promised Land - before any of this takes place - Moses commands Joshua.  Joshua does what God commanded through Moses.  Nothing is left undone.  But remember, who gives us victory?  God.

Hold on to this.  Victory and blessing are an outcome of faithful obedience.  Say that with me, “Victory and blessing are an outcome of faithful obedience.” 

Verse 16:  Thus Joshua took all that land:  the hill country and all the Negev, all that land of Goshen, the lowland, the Arabah, the hill country of Israel and its lowland from Mount Halak, that rised toward Seir, even as far as Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon at the foot of Mount Hermon.  And he captured all their kings and struck them down and put them to death.  Joshua waged war a long time with all these kings.  There was not a city which made peace with the sons of Israel except the Hivites living in Gibeon; they took them all in battle.  For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts, to meet Israel in battle in order that he might utterly destroy them, that they might receive no mercy, but that he might destroy them, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

That’s a lot of geography to take in.  If you’ll look at the map you’ll see first what Israel had captured during the southern campaign.  Then you’ll see what the ended up with after the northern campaign - including what they had captured before crossing the Jordan River.

Verse 21:  Then Joshua came at that time and cut off the Anakim from the hill country, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab and from the hill country of Judah and from all the hill country of Israel.  Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities.  There were no Anakim left in the land of the sons of Israel; only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod some remained.

Do you remember who the Anakim are?  Not Skywalker.  These are the people that when the 12 spies went to spy out the Promised Land - back under Moses - before the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness - the spies came back - all of them except Joshua and Caleb talked about how impossible it would be to take the land because of the cities were large and fortified - insurmountable opposition.  And, there were descendants of Anak in the land - Anakim.  The Anakim were an initial discouragement for Israel.

Here in verse 21 were told that Joshua drives them down to Gaza and the cities of Gath and Ashdod - where they remained outside Israel’s territory.

Their mention here is significant.  When God’s people stepped out in faith - as they learned to trust God - obeying God’s commands - even the Anakim were defeated.  God’s people have gone from being a people whining and wanting to crawl back to Egypt - to possessors of the Promised Land.  Following God they’ve conquered cities - whole peoples - great armies - even the Anakim.

Verse 23:  So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord had spoken to Moses, and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes.  Thus the land had rest from war.

That’s the end of the conquest of the Promised Land.

Now, if you look at your Sermon Notes you’ll see that this morning we’re covering chapters 11 through 21.  So, if you’ll turn to chapter 12.  Chapter 12 lists the kings that Moses defeated and that Joshua defeated.  Okay.  Chapter 13.  You didn’t think we were actually going to read all 11 chapters?   

Chapter 13 begins a section describing Israel’s inheriting the land according to their tribal divisions - each tribe getting a section of land.  Judah gets a section of land in the south.  Naphtali gets a section in the north.  Gad and Reuben and ½ of the tribe of Manasseh get land on the east side of the Jordan - which is what they had asked Moses for.  Starting in chapter 13 - that whole description is here - tribe by tribe - all 12 of them - family unit by family unit - city by city - region by region.

Now, turn with me to chapter 14 - chapter 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20.

Chapter 20 concerns the designation of certain cities as “cities of refuge” - which were like a regional court system dealing with capital offenses.  Someone could flee to one of these cities of refuge until there was a trial.  The system eliminated the possibility of blood feuds and unjust “swift justice.”

Chapter 21 concerns the Levites who are given certain cities with  adjoining pasture lands.  Priority is given to the families of consecrated priests.

Stay with me on this.  I don’t want to give the impression - that because we’re skimming these chapters - that somehow they’re less important.  Every section of Scripture is inspired by God and preserved for the benefit of His people - that we would live serving Him - that He would be glorified.  Although it is true that some sections have greater meaning to different groups of God’s people at different times.

That’s true here.  But - having said that - I would encourage you to go back and read through these chapters.  Don’t get hung up on pronunciation and geography - which doesn’t have the same meaning for us today as it did in Joshua’s day.  Just read through and be impressed with what’s being described. 

Grab this:  Everyone got their inheritance.  No one was left out.  If we were a Jew living in Joshua’s day we’d be listening to these lists of names and places - just waiting for our name to be read.  As people who were slaves - who were wanderers in the wilderness - who had fought battles or kept the home fires burning in Gigal through the years of conquest - these lists represent home.  Land we can call our own.  Inheritance for future generations.  Permanence.  Ownership.  That’s huge.

Bottom Line:  God promised this land to His people and God delivered on His promise.

Look with me at chapter 21 - starting at verse 43.   Verses 43 to 45 are the final words dealing with conquest and division of heritance.

21:43:  So the Lord gave Israel all the land which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they possessed it and lived in it.  And the Lord gave them rest on every side, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers, and no one of all their enemies stood before the; the Lord gave all their enemies into their hand.  Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass.

Three summary statements:

First:  The land which God promised Israel - swore to their fathers that He would give them - God gave it to them.  We’ve seen this - chapters 13-21.

Second statement:  The Lord gave them rest on every side.

Doug Goins tells about a missionary couple and their family that was home on furlough - spending their vacation at a cabin near a lake.  They had three children - ages 12, 7, and 4.  One day the four-year-old slipped away from this brother and sister, went out on the dock to play, and fell in the lake.  He didn’t know how to swim and wasn’t wearing a life jacket.

The screams of the two older children alerted the father to the danger.  He rand out on the dock and the kids pointed to where their brother had fallen in.  The father dove into the lake.  The water was only about 10 feet deep - but it was so murky he couldn’t see a thing.  He went all the way to the bottom and felt around frantically for his little boy.  Finally, he ran out of air, came to the top, took another huge gulp of air, and went down again.

On his way down for the third time, his hand brushed his little boy’s leg.  He turned around and found his four-year-old son with his arms and legs wrapped tightly around one of the pilings - about 3 feet below the water.

The father pried him loose - carried him onto the lawn - where they both caught their breath.  When they calmed down the father asked, “Son, what were you doing down there, hanging on to that piling?”  The little boy answered, “I was just waiting for you, Dad.” (1)

On one hand what’s being said here is that the war was over.  Israel’s enemies had been wiped out or pounded into submission.  But, we know that after Israel finished conquering the land - that Israel fought numerous future battles.  They’re still surrounded and could have lived in fear.

The cessation of hostilities isn’t all of what’s being said here.  Rest - in a deeper - more lasting - at the core of who we are - spiritual sense - rest comes when - despite our circumstances - we learn to trust in God - that He’ll be there for us.     

Third statement:  Not one of the promises God made to Israel failed.

In Joshua chapter 1 - God made 5 promises to Joshua.  God promised Joshua:  1) You’re going to cross the Jordan River.  2) Every place you go in that land I will give you.  3) You will have victory over your enemies.  4) You will posses the land as an inheritance.  And 5) I will be with you.

Years later - despite the strength of the opposition - and even Israel’s failures to faithfully obey God - regardless of the circumstances - God delivered on His promises.  Every single one of them.

One thought of application - thinking about all the reasons we can find to give up and needing reasons to keep going - FAITH IS NOT AN OPTION - IT IS AN ESSENTIAL.

Brother-in-law Steve shared with us about a couple in Japan - Mr. and Mrs. Shimuzu.    Mrs. Shimizu is a Christian.  Her husband was not.  She was pregnant with Siamese twins.

These twins were joined in such a way that no surgery would ever be able to separate them.  If they lived they were going to be forever joined - even sharing organs.

According to the wisdom of man - the doctors advised this Christian woman to have an abortion.  Just quit.  Give up on the pregnancy.  Which she refused to do because of her beliefs as a Christian.  An act of faithful obedience on her part.

At one point she attended a church convention and asked for prayer.  What do you pray?  “God, may your will be done”?  Pray for faith.  Trust God and move forward.

When the babies were born they died shortly afterwards and were given a funeral.  Something that would never have happened if the babies were aborted.  Many people would say all that was a senseless tragedy.

Mrs. Shimizu’s husband and father - because of Mrs. Shimizu’s decision to carry the babies and give birth - because her husband and father saw the value of life and giving life - saw the faith of his wife lived out - both Mrs. Shimizu’s husband and father gave their lives to Jesus.

Sometimes we get so hung up on all the reasons to quit that we fail to consider that God has reasons for us to keep going.  We fail to see the forest because of the what?  Trees.

Victory and blessing are an outcome of what?  faithful obedience.  Without faith we miss what God has for us - what He desires to do in us and through us.  We fall short of honoring and glorifying Him.  Faith - for the follower of Jesus Christ - is not an option.  Faith is essential to being who God has called us to be.

That’s not easy.  But God gives us so many reasons to hang in there.  His promise to never leave us or abandon us - even when we walk through the depths of the valley of the shadow of death.  He promise to work all things - even tragic and seemingly senseless things - all things together for good for His people.  His promise to supply all that we need to live life.  His promise that we please Him - the Holy God - He is pleased with us when we live by faith.  His promise of an eternal dwelling with Him.

Who gives us the victory?  God.  Not one of the good promises which the Lord has made to us will fail to come to pass.

______________

1. Doug Goins, Joshua 11:1-12:24

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible®, © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation.  Used by permission.