Joshua 11 “Look for God’s strategies”

Proposition: was a great military strategist yet he was led by the Holy Spirit. Living the Spirit-filled life doesn’t mean we don’t plan or organise life, it just needs to be led by God. We have had a month break from the book of Joshua – a book that is a picture, a metaphor for the Spirit-filled life - to focus on missions both local and overseas. For those of you who are new to the church I will give you a quick recap. The children of Israel were slaves in Egypt for 400 years. Egypt is an illustration of, or a metaphor for, the world in biblical prophecy and is also a literal place. They were saved by the blood that was placed on the doorposts of their homes that first Passover night, just as you and I are saved through the death and resurrection of Jesus, His blood. And they were set free and led by Moses when they cried out in desperation to the Lord to be saved. The New Testament says that all those who call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. 1 Corinthians tells us that when they passed through the Red Sea that was an illustration of our baptism, a picture of NT baptism of the time you and I first chose to follow Jesus and die to self and live for Him. They were on their way to the Promised Land but then in the dessert their faith collapsed. Of the spies sent into the Promised Land only Joshua and Caleb brought back a good report, the other spies’ stories of and fortresses just terrified the Israelites. And because of their lack of faith they just wandered around in the dessert for 40 years kicking sand and swatting flies. Only Joshua and Caleb were to survive of that faithless generation. Many of us were like these people. We were on our way to the Promised Land, the Spirit-filled life, a land that flows with milk and honey but then something happens and our faith faints and we get comfortable with a form of Christianity that lacks power and the presence of the Holy Spirit. We go back to some of our old habits and we too end up kicking sand, swatting flies and eating dust. But the Lord has another plan to take us to the Jordan river for a second baptism. And you know from our story that historically as they stepped into the flooding river the waters parted miraculously. This picture speaks of the second baptism that all Christians need, the baptism of the Holy Spirit. And once Joshua and the nation passed through this second baptism they entered the Promised Land, and land full of grapes as big as bowling balls, a fulfilling life. But please note that the Promised Land, the Spirit-filled life is not heaven, there are still giants to fight, battles to be won, victories to be had; but now we are equipped to be overcomers. And now as we return to the historical account of Joshua’s battles we are in the Promised Land and we begin to see just how much of a military genius, of a military strategist Joshua - which translates into Jesus in the NT - really is. In Chapter 10 we saw Joshua lead the army to supernaturally conquer all the Southern kingdoms. He then ignores the kingdoms to the west and east and pushes through to attack the Northern kingdoms of . I have been told that this is the first time that anyone ever used the strategy of divide and conquer historically. Joshua, a military man, gets on his knees and prays. God gives him a strategy from which he then develops a detailed plan: divide and conquer. I often come across people who say, we don’t prepare anything, we just go with the flow, and somehow that is meant to be more spiritual. I would disagree with that. God will begin to speak to me about a sermon, about who to visit, about a vision He has for my family or for my health well in advance of me having to speak about that issue or make decisions around it. God has divine strategies to bless you and to lead you into the Promised Land, but you start on your knees and then apply your business skills and management skills, never the other way around. As we turn to Joshua 11 this morning be mindful of this one military fact. Joshua was the man who set the unique fighting style of the Israeli army that still impacts the way they fight today. Unlike other generals of his time or those that had gone before, Joshua’s style of fighting always involved Stealth, speed and a great knowledge of the terrain that he was to fight in. The same is true of the Israeli army ever since, just think back to the 6-day war in 1967 or the raid at Entebbe.

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The Israeli forces have followed Joshua’s military style but they have forgotten what made Joshua so special; his amazing military strategies flowed out of his prayer life. Prayer first, strategies second. So we see the start of the Northern campaign. Joshua Captures Towns in the North 11 King Jabin of Hazor heard about Joshua’s victories, so he sent messages to many nearby kings and asked them to join him in fighting Israel. He sent these messages to King Jobab of Madon, the kings of Shimron and Achshaph, 2 the kings in the northern hill country and in the Jordan River valley south of Lake Galilee,[a] and the kings in the foothills and in Naphath-Dor to the west. 3 He sent messages to the Canaanite kings in the east and the west, to the Amorite, Hittite, Perizzite, and Jebusite kings in the hill country, and to the Hivite kings in the region of Mizpah, near the foot of Mount Hermon.[b] 4-5 The kings and their armies went to Merom Pond,[c] where they set up camp, and got ready to fight Israel. It seemed as though there were more soldiers and horses and chariots than there are grains of sand on a beach. For those of you who study Bible prophecy, I want you to notice where Merom Pond is. It’s located in the valley of Megiddo. Have you heard that name before from the book of Revelation? These armies gather to fight Joshua who has been promised victory by God in the valley of Megiddo, just as they will one day after the Millennium to fight our Joshua in the valley of Megiddo, only that fight will be called Armageddon. The Jewish historian Josephus, who reported on ancient historical events, wrote that at this battle there were in the opposing camp 300,000 infantry, 10,000 cavalry and 20,000 chariots. Now in that day men on horses and chariot warfare was the new and virtually unbeatable way of fighting. This was a terrifying horde of soldiers convinced that they could defeat that Joshua just as in the end times the kingdoms of this world will unite in the same place madly believing that they can defeat our Joshua, Jesus.

6 The LORD told Joshua: Don’t let them frighten you! I’ll help you defeat them, and by this time tomorrow they will be dead. When you attack, the first thing you have to do is to cripple their horses. Then after the battle is over,[d] burn their chariots. For those of you who love horses, this is a bit of an awful story. They Israelites didn’t kill the horses, they somehow cut the horses’ hamstrings so they could still walk and eat but could not carry a soldier into battle or pull a chariot anymore. Remember that Joshua started the Israeli style of fighting - Stealth, speed and a knowledge of the terrain. 7 Joshua and his army made a surprise attack against the enemy camp at Merom Pond[e] 8-9 and crippled the enemies' horses.[f] Joshua followed the LORD’s instructions, and the LORD helped Israel defeat the enemy. The Israelite army even chased enemy soldiers as far as Misrephoth-Maim to the northwest,[g] the city of Sidon to the north, and Mizpeh Valley to the northeast.[h] None of the enemy soldiers escaped alive. The Israelites came back after the battle and burned the enemy’s chariots. Stealth, speed and a knowledge of the terrain. Joshua did fully what God had commanded and an amazing victory was theirs. Let’s jump down to 21-23: 21 During this same time, Joshua and his army killed the Anakim[k] from the northern and southern hill country. They also destroyed the towns where the Anakim had lived, including , Debir, and Anab. 22 There were not any Anakim left in the regions where the Israelites lived, although there were still some in Gaza, , and .[l]

23 That’s how Joshua captured the land, just as the LORD had commanded Moses, and Joshua divided it up among the tribes. Finally, there was peace in the land.

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I just want to explain for a minute who the Anakim people were before we make this passage very, very practical for you and for me. Whenever you see an im in a Hebrew name it is plural in its application. For instance, some will say to you that the first name used for God in the OT was Jehovah. It’s not true. In Genesis chapter 1 where God is speaking about creating the world and making humans like us the name used for God in the Hebrew is Elohim. Now El means one, ela means two and Elohim means 3 plus. So, in the first chapter of the Bible God refers to himself as Elohim, plural. Elohim, God said, we will make humans and they will be like us, Elohim. When you read of seraphim or cherubim or Anakim it’s talking in plural language, i.e. more than two. Who were the Anikim? They were the children of Anik and descendants of the mentioned in Genesis 6. Satan tried to pollute the human race by causing fallen angels to lie with human women and a race of giants, spiritually evil people, resulted. Our text says that they are all wiped out in the North but some still live in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod. Do you remember a son of Anakim that came from Gath? Goliath. Goliath was 9 foot and 6 inches tall - that is about three metres - and his four brothers who was also willing to take on were roughly the same height. They were giants with a demonic heritage. When young David picked up 5 stones to fight Goliath he wasn’t thinking, “Heck, this will be tough; I better take four extra stones in case it takes a few hits,” no he was thinking that if Goliath’s brothers came against him as well he would take them out too. Sometimes when people enter the Spirit-filled life they get freaked out about demons. I recall one young man who I baptized in water and the Holy Spirit one day and then he disappeared. He wouldn’t return my phone calls or texts. I lost track of him for about 6 months until God drew him back. When I asked him what happened, he said that after he was baptized in the Holy Spirit he began seeing the demonic realm and it so freaked him out he wanted to back away from Christianity. No, I am not surprised that he became aware of the demonic driving raging people or on the life of bitter or addicted people etc, I wasn’t surprised that now he had the Holy Spirit he could sometimes see demons, but I was gutted that he was scared of them. Mark 16:16-17 (NIV)

16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; What happened in our story when Joshua confronted these Anakim, these giants with a demonic heritage, 21 During this same time, Joshua and his army killed the Anakim[k] from the northern and southern hill country. They also destroyed the towns where the Anakim had lived, including Hebron, Debir, and Anab. 22 There were not any Anakim left in the regions where the Israelites lived, although there were still some in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod.[l]

23 That’s how Joshua captured the land, just as the LORD had commanded Moses, and Joshua divided it up among the tribes. Joshua drove out, defeated all these giants. When you and I come across someone raging, spouting bitterness, spouting unforgiveness and racism, we know that our battle is not against flesh and blood but against the spiritual forces of evil inspiring and driving that behaviour. We know that God in us is greater than Satan who is in the world and that Satan’s time is very limited. So we too can bind them up and drive them out and bring peace to the lives of those around us. So pastor, what’s the point. Man, we have talked about military strategy, and history and about stealth and speed and knowing the terrain. What’s the point? This is what I want you to take home and pray through. If you pray, if you listen, pen in hand ready to write down what God says, God will give you a vision for your ministry, a vision for your marriage, a vision for your finances, a vision for your workplace, a vision for how you can live the abundant life one day at a time. Do not set out to be a spiritual manager for the kingdom. No start with prayer, ask God

3 for his strategies and then you add in the fine detail using the skills that you have. So many churches in NZ are dying because they are being run by business managers. So many marriages are failing because they are applying administrative plans and concepts to relationships. Like Joshua you need to seek God for a vision, then a strategy, and then you can add in the detail and apply your skills to His plan. Let me give you some examples of this. Today we have commissioned Chelsea Smart as a missionary in NZ to youth. It’s a strategic kingdom move. Why? Because George Barna, the researcher out of the Fuller institute in America, has found that 85% of people coming to Christ today are under 15 years of age and that the most crucial stage in a person’s life when most major decisions are made around faith and life values is during years 7 & 8. The intermediate years, for those of you as old as me. Chelc loves all youth and has been a most committed youth group leader for years and years but her heart, her calling is to this most strategic age. At the recent pastors meeting as we debriefed the J.John mission, I felt led to affirm the unity, the prayer, the change in the atmosphere over the city. I loved J.John and was so encouraged by the event, but I said to the pastors, “14 people made first time decisions, 12 of them were teenagers.” I have learnt from Dave Mann that you can no longer just confront people with the gospel, you need to ask great questions and build a relationship and I know that the most fertile harvest field is youth and children, and so I recommend to the other pastors a strategy to pray about. This strategy is that the churches of this city sponsor pre-Christian non-churched youth and children to Easter camps in the city, that at those camps the youth can ask questions and build relationships, then after 2 or 3 days of camp we bring them together to hear a dynamic youth evangelist speak. J.John cost us $12,000 as churches and we saw 14 salvations. I believe that with this approach we can spend half the money and see 300 salvations who will all be discipled by the youth groups that sponsored them to camps. As a church we did things we wanted to do and sang our hymns and had pretty formal services, and I suggest to you that as we tried to do what the people wanted, that would have been a significant factor (not the only one) but a significant factor as to why we as a church declined steadily for 15 years and had a massive decline in 2014. As a church if we just kept focused on ministering to ourselves we wouldn’t exist in 20 years. But because we love everyone and are willing to prioritize in every area of our life together children and youth, this church will reach lost people and raise up a generation of world changers. We have a fantastic future, not for ourselves but for the Kingdom and for our community. If you and I would do as Joshua, Je-shua, did in this book we have been studying, God will give you a vision for your business, for your marriage, for your family, for your ministry, and once you have the vision, pray again and ask for a strategy. As God was with Joshua, so He will be with you. You will at times face huge opposition and spiritual giants. You betcha. But if God is for us and we are following His plan, who can succeed against us. We will clean out the opposition, we will take the land, we will live a life worth living.

23 That’s how Joshua captured the land, just as the LORD had commanded Moses, and Joshua divided it up among the tribes. Finally, there was peace in the land. A vision first, and then a divine strategy. I pray that for that area of your life right now where there is stress and you feel like you are kicking and swatting flies, you too would get on your knees and the Lord would lead you into your Promised Land.

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