A Very Grave Problem

As promised, we begin to look closely at this pretty familiar incident involving Joshua, his people and their enemies. Keep in mind that our specific and unique purpose for bringing this reasoning and remembering before us, is to have us become more aware of the reliability of our Heavenly Father. It is given to bring us all back to deep, unwavering faith and trust in Father God as His children, people whom He loves dearly and whom He wants to be conquerors in Him.

In our peculiar and particular circumstances, whatever they may be, when fierce and ferocious blood-hungry, faith-choking enemies gather around us on every side and we know that we do not stand one iota of a chance against them, we must hear and heed the voice of God our Father. May we all surrender all problems and cares to our Heavenly Father, so that we can accept every promise of His to us, His children.

Joshua is in dire trouble. He is leading the children of Israel after Moses, and today, he faces one of his biggest and toughest battles. Note what is taking place around Israel. Strong and very powerful allied forces have ganged up against Joshua and all of Israel. We are told that kings from all over, armies that once fought each other, have now joined forces, allied together against God’s children. This was indeed a formidable army.

Sovereign Father God is never asleep. He is not just present in the affairs of His children, but He is Lord, Omnipotent. His powers are over all. Knowing that His children are but human, He does not even wait for Joshua to seek Him. The Lord goes to Joshua in this humanly impossible dilemma and speaks to him personally. He has told Joshua not to be afraid because He is with Joshua and will give him the victory of this formidable and powerful allied force. Please, let’s stop for a moment to consider this living fact.

Consider then! The allied forces are strong, for big names have joined together and made themselves, a huge army, as numerous as the sand on the seashore. Joshua 11: 4b. But God speaks directly to His child Joshua and this is what He tells him. The LORD said to Joshua, Do not be afraid of them, because by this time tomorrow I will hand all of them over to Israel, slain. You are to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots. Joshua 11: 6. Yes, many, if not most of us, believers, know these words very well, but what do they tell us about our God who is our caring, trustworthy, and reliable Father?

From this single Bible text, five powerful words, all sweet to the palate, about the reliability of Sovereign Father God, have been brought directly before us.

These are: -

The Word of Promise - The LORD said to Joshua.

The Word of Peace - Do not be afraid of them.

The Word of Providence - By this time tomorrow. 

The Word of Power - I will hand all of them over to Israel, slain.

The Word of Procedure - You are to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots.

We shall spend some time on each of these five deliciously sweet words, as we are drawn closer and closer to our Sovereign Father, who can never be accused of being unreliable to His children, or anyone for that matter. 

The Word of Promise. The LORD said to Joshua.

Where is there promise for us in this short sentence? All it tells us is that God spoke to Joshua. It is precisely this fact that the Lord spoke to Joshua, which brings us to promise and keeps us in promise. Do you remember our Lord Jesus making this statement about His Heavenly Father’s children, whom Jesus calls His sheep? He said this publicly. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. John 10: 3 – 4. 

Our Lord is quite clear here on communication between shepherd and sheep, the same type of communication that is had between Father and children. To listen to the shepherd’s voice or the Father’s voice, means that the voice is known by the sheep or child. How else will the sheep know the shepherd’s voice or the child, the Father’s voice, if that voice is not being heard daily, all the time? How does one become so grossly familiar with the voice of the parent? What I am reporting is that Joshua knows the voice of Father God, because God has been faithful in communicating with him.

Earlier, we received this Text showing that God is our Father in Heaven. See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 1 John 3: 1a

I ask you, how can our Heavenly Father love His children, if He does not communicate with them? If God has promised to be our Heavenly Father, then part of that promise entails communicating with us. You and I, as His children, only communicate with Him, because He communicates with us, and speaks to us.

God is your reliable and trusted Father who still delights in communicating with you. Listen to His voice!

Our Father in heaven, You know exactly the enemies and allied forces that have set up camp to attack me. You know that I am Your feeble, weak and helpless child, unable to fight any of the enemies arrayed against me.  I am hearing You speak to Joshua and I know that You have brought it to me, so that I too can hear You speaking these exact words to me also. Let Your Holy Spirit teach them to me, work them in me and use them on me that I may know faith and trust quickened. Amen!

 Father, forgive me for my lack of faith and trust in You. Please forgive me for turning to the father of lies and letting his ways of worry and anxiety be my unbelieving path. Father, thank You for this intervention at this time. Thank You for this Word. Let me from here on, show without hindrance that You are indeed a reliable Father to all Your obedient children. Amen! 

 Thank You Father for helping us all who need Your help right now. Amen!