February 25, 2024 - Joshua 5-8

What an amazing story!  “As soon as all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the people of Israel until they had crossed over, their hearts melted and there was no longer any spirit in them because of the people of Israel” (5:1).  The peoples who had not know the Lord had now heard of him and they knew, they just knew, that he is God!  His mighty deeds spoke for him.  No one but the Lord God could do the things he had done, and he had done it all for the people of Israel, the very people that the Canaanites would fight.  And so, “their hearts melted.”

At Gilgal the people were circumcised, they celebrated the Passover, and for the first time they ate the produce of the land.  And things are about to really pick up!  The people march around Jericho, they shout, and they take the city of Jericho, sparing Rahab and her family.  Now, the Lord had commanded that the entire city be devoted to destruction but one man, Achan, took some stuff for himself, which brought disastrous judgment on the people.  Oh my, they should have known their own God, that he meant what he said.  But, like Eve, and so many others, they disobeyed.  The people then suffered a great defeat at Ai before Joshua prayed for the people and the Lord gave them a victory.  How forgiving and longsuffering is our God!  With Israel, we give thanks for our great God!

O little flock, fear not the foe

Who madly seeks your overthrow;

Dread not his rage and pow’r.

And though your courage sometimes faints,

His seeming triumph oe’r God’s saints

Lasts but a little hour.

As true as God’s own Word is true,

Not earth nor hell’s satanic crew

Against us shall prevail.

Their might? A joke, a mere facade!

God is with us and we with God—

Our vict’ry cannot fail.   --Michael Altenburg, Jacobus Fabricius (17th century)