God Gives Us Victory (Joshua 23: 8-11)

God Gives Us Victory (Joshua 23: 8-11)

 

8. 오직 너희 하나님 여호와를 친근히 하기를 오늘날까지 행한 것 같이 하라

8 But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now.

 

9. 대저 여호와께서 강대한 나라들을 너희 앞에서 쫓아내셨으므로 오늘날까지 너희를 당한 자가 하나도 없었느니라

9 “The Lord has driven out before you great and powerful nations; to this day no one has been able to withstand you.

 

10. 너희 중 한 사람이 천명을 쫓으리니 이는 너희 하나님 여호와 그가 너희에게 말씀하신 것 같이 너희를 위하여 싸우심이라

10 One of you routs a thousand, because the Lord your God fights for you, just as he promised.

 

11. 그러므로 스스로 조심하여 너희 하나님 여호와를 사랑하라

11 So be very careful to love the Lord your God.

 

 

1. British missionary Hudson Taylor had been doing mission work deep in the inlands of China when one day he got a letter from London telling him he could no longer receive funds so he needed to stop his work and return immediately. This was just before China was communized. Unable to live without funds, Hudson Taylor packed his belongings, and headed home. He was spending the night in Shanghai and praying to God when he remembered two Bible verses:

 

The first verse was in 1 Samuel 7:12 where it mentions the name “Ebenezer” meaning, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.” Did he not spread the gospel in this foreign land of China because of God’s strength? Wasn’t it God who helped him all this time?

 

The second Bible verse is from Genesis where “Jehovah-jireh” is mentioned. Jehovah-jireh means, “The Lord will provide.” Doesn’t God know far into the future and provide and prepare everything for us?

 

Reflecting on these two Bible messages, Hudson Taylor thought to himself, “God has helped me until now. He will continue to help me in the future. He has always prepared the way for me. Even if my mission group in London can’t provide me with money, I know God will give me all that I will need.” And with these final thoughts, he repacked his belongings and returned to inland China. From there he setup his own mission organization and helped Christianity take root in China before it was communized.

 

After the communization of China, it was believed that Christianity had died out completely. But as freedom slowly revived, so did the presence of Christian believers and it was all because Hudson Taylor had planted the seeds of faith and spread the Gospel to millions of Chinese residents.

 

All of this was possible because Hudson Taylor decided to put his faith in God and continue his mission work, despite the reality of having no financial support. To have faith is a constant spiritual war. But if we kneel and seek God’s grace when doubt and despair overcome us, the Lord will send us His message and give us victory.

 

A) Victory is Inevitable with God’s Help

 

1. Verse 9 of today’s scripture says, “The Lord has driven out before you great and powerful nations; to this day no one has been able to withstand you.”

 

The Bible verse is speaking of the end of the exodus when Joshua was an active leader. After the Israelites escaped from Egypt under the leadership of Moses, they were followed by Egyptian forces. They ran and ended up before the Red Sea; they were faced with the hopeless decision of drowning in the sea or being slaughtered at the hands of the Egyptians.

 

But with God’s help, the Red Sea was parted and they were able to cross (Exodus 14:14). The sea closed behind them and the Egyptians trailing behind them all drowned (Deuteronomy 1:30). God fights for His people at any time (Romans 8:31). God never leaves His people behind, even if they are surrounded by enemies. He delivers His people to victory; through God’s love we will always be victorious (Isaiah 30:17).

 

2. What was the difference between King Saul and King David? Saul always wanted to fight on his own terms using his own strength. He never prayed or counseled with God. He would fight his own battles, and while he first appeared to be at an advantage, in the end he was defeated.

 

God takes away Saul’s throne and brings him death. King David, however, always prayed to the Lord, asked Him for guidance, and as a result David never lost.

 

3. In 1967, Israel was attacked by a united Arab military force made up of 100 million Syrian, Egyptian, and Jordan soldiers. With only 6 million soldiers Israel was at a great disadvantage, yet after 6 days of war they miraculously won.

 

After Israel’s victory, people asked Prime Minister Begin how Israel won such an impossible war. The Prime Minister simply replied, “We gave no orders. We never told our forces to advance. All we commanded was, “Follow me.””

 

They led their forces through example, not orders; their leadership allowed them to be victorious. We too must follow the example of our leader, Jesus Christ. When we follow Him and His voice, we too will find victory. (John 21:22, 12:26)

 

4. on June 6, 1944, an operation to land in Normandy, led by Dwight D. Eisenhower, was made impossible by thick fog. Eisenhower, seeing the turbulent conditions, prayed. Amazingly, the fog soon lifted, the German forces were caught off guard, and Eisenhower was successful. God heard his prayers and helped. (2 Corinthians 10:4)

 

5. During the Korean War, the UN Security Council met to vote whether or not they would deploy forces to South Korea. With Security Council votes, all members must agree on the vote; a single veto can overturn the decision. The only Security Council member opposing this matter at the time was the USSR.

 

However, it is said that the delegate of the USSR was on his way when his car broke down, and he was not present to cast his veto vote. Some even claim that the delegate had a bout of diarrhea which caused him to be late.

 

At the same time of this meeting, Christians in Busan had been praying earnestly for the approval to send UN forces, which South Korea desperately needed. These prayers were answered and God prevented the delegate of the USSR from casting his only opposing vote. Hallelujah! God helps those who seek Him.

 

B) Intimacy with God Ensures Victory

 

1. Verse 8 says, “But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now.” The term “intimate” in Hebrew is translated to “dabag” meaning “to stick together, be incredibly close, and follow closely.”

 

2. The Bible tells us that Moses spoke to God as if he were speaking to a friend. (Exodus 33:11). We are told that God approaches those who are close to Him as friends. (Psalm 16:8, John 15:14, Matthew 28:20)

 

3. There is a Chinese proverb that says, “There are 1000 people who will eat and drink with me. But how many will want to genuinely help me in a time of crisis and need?” No matter how many people you think you are close with, there are very few who will sincerely be there for you. (Hebrews 13:8)

 

4. When the entire world was flooded, Noah and his family were spared because Noah walked with God. (Genesis 6:9) God also said that Abraham was one who walked with Him. (Isaiah 41:8) Whenever something important came up, God told Abraham everything and never hid anything from him. (Genesis 18:17) When God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, He told Abraham about it. When we walk with God, when we grow intimate with Him in our everyday lives, He will show us the way to wisdom and success.

 

Our best friend is Jesus. The devil tries to keep us from growing close to Him. (Luke 22:31) Satan ridicules the church and hinders God’s volunteer and mission work. Do not let yourselves fall victim to his seductions. Focus your strength on developing a friendship with God. When we do this, we will receive the blessings of victory.

 

C) If We Love God, We Will Be Victorious.

 

1. Verse 11 of today’s scripture says, “So be very careful to love the Lord your God.”

 

This verse is telling us to take care and love the Lord because He makes us victorious. If we love God, we have nothing to fear; we will have strength; nothing is impossible. God leads us to salvation, happiness, and triumph, so it is only fitting that we love Him. (Mark 12:30; Numbers 6:5)

 

When you love, you grow stronger. There is a saying, “A woman is weak but a mother is strong.” Why is this? It is because the love a mother has for her child makes her stronger than steel, brick, or any other power.

 

2. Romans chapter 8 tells us just how much Paul loved God. He confesses:

 

“31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

 

What is the difference between Paul’s love for the Lord, and yours? Take a moment to truly reflect.

 

3. But what happens if we don’t love Him and rebel instead? Verses 12-13 of Joshua chapter 23 give us the answer:

 

“12 “But if you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you and if you intermarry with them and associate with them, 13 then you may be sure that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land, which the Lord your God has given you.”

 

4. God’s love is one of necessary restrictions. Then, how do we express our love for Him? We must read His love letters to us, the Bible, and pray to Him constantly.

 

The Bible is God’s direct message of love to us. Yet we say we are too busy to read these valuable letters. But if we fail to read these Words of God, we cannot comprehend His love for us.

 

Not only is the Bible a manifestation of God’s love, it is our sword to wield in our battles against Satan. When Jesus was tested in the desert for 40 days, how did he defeat the devil? He used the Word of God.

 

When you talk to someone you love, you genuinely enjoy it. So much so, you don’t even realize how much time is passing. For those who truly love God, the time invested in prayer feels fleeting and quick, even if they spend hours praying. Spend more time praying to Him.

 

On this earth, everyone dies no matter how famous, rich, successful, or good-looking. We will all stand before the Lord one day. Not only do we need to triumph on this earth, we must report our wins to the Lord. Let all of us here be victorious this week through the blessings and grace of our God.             120116