Evening Sermon

December 2, 2007

CONQUEST COMPLETED

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Divide and conquer. That was the strategy. Joshua entered Canaan, and divided the land in two by conquering the cities of Jericho and Ai. By controlling those cities, he could then begin a campaign to defeat first the southern cities, then the northern cities. And that is exactly what he did. If your Bibles have any headings, the end of ch. 10 might have the heading: "Southern cities conquered." Ch. 11 might have the heading "northern kings defeated."

For Joshua and the army of Israel, the plan was divide and conquer.

Very few details are given for these two massive military campaigns, except that the list of those conquered is very specific. And the pace is very fast. Actually, the campaigns described in these chapters took about seven years. 11:18

The history is pretty monotonous reading, though, quite boring and repetitive. It is just a list of victories and a list of those cities and kings that were destroyed. It doesn't seem very useful for us to study today. But God has included this military history in the Scriptures, and therefore these chapters are "God-breathed, and are useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

This conquest of the promised is very much useful for us today. They teach us many things about God and about his relationship with his people today. The question is, what? What does the completed conquest teach us, and how is it useful? First of all,

I. THE CONQUEST REPRESENTS GOD'S FINAL AND ETERNAL JUDGMENT UPON THE IMPENITENT. If you want to see what the final judgment will be like, study these chapters closely. If you want to begin to understand the mind of God, then study these chapters closely. If you want to learn what the future holds, then study these chapters closely.

God is a God of love, and he is a God of judgment. God never changes, he is the same, yesterday, today and forever. The God of the OT is the God of the NT. And the God who enabled Israel to conquer their enemies in the promised land is the God who will bring about a complete victory over his enemies at the return of Jesus Christ in glory.

Be careful, though. These chapters do not mean that the nation of Israel today, which was founded by the United Nations in 1948, can arbitrarily wage war against the Palestinians who lived in that territory from AD 70 until 1948. These chapters do not mean that we, as Christians, ought to physically destroy and put to death non-Christians. These verses do not justify any use of excessive deadly force by the United States military, or any other military.

Rather, this completed conquest presents us with a type, a symbol of God's final and eternal judgment upon the impenitent. And,

A. God's judgment upon his enemies will be a total destruction. How total is total? 10:29-40

Over and over again, the Bible says, "Joshua left no survivor." Among God's enemies at the final judgment, their will be no survivor! No one will escape destruction. The world, as we know it now, will not escape destruction.

That is not what everyone teaches today. Many deny the truth of a final judgment. Many deny God's wrath and his eternal condemnation. Peter knew about the problem of false teachers who would deny the final judgment, so he teaches us about that coming destruction.

2 Pet. 3:3 "...knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation." 5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men."

2Pet. 3:8 "But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up."

Peter knows how to apply that teaching, showing how it should affect our daily lives. The very next verse.

2Pet. 3:11 "Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless."

That is how we should respond when we read about the destruction of these cities of Canaan. Also,

B. God's judgment upon his enemies will be thorough and complete. No one escapes. 12:7-8

List of kings to follow, 31 in all. Why are they all listed? Why such detail? Typical Hebrew style. Demonstrates how thorough God's judgment will be. No one will slip between the cracks. No one will escape judgment. No one.

Hebr. 9:27 "Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment."

That is the future of mankind. That is what awaits every single person who dies without Christ. So when you read about this completed conquest of the land of Canaan, realize that you are learning about God's final judgment.

That message should be part of our evangelism. We should not be ashamed of the message of God's judgment. We should not try to hide that message. Evangelism is not simply telling people that God loves them and has a wonderful plan for their lives. Evangelism is proclaiming to a lost people that Jesus Christ was crucified for sin, that he is now seated at the right hand of the father, and that he will reign until he has conquered all his enemies, making them a footstool for his feet.

That was the gospel preached by Peter at Pentecost. And what was the response?

Acts 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" 38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 "For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."

Peter's warnings continued: Acts 2:40 "And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation." 41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them."

The final judgment is a vital part of the Christian message! It is a necessary part of the gospel of salvation, for unless people realize that they need to be saved from that final judgment, they will sense no need to be saved from anything.

The conquest teaches us other things, too.

II.THE CONQUEST DEMONSTRATES GOD'S HATRED OF SINFUL IDOLATRY. This is important. There are certain things that God hates. There is a reason for the judgment. God is not being arbitrary. He doesn't bring judgment because he particularly enjoys it. In fact, the prophet Ezekiel tells us that God takes no pleasure in the death of anyone. Peter tells us that his desire, his joy, is in salvation. Therefore he is patient and longsuffering.

But nonetheless, he hates sin. Specifically, he hates sinful idolatry. He hates the sin of those who worship other gods, false gods.

Do you know what false god is worshipped perhaps more than any other, then and today? Do you know what false god the Canaanites worshipped, whom we still worship today? Do you know what one of the most common and most dangerous forms of sinful idolatry is?

The god of self. This conquest shows us, in no uncertain terms, that God judges those who worship the god of self.

A. God judges those who rely upon their own strength. And that was the root sin of these Canaanite kings. The were bold, arrogant, self-sufficient, proud of themselves and proud of their own strength. Sounds like typical leaders in 20th century America, doesn't it?

Look at how they depended upon their own strength and pride, 11:1-5

v.4 Lots of people. A big army. That is the solution to any problem. Along with horses and chariots.

First reference to the cavalry. An army on horses is stronger than an army on foot. And there was a new development, something just starting in the history of warfare--chariots. Vehicles pulled by two horses, providing even more strength in battle. This was the first artillery battery described in the Bible, corresponding most closely to modern day tanks.

The nations gathered themselves together against the Lord and against his people. Their glory was their strength. Their army was superior, for they trusted in their horses and chariots.

And God judged them for that sin. 11:6

The very object of their strength will be destroyed, their horses would be hamstrung. That is, that great and mighty leg muscle would be cut, and the horse would be rendered useless.

And it happened just as God promised. The proud and self-confident strength of the nations were judged. 11:7-9

So much for human strength!

Interestingly, God would not allow the Israelite army to accumulate horses or chariots. In that sense, God didn't want his people to have the best equipment, because if they did, they might start depending upon that equipment and not upon the Lord. He gave them a direct command:

Deut. 17:14 "When you come to the land which the LORD your God is giving you, and possess it and dwell in it, and say, 'I will set a king over me like all the nations that are around me,' 15 "you shall surely set a king over you whom the LORD your God chooses; one from among your brethren you shall set as king over you; you may not set a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. 16 "But he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the LORD has said to you, 'You shall not return that way again.'"

A direct command--don't acquire great numbers of horses. Why not? They will begin to trust in them.

King David knew that he must not trust in the strength of horse, and I believe he understood why.

Ps. 20:5 "We will rejoice in your salvation, And in the name of our God we will set up our banners! May the LORD fulfill all your petitions. 6 Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven With the saving strength of His right hand. 7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD our God. 8 They have bowed down and fallen; But we have risen and stand upright."

How does that apply to us today? To use an illustration from the history of fighter planes and fighter pilots in our own Air Force, I recall watching a television documentary describing how, in the past couple decades, the attitude of our military and our government has been that our fighter pilots must have the best planes available, they must have the most sophisticated and advanced planes that technology has provided. Nothing but the best for our fighter pilots. Nothing but the best equipment and the best training. That's our American pride.

In their pilot training, the young pilots would actually fly against the seasoned veterans. They would stage a real battle, though obviously without actually shooting their weapons. But they used electronic devices to imitate the weapons, so that they would know who actually won the dogfight. The young pilots in training would be given the most technologically advanced plane available, since that is what they were being trained to fly. The instructors used the older, less advanced planes.

And guess who won almost all those battles? The trainers, the veterans flying the older planes. And the lesson seemed obvious: A good pilot in an older plane will defeat a lesser pilot in a newer plane.

In other words, the difference in battle was not the advanced technology of the plane. The difference was the ability of the pilot.

Chariots represented the highest technology of Joshua's day, and God wouldn't even allow his people to use them, because he didn't want them to depend on them. God wanted his people to depend on him, not upon their own strength. In fact, God judges those who depend on their own strength, for ultimately that is sinful idolatry.

This conquest demonstrates clearly that God hates such sinful idolatry. And,

B. God hardens the hearts of those who reject him. That is his ultimate judgment. 11:19-20

Don't hide from those words. Don't try to explain away these words or be embarrassed by them. Don't say, "Well, God allowed them to harden their hearts. Or God knew that they would harden their hearts." That's not what the Bible says. The Bible says that God hardened their hearts, and that is his greatest possible judgment. And he hardened their hearts so that their sin became even more sinful.

Just like Pharaoh. Paul explains why God hardened Pharaoh's heart in, Rom. 9:17 "For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth." 18 Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens."

What do those verses really mean? They mean exactly what they say. No one surrendered to Israel and sought peace. They all kept fighting to the finish, because God hardened their hearts. God hardened their hearts so that they would continue in their sin. And by continuing in their sin, they received the just punishment. By continuing in their sin, they were shown no mercy.

In our mindset, we immediately think, "that's not fair." But think about it. Why did God harden their hearts? Because they rejected him. God hardened the hearts of kings who rejected him. He hardened their hearts because of their sin.

And when God hardens a man's heart, he demonstrates his power to judge. God does not harden the heart of a believer to make him an unbeliever. God does not harden the heart of a man seeking God. God does not harden the heart of a man walking with God and trying to obey God. God hardens the hearts of those who have rejected him. And his hardening is a demonstration of his glory and just judgment. And his hardening is fair, because those who reject God deserve such punishment.

In fact, all of us would reject God and deserve such punishment, if he didn't show us his grace. And so Paul says,

Rom. 9:14 "What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! 15 For He says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion." 16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy."

I want you to clearly understand a couple things about God's hardening of men's hearts. First of all, it is fair. It is just. He only hardens the hearts of those who deserve that judgment. And actually, all of us have deserved that judgment, for at one time, all of us were dead in our transgressions and sins, and by nature objects of wrath.

And that leads me to the second thing that I want you to understand clearly about God's judgment of hardening: by contrast, that act of hardening magnifies God's personal love for his obedient people. In fact,

III. THE WHOLE CONQUEST MAGNIFIES GOD'S PERSONAL LOVE FOR HIS OBEDIENT PEOPLE. The reason for that is that you can really understand God's grace and God's mercy if you understand what you actually deserved! And when you realize that you deserve his judgment, because of your sins, and then realize that in love you have been forgiven and adopted into his family, only then will you understand the meaning of grace.

Eph. 2:4 "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)."

God's judgment magnifies his grace that is shown to his people. The conquest of the promised land magnifies his grace that is shown to his people. And so he blesses his people. To be even more specific, he blesses his obedient people, for if we act in disobedience, we have no claim to his blessing.

This conquest is a blessing. It magnifies God's love for his people, and it also magnifies the blessings that he gave to his people, and directly connects that blessing with the loving obedience of his people.

10:40b "...as the LORD God of Israel had commanded."

11:15 Key verse.

So let's look at how God's love was magnified in this story.

A. God blesses his obedient people by honoring them. Take a verse from Isaiah to describe what is happening in Joshua. Isa. 43:4 "Since you were precious in My sight, You have been honored, And I have loved you; Therefore I will give men for you, And people for your life."

God honors his people by allowing others to die, and by allowing others to be conquered and defeated. The destruction of the nations was not just an act of God's judgment, bringing glory to himself. It was also an act which honored the Israelites. Let me read that verse in context:

Isa. 43:1 "But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. 3 For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. 4 Since you were precious in My sight, You have been honored, And I have loved you; Therefore I will give men for you, And people for your life."

When their enemies were defeated, God is clearly saying to Israel, "You are my treasured possession, my special people."

Again, is that fair? Well, nothing unfair happened to these nations that were destroyed. They deserved what they got. And if giving them what they deserved, God honors his obedient people with his blessing. I don't want you to miss that point.

B. God blesses his obedient people by fighting for them. 10:42

God magnifies his love by showing that he is fighting for his people.

Does God still fight for his people? Does he still magnify his love for us by fighting for us? Paul certainly thinks so!

Rom. 8:31 "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us."

Nothing more confident and bold has been written in Scripture. If God is for us, who can be against us? Let that be the lesson of this great conquest of Canaan.

And one final way that God's love is shown by this conquest.

C. God blesses his obedient people by giving them a promised inheritance. Don't miss this point either. God promises his people and inheritance. In the OT period, that inheritance was the land of Canaan. v.23

Notice that the inheritance is connected with the idea of rest. The real significance of our inheritance, our eternal inheritance, is not how many acres land we will own or how much money we have when we die. The real significant of our inheritance is that it will mean rest for our souls. It means that we will have a place of security, that we will live for eternity without sin, without sorrow and without pain or grief.

As God's people, we have an inheritance, an inheritance in heaven.

That is our inheritance. And do know something? That is the inheritance which OT Israel looked for, also. Abraham, for one, certainly understood that a piece of property in the middle east was his real destiny. In fact, he never saw that land. But he knew that that land represented his eternal inheritance. Abraham looked forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

Hebr. 11:13 "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14 For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. 15 And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them."

And so as we study this conquest of the promised land today, see how great is God's love for us. He has blessed us with an inheritance. He has blessed us with a land of rest. He has promised us an eternal city, and it is not a part of this world as we know it. In this world, we live by faith, living like a stranger in a foreign country. With Abraham, let us look forward to our inheritance, the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

And today, even before we die, we can experience a taste of our eternal inheritance also. There is warfare in this world. We can't really be at rest in this world, for our enemies are all around. We have trouble. But listen to Jesus' own wonderful words:

Matt. 11:28 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

And so, today, enjoy the firstfruits of your eternal inheritance. Enjoy rest and peace in your souls, the rest and peace that is found only in Jesus Christ.

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