Thursday, July 13, 2017

When I am weak, I am strong (2Co 12:9)

You are to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots. Joshua 11:6

In the military campaign against the Northern Kings prior to announcing the news to deliver the victory over them, the Lord issued an instruction to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots.


The Lord's instruction brings up the question: "Why did the Lord ask them to get rid of these valuable items? Like aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, or Rockwell B-1 Lancer, they might be needed to defeat enemies in military campaigns in the days to come. Yet why did the Lord issue such an instruction?"


Perhaps Joshua understood the reason, and obeyed: the Lord did not want his people to fight the battle with their own means like horses or chariots, but rather by relying on Him who is the Lord. Had they kept the horses and chariots they would be tempted to use them and indeed win the wars and thereby attribute success to them. The end result will be losing the Lord. Losing (the faith in) the Lord is losing all (battles, wars, raging inside as well as outside, and your life) all the time. By the same token, living by faith in the Lord (or fighting the battles with and through the Lord) is the only way to win victories over all enemies, enemies inside, enemies outside, all the time!

When Jesus came to the Promised Land he himself set the example (and perfected the way for all to see and) win. He lived by faith in the Father who sent Him. Even while the enemies were driving nails to his limbs he still fought with His faith in the Father who had sent him. And lo and behold. He rose again, and thereby came to be seated at the right hand of the Father, becoming the Judge, King of kings!

He is still living and reigning, fighting the battles in and through those who put trust in Him (and His way).

And as one puts trust in Him and wages battles He works with his child so his child would be in complete victory, living in peace and joy.

The Lord's instruction to hamstring horses and burn down chariots points to fulfilling the ultimate purpose of the Lord, that is, for God the Father who sent the Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, to be all (all means literally 'all' that are good for life, not any life but true life, that is truly fulfilling) in all (all referring to all of his creation - even your pets and my pets [Nacho dog, Etta dog, Ebony, five kittens...]). For this reason King David said on his Psalm:"Kiss the son or he will be angry and your way will lead to your destruction for his wrath will flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him." Psalm 2:12

Similarly Solomon says: "I have seen something else under the sun: the race is not to the swift or battle to the strong." Ecc 9:11 (Cf. Gal 6:14)


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