February 17, 2014 - Saturday

Start Time: 4:50 A.M.

End Time: 5:18 A.M.

Title: Northern Kings Defeated

Scripture: Joshua 11:1 – 23

God’s Message / God’s Promise / God’s Commands:

→ When Jabin king of Hazor heard of this, he sent word to Jobab king of Madon, to the kings of Shimron and Akshaph, and to the northern kings who were in the mountains, in the Arabah south of Kinnereth, in the western foothills and in Naphoth Dor on the west; to the Canaanites in the east and west; to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites and Jebusites in the hill country; and to the Hivitesbelow Hermon in the region of Mizpah. They came out with all their troops and a large number of horses and chariots—a huge army, as numerous as the sand on the seashore. All these kings joined forces and made camp together at the Waters of Merom to fight against Israel.  The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, because by this time tomorrow I will hand all of them, slain, over to Israel. You are to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots.”  So Joshua and his whole army came against them suddenly at the Waters of Merom and attacked them, and the Lord gave them into the hand of Israel. They defeated them and pursued them all the way to Greater Sidon, to Misrephoth Maim, and to the Valley of Mizpah on the east, until no survivors were left. Joshua did to them as the Lord had directed: He hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots.

NOTES:

Ø God has defeated all our enemies (problems/challenges), no matter how many of them join forces to fight against us!  At times, all our problems come at the same time and looking at it, it seems like there’s no way out of it.  But God has won them over for us.  He is saying that we are not to be afraid of them (challenges/problems) because by tomorrow, God will hand all of them, slain, over to us!  Hallelujah!  So when you feel like your problems are overwhelming and many, do not be afraid for God has promised to give them all to us or win each battle for us!

→At that time Joshua turned back and captured Hazor and put its king to the sword. (Hazor had been the head of all these kingdoms.) Everyone in it they put to the sword. They totally destroyed^[a]them, not sparing anyone that breathed, and he burned Hazor itself.  Joshua took all these royal cities and their kings and put them to the sword. He totally destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded. Yet Israel did not burn any of the cities built on their mounds—except Hazor, which Joshua burned. The Israelites carried off for themselves all the plunder and livestock of these cities, but all the people they put to the sword until they completely destroyed them, not sparing anyone that breathed. As the Lord commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses.

NOTES:

Ø God has captured the head of our enemies and put him to the sword (God’s judgment)!  When God fight our battles, he left nothing unturned.  He will eliminate all our enemies and win each battle without leaving any fight unfinished.  HE is a God who finishes and never leave anything He started incomplete. 

Ø God allowed Joshua to fulfill everything Moses commanded, leaving nothing undone!  As God’s people, we are to follow and obey God’s commands and on our own, we will be unable to do this.  Yet the Lord Himself gives us the strength and courage to fulfill every task He has commanded us to do and when we are filled by His Spirit, nothing will be left undone from the Lord’s commandments.  Amen!  Therefore fulfilling every purpose and every promises God made for us!  Praise Jesus!

→So Joshua took this entire land: the hill country, all the Negev, the whole region of Goshen, the western foothills, the Arabah and the mountains of Israel with their foothills, from Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir, to Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings and put them to death.  Joshua waged war against all these kings for a long time. Except for the Hivites living in Gibeon, not one city made a treaty of peace with the Israelites, who took them all in battle. For it was the Lord himself who hardened their hearts to wage war against Israel, so that he might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy, as the Lord had commanded Moses.  At that time Joshua went and destroyed the Anakites from the hill country: from Hebron, Debir and Anab, from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua totally destroyed them and their towns. No Anakites were left in Israelite territory; only in Gaza, Gath and Ashdoddid any survive.  So Joshua took the entire land, just as the Lord had directed Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions. Then the land had rest from war.

NOTES:

Ø God gave the entire land/victory and fulfilled His every promise to us thru His appointed leadership in our lives (which could be us or someone else)!  God uses people to show His glory and fulfill His promises but thru man, His power and works will be evident and people will know thru the life of the man that God is real and HE is true to His words!  Praise the Lord.    

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, Gracious Father, Loving Lord, thank You because You are our Rock!  We can lean and depend on You even when countless forces are out there to get us.  Lord, thank You because even in times when our problems have joined together to attack me together, You give me the strength and courage I needed to fight them because You are fighting with me!  Thank You Lord for Your love, for Your overwhelming power and strength that enables me to fight and get victory in each battle or challenge I face in life.  The best part is, You always leave nothing undone!  When You work and fix my life and win battles for me, You ensure that everything is addressed and nothing is left untouched.  Thank You because I can count on You to fulfill Your promises so there is no room for doubts or worries because You are always true to Your words and You give me the victory that people may see thru me that You are real and You are true and You are with me.  Hallelujah Jesus!  Praise Your Name forever!  In Jesus’ Name, Amen!