A Bible Study by
Charles W. Holt
email: cholt@gt.rr.com
CHALLENGED BY CHARIOTS OF IRON(Part 1 of 3)
Scripture reading: Jeremiah 12:4
Scripture Text: Joshua 17:14-18
The expression, "chariots of iron" is very descriptive. Its symbolic importance will be heightened when we place it within the actual context of scripture. This colorful phrase provides an excellent canvas to paint a vivid comparison (as any good metaphor does) between temptations, trials, and afflictions "such as are common with every man," (1 Cor. 10:13) and others that are best described as a, "great trial of affliction (2 Cor. 8:2); or what Paul describes as, "stripes above measure" (2 Cor. 11:23). They may be compared as "running with footmen" trials versus "contending with horses" trials," described in our text. Used thus as a metaphor, for the purpose of comparison and contrast, it provides a strong backbone to support the creation of a study dealing with the reality of possible failure and loss even while one is secure in the knowledge that God "is able," perhaps even "willing," to provide the resources necessary for handling the extra tough situations of life.
Reality of scripture and the reality of our own personal experiences teach us that despite God’s ability and willingness to help us, we fail; and we re miserable because of it. Perhaps even wracked by guilt. Compounding the problem is when we suffer from the good intentions of well-meaning friends to set us straight. They feel duty bound to bombard us with Bible verse that rebuke our "lack of faith," or otherwise make us feel like dirt. At such a time one is likely to feel an iron chariot has mauled them.
BACKGROUND
The first mention of a chariot in the Bible comes when Joseph is elevated and honored in his newly found second-only-to-Pharaoh position of power. Pharaoh issues him State Chariot number two (Gen. 41:40,43), Pharaoh’s being number one. Years later, when his father comes to Egypt, Joseph went out to meet him in his own chariot. Later, they form part of the funeral procession of Jacob (Gen. 50:9). When the Israelites fled Egypt they were pursued by 600 war-chariots. While Egypt had chariots, the Canaanites had chariots, and the Philistines had up to 30,000 chariots, they were never used by the Israelites until the time of King David—several hundred years later into their history. I mention these facts in order to show that the possession of war-chariots created a superior military advantage against those who did not possess them. Israel, led by Moses, did not come out of Egypt on wheels—they walked. With the Lord’s help and a lot of trial and error, they became capable foot soldiers. Clearly, the cards were stacked against an Army of footmen who must contend with a foe riding to war in chariots. The Lord through the Prophet Jeremiah expresses this principle. He said,
"If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustest, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan" (Jer. 12:4).
One can see here the contrast between a foot soldier and a horse-soldier. There is really no match between them. The horse-soldier has a distinct advantage riding in his chariot. Through Jeremiah, the Lord wants His people to see that some problems are like contending with footmen while others are like contending with horse drawn chariots. If you can’t handle "footmen size problems "how will you deal with" chariot size problems? This, in essence, is the theme of our study.
CHARIOTS OF IRON
Contending with a normal war-chariot calls for courage and strategy unlike that of any other battle plan. Bring in "chariots of iron" and the odds against your winning are staggering. This was Israel’s problem when they came into Canaan. They were foot soldiers. They had learned by various earlier campaigns how to fight hand-to-hand, spear to spear. When confronted with "chariots of iron" they were at a loss. They had no experience against this kind of war machine. Ephraim and Manesseh would soon be tested with this fearsome apparatus. It made them feel they were at a distinct disadvantage. They were overwhelmed by the problem. Chariots of iron problems have that effect.
The Israelites, and especially Ephraim and Manesseh, faced them when they got into the Promised Land. Yes, the land of Canaan was "flowing with milk and honey," but that’s not all. In the fine print, that apparently most didn’t take the time to read, it also flowed with swarms of "mad as hornets" Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, Jebusites, Hittites, not to mention the sons of Anak who were the giants in the land. If an Israelite wanted to be cynical he could have said, "Thanks, God, for dumping us in a place where everybody would love nothing better than skinning me alive! O God, for some reason, these people didn’t get the message that we are the new tenants and they should have packed their bags long ago and left for parts unknown." It was not to be.
WHAT ARE CHARIOTS OF IRON-TYPE PROBLEMS?
Not all problems come in the same size or shape. And, for the most part, we are capable of handling them (unless something is out of whack psychologically). There are others, however, that seem to stand up on their back legs and defy our best efforts to manage them. These are the really tough ones. They are of a different breed. They don’t easily yield to our well-planned strategies of positive confession or "standing on the promises." In fact, sometimes, despite our best efforts and clever attempts to outwit them, they seem to beat us. Don’t be fooled by apparent failure.
For example: while working on this study, (October, 1999) I received an e-mail from a friend I have known for years who lives in a distant State. At the time of his letter, his wife is dying of cancer. He says, "I fasted for 21 days and waited for the Lord to let me know when the time was up for (his wife). (She) has gotten progressively worse o the point of bedridden . . . In questioning the hospice nurse about (her) she said, unless God does a miracle (she) might not make it until the end of the month. You folks need to know something here: if God does a miracle, (she) wins. If it’s (her) turn to graduate, she wins . . . Look at the big picture, we have been into this for seven years in December. We are very tired and we will still take whatever God chooses to give us. Does God know where we are? Absolutely! . . . The next e-mail you get will either be a graduation letter or a miracle of healing letter!" That’s a chariot of iron problem. Despite the grinding circumstances, you hear faith, hope, and victory. The outcome is God’s call. Not yours or mine. Meanwhile, we are to steadfastly trust.
Another example: perhaps you saw the movie Apollo 13, directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks. It was based upon actual events of the real Apollo 13 mission that blasted off from Cape Kennedy, Florida on Apri8l 11, 1970 with its three-man crew of James Lovell, John Swigert, and Fred Haise. It was supposed to land in the Fra Mauro area of the Moon. It ultimately became an aborted mission because of the rupture of a service module oxygen tank. This rupture forced Apollo 13 to circle the moon without landing.
The shocking discovery of the malfunctioned oxygen tank led to one of the most famous lines in the movie (which had actually been spoken by Commander Swigert): "Houston, we’ve got a problem here." Nine minutes after the service module oxygen tank ruptured, oxygen tank No. 2 blew up, causing the No. 1 tank also to fail. The Apollo 13 command module’s normal supply of electricity, light, and water was lost, and they were about 200,000 miles from earth. They faced an 87-hour trip home with a 10-hour reserve of electric power. That is a very serious chariots of iron situation. The movie depicting the intense efforts by NASA technicians to salvage the life-threatening situation, was high drama. They were successful in bringing the crew back home. Despite the near-tragedy, or perhaps because of it, NASA dubbed it a "successful failure" because of the experiences gained in rescuing the crew. This principle can also be true for our chariots of iron experiences. Take another look at your apparent failure. How many of you are experiencing a "successful failure?"
THE BIBLICAL SETTING
The children of Israel came out of Egypt, across the Red Sea, through the Sinai wilderness and ultimately crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land—Canaan. Each of the twelve tribes had a divine mandate to take possession of the land by driving out its inhabitants in order to carve out a place they could call their own. This divine mandate was specific to Israel through Moses before leaving Egypt. Now, many years, and a whole new generation of people later, it is again clearly specified in God’s instruction to Joshua after the death of Moses. We read:
"Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of a good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper [i.e., have success] wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all this is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD you God is with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:1-9).
These words compose God’s directive for Israel. They need to hear them as they embark upon the toughest part of their assignment since coming out of the slavery of Egypt. Not only do they declare His will and purpose they also provide the basis for encouragement and hope of success in undertaking their mission. It will not be an easy task. But they are strengthened and bolstered by God’s promise, "I will be with you. I will not leave nor forsake you."
The question may arise: why should I, a New Testament Christian, bother to spend any time with this Old Testament stuff . . . with Joshua at Jericho or the whole Canaan thing, for that matter? Sure, they may be of interest to a person who loves to read ancient history but shouldn’t the New Testament Christian be concentrating on living a victorious, overcoming, Spirit-filled life? His or her mind filled with the latest teaching on "pulling down strongholds," "putting on the whole armor of God," and other more relevant matters that effect the modern-day Christian such as "spiritual warfare?" Why should we bother?
We should bother because these stories are "written as examples" (1 Cor. 10:11); recorded for us to learn how to live the victorious life; how to meet and overcome our enemy; how to enter into the full possession of our inheritance in Christ. The land of Canaan was an actual geographical place. The children of Israel, who came from Egypt to Canaan, were an actual living, breathing people. They had families just like you and me. Their experiences, their struggles, their victories and their defeats are types and illustrations of the Christian life. They foreshadow and picture the struggles, victories and defeats each Christian must realistically face. Entering the land of Canaan is a type or illustration of how the Christian is to enter into, and pursue, a Spirit-filled life. They provide clues and encouragement as we chart our own mandated course of being "more than a conqueror." The whole out-of-Egypt-into-Canaan experience of the Israelites is one giant metaphor, i.e., we can compare their experience with ours and learn how we are to struggle, build faith, experience victory and defeat as we daily "possess our possessions" in our Canaan, otherwise known as, "living the Spirit-filled life."
With these facts in mind let’s begin to focus directly upon the chariots of iron concept and see its relative values and applications to living the Christian life. On the three occasions where mention is made, it is wrapped in a context of struggle. It presents a challenge but it is not an ordinary challenge. This struggle has more strain in it than usual. The degree of conflict, both implicit and explicit, provides us this rich opportunity to explore he theme of confronting very difficult problems, even extraordinary problems, as we have earlier alluded to.
Under the leadership of Joshua, the Israelites had pushed across the Jordan, established a command center in Gilgal (5:6) and, in effect, it became the staging ground for the systematic invasion of the land. They were very successful in their early attempts to subdue it. Chapter 12 gives a very impressive summary of their conquests. Lest one thinks, however, that the job was finished, read the opening words in Chapter 13.
"Now Joshua was old, advanced in years. And the LORD said to him: ’You are old, advanced in years, and there remains very much land yet to be possessed’" (vs. 1).
There follows a listing of all the territory yet unconquered and Joshua is told to "divide this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh" (13:7). Don’t miss this: the land is divided among the tribes even though not one sandaled foot has bent one blade of grass there. God has a remarkable way of putting the proverbial cart before the horse. He has a remarkable ability to seeing the end from the beginning then telling us to believe what He sees. In fact, Isaiah hears the Lord say, "For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from the ancient times things that are not yet done " (Isa. 46:9,10).
This was the challenge to Israel: believe the land is yours – lock, stock, and barrel – before you set one foot forward to possess it, before you engage in the first battle. It is the challenge to every believer who desires to experience the power and provision of the Holy Spirit and to know the joy of living in full victory under the covenant benefits and blessings promised by being there. It is unconquered land, but it is your land. You must fight for it. It is within this context that the sons of Joseph come to Joshua with a legitimate complaint (although one may detect a note of haughty arrogance in their demand.) Before dealing with that part of the story, however, let’s consider how the author of the Book of Hebrews spiritualizes these events in order to draw us into its picture.
PERSPECTIVE FROM THE BOOK OF HEBREWS
"There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his work as God did from His" (Heb. 4:9,10).
1. The author of Hebrews calls conquering Canaan, "entering into God’s rest" (see 3:11,18; 4:1ff.). In God’s mind, Canaan meant rest. Jesus said, "I will give you rest" (Mt. 11:28). At the same time, the reality of scripture and of our personal experience teaches us that a relationship with Jesus Christ is often a highly charged conflict "against principalities," etc. We read the terms: "endure hardness as a good soldier," "war a good warfare," "pull down strongholds," to name but three. It is within this arena of warfare that we encounter the chariots of iron. Challenged by chariots of iron in a land called rest is not a contradiction. It is, however, a fact of spiritual growth and development. Expect it! Don’t be dismayed by it!
2. The center of the Christian life is REST. The circumference is one of war, struggle, defeat and victory. Mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually -- these realms affect us. We live in both realms. At times, we win. Other times, we seem to lose. But even in the place where it may appear we are defeated there is absolute victory because, at the center, we remain in rest. The wars, struggles, defeats or victories never change our place of rest.
Listen to Paul’s testimony. Take courage and strength from it. "For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble that came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. [Comment: This is a typical chariot of iron difficulties and feelings.] Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, [Comment: This a faith response from one’s place of rest.] who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us" (2 Cor. 1:8-10 NKJV).
3. Rest is obtained by faith. Rest is maintained by faith. Circumstances on the circumference will not change our rest because, by faith, we have "ceased from (our) works." The degree of our centeredness determines the degree to which we will be either positively or negatively affected by circumstance on the circumference of our lives. How [and this is absolutely vital] . . . how? This is how: ". . . looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls" (Heb. 12:2,3).
Writing these verses in the context of our study, I hear the Holy Spirit saying, "bear in mind, as you face your chariots of iron trials, that Jesus also faced chariots of iron in the form of bitter hostility against Himself. He won! His victory is your victory. Stay focused – looking unto Jesus – with your faith centered in Him, let you become weary and discouraged. Look! He now reigns at God’s right hand."
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.
(From a hymn by Helen Lemmel)
THE FIRST CHALLENGE
Chapters 16 and 17 of Joshua define the boundaries of the land that is to become the possession of Ephraim and Manasseh. At first reading, it sounded adequate. Remember, however, this was the "broad picture." It was the promise of great possibilities. The details would be found in the fine print. When Joshua spells out their inheritance, scripture says, "So the children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance [i.e., possession]" (Joshua 16:4). It sounds as thought hey immediately took physical possession of all the territory Joshua had just handed over to them. Hold on! Further reading reveals it was not the case. At this point they actually received their inheritance by faith. The only thing they had was Joshua’s word or perhaps it was written down and they held the document in their hands. As yet they had climbed no mountains, crossed no flowing streams. Nor had they stood in a broad, lush valley. And it would never happen until they began to make actual what was promised. Made actual by taking up spear, sword and shield and bending their backs and legs to the task of war. This is to say, when they (and we) began to make actual what was promised, they (and we) found there was a wide disparity between the two concepts. On my CD player, I have been listening to Janet Pascal sing a song that encourages we to believe, "God will make a way, when there seems to be no way. Forever He is faithful . . . " A small snippet of this beautiful song ahs grabbed my mind and seems so right to place here. She sings: . . . when you’re standing between provision and impossibility . . . " Sound familiar to your experience? Often when we face the challenge of chariots of iron, we look to the right and see God’s provision. We look to the left and we see the impossibility. We are standing in the middle. This is where Ephraim and Manasseh stood when they said, "we want more . . . but . . . "This is where we stand when we say the same thing.
Flowcharts, graphs, paradigms, polls, studies, seminars, and even exciting testimonials of miracles may paint rosy pictures of the Christian life. If, however, one sees on the "broad picture" of peace with prosperity right now and ultimately of Heaven itself, such a one is in for a rude awakening when it comes time to work out the details of the finer points of living the Christian life. Ephraim and Manasseh discovered this reality.
Interestingly, after all is said and done, they made a request to Joshua that has a familiar ring. "We want more . . . we need more . . . give us more." Today it’s, "I want more of the Lord. I want more of the Spirit. I want more of His grace and power. I want more . . . ., I want more." How many times have you sung:
Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea;
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
(Anonymous)
Are you serious about wanting more? You can have more. More comes with a price. The price will call for conflict. It will call for courage because, as Ephraim and Manasseh learned, those who possessed chariots of iron occupied the land they wanted. Here’s the story:
"Then the children of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, ’Why have you given us only one lot [allotment] and one share to inherit, since we are a great people, inasmuch as the LORD has blessed us until now?’ So Joshua answered them ’If you are a great people, then go up to the forest country and clear a place for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and the giants, since the mountains of Ephraim are too confined for you.’ But the children of Joseph said, ’The mountain country is not enough for us; and all the Canaanites who dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both those who are of Beth Shean, and its towns and those who are of the Valley of Jezreel’" (Joshua 17:14-16).
Centuries before the Apollo 13 astronauts said, "Houston, we’ve got a problem here," Ephraim and Manasseh said, with the same note of seriousness, "Joshua, we’ve got a problem here." As they perceived it, their problem was with chariots of iron and the Canaanites who controlled them. In the Counselor’s chamber this would be known as the "presenting problem." But the "presenting problem" hardly ever is the real problem. Something deeper lies beneath the obvious. So it is with this problem. The storywriter in the Joshua account does not give us a clue about why Ephraim and Manasseh felt threatened and ultimately caved in to their fears. A later historian does. "The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle. They did not keep the covenant of God; they refused to walk in His law, and forgot His works and His wonders that he had shown them (Ps. 78:9-11).
(a) They did not keep covenant with God. It is explicit from the beginning: "This book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it (Joshua 1:8). They didn’t do that. Their entry into Canaan was based upon a covenant relationship. By their own actions, they made null and void the covenant, as did all the tribes in their turn (see Judges 2:1,2).
(b) They refused to walk in His law. "For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success" (Joshua 1:8). Their success depended upon obedience o God’s word. They didn’t do that.
(c) They forgot His past works and wonders on their behalf. They forgot the miracle at the Red Sea; water from the rock; manna in the wilderness; crossing the Jordan; the walls falling down at Jericho, to name but a few of the great wonders they were privileged to recall as part of their history.
As appalling as this is, there is something that is even more enlightening. Ephraim was destined for a place of leadership in Israel. However, because of their failure it is said, "Moreover he rejected the tent of Joseph, and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, but chose the tribe of Judah" (Ps. 78:67). This explains the events we will look at in the next portion of this study, events that are found in Judges 1:2ff. But Joshua did his best to encourage Ephraim and Manasseh to go forward.
"And Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph—to Ephraim and Manasseh—saying, ’You are a great people and have great power: you shall not have only one lot, but the mountain country shall be yours. Although it is wooded, you shall cut it down, and its farthest extent shall be yours; for you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots and are strong’" (Joshua 17:17,18) NKJV).
Joshua’s response to their request is positive and straightforward. He pulls no punches . . . tells it like it is. "Great," he says, "You want more? You can have more . . . you can have all you want. If you want to live on the mountain, take the mountain. But to take the mountain you must fight the Perizzites . . . you must fight the giants. Do you want the broad, green valleys? Great. You can have that to! But you say, ’We can’t take the mountains or the valley—especially he valley—because the Canaanites are there and they have chariots of iron.’"
"Stop whining! You sons of Joseph," he roars. "You are a great people and strong. Start believing that. Live up to your famous legacy Until you kick the "H" out of wHining you’ll never start winning!" Let’s not miss that truth.
CONCLUSION AND APPLICATION
In this study I have tried to show the similarities that exist between Israel entering into their Promised Land of Canaan—how they encountered chariots of iron—and the application of those events to our own challenge of faith. We have seen how there are chariots of iron problems that demand a greater degree of faith than for the day-to-day problems that are common to us all. This is not to suggest or even imply that in our own strength we are capable of handling day-to-day problems and only need to bring God in on the big stuff. One rule applies to all, whether great or small: "For we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor. 5:7 NKJV), and see Rom. 14:23).
I am fully persuaded that every Christian is adequately supplied—no, much more than that—is, "strengthened with all might according to His glorious power" (Col. 1:11) for victory over every chariots of iron encounter. Why do I believe this and why do I want to persuade you to believe it?
Reason One: Jesus said, "I give unto you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy" (Lk. 10:19 and see Rom. 16:20; Heb. 2:8).
Reason Two: Paul said, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction (i.e., training discipline) in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Tim. 3:16,17).
Reason Three: In a list of potential areas of conflict, Paul includes "peril" and "sword," (you could read chariots of iron) and says: "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who love us" (Rom. 8:34-37).
Reason Four: "Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ" (2 Cor. 2:14). This needs no comment.
Reason Five: Paul gives us an interesting insight that must have been a chariots of iron experience for him while under arrest in Rome. He had already appeared once before Caesar and says of that encounter: "At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me." Let that wash over your consciousness for a moment and try to feel what he must have felt. Can you recall anything that has happened to you that comes close to it? Some reading this can feel it because they too have experienced it. How does one cope with that? Paul tells us. His experience yields one of the greatest secrets you’ll ever read on how to deal with that situation. We hear Paul say, "May it not be charged against them." He forgave them! He did not let a "root of bitterness" spring up (Heb. 12:15; or "give place to the devil" (Eph. 4:27) by harboring a grudge. He cleared the decks by forgiveness. It knocks the wheels of chariots of iron.
Forgiveness is to chariots of iron
What a laser-guided antitank missile is
To the latest and greatest armored
Vehicle in any Army’s arsenal
(Not a hymn, but by Holt)
Paul testifies: "But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me . . . Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work, and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!" (2 Tim. 4:16-18).
Such can be our testimony when we face our chariots of iron.
(This study continues with Part 2)
