Sermon Central
-
Victory In Our Battles
Contributed by Andrew Dixon on Feb 18, 2026 (message contributor)
Summary: Joshua won all the battles because God was with him to fight against his enemies and assured him that victory was his for sure. As believers in Jesus in our battle against the evil one, let us never forget that the battle belongs to the Lord and we are more than conquerors through Christ.
For today’s meditation let us look at Joshua 10:5, “These five Amorite kings, the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon, joined forces, surrounded Gibeon, and attacked it.” (GNB)
The five kings who are mentioned in the verse above joined hands to wage war against Gibeon. As we study the background of this incident, we will certainly learn some important lessons. When Joshua and the people of Israel who were led by God advanced into the Promised Land, all the people who lived in that region heard about the wonderful deeds God performed on behalf of the Israelites.
Rahab’s Testimony
Rahab who lived on the walls of the city of Jericho gave this testimony about the people of Israel.
We read in Joshua 2:10, “For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction.” (ESV)
As the Israelites progressed to take possession of the land God had promised them, the inhabitants of those regions heard about how God parted the Red Sea. For over four hundred years the people of Israel were under the iron grip of Pharaoh, and in bondage to the Egyptians. God delivered them by His mighty hand that performed great sign and wonders. Everyone in that region had therefore heard about the mighty deliverance that God wrought for His people.
The freedom that Jesus brought for us
If you are wondering as to why you have to know about this deliverance of the Israelites from their bondage, we must realize that at one time we too were slaves to this world, to our flesh and Satan. No one can be freed from this bondage to sin with their own strength. Jesus the Son of God came down to the earth, took on flesh and blood like all of us, lived a sinless life, and shed His precious blood on the cross of Calvary, so that we can be freed from our slavery to sin. This salvation that Jesus offers us gives us hope for eternity. Interestingly, when we share the good news of the gospel we will see that people tend to react in varied ways.
The different reactions of people to the works of God
When the people of Jericho heard about the advancement of the Israelites, they shut themselves up inside their fort. They thought that the fort could protect them from the advancing children of Israel who were lead by God.
A child of God, led by God faces similar situations when once people come to know that you have made Jesus the Lord of your life, they will shut you out, and not have anything to do with you.
Unlike the people of Jericho, the people of Ai did not care about the people of Israel, and didn’t seem to bother about them moving close to their place. Similarly some people are not bothered whether you follow the Lord or not.
However, the people of Gibeon knew that the Almighty God was with the people of Israel and they were victorious because God was with them. They therefore decided that they would make a peace treaty, and be friends with the Israelites. So also, when some people know that God is with you, they will try and be friends with you.
The Amorite kings plan for attack
The Amorite kings on the other hand decided to wage war, and wanted to oppose, and stop the Israelites as they advanced into the Promised Land.
We read in Joshua 10:1-2, “As soon as Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard how Joshua had captured Ai and had devoted it to destruction, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them, he feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were warriors.” (ESV)
One of the major reasons why these five Amorite kings opposed Israelites was the sense of fear that gripped them.
As children of God when people rise up against us, we can be sure that the main reason is because they are filled with fear. This kind of fearful hatred is often evident at the work place, in families, and even in churches.
The master-mind behind the plot
We read in Joshua 10:3-4, So Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying, "Come up to me and help me, and let us strike Gibeon. For it has made peace with Joshua and with the people of Israel." (ESV)
