“All these kings met together, then came and pitched camp together at the Merom Spring, to fight Isra’el. Adonai said to Y’hoshua, ‘Don’t be afraid on their account; because at this time tomorrow I will hand them over, all of them dead, before Israel. You are to hamstring their horses and burn up their chariots.'”-Joshua 11:5-6
We really need to think about the enormity of what Israel was up against.
All of the combined military forces of the northern Canaanite kings PLUS the most advanced war weapons in existence at the time were being harnessed in the attack against Israel.
When I say the most advanced war weapons at the time, I’m talking about “horses and chariots”.
These are the exact same weapons Israel had to face in Egypt when fleeing from Pharaoh.
The northern kings were planning to launch their offensive from an area called “the waters of Merom”.
No one knows for sure where “the waters of Merom” were located but according to the most updated research, many scholars believe this place was probably very near Hazor (which makes good sense since it was the King of Hazor who was leading the attack).
So what’s the big lesson to be learned here?
The lesson is this…
…anyone who had even the slightest idea of what Israel was up against would have understood why God commanded Joshua to not be afraid.
Because from any human or earthly perspective, Israel was dead meat.
But again, that’s how man thinks and herein lies the lesson.
When the Lord told Joshua that it was actually the enemy who was as good as dead meat, Joshua had a choice to make.
Would he choose to believe God OR believe his own eyes?
And the same choice lies before all of us.
When we’re facing tough times and hopeless circumstances, are we going to believe God who has already assured us of our victory?
Or are we going to believe our own eyes and fall into even deeper despair?
Leave a Reply