The Power Of A Word From God

Pastor Gary Mason – Medicine Hat Family Church

I have been thinking lately about the enemy’s of the church and how God views them.  We sometimes have quite a different picture of what they look like then what God does.  I was reading in the book of Joshua chapter 10 the other day and God showed me something I think will bless you.

10:1  Now it came to pass when Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard how Joshua had taken Ai and had utterly destroyed it; as he had done to Jericho and its king, so he had done to Ai and its king; and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them,
2  that they 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 mighty.
3  Therefore Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying,
4  “Come up to me and help me, that we may attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.”
5  Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered together and went up, they and all their armies, and camped before Gibeon and made war against it.
6  And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, saying, “Do not forsake your servants; come up to us quickly, save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the mountains have gathered together against us.”
7  So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor.
8  And the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand before you.”
9  Joshua therefore came upon them suddenly, having marched all night from Gilgal.
10  So the LORD routed them before Israel, killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, chased them along the road that goes to Beth Horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah.
11  And it happened, as they fled before Israel and were on the descent of Beth Horon, that the LORD cast down large hailstones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword.

Often times in the Christian life it seems that just about the time we win one victory the enemy comes at us from another direction.  The Israelites won a great battle over the city of Ai, and their other enemies got scared and realized that they could be next so they formed a league of alliance against Gibeon who was in covenant with the Israelites.    Now when Gibeon heard this they called to Joshua for help and Joshua assembled the men together because when your in covenant together my enemies are your enemies.  So Joshua got the men together and started out to go to battle.  Then he received a Word from God, “8  And the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand before you.” When you have a Word from God like that you can take it to the bank.  God’s Word is sure.  Nothing is greater than His Word, and He is watching over it to perform it.  So Joshua went out against his enemy.  He was so confident in the word that he had from God he marched all night and came on them suddenly.  I like the suddenlies of God.  Those times when the Bible says, “and suddenly” that’s when we see God move and it’s quick.
I like these next two verses:
10  So the LORD routed them before Israel, killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, chased them along the road that goes to Beth Horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah.
11  And it happened, as they fled before Israel and were on the descent of Beth Horon, that the LORD cast down large hailstones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword.
Did you see what I saw it was the Lord that routed them, killed them with a great slaughter, chased them, and struck them down.  God fought the battle for them.  When they went out in the confidence of his Word they were able to see the Lord put their enemy in his place, and when it looked like some of them may get away and be able to come back another day.  God sent hailstones and finished them off.  Now when God does a job it’s complete.  The Bible tells us that God did more then the Israelites.  The thing to remember here is that the Israelites under the leader Joshua had a Word from God and had to step out in that Word.  In the Church today we understand that what we read in the Old Testament is a type and shadow of the new covenant that we have today.  We have to see that we live under an even better covenant. Today we can see the same victory as they saw.  If we will take the Word of God and go boldly out to face the enemy He will rout the enemy for us and there will be more done by him then what we could do in our strength.  All we need is to hear the word of God and follow our leader boldly into the battle and as we fight the good fight of faith we will see God do his part for us and in the end we too will live in a land that flows with milk and honey.  Don’t grow weary in the battle stand strong in the faith and move forward to the prize that God has set before you.