JOSHUA 10

I was thinking today about my old college choir days, and one of my favorite pieces that we sang was called Elijah Rock. There was a line in that song that we women sang with a valiant, chesty tone: "My God is a mighty man o’ war." I always loved that part of the song, and reading today’s chapter from Joshua brought it right to my mind. So, I thought I would muse for a few minutes on this mighty man o’ war who is our God.

Is there anyone or anything that can really oppose God when it comes to might and power? Apparently not, at least not in this chapter. In fact, God tells Joshua outright: "Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you." (vs 8) And, in the course of the day, God did several things to help the Israelites to several stunning victories. He rained down large hailstones on their enemies (vs 11), made the sun stand still in order to provide extra daylight (vs 13), and even fought for His people (vs 42).

And, in the end, it was God, the Israelites, and the Gibeonites who were left standing.

So, here’s what I was thinking about all this warring: God may use it as an emergency measure, to stave off disaster in the short run, but in the long run, it can’t accomplish what He really wants. In fact, maybe that very conclusion was part of the reason why He employed these tactics with Israel. Maybe He was trying to teach us that—in terms of ultimate outcomes—love cannot be won by force and might. After all, the five kings who banded together against Israel in this chapter had all heard about the mightiness of Israel’s God. They had heard about Jericho and Ai... and that did little to convert their hearts. It even did little to convert the hearts of Israel, as they continued to run after false gods throughout the Old Testament.

And converting our hearts is what God wants. That’s why God—this all-powerful, omnipotent, stronger-than-everyone man o’ war—doesn’t resort to the use of force to run His government. I mean, let’s face it. From the evidence recorded here, if God wanted to, He could make all of us His slaves. He could have wiped us all out and started over. In fact, He could have never created a single creature with the power to choose. He could run His government like a dictator—What God Wants Is What God Gets, 24/7. But He doesn’t do that.

God is a mighty man o’ war—yes, on the battlefield when the emergency warranted it. But He is also a mighty man o’ war on the heart. And He doesn’t wage that war with bombs and bullets. He wages it with the Spirit. For it is "'not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty." (Zech 4:6) What a humble position that is. For a mighty man o’ war to desire something that absolutely cannot be achieved with all the mighty power at His disposal—wow!