Thoughts for another day

Nov. 20, 2012.

Today's verse: Joshua 11:20. For it was the design of the LORD to encourage them to wage war against Israel that they might be doomed to destruction… (NAB)

(Pls. read the above before you read further. Thanks)

The Israelites were God's chosen people through His call to Abraham and His promise of giving him descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, though at the time God promised, Abraham had no child through Sarah and was well beyond the age of becoming a father.  Yet, of Abraham was born Isaac and through Isaac, Jacob, through whom were born the patriarchs and the vast peoples, called Israelites, through the new name God had given Jacob after the struggle in the night.

Over the years, the Israelites moved into Egypt and were in great trouble there.  God saw their misery there and redeemed them with a mighty arm and outstretched hand doing amazing things before Pharaoh and the Egyptians, so as to instill fear in them and among others nations around Egypt too.  The Israelites were held in great awe; and they were the only ones who knew the God of heaven and earth.  Now God wanted to make His Name known to all as the One and only God of the universe and therefore He hardened Pharaoh's heart so He could perform tremendous works, stunning the Egyptians into literally driving out the Israelites. 

God wanted people across the earth to know Him and worship Him alone.  God knew that the heart of man is inclined, by virtue of original sin, to move away from Him toward idol worship.  So, He commanded the Israelites to destroy the nations and their people as they moved to the Promised Land, so they wouldn't influence them.  God also designed that the kings of the nations wage war with the Israelites and thus be annihilated for were they not to wage war, the Israelites would perhaps find it comfortable to stay with them and mimic their idol worship - we know this, for we know what Aaron and the people did when Moses was on the mount for forty days.  The teaching we get from our Scripture today is that God wills certain things which may seem gross and ridiculous to us but remember, He knows why He is doing it and we must realise that even if He brings thorns across our paths, He knows the reason for that.  It's up to us to recognize that He loves us and He is doing something, even though painful at that time, which eventually will lead us to great things.  And remember that is His way and His way is always right.  Amen.