Missional Focus on the Real Enemy

 

By:  Dale Weckbacher

 

Text:  Joshua 10:16-28

 

Ephesians 6:12

 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

(ESV)

 

The year 2020 has been a year of crisis from the global Covid19 crisis to the crisis of unrest in the streets in the United States, but it could also be viewed as a year of distractions.  While Covid19 and civil unrest are real events requiring our attention, Ephesians 6:12 reminds us that the real enemy is spiritual and the force behind what is occurring in the world.  For this reason, we must learn to address pressing issues like Covid19 and civil unrest while not allowing them to distract us from taking up the armor of God and engaging our spiritual enemy (Ephesians 6:10-20). 

 

Israel has honored its covenant with Gibeon with God’s intervention by throwing the Amorite armies into a panic, throwing down large hailstones from heaven upon them, and causing the sun to stand still giving the army of Israel time until they could take vengeance on the Amorite armies (Joshua 10:1-15).  During the panic of the Amorite armies, the five Amorite kings had fled and hidden in the cave at Makkedah (Joshua 10:16).  This act of cowardice by the Amorite kings did not go unnoticed and was brought to Joshua’s attention (Joshua 10:17).  Joshua could have allowed the discovery of the hiding place of the Amorite kings to distract him from God’s command to occupy the Promised Land (Joshua 1:2-3).  However, instead of allowing the discovery of the king’s hiding place to distract him, Joshua orders his men to roll large stones in front of the opening to the cave, set men to guard the cave, and continued pursuing their enemies, not allowing them to return to their cities (Joshua 10:18-19).  Israel successfully defeats the Amorite armies and occupies their cities with the remnant left entering the fortified cities (Joshua 10:20-21). 

 

It is not until Joshua fulfills God’s mission for Israel to occupy the Promised Land, which in this instance meant occupation of the Amorite cities, that he returns to deal with the Amorite kings held captive in the cave at Makkedah (Joshua 10:22-23).  As the Amorite kings are presented to Joshua, he has the chiefs of the men of war who had just defeated the Amorite armies put their feet on the necks of the Amorite kings.  Joshua did not have his men place their feet on their necks to kill them but to illustrate how the Lord would give Israel victory over all their enemies and to remain strong and courageous (Joshua 10:24-25).  Joshua then strikes the Amorite kings to death, hanging them on trees till sundown and then burying them in the cave at Makkedah (Joshua 10:26-27).  Joshua then strikes down the king of Makkedah, devoting to destruction every person in the city just like he did at Jericho (Joshua 10:28). 

 

The parallel in this passage is Jesus' defeat of sin in our lives.  Jesus has totally defeated sin, holding it captive in the tomb (Romans 7:6).  However, we can become distracted by the enemy and go into the cave and bring out the sin God defeated on the cross.  Instead of going in and dredging up past sins, we must place rocks over the opening to the cave and guard our hearts against dredging up past sins by putting on the helmet of salvation, knowing that our sins are totally forgiven (Ephesians 6:17).  From this knowledge we can focus on the mission of the Church, taking the message of salvation in Christ to the world and making disciples (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19-20). 

 

Like Israel’s mission to occupy the Promised Land, the Church has a mission to share the message of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection.  Like the potential distraction of finding the Amorite kings secluding themselves in the cave and Makkedah, crises like Covid19 and civil unrest can consume our attention and distract us from the mission of sharing the Gospel.  Instead of becoming consumed with news of these crises, we must focus on sharing the Gospel for Jesus Christ is the answer to how to handle crises.  A world in crisis and despair needs Jesus and the message of the Gospel to bring hope.  The challenge for the church is to remain focused on its mission of bringing this hope to the world.  The church must put on the whole armor of God, defeating the enemy behind evil in the world.  The challenge for the Church is will it be the messenger bring hope to a world in despair or remain in despair itself.