Joshua 10:40-11:14
When the children of Israel had put down their enemies in the south part of the land, they returned to Gilgal where the camp was. In figure Gilgal (the place of circumcision) is the place where self is put in the place of death, and so they must be continually reminded that victory is of the Lord. This is a most important lesson for us. There is always a tendency to think of past victories and become self confident. How often when some of us have been used of the Lord in His work, we then begin to think we are something, instead of getting before the Lord in self judgment. I suppose there is no time when we are in greater danger than after a victory for the Lord, for then pride is so likely to come in, and this the Lord hates. (Proverbs 6:16, 17; 16:18.) Let us not forget to get “back to Gilgal” after each victory, and then the Lord can continue to use us for His glory, and not for our own, as He used Joshua and the children of Israel in chapter 11.
As we have been noticing in considering the tenth chapter, the confederacies which the enemies formed only hastened their defeat, but blinded by Satan they did not see it. They planned a still greater confederacy, gathering together a mighty force, with many horses and chariots, and with armies like the sand of the sea for multitude. How this reminds us of the nations of the world today. They are trying to form a mighty confederacy of the so-called “Free Nations,” but little do they realize that their mighty armies are to meet their doom from the hand of the Lord Himself when He comes out of heaven upon the white horse, followed by the armies of the saints. (Revelation 19:11-21.) And so they were defeated here, for when this vast army had been gathered together, the Lord said to Joshua, “Be not afraid of them: for tomorrow about this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel.” Joshua then came out against them and defeated them utterly, so that there were none left to oppose the people of God.
Applying this in its spiritual aspect, Joshua is a type of Christ in the power of the Spirit, leading us into the enjoyment of our heavenly portion. The victory has been won for us at the cross, and now the Spirit of God would give us to realize that every spiritual blessing is ours, just as God gave all the land to His people Israel, only they must enter in and possess it. And so we need the whole armor of God to be able to stand against the wiles of the devil for he is now the god and prince of this world, seeking to hinder us from enjoying our portion in Christ. He will use every means possible to keep us from our “possessions,” but if we meet him in the power of the Spirit of God, victory is certain, as it was with the children of Israel in our chapter.
The city of Hazor was the center and head of all those kingdoms which had formed this confederacy, and so Joshua burned the whole city with fire. This shows us that we are not to imitate the world, or copy its greatness. Naturally we might have thought that as Hazor had once been for the world, so now it should be for God, but “in Christ... all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17. In this new creation “all things are of God”—not copied from the world. God must be all in all.
ML 05/03/1953