Be Not Afraid Because of Them - Joshua 11:6

In the book of Joshua, we learned how “Jabin” the “king of Hazor” assembled “kings” and their armies who were located near him, and “when all these kings were met together, they came and pitched together at the waters of Merom, to fight against Israel”, and in chapter eleven and verse six of the book of Joshua, we learn how, “the LORD said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of them” where we read, 

And the LORD said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of them: for to morrow about this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel: you shall hough their horses, and burn their chariots with fire.

The verse reads, “And the LORD said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of them: for to morrow about this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel:” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “and the LORD” which means “and Jehovah who is the existing One and the proper name for the One True God” “said unto Joshua” or “uttered, declared and proclaimed to Joshua whose name means Jehovah is salvation”, “be not afraid” which means “do not be fearful, in dread or in awe” “because of them” or “since and on account of them, the kings who gathered together”: “for to morrow” which means “because, since and on account that upon the next day” “about this time” or “around this same season, occasion and time period ” “will I deliver them up” which means “shall I, Jehovah God, put, set, ascribe and commit them, the kings and their armies” “all slain before Israel” or “each, every and the whole lot of the kings and their armies as fatally wounded, profaned and killed in front and in the presence of Israel whose name means ‘God prevails” and is the name of the descendants and the nation of the descendants of Jacob”. Joshua or the writer shared how Jehovah God told “Joshua” not to be fearful of all these royal rulers and their armies who were gathered together to war against “Israel” because around that same time on the following day, He would commit every one of them to be fatally wounded and killed in the presence of “Israel”.  

 

The verse continues, “you shall hough their horses, and burn their chariots with fire.” Joshua or the writer added the words, “your shall hough their horses”  which means “you, Joshua, will hamstring and exterminate their, the king’s and armies’, horses”, “and burn their chariots” or “and kindle their, the king’s and armies’, war wagons drawn with horses” “with fire” which means “by the use of fiery fire”. Joshua or the writer shared how Jehovah God told “Joshua” to hamstring every one of the king’s “horses” and to set their war wagons on “fire”. 

When we think through the words in this verse, we see how Jehovah God once again involved Himself with “Joshua” and the people of “Israel”. Because there were a great number of “kings” and armies that were assembled together in opposition to “Israel”, we might understand why they would be fearful. God, however, reassured “Joshua” that these royal rulers and their armies would be defeated by Him the next day at around the same time. “Joshua” and the people of “Israel” were to cripple and exterminate their enemies’ “horses”, and they were to set their war wagons or “chariots” on “fire”. God was in control, and although “Jabin” thought a massive number of opponents to “Israel” would certainly produce a victory, he was wrong. God fought for the people of “Israel”, and He fought for us as well when He sent His Son Jesus into the world to be crucified on the cross for the sins of all mankind and raised from the dead after three days. When we believe and trust in Him as our “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and put His Holy Spirit within us to guide us into all truth and to help us not to be “afraid” when a multitude of opponents rise up against us and Him. (See Isaiah 41:10)

Next time we learn how, “Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".