The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Joshua 11:20,
"It was the Lord himself who hardened their hearts to wage war against Israel, so that he might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy, as the Lord had commanded Moses."
As we read of Israel taking possession of the land the Lord promised them, it is a sweeping account. Here we learn that the Lord hardened the hearts of the people he intended to have Israel annihilate. As Israel marched through the land the various kings came together in efforts to fight off the Israelites, all to no avail.
What I find interesting is the Lord's involvement in what he did through Israel. He wanted the wicked inhabitants of Canaan destroyed and so manipulated events that insured it would happen the way he wanted. We read that the Lord "hardened the hearts" of the Canaanites so they would wage war against Israel, war they had no possibility of winning. The Lord would see to that, accomplish what he desired and do it all through the nation of Israel, masking much of his own direct participation in his judgement of the Canaanite peoples.
Much of what the Lord has done throughout history, he has done in a way that his visibility has been carefully measured. I am certain he does it to maintain some equilibrium so that he can be embraced in faith. He has made clear he has chosen all who will embrace him in faith, and although he could step out on the stage of world events and bring about whatever it is he desires, he has chosen to mask himself for his own purposes. This is clearly seen in the actions of Jesus Christ as he allowed himself to be known to some and not others, how he would let himself be recognized in some circumstances, but not in others. The Lord appears to interact with the world in such a way that he maintains the opportunity for faith to exist.
What is striking here is the manipulation of the peoples of the world. Where mankind may feel he is entirely in control of his destiny, at times man is simply doing what he has been manipulated to do by our God who carries out his own agenda to perfection.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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