| Joshua: Strength and Courage |
Joshua: Getting Back on Track
Joshua: Strength and Courage for the True Man of God
Joshua 8 – Getting Back on Track
Verse 1 - Israel has backtracked, lost ground, with the defeat at Ai. This was due to the sin of Achan,
which had tainted all of Israel, (it had become all of Israel’s sin. While this seems profoundly unfair, Israel’s
history will show that they will be guilty of the same sin as Achan many times between now (1300 BC) and the
final exile into Babylon in 586 BC.
We also fail. We sin, we get off track. This chapter is an encouragement and lesson in how to get back on track
in our lives as men of God.
God says these encouraging words, “Do not fear and do not be dismayed.” God will give them the victory. All
they have to do is follow His ways (laws, will, commands, etc). This is the first step into getting back on track,
receiving encouragement from God. And He does exactly that! God does encourage us. He does this through
Word and Sacrament. He forgives our sins and gives us power to live our lives as men after His own heart.
1 Peter 1:18-19 “knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not
with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without
blemish or spot.”
Getting “off track” is a futile way to live. It’s like driving off the road without the proper vehicle. And it isn’t our
own strength that gets us back on track, it is only through the blood of Jesus – given in, with, and under the
bread and wine in Holy Communion. It is only through God’s Holy Word that we know the right way and are
given the power of the right way (more on this below).
Verse 2 - Here we see just how foolish Achan was. If only he had waited until God had given instead of
taking for himself, he would have had so much more, now he doesn’t even have his life!
How often do we charge ahead and take before we are really ready to take? Think about that for a moment. In
a man’s life, we sometimes jump into sexual relationships before we should, before God intends for us to. That
brief moment of ecstasy is not worth all the pain and problems that it causes. Or maybe we jump into purchase
before we are financially ready. Our culture has drummed into our heads that it’s ok for either of these things to
happen. Achan is our lesson for taking before God wants us to take.
Now God is ready for Israel to take spoils of war, when they do things His way. At the end of this verse, God tells
Joshua to lay an ambush. He tells him in general terms how to do this.
Verse 3 - It is up to Joshua to put this plan of God’s into action. Joshua’s military expertise is a gift from
God. God has given Joshua the gifts to use and basically points Joshua in the right direction and then lets
Joshua us his God-given gifts to carry out God’s will.
Joshua , instead of sending 3,000 men, sends 30,000. He uses all of his resources to gain this victory that will
be given to them by God. This is good stewardship. It is using all of life and life’s resources to carry out God’s
will.
Verses 4-8 - This battle plan is pretty good. It has the advantage of looking like one thing and being
something else. What’s the lesson? If something doesn’t work the first time, try something else! As Benjamin
Franklin said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”
Verse 9 - It is specifically noted that Joshua spends the night “among the people.” He stays with his troops.
This is the kind of leader that people will follow. I recently was reminded of the story of one of the replacement
lieutenants of Easy Company of the 506th Battalion of the 101st Infantry (The Band of Brothers). At Bastogne,
this lieutenant told his men to attack and then told them he had to fill out paper work back at battalion hq and
would be back later. Joshua stays with his troops.
Our Joshua – Jesus – also stays with us. Remember that He promised to be with us always (Mt 28:20). That’s so
encouraging especially when we are trying to get back on track.
Verses 10-17 - This battle plan also has going for it that it appears to the troops of Ai that Israel is doing
the same thing it had done when they defeated them. So they (Ai) foolishly attack the same way.
The lesson here is that it seems that Satan attacks the man of God in the same way as long as it works. The
reason? Simply because it does work. Let’s face it, Satan doesn’t have to be created when it comes to
attacking men. A tight fitting shirt on a buxom woman, long legs and short shorts. A sleek and beautiful sports
car. The enticement of having any or all of these things if we just have enough money or enough credit. Most
men go down when attack like this. What we should do is change how we fight our battles! We need to go on
the offensive! We need to take the battle to the enemy and not lie around waiting for him to attack us.
Verses 18-29 - It is vital to remember that while Joshua orchestrates a decisive victory, it is God who has
won the victory, not Joshua. It is God who gets the credit and Joshua and Israel who get the blessing.
Here are the keys to victory for the True Man of God that we can learn from the man of God Joshua.
1. Be strong and courageous.
2. Do it God’s way, not what we think is best.
3. Use everything God has given you.
4. Be encouraged because Jesus is with us always.
5. Be offensive!
How Israel has handled this second part of the conquest of Canaan foreshadows how they will live in the land
under the Judges.
1. Israel does things their own way
2. God allows a defeat of Israel
3. Israel repents
4. God delivers Israel (through a Judge)
5. Things go well for a while until Israel decides to do things their own way
Cycle then repeats. In the Book of Judges this happens seven times, but really it is the way we tend to live our
lives, until we break the cycle. The first step in doing that is to know there is a cycle and then change how we
live.
Verses 30-35 - Notice that Joshua goes “back to the Book.” He goes back to God’s Word, God’s Law that
was revealed through Moses. This is how to break the cycle. This is how to live a new life. This is where our
power comes from to go on the offensive and bring the battle to the enemy instead of waiting around for the
attacks or failing and trying to get back on track time and time again.
Israel’s history is that while they stay “in the Book” they have relatively few problems. When they stray from God’s
way (as revealed in the Book), that’s when they have huge problems. It is the same for us. We simply have to
stay in the Book through worship, the sacraments, Bible study and devotion.
Big Idea: To get back on track takes strength, courage, and God!
Joshua 8 – Getting Back on Track
Verse 1 - Israel has backtracked, lost ground, with the defeat at Ai. This was due to the sin of Achan,
which had tainted all of Israel, (it had become all of Israel’s sin. While this seems profoundly unfair, Israel’s
history will show that they will be guilty of the same sin as Achan many times between now (1300 BC) and the
final exile into Babylon in 586 BC.
We also fail. We sin, we get off track. This chapter is an encouragement and lesson in how to get back on track
in our lives as men of God.
God says these encouraging words, “Do not fear and do not be dismayed.” God will give them the victory. All
they have to do is follow His ways (laws, will, commands, etc). This is the first step into getting back on track,
receiving encouragement from God. And He does exactly that! God does encourage us. He does this through
Word and Sacrament. He forgives our sins and gives us power to live our lives as men after His own heart.
1 Peter 1:18-19 “knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not
with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without
blemish or spot.”
Getting “off track” is a futile way to live. It’s like driving off the road without the proper vehicle. And it isn’t our
own strength that gets us back on track, it is only through the blood of Jesus – given in, with, and under the
bread and wine in Holy Communion. It is only through God’s Holy Word that we know the right way and are
given the power of the right way (more on this below).
Verse 2 - Here we see just how foolish Achan was. If only he had waited until God had given instead of
taking for himself, he would have had so much more, now he doesn’t even have his life!
How often do we charge ahead and take before we are really ready to take? Think about that for a moment. In
a man’s life, we sometimes jump into sexual relationships before we should, before God intends for us to. That
brief moment of ecstasy is not worth all the pain and problems that it causes. Or maybe we jump into purchase
before we are financially ready. Our culture has drummed into our heads that it’s ok for either of these things to
happen. Achan is our lesson for taking before God wants us to take.
Now God is ready for Israel to take spoils of war, when they do things His way. At the end of this verse, God tells
Joshua to lay an ambush. He tells him in general terms how to do this.
Verse 3 - It is up to Joshua to put this plan of God’s into action. Joshua’s military expertise is a gift from
God. God has given Joshua the gifts to use and basically points Joshua in the right direction and then lets
Joshua us his God-given gifts to carry out God’s will.
Joshua , instead of sending 3,000 men, sends 30,000. He uses all of his resources to gain this victory that will
be given to them by God. This is good stewardship. It is using all of life and life’s resources to carry out God’s
will.
Verses 4-8 - This battle plan is pretty good. It has the advantage of looking like one thing and being
something else. What’s the lesson? If something doesn’t work the first time, try something else! As Benjamin
Franklin said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”
Verse 9 - It is specifically noted that Joshua spends the night “among the people.” He stays with his troops.
This is the kind of leader that people will follow. I recently was reminded of the story of one of the replacement
lieutenants of Easy Company of the 506th Battalion of the 101st Infantry (The Band of Brothers). At Bastogne,
this lieutenant told his men to attack and then told them he had to fill out paper work back at battalion hq and
would be back later. Joshua stays with his troops.
Our Joshua – Jesus – also stays with us. Remember that He promised to be with us always (Mt 28:20). That’s so
encouraging especially when we are trying to get back on track.
Verses 10-17 - This battle plan also has going for it that it appears to the troops of Ai that Israel is doing
the same thing it had done when they defeated them. So they (Ai) foolishly attack the same way.
The lesson here is that it seems that Satan attacks the man of God in the same way as long as it works. The
reason? Simply because it does work. Let’s face it, Satan doesn’t have to be created when it comes to
attacking men. A tight fitting shirt on a buxom woman, long legs and short shorts. A sleek and beautiful sports
car. The enticement of having any or all of these things if we just have enough money or enough credit. Most
men go down when attack like this. What we should do is change how we fight our battles! We need to go on
the offensive! We need to take the battle to the enemy and not lie around waiting for him to attack us.
Verses 18-29 - It is vital to remember that while Joshua orchestrates a decisive victory, it is God who has
won the victory, not Joshua. It is God who gets the credit and Joshua and Israel who get the blessing.
Here are the keys to victory for the True Man of God that we can learn from the man of God Joshua.
1. Be strong and courageous.
2. Do it God’s way, not what we think is best.
3. Use everything God has given you.
4. Be encouraged because Jesus is with us always.
5. Be offensive!
How Israel has handled this second part of the conquest of Canaan foreshadows how they will live in the land
under the Judges.
1. Israel does things their own way
2. God allows a defeat of Israel
3. Israel repents
4. God delivers Israel (through a Judge)
5. Things go well for a while until Israel decides to do things their own way
Cycle then repeats. In the Book of Judges this happens seven times, but really it is the way we tend to live our
lives, until we break the cycle. The first step in doing that is to know there is a cycle and then change how we
live.
Verses 30-35 - Notice that Joshua goes “back to the Book.” He goes back to God’s Word, God’s Law that
was revealed through Moses. This is how to break the cycle. This is how to live a new life. This is where our
power comes from to go on the offensive and bring the battle to the enemy instead of waiting around for the
attacks or failing and trying to get back on track time and time again.
Israel’s history is that while they stay “in the Book” they have relatively few problems. When they stray from God’s
way (as revealed in the Book), that’s when they have huge problems. It is the same for us. We simply have to
stay in the Book through worship, the sacraments, Bible study and devotion.
Big Idea: To get back on track takes strength, courage, and God!
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